Golf club

• US 9,295,885 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2014
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd. (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Matsunaga, Kiyofumi, Mizutani, Naruhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US14/326,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20150031468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• 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 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club 1 includes a head 3 and a shaft 5. The head 3 has a head body M3, a grounding member Y1 and a movement restricting member Y2. The head body M3 has a sole s3. The sole s3 has a slide part S1 that can slide the grounding member Y1. The movement restricting member Y2 restricts slide movement of the grounding member Y1 while allowing the grounding member Y1 to be fixed at a plurality of slide positions. A face angle can be varied depending on the plurality of slide positions of the grounding member Y1.

Claims

1. A golf club comprising:

a head; and

a shaft,

wherein the head comprises a head body, a grounding member, and a movement restricting member;

the head body comprises a sole;

the sole comprises a straight slide part that can slide the grounding member in a front to back direction where a face is located at the front;

the movement restricting member restricts slide movement of the grounding member while allowing the grounding member to be fixed at a plurality of slide positions; and

a face angle can be varied depending on the plurality of slide positions of the grounding member.

2. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the movement restricting member comprises at least one positioning member that can slidingly move in the slide part, and a fixed member detachably attached to the head body;

and

the slide position of the grounding member is changed by a disposing order of the positioning member and the grounding member; and

the slide movements of the positioning member and the grounding member are restricted by the fixed member.

3. The golf club according to claim 2, wherein if a specific gravity of the head body is defined as G1, a specific gravity of the grounding member is defined as G2, and a specific gravity of the positioning member is defined as G3;

the specific gravity G2 is equal to or less than the specific gravity G1 and the specific gravity G3 is equal to or less than the gravity G1.

4. The golf club according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of positioning members are provided;

and

the positioning members have widths different from each other.

5. The golf club according to claim 2, wherein if a weight of the grounding member is defined as Wa and a total weight of the one or more positioning members is defined as Wb, Wa/Wb is 0.5 or greater and 1.5 or less.

6. The golf club according to claim 2, wherein if a weight of the grounding member is defined as Wa and a total weight of the one or more positioning members is defined as Wb, Wa/Wb is 0.2 or greater and less than 0.5.

7. The golf club according to claim 2, wherein if a weight of the grounding member is defined as Wa and a total weight of the one or more positioning members is defined as Wb, Wa/Wb is greater than 1.5 and 5 or less.

8. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the movement restricting member is a screw body axially rotatably supported by the sole;

the grounding member is connected to the screw body in a screwing manner; and

the slide movement of the grounding member is achieved by axially rotating the screw body.

9. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein a center of gravity of the head moves with the slide movement of the grounding member;

and

adjustment of the center of gravity of the head moving to a back side as the face angle is opened is enabled.

10. The golf club according to claim 1 wherein if a specific gravity of the head body is defined as G1 and a specific gravity of the grounding member is defined as G2, the specific gravity G2 is equal to or less than the specific gravity G1.

11. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the slide part comprises a slide side surface provided on each of both sides of the slide part;

the slide side surface has an inclination forming an undercut;

the grounding member has a side surface provided on each of both sides of the grounding member;

the side surface of the grounding member has an inclination corresponding to the inclination of the slide side surface;

the grounding member is inserted into the slide part from a backward of the head; and

if the grounding member slides, the side surface of the grounding member and the slide side surface slide with each other.

12. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein an adjustable range of the face angle is 2 degrees or greater and 10 degrees or less.

13. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of slide positions comprise a plurality of positions in a face-back direction.

14. The golf club according to claim 13, wherein as the grounding member is positioned on a back side, the face angle is opened.