Metal wood club

• US 9,750,992 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2015
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Knutson, Scott A., Sanchez, Richard, Bac, Mitchell E., Murphy, Stephen S., Luttrell, Stephanie, Bennett, Thomas Orrin, Harvell, Christopher D.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US14/966,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20170165533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A golf club head comprising a body, a cavity having an open end and a terminal end, a weighted insert, the weighted insert comprising a heavy end and a lighter end, wherein the cavity comprises a head locking feature, wherein the weighted insert comprises an insert locking feature, wherein the insert locking feature is configured to lock the weighted insert in the cavity with less than 180 degrees of rotation, wherein the head locking feature comprises a slot, wherein the slot is arranged at an oblique angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the cavity, wherein the insert locking feature comprises a protrusion configured to engage the slot, the protrusion and the slot configured such that rotation of the insert locking feature relative to the head locking feature forces the insert locking feature to slide along the longitudinal axis of the cavity towards the terminal end of the cavity.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face, a sole, a crown, and a skirt joining said face, sole and crown, said body having a center of gravity;

said body having a coordinate system with an x-axis located horizontal to the club face, a y-axis located vertical to the club face, and a z-axis located through the club face, and

wherein said body comprises a cavity;

wherein said cavity comprises an open end and a terminal end, said terminal end opposite said open end;

a weighted insert, said weighted insert comprising a heavy end and a lighter end, said lighter end opposite said heavy end;

wherein said weighted insert comprises a longitudinal insert axis along a center of said weighted insert and passing through said heavy end and said lighter end;

wherein said cavity comprises a longitudinal cavity axis along a center of said cavity and passing through said open end and said terminal end;

wherein said cavity is configured to receive said weighted insert through said open end in both a first configuration and a second configuration;

wherein said first configuration comprises said heavy end of said weighted insert adjacent said terminal end of said cavity;

wherein said second configuration comprises said lighter end of said weighted insert adjacent said terminal end of said cavity;

wherein said cavity comprises a head locking feature;

wherein an insert locking feature is configured to engage said head locking feature as said insert locking feature is rotated relative to said head locking feature;

wherein said insert locking feature is configured to lock said weighted insert in said cavity with less than 180 degrees of rotation of said insert locking feature relative to said head locking feature from a starting position of said insert locking feature being completely decoupled from said head locking feature;

wherein said head locking feature comprises a slot, wherein said slot is arranged at an oblique angle relative to said longitudinal axis of said cavity; and

wherein said insert locking feature comprises a protrusion configured to engage said slot, said protrusion and said slot configured such that rotation of said insert locking feature relative to said head locking feature forces said insert locking feature to slide along said longitudinal axis of said cavity towards said terminal end of said cavity.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said slot comprises a detent configured to receive said protrusion when said insert locking feature is in a locked position.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, further comprising a spring located in said cavity, said spring configured to force said weighted insert away from said terminal end of said cavity.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein said spring is configured to force said protrusion into said detent, locking said insert locking feature relative to said head locking feature.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said insert locking feature is located at said lighter end of said weighted insert, and a second insert locking feature located at said heavy end of said weighted insert.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said weighted insert is configured to adjust a center of gravity of said golf club head along both said z-axis and said x-axis.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said insert locking feature is configured to lock said weighted insert in said cavity with less than 90 degrees of rotation of said insert locking feature relative to said head locking feature.

8. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face, a sole, a crown, and a skirt joining said face, sole and crown, said body having a center of gravity;

said body having a coordinate system with an x-axis located horizontal to the club face, a y-axis located vertical to the club face, and a z-axis located through the club face, and

wherein said body comprises a cavity;

wherein said cavity comprises an open end and a terminal end, said terminal end opposite said open end;

a weighted insert, said weighted insert comprising a heavy end and a lighter end, said lighter end opposite said heavy end;

wherein said weighted insert comprises a longitudinal insert axis along a center of said weighted insert and passing through said heavy end and said lighter end;

wherein said cavity comprises a longitudinal cavity axis along a center of said cavity and passing through said open end and said terminal end;

wherein said cavity is configured to receive said weighted insert through said open end in both a first configuration and a second configuration;

wherein said first configuration comprises said heavy end of said weighted insert adjacent said terminal end of said cavity;

wherein said second configuration comprises said lighter end of said weighted insert adjacent said terminal end of said cavity;

wherein said cavity comprises a head locking feature;

an insert locking member configured to selectively couple to one of said lighter end and said heavy end of said weighted insert;

wherein said insert locking member comprises an insert locking feature;

wherein said insert locking feature is configured to engage said head locking feature as said insert locking member is rotated relative to said head locking feature;

wherein said insert locking member is configured to lock said weighted insert in said cavity with less than 180 degrees of rotation of said insert locking member relative to said head locking feature from a starting position of said insert locking feature being completely decoupled from said head locking feature;

wherein said head locking feature comprises a slot, wherein said slot is arranged at an oblique angle relative to said longitudinal axis of said cavity; and

wherein said insert locking feature comprises a protrusion configured to engage said slot, said protrusion and said slot configured such that rotation of said insert locking member relative to said head locking feature forces said insert locking feature to slide along said longitudinal axis of said cavity towards said terminal end of said cavity.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein said slot comprises a detent configured to receive said protrusion when said insert locking feature is in a locked position.

10. The golf club head of claim 9, further comprising a spring located in said cavity, said spring configured to force said weighted insert away from said terminal end of said cavity.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein said spring is configured to force said protrusion into said detent, locking said insert locking member relative to said head locking feature.

12. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein said insert locking member comprises a cap configured to removably attach to both the heavy end and the lighter end of the weighted insert.

13. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein said weighted insert is configured to adjust a center of gravity of said golf club head along both said z-axis and said x-axis.

14. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein said insert locking member is configured to lock said weighted insert in said cavity with less than 90 degrees of rotation of said insert locking member relative to said head locking feature.