Patent Grant
8715102
Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf club head having an adjustable shaft and hosel assembly. More specifically, the present invention relates to a golf club shaft and hosel connection assembly that allows a user to adjust the loft, lie, and face angle of the golf club head, either dependently or independently without requiring the user to remove the shaft from the hosel completely.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that changing the angle of a golf club shaft with respect to the golf club head will change certain club specifications, including loft angle, lie angle, and face angle. Several types of adjustable golf clubs are currently available on the market. These models allow the user to adjust loft, lie and face angle by adjusting certain golf club components, which themselves rotate the shaft in a cone-shaped path about a reference axis.
Current adjustable golf club models include rotatable component features that are used for angle indexing and for transmitting torque forces between the club body and shaft, and vice-versa. These component features limit the number of shaft angle adjustments, however. The maximum angular range of these designs has been found to be approximately ±2.0° from the reference axis. None of the currently available adjustable golf clubs permit a 0° angle adjustment with respect to the reference axis.
The adjustable golf club models currently on the market have other drawbacks in addition to limited shaft angle adjustability. Because the shaft is fixed to the standard rotating features of these golf clubs, which operate on a fixed cone range of movement, the shaft graphics and grip reminder rotate out of orientation with the club head body when angles are adjusted. This can frustrate golfers who rely on grip reminders or asymmetric grips while using their clubs.
Furthermore, in many cases a user has to remove certain shaft components to make angle adjustments, thus increasing the difficulty of making adjustments as well as increasing the likelihood that the user will lose important pieces of the adjustable golf club head. For example, with current designs, shaft interchangeability is achieved by removing mechanical fastener(s) that attach the shaft component to the club head body. A different shafted component can then be added and the mechanical fastener(s) can be re-used to attach the shaft component to the club head body. Golfers run the risk of losing the mechanical fastener(s) when they make desired adjustments.
The present invention relates to wood golf club heads that have angular adjustable shaft and hosel assemblies.
One aspect of the present invention is an adjustable golf club head comprising a face, a sole, a crown, a shaft sleeve having a shaft sleeve axis and a shaft-receiving bore, the shaft-receiving bore having a bore axis that is coaxial with the shaft sleeve axis, a hosel having a hosel bore extending from the sole to the crown, at least part of the hosel bore having a diameter sized to receive at least a part of the shaft sleeve, and a first tubular adjustment piece having non-parallel upper and lower surfaces, wherein the first tubular adjustment piece fits around a section of the shaft sleeve when at least a part of the shaft sleeve is inserted within the hosel bore, wherein rotating the first tubular adjustment piece around the shaft sleeve changes the angle of the shaft sleeve with respect to the face, wherein the first tubular adjustment piece provides a plurality of angular adjustments, and wherein the shaft sleeve does not rotate around the bore axis more than 5 degrees for any of the plurality of angular adjustments. This adjustable golf club head may further comprise a flange within the hosel bore, wherein the flange comprises a convex lower surface and a fastener comprising a fastener head and a threaded body, wherein the fastener is inserted into the hosel bore through the sole, wherein the threaded body engages the shaft sleeve to connect the shaft sleeve to the head, and wherein the fastener head abuts the convex lower surface of the flange when the threaded body is fully engaged with the shaft sleeve.
In a further embodiment, the adjustable golf club head comprises a washer disposed between the fastener head and the convex lower surface of the flange, wherein the washer comprises a concave surface that mates with the convex lower surface of the flange. In an alternative embodiment, the fastener head comprises a concave surface that mates with the convex lower surface of the flange. In a further embodiment, a radius of the convex lower surface is equivalent to a distance between a rotation point of the shaft sleeve and a point at which the fastener head makes contact with the flange. In another embodiment, a radius of the convex lower surface is 0.1 to 3.0 inches. In yet another embodiment, the shaft sleeve further comprises a universal joint connection having a joint bore sized to securely receive the threaded body of the fastener, and the universal joint connection may protrude from a lower portion of the shaft sleeve and comprise at least two planar sides and at least two curved sides. In a further embodiment, the golf club head may comprise a fitting member sized to fit within the hosel bore proximate the crown, the fitting member comprising a fitting member bore sized to receive the universal joint connection. The fitting member may be able move within the hosel bore along a first axis, and the universal joint connection may be able move within the fitting member bore along a second axis. In a further embodiment, the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis. The shaft sleeve of these embodiments may have a 360 degree range of angular movement around a rotation point when the fitting member and the universal joint connection are fully assembled with the hosel
In another embodiment, the adjustable golf club head may further comprise a second tubular adjustment piece having non-parallel upper and lower surfaces, wherein the second tubular adjustment piece is disposed proximate the first tubular adjustment piece. In this embodiment, the first and second tubular adjustment pieces may each comprise one or more markings on an external surface, and wherein the one or more markings indicate angular adjustments provided by said adjustment pieces. The adjustable golf club head may be any type of club head, such as a wood-type golf club head, or more specifically a driver golf club head.
Another aspect of the present invention is an adjustable driver head comprising a face, a sole, a crown, a shaft sleeve comprising a shaft sleeve axis, a shaft-receiving bore having a bore axis that is coaxial with the shaft sleeve axis, and a universal joint connection protruding from a lower portion of the shaft sleeve, wherein the universal joint connection comprises at least two flat sides and at least two curved sides, and wherein the universal joint connection further comprises a threaded joint bore, a fitting member comprising a fitting member bore and an external surface, wherein each of the fitting member bore and the external surface have at least two flat sides and at least two curved sides, and wherein the fitting member bore is sized to receive the universal joint connection, a hosel comprising a hosel bore extending from the sole to the crown, wherein a region of the hosel bore proximate the crown comprises at least two flat sides and at least two curved sides and wherein the region of the hosel bore proximate the crown is sized to receive the fitting member, first and second tubular adjustment pieces, each comprising non-parallel upper and lower surfaces, wherein the first tubular adjustment piece fits around the shaft sleeve when the universal joint connection is assembled with the fitting member and the hosel bore, and a fastener comprising a head and a threaded body, wherein the threaded body engages the threaded joint bore, wherein rotating the first and second tubular adjustment piece around the shaft sleeve changes the angle of the shaft sleeve with respect to the face, and wherein the shaft sleeve does not rotate around the bore axis more than 5 degrees.
In a further embodiment, the driver head may further comprise a flange disposed within the hosel bore, wherein the fastener head abuts the convex lower surface of the flange when the threaded body is fully engaged with the threaded joint bore, and wherein the flange comprises a convex lower surface having a radius that is equivalent to a distance between a rotation point of the shaft sleeve and a point at which the fastener head makes contact with the flange. The radius of the lower convex surface may be between 0.1 and 3 inches.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is an adjustable driver head comprising a face, a sole, a crown, a shaft sleeve comprising a shaft sleeve axis and a shaft-receiving bore, the shaft-receiving bore having a bore axis that is coaxial with the shaft sleeve axis, a hosel having a hosel bore extending from the sole to the crown, the hosel bore sized to receive at least a part of the shaft sleeve, a first tubular adjustment piece disposed around the shaft sleeve and providing a plurality of angular adjustments for the shaft sleeve, a flange within the hosel bore, wherein the flange comprises a convex lower surface, and a fastener comprising a fastener head and a threaded body, wherein the fastener is inserted into the hosel bore through the sole, wherein the threaded body engages the shaft sleeve to connect the shaft sleeve to the head, wherein the fastener head abuts the convex lower surface of the flange when the threaded body is fully engaged with the shaft sleeve, and wherein the shaft sleeve does not rotate around the bore axis more than 5 degrees for any of the plurality of angular adjustments.
Another aspect of the present invention is an adjustable golf club head comprising a body comprising a face, a sole, a crown, and a hosel, a shaft sleeve comprising a shaft sleeve axis and a shaft-receiving bore having a bore axis that is coaxial with the shaft sleeve axis, a ball joint comprising a threaded joint bore, a socket sized to receive the ball joint, and a fastener comprising a head and a threaded body, wherein the threaded body engages the threaded joint bore, wherein moving the shaft sleeve changes the angle of the shaft sleeve with respect to the body, and wherein the shaft sleeve does not rotate around the bore axis more than 5 degrees. The ball joint and socket may be faceted, and the hosel may be integrally formed with the club head, which may be a driver head.
In a further embodiment, the golf club head may comprise a shaft having graphics and a grip reminder, wherein the shaft is at least partially disposed within the shaft sleeve, and wherein the graphics and the grip reminder do not rotate more than 5 degrees around the bore axis when a user makes angular adjustments. An angle of the shaft sleeve with respect to the body may be adjusted using an angle adjustment tool. Alternatively, the golf club can further comprise a first tubular adjustment piece having non-parallel upper and lower surfaces, wherein the first tubular adjustment piece fits around a section of the shaft sleeve and abuts the hosel, wherein rotating the first tubular adjustment piece around the shaft sleeve changes the angle of the shaft sleeve axis with respect to the body when the shaft sleeve is engaged with the hosel, and wherein the first tubular adjustment piece provides a plurality of angular adjustments. The first tubular adjustment piece may comprise a plurality of angle indicators on its exterior surface.
In another embodiment, the golf club head may further comprise a first wheel having a first bore with a first diameter, and a second wheel having a second bore with a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter, wherein the threaded body of the fastener fits within the first and second bores, wherein the fastener affixes the first and second wheels to the body, and wherein an angle between the shaft sleeve axis and the body can be adjusted by rotating the first and second wheels. The first and second wheels may each have angle indicators on their exterior surfaces, and the first bore may provide a pivot surface and the second wheel may cause the threaded body of the fastener to move along the pivot surface when the second wheel is turned.
In yet another embodiment, the ball joint may extend from a tip end of the shaft sleeve and the socket may be disposed on the hosel. In an alternative embodiment, the golf club head may further comprise a connection piece having a shaft sleeve receiving bore, wherein the ball joint extends from the hosel, and wherein the socket is disposed on the connection piece opposite the shaft sleeve receiving bore.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is an adjustable golf club head, which may be a driver head, comprising a body comprising a face, a sole, and a crown, a shaft sleeve comprising a shaft sleeve axis, a shaft-receiving bore having a bore axis that is coaxial with the shaft sleeve axis, and a ball joint having a joint bore, the ball joint extending from a tip end of the shaft sleeve, a hosel integrally formed with the golf club body, the hosel comprising a hosel bore extending from an opening in the sole to the crown and a socket sized to receive the ball joint, a fastener comprising a head and a threaded body sized to engage the threaded joint bore, a flange disposed within the hosel bore, wherein the fastener head rests against the flange when the threaded body is engaged with the threaded joint bore, and a first tubular adjustment piece comprising non-parallel upper and lower surfaces and an exterior surface having a plurality of angle markings, wherein the first tubular adjustment piece fits around a section of the shaft sleeve, wherein the lower surface abuts the hosel, wherein rotating the first tubular adjustment piece around the shaft sleeve changes the angle of the shaft sleeve with respect to the body when the shaft sleeve is engaged with the hosel, and wherein the first tubular adjustment piece provides a plurality of angular adjustments. In a further embodiment, the flange may comprise a convex lower surface, wherein the fastener head comprises a concave surface that mates with the convex lower surface, and wherein the fastener head abuts the convex lower surface of the flange when the threaded body is fully engaged with the shaft sleeve.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is an adjustable golf club head comprising a body comprising a face, a sole, and a crown, a hosel integrally formed with the body, the hosel comprising a ball joint having a threaded joint bore, a shaft sleeve comprising a shaft sleeve axis and a shaft-receiving bore having a bore axis that is coaxial with the shaft sleeve axis, and a connection piece having a first opening sized to receive the ball joint, a second opening sized to receive the shaft sleeve, and a threaded surface, a first fastener comprising a head and a threaded body sized to engage the threaded joint bore and removably fix the connection piece to the hosel, and a second fastener sized to encircle the shaft sleeve, the second fastener having threads sized to engage the threaded surface of the connection piece and removably fix the shaft sleeve to the connection piece, wherein moving the connection piece changes the angle of the shaft sleeve with respect to the body. In a further embodiment, the golf club head may comprise a flange disposed within the first opening of the connection piece, wherein the flange has a convex surface, and wherein the first fastener head rests against the flange when the threaded body is engaged with the threaded joint bore.
In another embodiment, the golf club head may comprise a first wheel having a first bore with a first diameter, and a second wheel having a second bore with a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter, wherein the first and second wheels are disposed within the connection piece, wherein the threaded body of the first fastener is threaded through the first and second bores, wherein the first fastener connects the connection piece to the ball joint, and wherein an angle between the connection piece and the body can be adjusted by rotating the first and second wheels. Alternatively, the golf club head may comprise a first tubular adjustment piece having non-parallel upper and lower surfaces, wherein the first tubular adjustment piece fits around a section of the connection piece and abuts the hosel, wherein rotating the first tubular adjustment piece around the connection piece changes the angle of the connection piece with respect to the body when the shaft sleeve is engaged with the hosel, and wherein the first tubular adjustment piece provides a plurality of angular adjustments.
A further embodiment of this aspect of the present invention may comprise a shaft having graphics and a grip reminder, wherein the shaft is at least partially disposed within the shaft sleeve, and wherein the graphics and the grip reminder do not rotate out of orientation with the golf club head when a user makes angular adjustments. The loft, lie, and face angles of the golf club head may each have an angular adjustment range of 0° to ≧2° from a reference axis.
Having briefly described the present invention, the above and further objects, features and advantages thereof will be recognized by those skilled in the pertinent art from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Angular adjustability in a golf club head is achieved through universal movement of the golf club shaft with respect to the golf club head, which almost always requires the shaft to rotate around a reference axis. As shown in
In addition to having non-ideal adjustability features, many of the adjustable golf club heads currently available on the market are difficult to use because they require a user to make minute linear movements with respect to a pivot point to achieve the desired angular change. For example, a 1° change that is made using an adjustability feature located 1 inch from the pivot point requires the user to make a precise, 0.0174 inch linear movement. In contrast with the currently available technology, the present invention includes precise methods for setting and fixing the angular adjustments desired.
The present invention provides golfers with a structure that can be used to easily and quickly modify club specifications such as loft, lie and face angle of their golf club. This invention enables golfers to change these specifications at the practice range or golf course. The tools used to alter the club's specifications are few in number and can be carried in a pocket of the user's golf bag. Furthermore, the technical ability required to modify the club specifications with this invention is minimal and its approach is intuitive and easy to understand.
The present invention is also valuable because a golfer's swing often changes over time, which can require alterations to his clubs. A golfer may improve his game through lessons and may gain greater flexibility and strength through practice and exercise. As such, it is reasonable for a golfer to wish to change his club's face, lie, and/or loft angles to help improve his accuracy, distance, and feel as needed or desired. This applies to all types of golf clubs. In fact, though the Figures show the present invention in connection with a driver-type golf club head, the embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein may be used in connection with other wood-type golf club heads as well as with irons and putters.
A first embodiment of the present invention is shown in
In the first embodiment, the fitting member 70 fits within the hosel 30 of the adjustable hosel assembly 10. As shown in
When the universal joint connection 25, fitting member 70, and hosel 30 are fully assembled with upper and lower shims 40, 50 described herein and shown in
As shown in
In the first embodiment shown in
The shims 40, 50, shaft sleeve 20, fitting member 70, and hosel 30 of the golf club head 100 are held together by the fastener 60. The fastener 60, which in the preferred embodiment is a bolt or screw, is inserted through an opening 125 in the sole 120 of the golf club head 100 and engages the universal joint connection 25 of the shaft sleeve 20, which includes a hollow, threaded bore 22 sized to receive the fastener 60. In an alternative embodiment, the fastener 60 comprises one or more snap rings, which may or may not be permanently attached to the hosel assembly 10. In the preferred embodiment, the fastener 60 provides the preload force necessary to hold the other components of the embodiment together during use. The component sizes of these connections, and others described herein, are what limit the maximum angular adjustment. Removal of the shaft is not necessary for angular adjustment in this or in other embodiments described herein—instead, the fastener 60 needs only to be loosened from the shaft sleeve 20 so that the component parts can be rotated with respect to each other.
As shown in
The present invention is functional when the contact surface between the fastener 60 and flange 35 is flat, as shown in
This problem can be overcome by incorporating into the hosel 30 a flange 35 that has a convex lower surface 36, as shown in
As shown in
In order to prevent loss of the fastener 60 after it is loosened to adjust the angle of the shaft sleeve 20, the fastener 60 may be retained within the hosel 30 of the golf club head 100 by any number of mechanisms or features, including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,002,644, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety herein. In the preferred embodiment, the fastener 60 is retained within the hosel 30 by means of an o-ring 160 attached to the threaded portion 64 of the fastener 60 after it is inserted into the hosel 30, such that the flange 35 is sandwiched between the head 62 of the fastener 60 or a washer 140 and the o-ring as shown in
A second embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in
The wheels 90, 95 each have bores 92, 97 through their centers to receive the fastener 60 and are connected to the shaft and hosel assembly 10 via the fastener 60, as shown in
The first wheel 90, which is closest to the golf club head, sweeps the shaft sleeve 20 the desired angle 360° around the reference axis 80. The second wheel 95 rotates the shaft sleeve 20 from 0° to the maximum degree with respect to the reference axis. Combinations of these rotations modify the loft, lie, and face angles by rotating the universal joint connection 25, and thus the shaft sleeve 20 and the shaft (not shown) around the reference axis 80.
A third embodiment of the present invention is shown in
The angle adjustment tool 200 preferably has tapered gauge thicknesses 210, 215, 220, 225, 230, 235, 240, 245 at multiple locations around its circumference. The angle adjustment tool 200 is used to set a desired gap angle between the shaft sleeve 20 and hosel 30. The combination of the gap angles of the angle adjustment tool 200 and the orientation of the angle adjustment tool 200 about a reference axis 80 modifies the loft, lie, and face angle of the golf club head. In order to make an adjustment, the fastener 60 is loosened so that a gap angle between the shaft sleeve 20 and the hosel 30 can be adjusted. Once the shaft sleeve 20 is adjusted to have the desired angle with respect to the hosel 30, the fastener is tightened so that the golf club head retains the chosen angle. The fastener head 62, or a washer 140 with which it interacts, and a flange 35 may further have the concave-convex structure discussed in detail herein.
A fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown in
Though the structure shown in
The embodiment of the invention shown in
In a seventh embodiment, the adjustable shaft and hosel assembly shown in
An eighth embodiment of the present invention is shown in
Once the bottom opening 310 receives the ball joint 250, the connection piece 300 is affixed to the ball joint 250, and thus the hosel portion 30, with the fastener 60, which is preferably a bolt. The fastener 60 is inserted through the upper opening 320 of the connection piece 300, extends through the joint bore 22, and terminates in a sole opening 125, where its terminal end is secured with a nut 170, thus retaining the ball joint 250 within the bottom opening 310 of the connection piece 300. The connection piece 300 includes a flange 315 against which the head 62 of the fastener 60 or a washer 140 rests and towards which the fastener 60 pulls the ball joint 250. The flange 315 and fastener head 62 preferably have the convex-concave surface configuration discussed in detail herein. The nut 170 and an upper surface 126 of the sole opening 125 may also have a convex-concave surface configuration to reduce unwanted forces.
The upper opening 320 of the connection piece 300 is sized to receive a bottom portion of a shaft sleeve 20 or the bottom end of a shaft (not shown). The shaft sleeve 20 is permanently affixed to a shaft (not shown) by adhesive or another connection mechanism, or may be integrally formed with the shaft. The shaft or shaft sleeve 20 is retained within the top opening 320 of the connection piece 300 with an upper fastener 350. The upper fastener 350 has a through bore 355 sized to receive the shaft sleeve 20, and at least part of the interior of the upper fastener 350 is threaded. The upper, exterior portion 305 of the connection piece 300, which encircles the upper opening 320, is also threaded so that, when the shaft or shaft sleeve 20 is placed within the upper opening 320 of the connection piece 300, the threaded interior surface of the upper fastener 350 can engage the threaded exterior portion 305 of the connection piece 300 and securely retain the shaft or the shaft sleeve 20 within the connection piece 300.
In this embodiment, the shaft or shaft sleeve 20 angle with respect to the head 100 can be adjusted in a manner similar to that of the other embodiments disclosed herein. In the embodiment shown in
In a ninth embodiment, the assembly shown in
In a tenth embodiment, the assembly shown in
The embodiments of the adjustable shaft and hosel assembly 10 described herein allow for universal angular adjustment, and also allow a user to remove the shaft sleeve from the hosel portion entirely so that a different shaft and/or shaft sleeve can be attached to the golf club head 100. Preferably, for each of the embodiments described herein, the angular adjustment range is a minimum of 0° to ≧2° from the reference axis 80. The assembly 10 of the present invention allows for torque forces to be transmitted between the body and the shaft, and visa-versa. The universal joint connection 25 or ball joint 250 also prevents shaft graphics and grip reminders on a golf club shaft from rotating out of orientation from the club head.
The embodiments disclosed herein may be made of any number of materials, including those material compositions disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,244,976, 6,332,847, 6,386,990, 6,406,378, 6,440,008, 6,471,604, 6,491,592, 6,527,650, 6,565,452, 6,575,845, 6,478,692, 6,582,323, 6,508,978, 6,592,466, 6,602,149, 6,607,452, 6,612,398, 6,663,504, 6,669,578, 6,739,982, 6,758,763, 6,860,824, 6,994,637, 7,025,692, 7,070,517, 7,112,148, 7,118,493, 7,121,957, 7,125,344, 7,128,661, 7,163,470, 7,226,366, 7,252,600, 7,258,631, 7,314,418, 7,320,646, 7,387,577, 7,396,296, 7,402,112, 7,407,448, 7,413,520, 7,431,667, 7,438,647, 7,455,598, 7,476,161, 7,491,134, 7,497,787, 7,549,935, 7,578,751, 7,717,807, 7,749,096, and 7,749,097, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety herein. Furthermore, the shims 40, 50, and fitting member 70 may be composed of lightweight materials, such as plastic, composite, aluminum, titanium alloy, and/or other such materials.
From the foregoing it is believed that those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize the meritorious advancement of this invention and will readily understand that while the present invention has been described in association with a preferred embodiment thereof, and other embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, numerous changes, modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which is intended to be unlimited by the foregoing except as may appear in the following appended claims. Therefore, the embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property, or privilege is claimed are defined in the following appended claims.
The present application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/311,319, filed on Dec. 5, 2011, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/451,523, filed on Mar. 3, 2011, and to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/452,521, filed on Mar. 14, 2011, to each of which the present application also claims priority, and the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties herein.
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| Child | 13326156 | US |
