Adjustable golf club

• US 9,132,323 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Beach, Todd P., Wahl, Bret H., Taylor, Scott, Larsen, Peter L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US13/789,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20140256461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 473244-248, 473305-315
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0694 Visual indication, e.g. Indicia
• 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 53/025 lie angle only, i.e. relative angular adjustment between the shaft and the club head about an axis parallel to the intended line of play when the club is in its normal address position
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/026 loft angle only, i.e. relative angular adjustment between the shaft and the club head about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the intended line of play when the club is in its normal address position
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

Disclosed herein are embodiments of adjustable golf clubs comprising features which allow for the adjustment of a lie angle, a loft angle, or both a lie angle and a loft angle of the golf club. In some embodiments, a golf club head includes a body and a hosel, the hosel including an adjustment screw which can be tightened or loosened to adjust the lie and/or loft angles of a golf club head. In some embodiments, certain angles of a golf club head'"'"'s geometry can be continuously adjustable through a predetermined range of angles.

Claims

1. An adjustable golf club head comprising:

a main body;

a screw having threads; and

a hosel having a shaft bore for receiving a golf club shaft, an adjustment bore for receiving the screw, a notch, an unthreaded opening connecting the notch to the adjustment bore, and a threaded opening connecting the notch to the shaft bore, wherein;

the threaded opening has threads complementing the threads of the screw; and

the screw extends from the adjustment bore, through the first opening, through the notch, through the second opening, and into the shaft bore.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the shaft bore has a central longitudinal axis;

the adjustment bore has a central longitudinal axis; and

adjustment of the screw causes the central longitudinal axis of the shaft bore to rotate with respect to the central longitudinal axis of the adjustment bore.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a solid piece of material situated within the shaft bore which separates a portion of the shaft bore which can receive the screw and a portion of the shaft bore which can receive a golf club shaft.

4. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a threaded boss element coupled to the hosel at a distal end portion of the shaft bore.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein a range limiter coupled to the hosel mechanically limits tightening of the screw.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising indicators which indicate a level to which the screw is tightened.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the notch extends past a centerline of the hosel.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising a bearing pad situated between the head of the screw and the opening.

9. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the bearing pad comprises a spherical surface which can mate with the head of the screw.

10. The golf club head of claim 8, wherein the bearing pad comprises a cylindrical surface which can mate with the head of the screw.

11. The golf club head of claim 8, further comprising a retaining ring situated within the adjustment bore.

12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the retaining ring comprises a spherical surface which can mate with the head of the screw.

13. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the retaining ring comprises a cylindrical surface which can mate with the head of the screw.