Golf club having removable weight

• US 9,707,458 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2015
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Luttrell, Stephanie, Zimmerman, Gery M., Galvan, Darryl C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US14/977,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20160101331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand

Abstract

A golf club head is presented comprising a sole including a weight member secured to a weight mount. The weight member is preferably constructed so that it has a low profile and so that it interacts with an angled abutment portion of the weight mount to locate the weight member in the golf club head.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a hosel;

a ball striking face;

a sole extending aftward from a lower edge of the face;

a weight mount disposed in the sole and defined by a side wall and a base surface, wherein the weight mount has an opening in the side wall, wherein the opening has a width dimension, wherein the side wall extends between the base surface and an adjacent portion of the sole of the golf club head, wherein at least a portion of the side wall forms an undercut portion that extends around at least a portion of a perimeter of the weight mount;

a weight member including a first surface, a second surface and a side wall that extends between the first surface and the second surface and defines an engagement surface, wherein the first surface is adjacent the base surface of the weight mount and the engagement surface engages the undercut portion when the weight member is installed in the weight mount, wherein the first surface has a first portion having a first width dimension and a second portion having a second width dimension; and

an anti-rotation feature that extends between the weight mount and the weight member, wherein the anti-rotation feature prevents relative rotation between the weight mount and the weight member,

wherein one of the first and second width dimensions of the weight member is greater than the width dimension of the opening and the other of the first and second width dimensions of the weight member is less than the width dimension of the opening so that the weight member may be slid into mount in a predetermined orientation corresponding to the lesser of the first and second width dimensions of the weight member extending across the opening, and wherein engagement of the undercut portion of the weight mount and the engagement surface of the weight member limits translation of the weight member relative to the weight mount outward and away from the sole and permits the weight member to rotate within the weight mount.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the anti-rotation feature is a screw that is threaded into a portion of the weight mount, wherein the screw extends toward the weight member.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the weight member further comprises a recess, and wherein the screw engages the recess to prevent rotation of the weight member in the weight mount.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the weight member includes an extended recess, and wherein the screw engagement with the extended recess limits angular rotation of the weight member relative to the weight mount in a predetermined angular range.

5. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the recess is disposed in the side wall of the weight member.

6. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the weight member includes a plurality of recesses, wherein the screw engages one of the plurality of recesses to prevent rotation of the weight member in the weight mount.

7. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein the screw is located in the weight mount so that abutment between the screw and the weight member forces the weight member laterally toward the opening of the weight mount.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the anti-rotation feature is a tab rotatably coupled to a portion of the weight mount, wherein the tab is rotatable from a first configuration wherein the tab is spaced from the weight member and a second configuration wherein the tab engages a portion of the weight member.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the weight member includes a recess, and wherein a portion of the tab is disposed in the recess in the second configuration.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the weight member includes an extended recess, and wherein the tab engagement with the extended recess limits angular rotation of the weight member relative to the weight mount in a predetermined angular range.

11. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the recess is disposed in the second surface of the weight member.

12. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein the weight member includes a plurality of recesses, wherein a portion of the tab is disposed in one of the plurality of recesses in the second configuration.

13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a perimeter of the weight member forms a semi-circle.

14. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the undercut portion of the weight mount is a bevel, wherein the engagement surface of the weight member is angled.

15. A golf club head, comprising:

a hosel;

a ball striking face;

a sole extending aftward from a lower edge of the face;

a weight mount disposed in the sole and defined by a side wall, a base surface and a fastening feature intersecting the base surface;

a weight member including a first surface, a second surface, and a side wall that extends between the first surface and the second surface and defines an engagement surface, wherein the weight member includes a plurality of step portions on the second surface that abut the base surface of the weight mount; and

a fastener extending through the weight member and into the weight mount,

wherein the fastener and the weight mount are configured so that the fastener is in a fully locked position with less than a full rotation of the fastener relative to the fastening feature and relative to the mount, and

wherein the step portions are configured so that as the fastener is tightened, the weight member is drawn onto the step portions and so that the weight member flexes.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein a perimeter of the weight member forms a polygon.

17. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the side wall of the weight member is angled, and wherein the side wall of the weight mount is angled.

18. The golf club head of claim 15, further comprising a resilient material interposed between the second surface of the weight member and the base surface of the weight mount.

19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein the resilient material is polyurethane.

20. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein the step portions are at least one of elongate shoulders and discrete pads.