Golf club having removable weight

• US 9,216,333 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2014
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Bezilla, Stephanie, Zimmerman, Gery M., Galvan, Darryl C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US14/222,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20140206474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• 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 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand

Abstract

A golf club head is presented comprising a sole including a weight member secured to a weight mount. The weight member is preferably constructed so that it has a low profile and so that it interacts with an angled abutment portion of the weight mount to locate the weight member in the golf club head.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a hosel;

a ball striking face;

a sole extending aftward from a lower edge of the face;

a weight mount disposed in the sole and defined by a side wall and a base surface, wherein the side wall extends between the base surface and an adjacent portion of the sole of the golf club head, wherein at least a portion of the side wall is tapered;

a weight member including a lower surface and a side wall, wherein the lower surface and the side wall join at a tapered junction, wherein the tapered junction of the weight member slidably abuts the tapered side wall of the weight mount such that the weight member is self-centering relative to the weight mount; and

a fastener coupling the weight member to the weight mount.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight mount is recessed into the sole of the golf club head.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight mount projects from the sole of the golf club head.

4. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the weight member includes a recess that receives at least a portion of the weight mount.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the fastener extends through the base surface of the weight mount.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the tapered junction is radiused with a first radius.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the first radius is less than about 1.0 mm.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the first radius is between about 0.25 mm and about 0.75 mm.

9. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the side wall of the weight mount is tapered with a second radius and the second radius is greater than the first radius.

10. The golf club head of claim 9 wherein the second radius is greater than about 1.0 mm.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the second radius is between about 1.0 mm and about 2.0 mm.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight member has a mass between about 2 grams and about 30 grams and an equivalent plan area greater than about 200 mm2, wherein the equivalent plan area is calculated by the volume of the weight member divided by an average thickness of the weight member.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a retainer rotatably coupling the fastener to the weight member, wherein the weight member comprises a bore, wherein the fastener is at least partially disposed in the bore, and wherein the retainer is disposed in the bore and extends between the fastener and the weight member.

14. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight member has a generally polygonal perimeter shape.

15. A weight assembly for mounting to a golf club head, comprising:

a weight member including a lower surface, a side wall and a bore extending through the weight member, wherein the lower surface and the side wall join at a tapered junction, and wherein the weight member has a generally polygonal perimeter shape;

a fastener disposed in the bore and extending through the weight member; and

a retainer rotatably coupling the weight member and the fastener, wherein the bore of the weight member comprises a first circumferential channel, wherein the fastener comprises a second circumferential channel, and wherein the retainer is partially disposed in the first circumferential channel and partially disposed in the second circumferential channel,

wherein the weight member has a mass between about 2 grams and about 30 grams and an equivalent plan area greater than about 200 mm², wherein the equivalent plan area is calculated by the volume of the weight member divided by an average thickness of the weight member.

16. The weight assembly of claim 15, wherein the weight member includes a recess defined by the side wall and the bore intersects the recess.

17. The weight assembly of claim 15, wherein the tapered junction is radiused with a first radius.