Golf club head

• US 9,278,262 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Sargent, Nathan T., Nielson, Joseph Reeve, Johnson, Matthew David, Greensmith, Matthew, Beach, Todd P., Franz, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): STANCZAK, MATTHEW BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US13/956,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20140080622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/316, 473/345, 473334-339, 473/332, 473/350, 473/344, 473/341, 473/333, 473/349, D21733-734, D21/752
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/023 adjustable angular orientation
• 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 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/04 Movable ballast means A63B15/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club head comprises a sole, a recessed sole port in the sole; and a rotatably adjustable sole piece adapted to be at least partially received within the sole port and comprising a central body having a plurality of contact surfaces adapted to contact the sole port and being offset from each other along a central axis extending through the central body of the sole piece. The sole piece can be positioned at least partially within the sole port at five or more rotational and axial positions with respect to the central axis, wherein at each rotational position, at least one of said contact surfaces of the central body contacts the sole port to set the axial position of the sole piece. The sole port and/or the sole piece can be generally pentagonal in shape.

Claims

1. A golf club comprising:

a golf club head having a body including a face, a crown, a sole, a heel, and a toe;

a heel opening located on the heel portion, the heel opening configured to receive a fastening member;

an interior cavity defined by the body, the body having a channel located entirely on the forward portion of the sole, the channel having a channel exterior surface and a channel interior surface;

a center face location located on the face that defines the origin of a coordinate system in which an x-axis is tangential to the face at the center face location and is parallel to a ground plane when the body is in a normal address position, a y-axis extends perpendicular to the x-axis and is also parallel to the ground plane, and a z-axis extends perpendicular to the ground plane, wherein a positive x-axis extends toward the heel portion from the origin, a positive y-axis extends rearwardly from the origin, and a positive z-axis extends upwardly from the origin;

at least one weight member movably positioned within the channel, the at least one weight member within the channel is configured to adjust a center of gravity of the club head by moving from a first position to a second position within the channel;

a head-shaft connection system including a sleeve that is secured by the fastening member in a locked position, the head-shaft connection system configured to allow the golf club head to be adjustably attachable to a golf club shaft in a plurality of different positions resulting in an adjustability range of different combinations of loft angle, face angle, or lie angle; and

at least one rib provided on an internal surface of the interior cavity, wherein the at least one rib connects the channel interior surface to at least one other internal surface of the club head body;

wherein the golf club head has a volume greater than about 400 cc and a low forward center of gravity with a head origin x-axis (CGx) coordinate throughout the adjustability range, a head origin y-axis (CGy) coordinate of less than 50 mm throughout the adjustability range, and a head z-axis (CGz) coordinate of greater than about −

8 mm and less than about 3 mm throughout the adjustability range; and

wherein movement of the at least one weight member produces a change in the head origin x-axis (CGx) coordinate of at least a Max Δ

CGx of 2 mm throughout the adjustability range and a change in the head origin z-axis (CGz) coordinate of at least a Max Δ

CGz of 0.5 mm throughout the adjustability range.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the Max Δ

CGx is at least 4 mm throughout the adjustability range and the Max Δ

CGz is at least 1.0 mm throughout the adjustability range.

3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the head origin z-axis (CGz) coordinate is less when the at least one weight member is located below the center face location than when the at least one weight member is located at a point toward the heel.

4. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the head origin z-axis (CGz) coordinate is less when the at least one weight member is located at a most toeward position than when the at least one weight is located at a most heelward position.

5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the head origin z-axis (CGz) coordinate is less when the at least one weight member is located below the center face location than (a) when the at least one weight member is located at a most toeward position, and (b) when the at least one weight is located at a most heelward position.

6. The golf club of claim 5, wherein the head origin z-axis (CGz) coordinate is at least 0.5 mm less when the at least one weight member is located at a most toeward position than when the at least one weight is located at a most heelward position.

7. The golf club of claim 5, wherein the Max Δ

CGx is at least 4 mm throughout the adjustability range, the Max Δ

CGz is at least 1.0 mm throughout the adjustability range, and the head origin x-axis (CGx) coordinate is positive when the at least one weight member is located at a most heelward position and the head origin x-axis (CGx) coordinate is negative when the at least one weight member is located at a most toeward position.

8. The golf club of claim 7, wherein at least a maximum x-axis position adjustment range of the at least one weight member (Max Δ

x) is greater than 50 mm and the head origin y-axis (CGy) coordinate is less than 40 mm throughout the adjustability range, and a head z-axis (CGz) coordinate is less than zero throughout the adjustability range.

9. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the adjustability range is at least 2 degrees of loft angle.

10. The golf club of claim 9, wherein the adjustability range is at least 2 degrees of lie angle.

11. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the head origin y-axis (CGy) coordinate is 26-35 mm throughout the adjustability range, and the head z-axis (CGz) coordinate is at least −

6 mm throughout the adjustability range.

12. The golf club of claim 5, wherein the at least one weight member has a mass (M_WA) and a maximum x-axis position adjustment range of the at least one weight member (Max Δ

x), wherein the product of M_WA*Max Δ

x is at least 250 g·

mm.

13. The golf club of claim 5, wherein the at least one weight member has a mass (M_WA) and a maximum x-axis position adjustment range of the at least one weight member (Max Δ

x), wherein the product of M_WA*Max Δ

x is between about 250 g·

mm and about 4950 g·

mm.

14. The golf club of claim 5, wherein a distance between a first vertical plane intersecting a center of the face and a second vertical plane bisecting the channel is less than the head origin y-axis (CGy) coordinate.

15. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the at least one rib is configured so that the sole includes a frequency of a first fundamental sole mode that is greater than 2,500 Hz.

16. The golf club of claim 14, wherein the head origin y-axis (CGy) coordinate is less than 35 mm and the distance between the first vertical plane intersecting a center of the face and the second vertical plane bisecting the channel is less than 30 mm.

17. A golf club comprising:

a removable golf club shaft having a sleeve located on a tip end of the golf club shaft;

a golf club head having a body including a face, a crown, toe, heel, and a sole;

an interior cavity defined by the body, the body having a channel entirely located on the forward portion of the sole, the channel having a channel exterior surface and a channel interior surface;

a center face location located on the face that defines the origin of a coordinate system in which an x-axis is tangential to the face at the center face location and is parallel to a ground plane when the body is in a normal address position, a y-axis extends perpendicular to the x-axis and is also parallel to the ground plane, and a z-axis extends perpendicular to the ground plane, wherein a positive x-axis extends toward the heel portion from the origin, a positive y-axis extends rearwardly from the origin, and a positive z-axis extends upwardly from the origin;

at least one weight member movably positioned within the channel, a position of the at least one weight member within the channel is configured to adjust a center of gravity of the club head;

a head-shaft connection system including the sleeve that is configured to allow the golf club head to be adjustably attachable to the golf club shaft in a plurality of different positions resulting in an adjustability range of different combinations of loft angles wherein the adjustability range is at least 2 degrees; and

at least one rib provided on an internal surface of the interior cavity, wherein the at least one rib connects a portion of the channel interior surface to at least one other internal surface of the club head body;

wherein the golf club head has a volume greater than about 400 cc and a low forward center of gravity with a head origin x-axis (CGx) coordinate throughout the adjustability range, a head origin y-axis (CGy) coordinate of less than 50 mm throughout the adjustability range, and a head z-axis (CGz) coordinate of greater than about −

8 mm and less than about 3 mm throughout the adjustability range;

wherein movement of the at least one weight member produces a change in the head origin x-axis (CGx) coordinate of at least a Max Δ

CGx of 2 mm throughout the adjustability range and a change in the head origin z-axis (CGz) coordinate of at least a Max Δ

CGz of 0.5 mm throughout the adjustability range;

wherein the head origin z-axis (CGz) coordinate is less when the at least one weight member is located at a most toeward position than when the at least one weight is located at a most heelward position; and

wherein a distance between a first vertical plane intersecting a center of the face and a second vertical plane bisecting the channel is less than the head origin y-axis (CGy) coordinate.

18. The golf club of claim 17, wherein the Max Δ

CGx is at least mm throughout the adjustability range, the Max Δ

CGz is at least 1.0 mm throughout the adjustability range, and the head origin x-axis (CGx) coordinate is positive when the at least on weight member is located at a most heelward position and the head origin x-axis (CGx) coordinate is negative when the at least one weight member is located at a most toeward position.