Golf clubs and gold club heads with adjustable center of gravity and moment of inertia characteristics

• US 9,233,282 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2013
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Stites, John T., Boyd, Robert, Franklin, David N.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US13/852,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20130337937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 473334-339, 473/350
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• 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 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

Golf clubs, club heads, and club weighting systems may include: (a) a club head body member; and (b) one or more weight members removably and/or movably engaged with the club head body member so as to move between a first position and a second position to change an overall exterior shape of the club head. This shape change may result in changes to the overall center of gravity, weighting, and/or moment of inertia characteristics of the club head. Alternatively or additionally, the weight member(s) may be removed from the club head body member, reoriented, and/or replaced with a different weight member, e.g., to change the overall exterior shape, center of gravity, weighting, and/or moment of inertia characteristics of the club head. Methods of making and using these clubs, club heads, and weighting systems also are described.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body member having a ball-striking face, a sole, a cavity defined in the club head body member rearward of the face, an upper end, a toe end and a heel end, wherein the heel end is adjacent to a shaft-connecting member, the club head body member further having a hole located within the cavity;

an insert member engaged at least partially within the cavity such that the insert member is rotatable between different positions, the insert member having an aperture extending completely therethrough;

a fastener passing through the aperture and engaged with the hole in the club head body member to secure the insert member to the club head body member; and

a plurality of receiving members positioned proximate the cavity,

wherein the receiving members have inclined engaging surfaces configured to cooperate with portions of the insert member,

wherein the insert member has a pair of vertices, wherein the pair of vertices extend past a rear side surface defining the cavity and are positioned in the pair of receiving members, and

wherein the insert member is configured such that rotation of the insert member shifts the center of gravity of the golf club head.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the insert member is generally triangular-shaped.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the insert member is positioned proximate the rear end of the golf club head body member.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the insert member has a central vertex and the cavity defines a central receiving member, wherein the central vertex is positioned on the central receiving member.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the insert member is generally triangularly-shaped, wherein sides of the insert member are curved inwardly towards a middle portion of the insert member.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the fastener is a set screw, and the hole is a threaded hole.

7. A golf club, comprising:

a club head body member having a ball-striking face, a sole, a cavity defined in the club head body member rearward of the face, an upper end, a toe end and a heel end, wherein the heel end is adjacent to a shaft-connecting member, the club head body member further having a hole located within the cavity;

an insert member engaged at least partially within the cavity such that the insert member is rotatable between different positions, the insert member having an aperture extending completely therethrough;

a fastener passing through the aperture and engaged with the hole in the club head body member to secure the insert member to the club head body member, wherein the insert member is configured such that rotation of the insert member shifts the center of gravity of the golf club head;

a plurality of receiving members positioned proximate the cavity,

wherein the receiving members have inclined engaging surfaces configured to cooperate with portions of the insert member;

wherein the insert member has a pair of vertices, wherein the pair of vertices extend past a rear side surface defining the cavity and are positioned in the pair of receiving members; and

a shaft member engaged with the shaft-connecting member of the club head body member.

8. The golf club of claim 7, wherein the fastener is a set screw, and the hole is a threaded hole.

9. A golf club head, comprising:

a club head body member having a ball-striking face, a sole, a cavity defined in the club head body member rearward of the face, an upper end, a toe end and a heel end, wherein the heel end is adjacent to a shaft-connecting member, the club head body member further having a plurality of engaging surfaces positioned around the cavity;

an insert member engaged at least partially within the cavity such that the insert member is rotatable between different positions, and wherein the engaging surfaces cooperate with portions of the insert member to hold the insert member in position; and

a fastener engaged with the insert member and the club head body member to secure the insert member to the club head body member,

wherein the insert member is configured such that rotation of the insert member shifts the center of gravity of the golf club head, and

wherein the portions of the insert member that cooperate with the engaging surfaces include at least a pair of vertices, wherein the pair of vertices extend past a rear side surface defining the cavity and engage a pair of the engaging surfaces.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the club head body member further has a hole located within the cavity, the insert member having an aperture extending completely therethrough, and the fastener is engaged with the hole in the club head body member to secure the insert member to the club head body member.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the hole is a threaded hole, and wherein the fastener comprises a set screw passing through the aperture and engaged with the threaded hole in the club head body member to removably secure the insert member to the club head body member.

12. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the portions of the insert member that cooperate with the engaging surfaces include at least a central vertex and the plurality of engaging surfaces positioned around the cavity define a central engaging surface, wherein the central vertex extends past the rear side surface and engages the central engaging surface.

13. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the insert member is generally triangular-shaped.

14. The golf club of claim 13, wherein the club head body member further has a hole located within the cavity, the insert member having an aperture extending completely therethrough, and wherein the fastener is engaged with the hole in the club head body member to removably secure the insert member to the club head body member.

15. The golf club of claim 14, wherein the hole is a threaded hole, and wherein the fastener comprises a set screw passing through the aperture and engaged with the threaded hole in the club head body member to removably secure the insert member to the club head body member.

16. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the insert member is positioned proximate the rear end of the golf club head body member.

17. A golf club, comprising:

a club head body member having a ball-striking face, a sole, a cavity defined in the club head body member rearward of the face, an upper end, a toe end and a heel end, wherein the heel end is adjacent to a shaft-connecting member, the club head body member further having a plurality of engaging surfaces positioned around the cavity;

an insert member engaged at least partially within the cavity such that the insert member is rotatable between different positions, and wherein the engaging surfaces cooperate with portions of the insert member to hold the insert member in position;

a fastener engaged with the insert member and the club head body member to removably secure the insert member to the club head body member, wherein the insert member is configured such that rotation of the insert member shifts the center of gravity of the golf club head;

wherein the portions of the insert member that cooperate with the engaging surfaces include at least a pair of vertices, wherein the pair of vertices extend past a rear side surface defining the cavity and engage a pair of the engaging surfaces; and

a shaft member engaged with the shaft-connecting member of the club head body member.