Golf club

• US 10,596,428 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2019
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clive Roy Rumble
• Original Assignee: Clive Roy Rumble
• Inventors: Rumble, Clive Roy
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter, Alvin A
• Application Number:
  US16/540,113
• Time in Patent Office: 223 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0602 Non-electronic means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/02 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2102/04 Badminton
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/10 with adhesive type surfaces, i.e. hook and loop-type fastener
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/065 for putters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/08 with special arrangements for obtaining a variable impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/06 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand

Abstract

Disclosed is a golf club and a self-contained balancing mechanism for existing golf club. The golf club includes a shaft having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion opposite to the proximal end portion; a grip attached to the proximal end portion of the shaft; a golf club head attached to the distal end portion of the shaft, the golf club head having a cavity formed therein; and a balancing mechanism adapted to be received within the cavity of the golf club head. The self-contained balancing mechanism comprises, a housing member, an elongated threaded member rotatably associated with the housing member, and a weighted member threadably engaged with the elongated threaded member. The rotation of the elongated threaded member moves the weighted member along the elongated threaded member to change a center of gravity of the golf club head.

Claims

1. A golf club comprising:

a shaft having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion opposite to the proximal end portion;

a grip attached to the proximal end portion of the shaft;

a golf club head attached to the distal end portion of the shaft, the golf club head having a cavity formed therein; and

a self-contained balancing mechanism adapted to be received within the cavity of the golf club head, the balancing mechanism comprises,

a housing member,

an elongated threaded member rotatably associated with the housing member, and

a weighted member threadably engaged with the elongated threaded member,

wherein rotation of the elongated threaded member moves the weighted member along the elongated threaded member to change a center of gravity of the golf club head,

wherein the weighted member comprises a body portion and one or more buffers, wherein the one or more buffers extend laterally towards first and second end portions of the housing member.

2. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the elongated threaded member is adapted to be rotated, whereby the rotation of the elongated threaded member moves the weighted member along the elongated threaded member in one of a forward and a backward direction.

3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the weighted member further comprises an indicator provided on the body portion.

4. The golf club of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more buffers resist contact of the body portion with respective end portions of the housing member thereby preventing jamming of the weighted member with respect to the housing member.

5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the housing member in the self-contained retrofittable balancing mechanism comprises:

a moulded, cast or manufactured one-piece structure to hold components of the self-contained retrofittable balancing mechanism, including an indicator portion and indicator of a movable weighted member, in a watertight manner,

wherein the housing member is a transparent or semi-transparent showing the indicator portion on the housing member, and the indicator of the movable weighted member inside a weighted member.

6. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the elongated threaded member of the balancing mechanism comprises:

a first end portion rotatably supported on the housing member, and

a second end portion opposite to the first end portion, wherein the second end portion is adapted to be engaged with a key for rotating the elongated threaded member.

7. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the balancing mechanism further comprises a cover member having an indicator portion, wherein the cover member is adapted to cover the housing member and the indicator portion is positioned proximate to the indicator provided on the body portion.

8. A self-contained retrofittable balancing mechanism of a golf club, the golf club having a shaft, a grip attached to the shaft, and a golf club head attached to the shaft, the self-contained retrofittable balancing mechanism comprising:

a housing member adapted to be coupled to the golf club head;

an elongated threaded member rotatably associated with the housing member; and

a weighted member threadably engaged with the elongated threaded member,

wherein rotation of the elongated threaded member moves the weighted member along the elongated threaded member to change center of gravity of the golf club head,

wherein the weighted member comprises a body portion, one or more buffers, and an indicator provided on the body portion.

9. The self-contained retrofittable balancing mechanism of claim 8, wherein the elongated threaded member is adapted to be rotated, whereby the rotation of the elongated threaded member moves the weighted member along the elongated threaded member in one of a forward and a backward direction.

10. The self-contained retrofittable balancing mechanism of claim 8, wherein the one or more buffers extend laterally towards a first and second end portions of the housing.

11. The self-contained retrofittable balancing mechanism of claim 8, wherein each of the one or more buffers prevent contact of the body portion with respective end portions of the housing member.

12. The self-contained retrofittable balancing mechanism of claim 8, wherein the elongated threaded member of the balancing mechanism comprises:

a first end portion rotatably supported on the housing member, and

a second end portion opposite to the first end portion, wherein the second end portion is adapted to be engaged with a key for rotating the elongated threaded member.

13. The self-contained retrofittable balancing mechanism of claim 8, wherein the self-contained retrofittable balancing mechanism is attachable to the golf clubs, wherein the self-contained retrofittable balancing mechanism is attachable the golf clubs via an attaching means including male-female joints, glues, screws and so forth.

14. The self-contained retrofittable balancing mechanism of claim 8, wherein the balancing mechanism further comprises a cover member having an indicator portion, wherein the cover member is adapted to cover the housing member and the indicator portion is positioned proximate to the indicator provided on the body portion.

15. A method for balancing a balancing mechanism attached to a golf club, the golf club having a shaft, a grip attached to the shaft, and a golf club head attached to the shaft, the method comprising:

providing the balancing mechanism with a cavity of the golf club head, the balancing mechanism being self-contained unit, and having;

a housing member adapted to be received within the cavity of the golf club head,

an elongated threaded member rotatably associated with the housing member, and

a weighted member threadably engaged with the elongated threaded member;

rotating the elongated threaded member to move the weighted member along the elongated threaded member to change center of gravity of the golf club head, wherein the weighted member comprises a body portion and one or more buffers wherein the one or more buffers extend laterally towards first and second end portions of the housing member, and

resisting contact of the body portion with respective end portions of the housing member via each of the one or more buffers, thereby preventing jamming of the weighed member with respect to the housing member.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the rotation of the elongated threaded member moves the weighted member along the elongated threaded member in one of a forward and a backward direction.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein rotating the elongated threaded member comprises:

engaging a key with a second end portion, opposite to a first end portion for the elongated threaded member, for rotating the elongated threaded member in one of a clockwise direction or an anti-clockwise direction.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the rotation of the elongated threaded member in one of the clockwise direction or the anti-clockwise direction enables the weighted member to move and thereby shifting the center of gravity of the golf club head.

19. A golf club comprising:

a shaft having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion opposite to the proximal end portion,

a grip attached to the proximal end portion of the shaft;

a golf club head attached to the distal end portion of the shaft, the golf club head having a cavity formed therein, wherein the cavity comprises an elongated profile, and extends along an axis of the golf club head; and

a self-contained balancing mechanism adapted to be received within the cavity of the golf club head, the balancing mechanism comprises,

a housing member,

an elongated threaded member rotatably associated with the housing member, and

a weighted member threadably engaged with the elongated threaded member,

wherein rotation of the elongated threaded member moves the weighted member along the elongated threaded member to change a center of gravity of the golf club head,

wherein the housing member comprises a shape corresponding to a shape of the cavity to be snugly accommodated within the elongated profile of the cavity that extends along the axis of the golf club head, thereby removably coupling the self-contained balancing mechanism with the golf club to change the center of gravity of the golf club head,

wherein the weighted member comprises a body portion and one or more buffers wherein the one or more buffers extend laterally towards first and second end portions of the housing member.