Golf club head

• US 9,561,413 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2015
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Nielson, Joseph Reeve, Sargent, Nathan T., Harbert, Christopher John, Beach, Todd P., Bazzel, Brian, Greaney, Mark Vincent, Wester, Christian Reber, Slyfield, Craig Richard, Johnson, Matthew David, Greensmith, Matthew, Willett, Kraig Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US14/875,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20160059093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• 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 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• 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 53/0454 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 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club head comprises a body having a face, a crown and a sole together defining an interior cavity. The body having a channel located on the sole and extending generally from a heel end of the body to a toe end of the body. A weight member movably positioned within the channel such that a position of the weight member within the channel is able to be adjusted, thereby adjusting a location of a center of gravity of the body. Additionally, adjustment of the weight member provides a maximum x-axis adjustment range of the position of the center of gravity (Max ΔCGx) that is greater than 2 mm and a maximum z-axis adjustment range of the center of gravity (Max ΔCGz) that is less than 2 mm.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face, a crown and a sole together defining an interior cavity, the body having a channel with at least one ledge extending an entire length of the channel;

at least one weight member configured to clamp the at least one ledge at selected locations along the channel;

the at least one weight member is located entirely external to the interior cavity of the body and comprises an outer member, an inner member, and a threaded fastening bolt that connects the outer member to the inner member;

a weight installation cavity located in a portion of the channel in which the at least one ledge extends;

wherein the weight installation cavity is configured to allow angled insertion of at least the inner member through an opening adjacent to the at least one ledge within the channel, and the weight installation cavity is one of the selected locations.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the insertion of the at least one inner member into the channel at the weight installation cavity is in a direction that is not parallel to a longitudinal axis of the channel, at least one of the inner member and the outer member are noncircular and shaped to prevent rotation upon tightening the threaded fastening bolt, and at least a portion of the at least one weight member cannot be removed from the channel solely by movement perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the channel.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of projections located on the at least one ledge, wherein the plurality of projections have a size and shape adapted to help locate the at least one weight member, and a width of the opening adjacent to the at least one ledge is constant the entire length of the channel.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein when the at least one weight member is secured to the channel the outer member engages an outward-facing surface of the at least one ledge and the inner member engages an inward-facing surface of the at least one ledge, and threaded fastening bolt has a threaded shaft that extends through a first aperture of the outer member and engages mating threads located in a second aperture of the inner member.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a heel opening located on a heel end of the body, the heel opening configured to receive a fastening member;

and

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.

6. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face, a crown and a sole together defining an interior cavity, the body having a channel with at least one ledge extending from a first end of the channel to a second end of the channel;

at least one weight member configured to clamp the at least one ledge at selected locations along the channel, the at least one weight member comprises an outer member, an inner member, and a threaded fastening bolt that connects the outer member to the inner member; and

a weight installation cavity located in a portion of the channel in which the at least one ledge extends;

wherein the weight installation cavity is sized and configured to cooperate with the size and shape of the inner member and an opening adjacent to the at least one ledge to allow angled insertion of the inner member past the at least one ledge within the channel;

wherein the inner member is noncircular and shaped to prevent rotation within the channel.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the weight installation cavity is at least one of the selected locations.

8. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the weight installation cavity includes at least one recessed surface located between the at least one ledge and a bottom channel wall, that extends longitudinally over at least a portion the channel a distance greater than a length of the inner member, and producing a inner portion channel width between the at least one ledge and the bottom channel wall that is greater than a width of the inner member.

9. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the outer member and the inner member are noncircular and are shaped to prevent rotation when the threaded fastening bolt is tightened.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein when the at least one weight member is secured to the channel the outer member engages an outward-facing surface of the at least one ledge and the inner member engages an inward-facing surface of the at least one ledge, and the threaded fastening bolt has a threaded shaft that extends through a first aperture of the outer member and engages mating threads located in a second aperture of the inner member.

11. The golf club head of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of projections located on the at least one ledge, wherein the plurality of projections have a size and shape adapted to help locate the at least one weight member along the channel.

12. The golf club head of claim 6, further comprising a heel opening located on a heel end of the body, the heel opening configured to receive a fastening member;

and

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.

13. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face, a crown and a sole together defining an interior cavity, the body having a channel with a front channel wall, a rear channel wall, a bottom channel wall and at least one ledge extending from a first end of the channel to a second end of the channel;

at least one weight member configured to clamp the at least one ledge at selected locations along the channel and the at least one weight member comprises an outer member, an inner member, and a threaded fastening bolt that connects the outer member to the inner member;

a weight installation cavity located in a portion of the channel in which the at least one ledge extends so that the at least one weight member is secured in place by clamping onto the at least one ledge at any point along the at least one ledge including within the weight installation cavity, wherein at least one dimension of the channel, located between the bottom channel wall and the at least one ledge, is greatest within the weight installation cavity so that an angled inner member, relative to the channel, in the weight installation cavity passes past the at least one ledge, and wherein the inner member cannot be removed from the channel solely by movement perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the channel;

a heel opening located on a heel end of the body, the heel opening configured to receive a fastening member; and

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.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the golf club head has a volume greater than 250 cc.

15. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein over at least a portion of the channel a width of the channel is between about 8 mm and about 20 mm, and a depth of the channel is be between about 6 mm and about 20 mm.

16. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein adjusting the position of the at least one weight member within the channel produces a change in the head origin y-axis (CGy) coordinate of between 2.0 mm and 6.0 mm throughout the adjustability range.

17. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein adjusting the position of the at least one weight member within the channel produces a change in the head origin z-axis (CGZ) coordinate of less than 1.0 mm throughout the adjustability range.

18. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein adjusting the position of the at least one weight member within the channel produces a change in the head origin z-axis (CGZ) coordinate of less than 1.0 mm throughout the adjustability range, produces a change in the head origin y-axis (CGy) coordinate of less than 1.0 mm throughout the adjustability range, and produces a change in the head origin x-axis (CGX) coordinate of at least 4.0 mm throughout the adjustability range.