Golf club head with cam weight

• US 9,550,097 B1
• Filed: 08/11/2015
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Myers, Matthew, Seluga, James A., Kim, Wee Joung
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US14/823,834
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club head comprising at least one weight port and a cam weight sized to reversibly lock into the weight port is disclosed herein. The weight port includes a floor, a wall, a first seating tab extending from the wall, and a second seating tab extending from the wall, but no openings communicating with an interior of the golf club head. The cam weight, which preferably is composed of a single material, includes a cylindrical body, a first helical wing, a second helical wing, and a tool engagement feature. The helical wings give the cam weight a keyed shape, which matches the shape of the weight port when the seating tabs are taken into account.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a head body comprising at least one weight port having a floor, a wall, a first seating tab extending from the wall, and a second seating tab extending from the wall; and

a cam weight comprising a cylindrical body, a first wing, a second wing, and a tool engagement feature,

wherein the at least one weight port does not comprise any through-openings,

wherein the at least one weight port is cylindrical,

wherein the cam weight is sized to removably fit within the at least one weight port,

wherein each of the first wing and the second wing has a tapered thickness,

wherein the first wing and the second wing are spaced from one another on the cylindrical body, and

wherein each of the first wing and the second wing extends only partway around the cylindrical body.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the head body comprises a crown, a sole, and a face, and wherein the at least one weight port is disposed in the sole.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the head body comprises a rear edge, and wherein the weight port is disposed proximate the rear edge.

4. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the golf club head is a driver-type head.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head is an iron-type head.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a spring element, wherein the cylindrical body comprises a counterbore, and wherein the spring element is sized to at least partially fit within the counterbore.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the cam weight is composed of a single material.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of steel, titanium alloy, and tungsten alloy.

9. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of plastic, rubber, and composite.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first seating tab is located directly opposite the second seating tab in the weight port.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first wing comprises a first end with a first width and a second end with a second width, and wherein the second width is greater than the first width.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising vertical spacing between the first wing and the first seating tab when the cam weight is in an unlocked configuration within the weight port.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein there is no vertical spacing between the first wing and the first seating tab when the cam weight is in a locked configuration within the weight port.

14. A driver-type golf club head comprising:

a head body comprising a face, a crown, a sole, a rear edge, a first cylindrical weight port, a second cylindrical weight port, and a hollow interior;

a cam weight a cylindrical body, a first helical wing, a second helical wing, a tool engagement feature, and a counterbore; and

a spring sized to fit within the counterbore,

wherein each of the first and second cylindrical weight ports comprises a floor, a wall, a first seating tab extending from the wall, and a second seating tab extending from the wall at a location directly opposite the first seating tab,

wherein neither of the cylindrical weight ports comprises any through-openings that communicate with the hollow interior,

wherein the cam weight is sized to removably fit within each of the first and second cylindrical weight ports,

wherein the cam weight is composed of a single material,

wherein each of the first helical wing and the second helical wing has a tapered thickness,

wherein the first helical wing and the second helical wing are spaced from one another on the cylindrical body, and

wherein each of the first helical wing and the second helical wing extends only partway around the cylindrical body.

15. The driver-type golf club head of claim 14, further comprising vertical spacing between the first helical wing and the first seating tab when the cam weight is in an unlocked configuration within one of the first and second cylindrical weight ports.

16. The driver-type golf club head of claim 14, wherein there is no vertical spacing between the first helical wing and the first seating tab when the cam weight is in a locked configuration within the weight port.

17. The driver-type golf club head of claim 14, wherein the material is selected from the group consisting of steel, titanium alloy, and tungsten alloy.

18. The driver-type golf club head of claim 14, wherein the spring is composed of stainless steel.

19. The driver-type golf club head of claim 14, wherein the crown and sole are composed of a composite material and wherein the face is composed of a metal material.

20. The driver-type golf club head of claim 14, wherein the crown is composed of a composite material and wherein the face and sole are composed of a metal material.