Golf club head with adjustable weighting

• US 9,623,294 B1
• Filed: 11/05/2015
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Kingston, Keith L., Myers, Matthew, Kim, Wee Joung
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US14/933,973
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• 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 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/04 Movable ballast means A63B15/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club head comprising a means for adjusting the location of the center of gravity is disclosed herein. In particular, the golf club head of the present invention comprises a first channel that includes a rail extending upwards from its floor and a second channel including a groove extending into its floor. The second channel intersects the first channel at a junction, and a slidable weight comprising a contoured body portion, one or more mechanical fasteners, and a clamping structure that engages the rail or the groove when the one or more fasteners are tightened is disposed within at least one of the channels. The slidable weight can be moved into either of the channels without being removed from the golf club head and indexed, thus saving a golfer time during adjustment.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a face and a sole, the sole comprising a first channel comprising a first floor;

a crown;

at least one rail comprising an upper portion having a V-shaped cross-section, the at least one rail disposed within the first channel and extending from the first floor in a direction normal to the first floor; and

a first weight assembly comprising;

at least one mechanical fastener comprising a head portion and a threaded extension portion; and

a body portion comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, at least one threaded through bore extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, and a clamping portion comprising first and second tapered projections extending from the lower surface,

wherein each of the first and second tapered projections increases in length as it extends away from the lower surface of the body portion,

wherein a cross-section of a void between the first and second tapered projections is V-shaped,

wherein the void is sized to receive the upper portion of the at least one rail,

wherein the first and second tapered projections have a first plurality of surface radii,

wherein the at least one rail has a second plurality of surface radii,

wherein the radii of the first plurality of surface radii are smaller than the radii of the second plurality of surface radii,

wherein the body portion receives at least the upper portion of the at least one rail within the clamping portion,

wherein the threaded extension portion is sized to fit within the threaded through bore, and

wherein the first weight assembly is reversibly affixed to the at least one rail with the mechanical fastener.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the threaded extension portion abuts an upper surface of the at least one rail when the at least one mechanical fastener is fully engaged with the threaded through bore.

3. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a face and a sole, the sole comprising a first channel comprising a first floor and a second channel comprising a second channel length and a second floor;

a crown;

at least one rail disposed within the first channel and extending from the first floor in a direction normal to the first floor; and

a first weight assembly comprising;

at least one mechanical fastener comprising a head portion and a threaded extension portion; and

a body portion comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, at least one threaded through bore extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, and a clamping portion extending from the lower surface,

wherein the second floor comprises a groove,

wherein the groove extends along the entire second channel length,

wherein the groove is shaped to receive the clamping portion of the first weight,

wherein the body portion receives at least an upper portion of the at least one rail within the clamping portion,

wherein the threaded extension portion is sized to fit within the threaded through bore, and

wherein the first weight assembly is reversibly affixed to the at least one rail with the mechanical fastener.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the clamping portion comprises first and second tapered projections, wherein each of the first and second tapered projections increases in length as it extends away from the lower surface of the body portion, wherein the groove comprises a groove floor and first and second groove sidewalls, and wherein the first and second groove sidewalls extend towards one another as they extend away from the groove floor.

5. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the second channel intersects with the first channel.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the second channel extends in a direction normal to at least a portion of the first channel.

7. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a face and a sole, the sole comprising a first channel comprising a first floor;

a crown;

at least one rail disposed within the first channel and extending from the first floor in a direction normal to the first floor; and

a first weight assembly comprising;

at least one mechanical fastener comprising a head portion and a threaded extension portion; and

a body portion comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, at least one threaded through bore extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, and a clamping portion extending from the lower surface,

wherein the body portion has contoured shape,

wherein the at least one threaded through bore comprises a first threaded through bore and a second threaded through bore,

wherein the at least one mechanical fastener comprises a first bolt and a second bolt,

wherein the body portion receives at least an upper portion of the at least one rail within the clamping portion,

wherein the threaded extension portion is sized to fit within the threaded through bore, and

wherein the first weight assembly is reversibly affixed to the at least one rail with the mechanical fastener.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the body portion has an elliptical shape.

9. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the first weight assembly has at least four points of contact on the at least one rail when the first and second bolts are fully engaged with the threaded through bore.

10. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a face and a sole, the sole comprising a first channel comprising a first floor;

a crown;

at least one rail disposed within the first channel and extending from the first floor in a direction normal to the first floor; and

a first weight assembly comprising;

at least one mechanical fastener comprising a head portion and a threaded extension portion; and

a body portion comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, at least one threaded through bore extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, and a clamping portion extending from the lower surface,

wherein the body portion receives at least an upper portion of the at least one rail within the clamping portion,

wherein the threaded extension portion is sized to fit within the threaded through bore,

wherein the first weight assembly is reversibly affixed to the at least one rail with the mechanical fastener,

wherein the at least one rail comprises a first rail and a second rail,

wherein the clamping portion has a first length,

wherein an open space is disposed between the first rail and the second rail, and

wherein the open space has a second length that is greater than the first length.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, further comprising a second channel comprising a second floor, wherein the second floor comprises a groove, wherein the groove is shaped to receive the clamping portion of the first weight, wherein the clamping portion is inserted into the groove at a groove opening, wherein the second channel intersects with the first channel, and wherein the groove opening is disposed proximate the open space between the first and second rails.

12. The golf club head of claim 10, further comprising a plug, wherein the plug is sized to fit within the open space and prevent the first weight from disengaging from either of the first and second rails.

13. A wood-type golf club head comprising:

a face component;

a sole comprising a heel side, a toe side, a rear side, a first channel extending from the heel side to the toe side via the rear side, and a second channel extending from a location proximate the face to the rear side and intersecting the first channel at the rear side;

a crown;

a weight assembly comprising;

first and second bolts; and

an elliptical body portion comprising an upper surface, a lower surface, first and second threaded through bores extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, and a clamping portion extending from the lower surface,

wherein the first bolt is engaged with the first threaded through bore,

wherein the second bolt is engaged with the second threaded through bore,

wherein the clamping portion comprises first and second projections,

wherein the clamping portion is disposed between the first and second threaded through bores,

wherein the first channel comprises a first floor and a rail extending upwards from the first floor,

wherein the second channel comprises second floor and a groove sized to receive the clamping portion disposed in the second floor,

wherein a void between the first and second projections is sized to receive at least a portion of the rail,

wherein when a portion of the rail is disposed within the void, tightening at least one of the first and second bolts reversibly fixes the weight assembly within the first channel, and

wherein when the clamping portion is disposed within the groove, tightening at least one of the first and second bolts reversibly fixes the weight assembly within the second channel.

14. The wood-type golf club head of claim 13, wherein when the weight assembly is disposed within the first channel, the weight assembly has at least four points of contact with the rail when the first and second bolts are tightened within the first and second threaded through bores.

15. The wood-type golf club head of claim 13, wherein when the weight assembly is disposed within the second channel, the first and second bolts contact the second floor when the first and second bolts are tightened within the first and second threaded through bores.

16. The wood-type golf club head of claim 13, wherein the rail has cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of T-shaped, V-shaped, and Y-shaped.

17. The wood-type golf club head of claim 13, wherein the first and second projections comprise wall radii that are smaller than any wall radii on the rail.