Golf club head

• US 9,814,953 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2016
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• 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:
  US15/004,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20160136490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 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, a hosel, and a sole together defining an interior cavity;

the body having a channel located on the sole;

first and second opposing ledges extending within the channel;

at least one weight member movably positioned within the channel such that a position of the at least one weight member within the channel is able to be adjusted, thereby adjusting a location of a center of gravity of the club head;

the at least one weight member comprises an outer member engaging an outward-facing surface of the first and second ledges, an inner member engaging an inward-facing surface of the first and second ledges, and a separate fastening bolt comprising 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;

wherein the first and second ledges extend within the channel from a heel end of the body to a toe end of the body;

wherein the face includes a center face location that defines the origin of a coordinate system in which an x-axis is tangential to the face at the center face location and is parallel to a ground plane when the body is in a normal address position, a y-axis extends perpendicular to the x-axis and is also parallel to the ground plane, and a z-axis extends perpendicular to the ground plane, wherein a positive x-axis extends toward the heel end of the body from the origin, a positive y-axis extends rearwardly from the origin toward the interior cavity, and a positive z-axis extends upwardly from the origin toward the crown;

wherein adjustment of the at least one weight member provides a maximum x-axis adjustment range of the position of the center of gravity (Max Δ

CGx) that is greater than 2 mm;

wherein the weight member has a mass (M_WA) and wherein the product of M_WA*Max Δ

x is between 250 g·

mm and 4950 g·

mm;

wherein the product of M_WA*Max Δ

y is between 0 g·

mm and 1800 g·

mm; and

wherein the center of gravity of the club head has a z-axis coordinate (CGz) that is less than 0 mm.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a passageway that extends from the hosel through the club head and opens at the sole, wherein the passageway is located on the heel end of the body and the passageway is configured to provide passage for an attachment screw;

an adjustable shaft connection system for coupling a shaft to the hosel including a shaft sleeve that is secured by the attachment screw to the hosel, the shaft sleeve is configured to support the shaft at various positions relative to the club head to vary a shaft loft angle and shaft lie angle, wherein the adjustable shaft connection system and the at least one weight member are configured to be adjusted by a single tool.

3. 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.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the inner member is noncircular and shaped to prevent rotation when the threaded fastening bolt is tightened.

5. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the outer member includes a plurality of notches adapted to selectively engage a plurality of projections located on an exposed surface of at least one of the first and second ledges.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a maximum y-axis adjustment range of the center of gravity (Max Δ

CGy) is less than 3 mm.

7. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face, a crown, a hosel, and a sole together defining an interior cavity, the body having a channel located on the sole and extending from a heel end of the body to a toe end of the body;

first and second opposing ledges extending within the channel from the heel end of the body to the toe end of the body;

at least one weight member movably positioned within the channel and configured to clamp the first and second ledges, wherein a position of at least one weight member within the channel is able to be adjusted, wherein the at least one weight member comprises an outer member engaging an outward-facing surface of the first and second ledges, an inner member engaging an inward-facing surface of the first and second ledges, and a separate fastening bolt comprising 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 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;

wherein the outer member is noncircular and shaped to prevent rotation when the threaded fastening bolt is tightened;

a passageway that extends from the hosel through the club head and opens at the sole, wherein the passageway is located on the heel end of the body and the passageway is configured to provide passage for an attachment screw;

an adjustable shaft connection system for coupling a shaft to the hosel including a shaft sleeve that is secured by the attachment screw to the hosel, the shaft sleeve is configured to support the shaft at various positions relative to the club head to vary a shaft loft angle and shaft lie angle, wherein the adjustable shaft connection system and the at least one weight member are configured to be adjusted by a single tool.

8. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein adjusting the position of the at least one weight member within the channel produces a max change in the head origin y-axis (CGy) coordinate that is less than 3 mm throughout the adjustability range.

9. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein adjusting the position of the at least one weight member within the channel produces a max change in the head origin x-axis (CGx) coordinate that is greater than 2 mm throughout the adjustability range.

10. The golf club head of claim 7, wherein adjusting the position of the at least one weight member within the channel produces a max change in the head origin y-axis (CGy) coordinate that is less than 1 mm throughout the adjustability range, produces a max change in the head origin z-axis (CGz) coordinate that is less than 1.1 mm throughout the adjustability range, and a max change in the head origin x-axis (CGx) coordinate that is greater than 2 mm throughout the adjustability range.

11. A golf club head comprising:

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

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 the at least one weight member comprises an outer member engaging an outward-facing surface of the first and second ledges, an inner member engaging an inward-facing surface of the first and second ledges, and a separate fastening bolt comprising 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; and

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.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, further comprising a passageway that extends from the hosel through the club head and opens at the sole, wherein the passageway is located on the heel end of the body and the passageway is configured to provide passage for an attachment screw;

an adjustable shaft connection system for coupling a shaft to the hosel including a shaft sleeve that is secured by the attachment screw to the hosel, the shaft sleeve is configured to support the shaft at various positions relative to the club head to vary a shaft loft angle and shaft lie angle, wherein the adjustable shaft connection system and the at least one weight member are configured to be adjusted by use of a single tool.

13. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the outer member includes a plurality of notches adapted to selectively engage a plurality of projections located on an exposed surface of at least one of the first and second ledges.

14. The golf club head of claim 11, 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.

15. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the channel includes a first channel wall and a second channel wall, and the distance between the first channel wall and the second channel wall defines a channel width, and wherein over at least a portion of the channel the width of the channel is between 8 mm and 20 mm.

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

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

18. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the weight member has a mass (M_WA) and wherein the product of M_WA*Max Δ

x is between about 500 g·

mm and about 4950 g·

mm.

19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein adjusting the position of the at least one weight member within the channel produces a max change in the head origin y-axis (CGy) coordinate that is less than 3 mm throughout the adjustability range, produces a max change in the head origin z-axis (CGz) coordinate that is less than 1.1 mm throughout the adjustability range, and a max change in the head origin x-axis (CGx) coordinate that is greater than 2 mm throughout the adjustability range.

20. The golf club head of claim 18, further comprising a weight installation cavity being configured to allow insertion of at least the inner member within the channel.