Golf club head with adjustable center of gravity

• US 9,180,349 B1
• Filed: 02/05/2014
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Seluga, James A., Kim, Wee Joung, Manwaring, Scott R., Holt, Denver
• Primary Examiner(s): Blau, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US14/173,615
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A golf club head comprising a plurality of center of gravity adjustment assemblies is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the golf club head comprises a plurality of weight ports and a vertical center of gravity adjustment assembly. In other embodiments, the golf club head comprises two vertical center of gravity adjustment assemblies and one horizontal center of gravity adjustment assembly that allows weight to be shifted in a direction perpendicular to a face of the golf club head. In some embodiments, the horizontal center of gravity adjustment assembly may include a slidable weight, while in others it may include a flippable weight cartridge.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a metal face component;

a body comprising a composite crown, a metal sole, a heel side, a toe side, and a rear side;

at least one center of gravity adjustment assembly comprising;

a tube extending through an interior cavity of the golf club head, and

a cylindrical weight cartridge sized to fit within the tube, wherein the cartridge comprises a polymer material and a slug having a specific gravity that is greater than the specific gravity of the polymer material, a length L, and a mass M_T;

at least one weight port disposed in the sole;

a channel disposed in the sole and extending perpendicular to the face component, the channel comprising a floor, a plurality of walls extending away from the floor, and a pair of parallel rails protruding from the floor; and

at least one slidable weight comprising a pair of grooves sized to receive the pair of parallel rails,

wherein the at least one center of gravity adjustment assembly is disposed within the body and extends from the sole to the crown,

wherein changing the orientation of the cartridge within the tube changes the location of the golf club head'"'"'s center of gravity along a vertical Z axis,

wherein the golf club head has a mass M,

wherein the distance from the midpoint of the length L to a center of gravity of the cartridge when the cartridge is disposed within the tube such that the slug is closer to the sole is defined as ½

D,

wherein the golf club head satisfies the equation D≧

0.065(1+M/M_T), and

wherein D is the total center of gravity distance change for the cartridge when its orientation is changed within the tube by being flipped.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head has a mass of 200 to 210 grams.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head comprises an adjustable hosel.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least one center of gravity adjustment assembly or the slidable weight assembly adjusts a bias of the golf club head by at least 0.100 inch.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the slidable weight assembly adjusts a center of gravity depth by at least 0.080 inch and a center of gravity height by at least 0.090 inch.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least one slidable weight comprises a mass of 2 to 10 grams.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head is selected from the group consisting of a wood-type head, an iron-type head, a hybrid-type head, and a putter-type head.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the golf club head is a wood-type head.