Golf club head with adjustable weighting

• US 9,682,298 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2016
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• 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:
  US15/012,493
• Time in Patent Office: 505 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 two channels, each having at least one shoulder portion, a floor, and a rail extending upwards from the floor. The channels intersect at a junction, and a slidable weight comprising a top portion, a mechanical fastener, and a clamping structure is disposed within at least one of the channels. When the mechanical fastener is tightened, the top portion presses against the at least one shoulder portion and pulls the clamping structure upward so that the clamping structure grips the rail. The rails are spaced from one another at the junction, and the clamping structure allows the slidable weight to be moved into either of the channels without being indexed.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a first channel; and

a weight assembly comprising;

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

a top portion comprising a first upper surface, a first lower surface, and a first through-bore sized to receive the head portion of the at least one mechanical fastener; and

a base portion comprising a second upper surface, a second lower surface, a second, threaded through-bore extending from the second upper surface to the second lower surface and sized to receive the threaded extension portion of the at least one mechanical fastener, and a clamping portion extending from the lower surface,

wherein the first channel comprises a first floor, at least one first shoulder portion, and a first rail,

wherein the first rail extends from the first floor in a direction normal to the first floor,

wherein the clamping portion is sized to receive at least an upper portion of the first rail, and

wherein, when the clamping portion is engaged with the first rail, tightening the mechanical fastener pulls the top portion towards the base portion and causes the first lower surface of the top portion to press against the at least one first shoulder portion and the clamping portion to reversibly grip the upper portion of the first rail.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first lower surface comprises at least one convex protrusion.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the first lower surface comprises a plurality of convex protrusions, and wherein each convex protrusion is spaced from adjacent convex protrusions.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first rail comprises a chamfered end region.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the clamping portion comprises a plurality of tapered projections, wherein each pair of adjacent tapered projections forms a slot between them, and wherein each slot is sized to receive an upper portion of the first rail.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of tapered projections has a first plurality of surface radii, wherein the first rail has a second plurality of surface radii, and wherein the first plurality of surface radii are smaller than the second plurality of surface radii.

7. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the plurality of tapered projections comprises four tapered projections, and wherein the four tapered projections are evenly spaced around the second through-bore.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a second channel comprising:

at least one second shoulder portion;

a second floor; and

a second rail extending from the second floor in a direction normal to the second floor,

wherein the clamping portion is sized to receive at least an upper portion of the second rail, and

wherein, when the clamping portion is engaged with the second rail, tightening the mechanical fastener pulls the top portion towards the base portion and causes the first lower surface of the top portion to press against the at least one second shoulder portion and the clamping portion to reversibly grip the upper portion of the second rail.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the second channel extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to at least a portion of the first channel.

10. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the second channel intersects the first channel to form a junction, wherein the first rail comprises a first chamfered end region, wherein the second rail comprises a second chamfered end region, and wherein each of the first and second chamfered end regions is disposed within the junction.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein the clamping portion has a first width, wherein an open space is disposed within the junction between the first chamfered end region and the second chamfered end region, and wherein the open space has a second width that is greater than the first width.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, 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. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first rail comprises a first rail segment and a second rail segment, wherein the first rail segment is spaced from the second rail segment to form an open space, wherein the clamping portion has a first width, and wherein the open space has a second width that is greater than the first width.

14. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first rail has a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of T-shaped, V-shaped, and Y-shaped.

15. A 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 component to the rear side and intersecting the first channel at the rear side to form a junction;

a crown; and

a weight assembly comprising;

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

a top portion comprising a first through-bore sized to receive the head portion of the at least one mechanical fastener; and

a base portion comprising a clamping portion and a second, threaded through-bore sized to receive the threaded extension portion of the at least one mechanical fastener,

wherein the clamping portion comprises a plurality of projections spaced from one another to form at least one slot,

wherein the first channel comprises first and second shoulders, a first floor, a first rail extending normal to the first floor, and a second rail extending normal to the first floor,

wherein the second channel comprises third and fourth shoulders, a second floor, and a third rail extending normal to the second floor,

wherein the first and second rails each have a first cross-section,

wherein the third rail has a second cross-section,

wherein the first cross-section has approximately the same dimensions as the second cross-section,

wherein the first, second, and third rails are spaced from one another to form an open space at the junction,

wherein each of the at least one slot is sized to receive at least an upper portion of the first, second, and third rails, and

wherein, when the clamping portion is engaged with one of the first, second, and third rails, tightening the mechanical fastener reversibly fixes the weight assembly within one of the first and second channels.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein each of the first, second, and third rails has a chamfered end region located proximate the junction.

17. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein each of the first and second cross-sections has a shape selected from the group consisting of T-shaped, V-shaped, and Y-shaped.

18. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the golf club head is selected from the group consisting of a driver head, a fairway wood head, and a hybrid head.

19. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the top portion is composed of a first material, wherein the base portion is composed of a second material, and wherein the first material has a different density than the second material.

20. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein the first material has a higher density than the second material.