Interchangeable shaft system

• US 9,403,067 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Zimmerman, Gery M., Tassistro, Kevin, Knutson, Scott A., Stokes, Joshua C.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US14/500,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20150018116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• 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 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/022 allowing adjustable positioning of the head with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/023 adjustable angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• 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 incorporating an interchangeable shaft system includes a shaft, a shaft sleeve, a club head. The shaft sleeve is coupled to an end of the shaft and is received in a hosel included in the club head. The shaft sleeve is removably coupled to the club head. Hosel and shaft sleeve alignment features provide discrete orientations between the shaft and club head.

Claims

1. A golf club, comprising:

a golf club head including a hosel, wherein the hosel defines a hosel bore having a longitudinal axis and a proximal end surface;

an elongate shaft;

a shaft sleeve assembly coupled to a distal end portion of the shaft, the shaft sleeve assembly including a sleeve body and tension member coupled to the sleeve body by a flexible coupling, wherein the flexible coupling is flexible in only a single plane, wherein the sleeve body includes a plurality of sleeve alignment features;

a wedge member including a plurality of wedge alignment features on at least a proximal end of the wedge member, wherein the wedge member is interposed between the sleeve body and the proximal end surface of the hosel; and

a fastener that releasably couples the tension member to the club head,

wherein the wedge member provides a wedge angle between the shaft sleeve and the hosel and wherein the sleeve body provides a shaft angle between the sleeve body and the shaft.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the magnitudes of the wedge angle and the shaft angle are different.

3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the magnitudes of the wedge angle and the shaft angle are at least about the same.

4. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the wedge member includes end surfaces that are angled relative to each other, wherein a first end surface abuts a portion of the sleeve body and a second end surface abuts the proximal end surface of the hosel.

5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the sleeve body comprises a plurality of projections that define a slot.

6. The golf club of claim 5, wherein the tension member includes at least one tang that is disposed in the slot of the sleeve body, wherein the tang is rotatably coupled to the plurality of projections.

7. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the tension member comprises an anti-rotation feature that complements a portion of the hosel bore so that relative rotation between the hosel and the tension member about a longitudinal axis of the hosel bore is prevented.

8. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the wedge member comprises an anti-rotation feature that complements a proximal end portion of the hosel so that relative rotation between the hosel and wedge member about a longitudinal axis of the hosel bore is prevented.

9. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the wedge member comprises an anti-rotation feature that complements a portion of at least one of the shaft sleeve and the hosel.

10. The golf club of claim 8, wherein the hosel comprises a plurality of hosel alignment features, wherein the hosel alignment features are disposed on or adjacent a proximal end of the hosel, wherein the wedge member comprises a plurality of wedge alignment features on a distal end of the wedge member that complement the plurality of hosel alignment features.

11. The golf club of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of distal wedge alignment features, and hosel alignment features includes at least two alignment features disposed diametrically opposite each other.

12. The golf club of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of the sleeve alignment features, and the proximal wedge alignment features includes at least two alignment features disposed diametrically opposite each other.