Customizable golf club head

• US 9,333,404 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Abbott, Craig E., Watson, William C., Kim, Wee Joung, Rice, Bradley C., Ivanova, Irina, Brookshire, Catherine, Manwaring, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US14/280,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20140248975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 473334-339, 411/431, 411/372.5, 411/372.6, 411/373, 411/13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/10 with adhesive type surfaces, i.e. hook and loop-type fastener
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• 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 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club having features that permit easy customization by consumers is disclosed herein. The golf club includes at least one weight port, at least one removable weight port insert, which may be a weight port ring or one or more weight port medallions, and at least one weight screw. The weight port of the golf club head preferably is non-circular and asymmetric.

Claims

1. A kit comprising:

a golf club head having at least one weight port;

at least one weight screw sized to fit within the at least one weight port; and

a plurality of inserts, each of the plurality of inserts composed of a lightweight material and sized to fit within the at least one weight port,

wherein the plurality of inserts comprises a plurality of outer medallions and a plurality of inner medallions,

wherein each of the plurality of outer medallions comprises a through-bore sized to receive one of the plurality of inner medallions, and

wherein there is no contact between the at least one weight screw and one of the plurality of inserts when the at least one weight screw and the one of the plurality of inserts are disposed within the at least one weight port.

2. The kit of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of inserts comprises an external surface comprising a semi-permanent adhesive material.

3. The kit of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of inserts has a density that differs from the density of each of the other inserts.

4. The kit of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of inserts has a color that differs from the color of each of the other inserts.

5. The kit of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of inserts is a weight port ring.

6. The kit of claim 5, wherein each of the weight port rings is composed of a polymeric material.

7. The kit of claim 5, wherein each of the weight port rings comprises a cylindrical wall and a shelf portion disposed perpendicular to the cylindrical wall.

8. The kit of claim 7, wherein an exterior surface of the cylindrical wall of each of the weight port rings comprises a semi-permanent adhesive material.

9. The kit of claim 8, wherein the semi-permanent adhesive material is an adhesive tape.

10. The kit of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of inserts is asymmetric.

11. The kit of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of inserts is polygonal.

12. The kit of claim 1, wherein each of the outer and inner medallions is affixed within the weight port with an adhesive material.

13. The kit of claim 12, wherein the adhesive material is an adhesive tape.

14. The kit of claim 13, wherein the adhesive tape comprises a sound dampening material selected from the group consisting of rubber and foam.

15. The kit of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of outer medallions is composed of a first material having a first density, wherein each of the plurality of inner medallions is composed of a second material having a second density, and wherein the first density is different from the second density.

16. The kit of claim 15, wherein the first material is a non-metal material, and wherein the second material is a metal material.

17. The kit of claim 15, wherein the first material is a metal material, and wherein the second material is a non-metal material.

18. The kit of claim 1, wherein the at least one weight screw comprises a metal material and a non-metal material.

19. The kit of claim 1, wherein the at least one weight screw is composed of one metal material.