Golf club head

• US 9,795,846 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2015
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Sargent, Nathan T., Nielson, Joseph Reeve, Johnson, Matthew David, Greensmith, Matthew, Beach, Todd P., Franz, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US14/861,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20160008687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• 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 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/023 adjustable angular orientation
• 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 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• 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 53/06 adjustable
• 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 60/04 Movable ballast means A63B15/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A golf club head comprises a sole, a recessed sole port in the sole; and a rotatably adjustable sole piece adapted to be at least partially received within the sole port and comprising a central body having a plurality of contact surfaces adapted to contact the sole port and being offset from each other along a central axis extending through the central body of the sole piece. The sole piece can be positioned at least partially within the sole port at five or more rotational and axial positions with respect to the central axis, wherein at each rotational position, at least one of said contact surfaces of the central body contacts the sole port to set the axial position of the sole piece. The sole port and/or the sole piece can be generally pentagonal in shape.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face, a crown and a sole together defining an interior cavity, the body having a channel with first and second opposing ledges extending within the channel; and

at least one weight member configured to clamp the first and second ledges at selected locations along the channel;

the at least one weight member is located entirely external to the interior cavity of the body and comprises an outer member, an inner member, and a separate threaded fastening bolt that connects the outer member to the inner member;

wherein the fastening bolt comprises an enlarged head portion and a threaded shaft extending from the head portion, the inner member includes a threaded bore for receiving the shaft, and the outer member comprises a non-threaded bore for receiving the shaft and a counter-bore in communication with the non-threaded bore for receiving the enlarged head portion;

wherein the shaft of the fastening bolt is configured to be inserted through the non-threaded bore of the outer member and tightened into the threaded bore of the inner member to cause the inner member and the outer member to clamp onto opposite sides of the first and second ledges;

wherein the outer member comprises a central protrusion that extends into a space between the first and second ledges, the outer member further comprising first and second recessed surfaces on opposite sides of the central protrusion, the first recessed surface being configured to contact the first ledge and the second recessed surface being configured to contact the second ledge.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the outer member is noncircular and shaped to prevent rotation when the threaded fastening bolt is tightened.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of projections located on the at least one ledge, wherein the plurality of projections have a size and shape adapted to help locate the at least one weight member.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a heel opening located on a heel end of the body, the heel opening configured to receive a fastening member;

and

a head-shaft connection system including a sleeve that is secured by the fastening member in a locked position, the head-shaft connection system configured to allow the golf club head to be adjustably attachable to a golf club shaft in a plurality of different positions resulting in an adjustability range of different combinations of loft angle, face angle, or lie angle.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein movement of the at least one weight member along the channel produces a change in the head origin z-axis (CGz) coordinate of less than 1.1 mm.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein the heel opening is located within the channel.

7. The golf club head of claim 5, further comprising at least one rib provided on an internal surface of the interior cavity, wherein the at least one rib connects a channel interior surface to at least one other internal surface of the body.

8. The golf club head of claim 5, further comprising at least one weight port located on the sole of the of the golf club head.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein over at least a portion of the channel a width of the channel is between about 8 mm and about 20 mm, and a depth of the channel is be between about 6 mm and about 20 mm.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the inner member is noncircular and shaped to prevent rotation when the threaded fastening bolt is tightened.

11. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face, a crown and a sole together defining an interior cavity, the body having first and second opposing ledges; and

at least one weight member configured to clamp the first and second ledges;

the at least one weight member is located entirely external to the interior cavity of the body and comprises a first member, a second member, and a separate threaded fastening bolt that connects the first member to the second member;

wherein the fastening bolt comprises an enlarged head portion and a threaded shaft extending from the head portion, the first member includes a threaded bore for receiving the shaft, and the second member comprises a non-threaded bore for receiving the shaft and a counter-bore in communication with the non-threaded bore for receiving the enlarged head portion;

wherein the shaft of the fastening bolt is configured to be inserted through the non-threaded bore of the second member and tightened into the threaded bore of the first member to cause the first member and the second member to clamp onto opposite sides of the first and second ledges;

wherein the second member comprises a central protrusion that extends into a space between the first and second ledges, the second member further comprising first and second recessed surfaces on opposite sides of the central protrusion, the first recessed surface being configured to contact the first ledge and the second recessed surface being configured to contact the second ledge.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, further comprising a heel opening located on a heel end of the body, the heel opening configured to receive a fastening member;

and

a head-shaft connection system including a sleeve that is secured by the fastening member in a locked position, the head-shaft connection system configured to allow the golf club head to be adjustably attachable to a golf club shaft in a plurality of different positions resulting in an adjustability range of different combinations of loft angle, face angle, or lie angle.

13. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the first member and the second member are noncircular and are shaped to prevent rotation when the threaded fastening bolt is tightened.

14. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first member and the second member are located within a recessed portion of the body.