Golf club head with adjustable center of gravity

• US 9,623,302 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Myers, Matthew, Seluga, James A., Dawson, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US14/755,068
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0495 moving on impact, slidable, spring or otherwise elastically biased
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable

Abstract

A golf club head with means for adjusting a center of gravity location along more than one axis is disclosed herein. The golf club head comprises one or more adjustable features, including a weight arm for receiving removable weights, e.g., slidable weights, weight screws, and invertible weight cartridges, and one or more invertible weight cartridges that fit within a tube extending between the golf club head'"'"'s crown and sole via an interior cavity. The weight arm fits within a rectangular, elongated cutout in the sole and permits the golfer to adjust the location of one or more removable weights along its length.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a face, a rear portion, a hinge, an interior cavity, and a hosel;

an elongated weight arm comprising a first end, a second end, and a hinge receiver disposed at the second end; and

a retaining cap,

wherein the body comprises an elongated cutout sized to receive at least a portion of the elongated weight arm,

wherein the hinge is located at the rear portion of the body proximate a first end of the elongated cutout,

wherein the hinge receiver removably latches onto the hinge,

wherein the retaining cap reversibly locks the elongated weight arm within the elongated cutout, and

wherein a lower surface of the elongated weight arm is flush with an external surface of the body when the elongated weight arm is disposed within the elongated cutout.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a weight cartridge, wherein the elongated weight arm comprises an elongated recessed region sized to receive the weight cartridge.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the elongated weight arm further comprises a clip feature sized to retain the weight cartridge within the elongated recessed region.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the elongated weight arm further comprises an overhang region disposed at a first end of the elongated weight arm.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the clip feature is disposed at a second end of the elongated weight arm, and wherein the overhang region and the clip feature removably retain the weight cartridge within the elongated recessed region.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a cap screw having a lip portion and external threads, wherein the body comprises an opening proximate a second end of the elongated cutout, and wherein the opening comprises internal threads sized to engage with the external threads.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein the first end of the elongated weight arm comprises a through bore, and wherein at least a portion of the cap screw extends through the through bore and engages the internal threads in the opening.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein the lip portion extends over a portion of the elongated weight arm surrounding the through bore when the cap screw is fully engaged with the opening.

9. The golf club head of claim 7, further comprising a tube and a weight cartridge, wherein the body comprises a crown and a sole, wherein the cutout and the opening are disposed in the sole, wherein the tube extends between the crown and the sole through the interior cavity, wherein the opening communicates with the tube, and wherein the weight cartridge is sized to fit within the tube.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the cap screw comprises a counterbore, wherein the weight cartridge comprises a first end with a first density and a second end with a second density, and wherein the counterbore is sized to receive at least one of the first end of the weight cartridge and the second end of the weight cartridge.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the first density is greater than the second density.

12. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the cap screw presses the weight cartridge against an internal surface of the crown.

13. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein each of the face and the sole is composed of a metal material, and wherein the elongated weight arm is composed of a non-metal material.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein each of the crown and the elongated weight arm is composed of a composite material.

15. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a face, a rear portion, an interior cavity, a hinge, and a hosel;

an elongated weight arm comprising a first end, a second end, a lower surface, a hinge receiver sized to removably latch onto the hinge, and an elongated recess comprising a floor and at least two sides;

a retaining cap; and

a slidable weight,

wherein the body comprises an elongated cutout sized to receive at least a portion of the elongated weight arm,

wherein the hinge is disposed at a first end of the elongated cutout,

wherein the retaining cap reversibly locks the elongated weight arm within the elongated cutout,

wherein at least two of the sides comprises a rail,

wherein the slidable weight comprises rail-gripping features, and

wherein a lower surface of the elongated weight arm is flush with an external surface of the body when the elongated weight arm is disposed within the elongated cutout.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the slidable weight comprises two pieces and a bolt.

17. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the elongated weight arm can be pivoted around the hinge when the hinge receiver is engaged with the hinge.