Golf club head with flexure

• US 9,636,552 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Cleghorn, Richard L., Galvan, Darryl C., Bezilla, Stephanie, Bennett, Thomas Orrin
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US14/588,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20150126304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292
• 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 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• 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 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A golf club head including a crown, a sole, a hosel, a face, a flexure, and a weight member. The flexure provides compliance during an impact between the golf club head and a golf ball, and is tuned to vibrate, immediately after impact, at a predetermined frequency. The flexure is formed by a forward wall and a rearward wall that combine to form a recessed channel. The weight member is coupled to a weight mount that is at least partially disposed in the rearward wall of the flexure.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a crown defining an upper surface of the golf club head when the golf club head is in an address position;

a sole defining a lower surface of the golf club head when the golf club head is in the address position and a flexure, wherein the flexure forms a recessed channel extending in a heel-to-toe direction;

a side wall extending between the crown and the sole;

a hosel extending from the crown and including a shaft bore;

a face defining a forward, ball-striking surface and intersecting the sole at a leading edge, wherein the ball-striking surface defines a geometric face center;

a weight mount including an access port disposed in the recessed channel, wherein the flexure is formed by a forward wall and a rearward wall and the access port is disposed in the rearward wall; and

a weight member removably coupled to the weight mount, wherein the weight member is disposed rearward of the forward wall.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight mount includes a weight receiver that is disposed adjacent the crown, wherein the weight member extends between the access port and the weight receiver.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the golf club head defines a neutral axis, wherein the neutral axis extends through, and normal to the face at, the geometric face center of the ball-striking surface, and wherein the weight member is elongate and defines a longitudinal axis, wherein the longitudinal axis of the weight member is about perpendicular to the neutral axis and disposed in a vertical plane when the golf club head is oriented in the address position.

4. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the golf club head defines a neutral axis, wherein the neutral axis extends through, and normal to the face at, the geometric face center of the ball-striking surface, and wherein the weight member is elongate and defines a longitudinal axis, wherein the longitudinal axis of the weight member forms an acute angle relative to the neutral axis and disposed in a vertical plane when the golf club head is oriented in the address position so that the weight member is oriented so that an end of the elongate weight member closest to the face is closer to the sole than an end of the elongate weight member furthest aftward away from the face.

5. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the weight member includes a heavy member and a light member so that the weight member has a center of gravity that is biased toward one end of the weight member.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, further comprising a cap that is threaded to the access port, wherein the cap retains the weight member in the weight mount.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head defines a neutral axis, wherein the neutral axis extends through, and normal to the face at, the geometric face center of the ball-striking surface, and wherein the weight member is elongate and defines a longitudinal axis, wherein the longitudinal axis of the weight member is about perpendicular to the neutral axis and disposed in a vertical plane when the golf club head is oriented in the address position.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head defines a neutral axis, wherein the neutral axis extends through, and normal to the face at, the geometric face center of the ball-striking surface, and wherein the weight member is elongate and defines a longitudinal axis, wherein the longitudinal axis of the weight member forms an acute angle relative to the neutral axis and disposed in a vertical plane when the golf club head is oriented in the address position so that the weight member is oriented so that an end of the elongate weight member closest to the face is closer to the sole than an end of the elongate weight member furthest aftward away from the face.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight member is elongate and includes a heavy member and a light member so that the weight member has a center of gravity that is biased toward one end of the weight member.

10. A golf club head, comprising:

a crown defining an upper surface of the golf club head when the golf club head is in an address position;

a sole defining a lower surface of the golf club head when the golf club head is in the address position and a flexure, wherein the flexure forms a recessed channel extending in a heel-to-toe direction;

a side wall extending between the crown and the sole;

a hosel extending from the crown and including a shaft bore;

a face defining a forward, ball-striking surface and intersecting the sole at a leading edge, wherein the ball-striking surface defines a geometric face center;

a weight mount including a recess defined by a wall of the flexure and exposed to the recessed channel, wherein the flexure is formed by a forward wall and a rearward wall and the recess is disposed in the rearward wall; and

a weight member at least partially received in the recess, wherein the weight member is disposed rearward of the forward wall.

11. A golf club head, comprising:

a crown defining an upper surface of the golf club head when the golf club head is in an address position;

a sole defining a lower surface of the golf club head when the golf club head is in the address position and defining a flexure, wherein the flexure forms a recessed channel extending in a heel-to-toe direction;

a side wall extending between the crown and the sole;

a hosel extending from the crown and including a shaft bore;

a face defining a forward, ball-striking surface and intersecting the sole at a leading edge, wherein the ball-striking surface defines a geometric face center;

a weight mount including a coupling feature disposed in a wall of the flexure, wherein the flexure is formed by a front wall and a rear wall and the coupling feature is disposed in the rearward wall; and

a weight member including a fastener removably coupled to the coupling feature, and a body member disposed in the recessed channel when the weight member is installed in the golf club head, wherein the weight member is disposed rearward of the forward wall.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the coupling feature is a threaded bore in the rear wall.

13. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the flexure is formed by a front wall and a rear wall and the weight member is spaced from at least one of a front wall and a rear wall.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein the weight member is spaced from the front wall.