Metal wood club

• US 9,987,528 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2017
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Bennett, Thomas Orrin, Sanchez, Richard, Soracco, Peter, Cleghorn, Richard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US15/688,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20170354852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• 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 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• 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 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A golf club head including a cavity including an open end and a terminal end, the terminal end opposite the open end, an elongate weighted insert configured to reside in the cavity, the weighted insert having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the cavity is configured to receive the weighted insert through the open end in both a first orientation where the first end is adjacent the terminal end of the cavity and a second orientation where the second end is adjacent the terminal end of the cavity, a removable weight member configured to be removably affixed to each of the first end and the second end of the weighted insert, wherein the removable weight member is magnetically attracted to each of the first end and the second end of the weighted insert.

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 body 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;

wherein said body comprises a cavity;

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

an elongate weighted insert configured to reside in said cavity, said weighted insert having a first end and a second end opposite said first end;

wherein said cavity is configured to receive said weighted insert through said open end in both a first orientation where said first end is adjacent said terminal end of said cavity and a second orientation where said second end is adjacent said terminal end of said cavity;

a removable weight member configured to be removably affixed to each of said first end and said second end of said weighted insert;

wherein said removable weight member is magnetically attracted to each of said first end and said second end of said weighted insert;

wherein said weighted insert has a biased weighted insert center of gravity location when said removable weight member is removably affixed to said first end of said weighted insert and said weighted insert has a neutral weighted insert center of gravity location, within 1 millimeter of a center of said weighted insert, when said removable weight member is removably affixed to said second end of said weighted insert;

a head locking feature located at said open end of said cavity;

an insert locking member configured to engage said head locking feature and lock said weighted insert in said cavity;

wherein said head locking feature comprises female threads and wherein said insert locking member comprises male threads configured to engage said female threads;

wherein said weighted insert comprises;

a tube member;

a heavy member affixed to said tube member, said heavy member located at said first end of said weighted insert; and

a lightweight member affixed to said tube member, said lightweight member located at a second end of said weighted insert, opposite said first end; and

wherein said lightweight member and said heavy member are each configured to receive said removable weight member;

wherein said heavy member has a mass greater than a mass of said lightweight member;

wherein said weighted insert comprises a longitudinal insert axis extending along a center of said weighted insert and passing through said first end and said second end of said weighted insert;

wherein said heavy member comprises a heavy member protrusion extending outwards along said longitudinal insert axis and away from a center of said weighted insert;

wherein said lightweight member comprises a lightweight member protrusion extending outwards along said longitudinal insert axis and away from a center of said weighted insert;

wherein said removable weight member comprises a bore configured to engage said heavy member protrusion and said lightweight member protrusion;

wherein said removable weight member comprises a magnet inside said bore;

wherein said removable weight member comprises a protrusion opposite said bore configured to engage said terminal end of said cavity and said insert locking member.

2. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face and a body 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;

wherein said body comprises a cavity;

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

an elongate weighted insert configured to reside in said cavity, said weighted insert having a first end and a second end opposite said first end;

wherein said cavity is configured to receive said weighted insert through said open end in both a first orientation where said first end is adjacent said terminal end of said cavity and a second orientation where said second end is adjacent said terminal end of said cavity; and

a removable weight member configured to be removably affixed to each of said first end and said second end of said weighted insert;

wherein said removable weight member is magnetically attracted to each of said first end and said second end of said weighted insert.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein said weighted insert comprises a tube member, a heavy member affixed to said tube member, said heavy member located at said first end of said weighted insert, and a lightweight member affixed to said tube member, said lightweight member located at a second end of said weighted insert, opposite said first end, wherein said heavy member has a mass greater than a mass of said lightweight member, wherein said lightweight member and said heavy member are each configured to receive said removable weight member.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein said weighted insert comprises a longitudinal insert axis extending along a center of said weighted insert and passing through said first end and said second end of said weighted insert, wherein said heavy member comprises a heavy member protrusion extending outwards along said longitudinal insert axis and away from a center of said weighted insert, and wherein said lightweight member comprises a lightweight member protrusion extending outwards along said longitudinal insert axis and away from a center of said weighted insert.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein said removable weight member comprises a bore configured to engage said heavy member protrusion and said lightweight member protrusion.

6. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein said removable weight member comprises a magnet inside said bore.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein said lightweight member comprises a ferromagnetic insert.

8. The golf club head of claim 5, wherein said removable weight member comprises a protrusion opposite said bore.

9. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein said weighted insert has a biased weighted insert center of gravity location when said removable weight member is removably affixed to said first end of said weighted insert and said weighted insert has a neutral weighted insert center of gravity location, within 1 millimeter of a center of said weighted insert, when said removable weight member is removably affixed to said second end of said weighted insert.

10. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein said golf club head further comprises a head locking feature located at said open end of said cavity.

11. The golf club head of claim 10, wherein said golf club head further comprises an insert locking member configured to engage said head locking feature and lock said weighted insert in said cavity.

12. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a face and a body 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;

wherein said body comprises a cavity;

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

an elongate weighted insert configured to reside in said cavity, said weighted insert having a first end and a second end opposite said first end;

wherein said cavity is configured to receive said weighted insert through said open end in both a first orientation where said first end is adjacent said terminal end of said cavity and a second orientation where said second end is adjacent said terminal end of said cavity; and

a removable weight member configured to be removably affixed to each of said first end and said second end of said weighted insert;

wherein said weighted insert has a biased weighted insert center of gravity location when said removable weight member is removably affixed to said first end of said weighted insert and said weighted insert has a neutral weighted insert center of gravity location, within 1 millimeter of a center of said weighted insert, when said removable weight member is removably affixed to said second end of said weighted insert.

13. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein said weighted insert comprises a tube member, a heavy member affixed to said tube member, said heavy member located at said first end of said weighted insert, and a lightweight member affixed to said tube member, said lightweight member located at a second end of said weighted insert, opposite said first end, wherein said heavy member has a mass greater than a mass of said lightweight member.

14. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein said lightweight member and said heavy member are each configured to receive said removable weight member.

15. The golf club head of claim 13, wherein said weighted insert comprises a longitudinal insert axis extending along a center of said weighted insert and passing through said first end and said second end of said weighted insert, wherein said heavy member comprises a heavy member protrusion extending outwards along said longitudinal insert axis and away from a center of said weighted insert, and wherein said lightweight member comprises a lightweight member protrusion extending outwards along said longitudinal insert axis and away from a center of said weighted insert.

16. The golf club head of claim 15, wherein said removable weight member comprises a bore configured to engage said heavy member protrusion and said lightweight member protrusion.

17. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein said removable weight member comprises a magnet inside said bore.

18. The golf club head of claim 16, wherein said removable weight member comprises a protrusion opposite said bore.

19. The golf club head of claim 12, wherein said golf club head further comprises a head locking feature located at said open end of said cavity.

20. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein said golf club head further comprises an insert locking member configured to engage said head locking feature and lock said weighted insert in said cavity.