Golf club head with center of gravity adjustability that optimizes products of inertia

• US 9,717,962 B1
• Filed: 12/09/2015
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Seluga, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US14/964,066
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 473332, 473334-339, 473344, 473345, 473346, 473348, 473349, 473350
• 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 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/093 Height
• 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 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention comprises a golf club head comprising a body having a crown, a sole, a front wall and a hosel, wherein the body defines a hollow interior. The golf club head further comprises a center of gravity height adjustment assembly wherein the center of gravity height adjustment assembly is positioned within the hollow interior of the body. The products of inertia (Ixz and Iyz) of the golf club head have an absolute value below 100 g-cm².

Claims

1. A wood-type golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a face, a hosel, a rear portion, and a metal sole;

a crown composed of a carbon material;

a hollow tube composed of a carbon material; and

a cartridge comprising a first material having a first specific gravity and a second material having a second specific gravity that is greater than the value of the first specific gravity;

wherein the tube is disposed within a hollow interior of the golf club head and extends from the crown to the sole;

wherein the cartridge is sized to fit within the tube;

wherein changing the orientation of the cartridge within the tube changes the location of the golf club head'"'"'s center of gravity along a vertical Z axis;

wherein the products of inertia (Ixz and Iyz) of the golf club head have an absolute value below 100 g-cm².

2. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first material is a polymer and wherein the second material is tungsten.

3. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the products of inertia (Ixz and Iyz) of the golf club head have an absolute value below 50 g-cm².

4. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a cap, wherein the cap is sized to fit within an opening in the sole.

5. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body is composed of a titanium alloy material.

6. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, further comprising at least one weight screw.

7. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein changing the orientation of the cartridge within the tube changes the location of the golf club head center of gravity by no less than 0.050 inch along a vertical Z axis.

8. The wood-type golf club head of claim 7, wherein changing the orientation of the cartridge within the tube changes the location of the golf club head center of gravity by at approximately 0.070 inch along a vertical Z axis.

9. The wood-type golf club head of claim 7, wherein changing the orientation of the carrier within the tube changes the location of the golf club head center of gravity by 0.068 inch to 0.085 inch along the vertical Z axis.

10. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head comprises an adjustable hosel.

11. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the golf club head comprises an adjustable plate on the sole.

12. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the tube is disposed closer to the face than to the rear portion.

13. The wood-type golf club head of claim 1, wherein the cartridge comprises a first tapered end and a second tapered end.

14. A driver-type golf club head comprising

a body composed of a titanium alloy comprising a face, a hosel, a rear portion, and a sole;

a crown composed of a carbon material;

a hollow tube composed of a carbon material;

and

a cartridge comprising a polymer and a slug composed of a material having a specific gravity that is greater than that of the polymer;

wherein the tube is disposed within a hollow interior of the golf club head proximate the face and extends from the crown to the sole;

wherein the cartridge is sized to fit within the tube;

wherein reversing the orientation of the cartridge within the tube changes the location of the golf club head'"'"'s center of gravity by no less than 0.050 inch and no more than 0.100 inch along a vertical Z axis; and

wherein the products of inertia (Ixz and Iyz) of the golf club head have an absolute value below 100 g-cm².

15. The driver-type golf club head of claim 14, wherein the tube has a mass of no more than 4.5 grams.

16. The driver-type golf club head of claim 14, wherein the products of inertia (Ixz and Iyz) of the golf club head have an absolute value below 50 g-cm².

17. The driver-type golf club head of claim 15, wherein the golf club head has a mass M, wherein the cartridge has a length L and a mass M_T, wherein the distance from the midpoint of the length L to a center of gravity of the tube when the cartridge is disposed within the tube such that the slug is closer to the sole is defined as ½

D, and wherein the golf club head satisfies the equation D≧

0.065(1+M/M_T).

18. A golf club head comprising:

hollow body comprising a face, a hosel, a rear portion, a crown and a sole,

a tube; and

a cartridge comprising a low specific gravity material and a high specific gravity material,

wherein the tube is disposed within the hollow interior of the golf club head and extends from the crown to the sole,

wherein the golf club head has a mass M,

wherein the cartridge has a length L and a mass M_T,

wherein the cartridge is sized to fit within the tube,

wherein the distance from the midpoint of the length L to a center of gravity of the cartridge when the cartridge is disposed within the tube is such that the high specific gravity material is closer to the sole is defined as ½

D,

wherein the golf club head satisfies the equation D≧

0.065(1+M/M_T);

wherein the products of inertia (Ixz and Iyz) of the golf club head have an absolute value below 100 g-cm².

19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein the golf club head is a wood-type golf club head comprising a titanium alloy sole, a titanium alloy face, and a composite crown, wherein the tube is composed of a composite material, wherein the low specific gravity material is a polymer, and wherein the high specific gravity material is tungsten.

20. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein the products of inertia (Ixz and Iyz) of the golf club head have an absolute value below 50 g-cm².