Patent Grant
8262497
The invention relates to golf clubs, and more particularly, to metal wood and utility-type golf clubs having dynamic mass properties. Even more particularly, to metal wood and utility type clubs having a customizable and interchangeable panel attached to the body of the golf club head wherein the customizable and interchangeable panel helps improve the aesthetic and performance characteristics of the golf club.
Wood and utility-type golf club heads generally include a front or striking face, a crown, a sole, and an arcuate skirt including a heel, a toe, and a back. The striking face interfaces with and contacts the golf ball. A plurality of grooves, sometimes referred to as “score lines,” may be provided on the face to assist in imparting spin to the ball and for decorative purposes. The crown is generally configured to have a particular look to the golfer and to provide structural rigidity for the striking face. The sole of the golf club contacts and interacts with the ground during the swing.
With a high percentage of amateur golfers constantly searching for more distance on their shots, particularly their drives, the golf industry has responded by providing golf clubs specifically designed with distance and accuracy in mind. The head sizes of wood-type golf clubs have increased, allowing the club to possess a higher moment of inertia (MOI), which translates to a greater ability to resist twisting on off-center hits. Generally, as a wood-type club head becomes larger, its center of gravity will be moved back away from the face and further toward the toe, resulting in hits flying higher and further to the right than expected (for right-handed golfers). Reducing the lofts of the larger head clubs can compensate for this. Because the center of gravity is moved further away from hosel axis, the larger heads can also cause these clubs to remain open on contact, thereby inducing a “slice” effect (in the case of a right-handed golfer the ball deviates to the right). Offsetting the head and/or incorporating a hook face angle can help compensate for this by “squaring” the face at impact, but often more is required to eliminate the “slice” tendency.
Another technological breakthrough in recent years to provide the average golfer with more distance is to make larger head clubs while keeping the weight constant or even lighter by casting consistently thinner shell thicknesses and using lighter materials such as titanium, magnesium, and composites. Also, the faces of the clubs have been steadily becoming thinner, because a thinner face will maximize what is known as the coefficient of restitution (COR) from impacts with golf balls. The more a face rebounds upon impact, the more energy is imparted to the ball, thereby increasing the resulting distance that the ball travels.
Known methods to enhance the weight distribution of wood-type club heads to help reduce the club from being open upon contact with the ball usually include the addition of weights to the body casting itself or strategically adding a weight element at some point in the club. Efforts to incorporate weight elements into the wood-type club head are discussed in the patent literature. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 7,186,190 discloses a golf club head comprising a number of moveable weights attached to the body of the club head. The club head of the '190 includes a number of threaded ports into which the moveable weights are screwed. Though the mass characteristics of the golf club may be manipulated by rearranging the moveable weights, the cylindrical shape of the weights and their placement within the golf club body necessarily moves a significant portion of the mass toward the center of the club head, which may not maximize the peripheral weight of the club head or the MOI. Moreover, most cylindrical weight members are attached to the club head via threaded engagement; during normal play, the cylindrical weights may rotate and become unintentionally disengaged from the club head.
As previously stated, a concern for higher handicap golfers is the tendency to “slice,” which in addition to deviating the ball to the right also imparts a greater spin to the ball, further reducing the overall ball distance. To reduce this tendency, the '190 patent teaches the placement of weight elements directly into the club head. The placement of weight elements is designed so that the spin of the ball will be reduced, and also a “draw” (a right-to-left ball flight for a right-handed golfer) will be imparted to the ball flight. This ball flight pattern is also designed to help the distance-challenged golfer because a ball with a lower spin rate will generally roll a greater distance after initially contacting the ground than would a ball with a greater spin rate.
Alternative approaches for moving the center of gravity of a golf club head rearward and downward in the club head utilize composite structures. These composite structures utilize two, three, or more materials that have different physical properties including different densities. By positioning materials that provide the desired strength characteristics with less weight near the crown or top line of a golf club head, a larger percentage of the overall weight of the golf club head is shifted towards the sole of the club head. This results in the center of gravity being moved downward and rearward. This approach is advantageously applicable to muscle back iron clubs or fairway woods, as this will help to generate loft and power behind and below the ball. An example of this type of composite club head is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,674. The club head of the '674 patent comprises an arcuate portion of high-density material bonded to a recess in the back-skirt. Because composite materials like those found in the '674 club head must be bonded together, for example by welding, swaging, or using bonding agents such as epoxy, they may be subject to delamination or corrosion over time. This component delamination or corrosion results in decreased performance in the golf club head and can lead to club head failure.
In addition to the performance and weight characteristics, aesthetic considerations are often another important factor in golf club head design. With the rapid interest of the consuming public in the customization of golf clubs, it has become ever more important for all components of a golf club to have some sort of customizable features. Although the majority of customization within the industry of golf clubs currently occurs in the shaft, the ability to customize the appearance of a golf club head may also be of great interest to the consuming public.
Even more important than the ability of customization of a club head is the ability of an end user to customize a golf club head without the need for heavy, complicated, and burdensome tools that are traditionally only available to the manufacturing companies. Currently in the art, there are no golf club heads that are capable of having the appearance changed by the end user while also being able to adjust for performance characteristics simultaneously. Moreover, having such an interchangeable removable panel could significantly reduce production and manufacturing costs due to the ability to build a blank base golf club head that could be customized using interchangeable panels.
Though many methods of optimizing the mass properties of golf club heads exist, there remains a need in the art for a golf club head comprising at least a movable weight having secure attachment means and a low-profile such that the weight does not protrude into the center of the club head and negatively affect the location of the center of gravity. Moreover, there is a need in the art for such a movable weight capable of altering the aesthetics of the golf club head suited for the end user without the need for heavy and burdensome tools while also being capable of adjusting the performance characteristics via adjustable weights.
The present invention is directed to a metal wood or utility-type golf club head having a sole comprising at least one removable weight member. The removable weight member is preferably located toward the back of the sole and may be substantially centered between the heel and toe of the club head. Alternatively, the removable weight member may be situated toward the back and heel or toward the back and toe of the club head, depending on the desired mass characteristics, e.g., center of gravity, loft and moment of inertia, of the club head. Preferably, the weight members are connected to the club head by non-threaded means.
The removable weight member has an area or areas of concentrated mass along its plan area (PA), or surface area. These areas of concentrated mass may be situated at any location along the plan area of the weight member, depending on the desired mass characteristics of the club head. Alternatively, the area(s) of concentrated mass can be concurrent with the PA.
The removable weight member also has a low profile preferably to match the curvature or to the surface of the sole. The PA of the weight member is preferably significantly greater than its thickness, resulting in a weight member that resembles a thin chip or wafer. This design allows the mass added by the weight member to be spread substantially along the surface of the sole, as opposed to the interior of the club head, and maintains the center of gravity of the club head below and behind the center of the hitting face.
Removable weight members of the present invention may be attached to the sole via a number of different non-threaded mechanisms. In one embodiment, a removable weight member comprises a projection containing a spring-loaded bar. Pins on either side of the spring-loaded bar engage holes in a receiving cavity of the sole to securely but releasably connect the weight member to the sole. The weight member body further comprises a dovetail which is slidably inserted into a dovetail receptacle on the sole. To remove the weight member, a tool resembling pliers may be used to depress the pins on the spring-loaded bar and the weight member may be pulled free of the receiving cavity. In another embodiment, a removable weight member may attach to the sole via a side-release buckle mechanism. In yet another embodiment, a removable weight member may attach to the sole via a universal-serial-bus (USB) connection assembly.
The removable weight member preferably comprises a material having a density greater than the density of the material comprising the sole. Alternatively, the removable weight member may comprise the same material as the sole, however having a greater thickness than the average thickness of the sole. The removable weight member may comprise metals, e.g. titanium, stainless steel, or tungsten, composite or polymeric material. The removable weight member may alternatively comprise any material having a density appropriate to optimize the mass characteristics of the club head.
The removable weight member may also take on the shape of a panel in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention. The removable panel may generally be comprised of a plastic, aluminum, magnesium, titanium, steel, tungsten, or any other material that will give the removable panel different weighting characteristics than the golf club head. In addition to the removable panel being constructed out of a different material, removable panel may also have specific weight receptacles to further allow weight adjustment purposes within the golf club head.
In addition to the weighting characteristics, the removable panel may also contain an easy quick disconnect interchangeable mechanism that allows an end user to easily change out the removable panel without the need for professional tools or machines. These removable panels may also contain a decorative exterior independent of the weighting characteristics that allows the end user to change out these removable panels for decorative purposes.
The golf club head of the present invention is preferably a metal wood or utility-type club head comprising a hosel, hitting face, crown, sole, and skirt disposed between the crown and sole. The golf club of the present invention further comprises a back, opposite the hitting face, and a heel and toe portion. The inventive golf club head also has a flat profiled weight member, a panel shaped weight member, or chip disposed proximate to the aft section of the club head.
An exemplary club head is shown
In accordance with this embodiment, docking station 30 may be raised relative to the surface of sole 12 in order to provide room for the attachment mechanism responsible for fixedly attaching weight chip 28 to docking station 30. In other embodiments of the present invention, docking station 30 may be flush with the surface of sole 12. Docking station 30 can be more clearly seen in
To remove weight chip 28 from docking station 30, a tool, such as the one shown schematically in
Weight chip 28 may also be retained by one or more set screws that threadedly engage projection 40 through the sole or through docking station 30. Weight chip 28 may be removed by removing the set screw with an Allen-wrench or screwdriver. Weight chip may also have one spring-loaded locking arm that can lock to a cavity or depression within docking station 30. The spring-loaded locking arm may have a live-joint action to provide the springiness to the arm.
Unlike the moveable weight members of the prior art that utilize cylindrical weights housed in ports that have been formed into the body of the club head, weight chip 28 has a low profile, allowing its weight to be spread substantially along the surface of sole 12. The attachments means of weight chip 28, i.e. dovetail receptacle 32 and cavity 34, are located substantially on the surface of sole 12, as opposed to in the interior of the club head. This configuration allows the center of gravity to remain behind and below the geometric center of the hitting face and more efficiently increases MOI, as mass is located at the maximum distance from the axis of rotation of the club head, as illustrated in Table 1 below. Cylindrical weight members housed in ports or cavities formed in the body of the club head, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,186,190, are necessarily located on the interior of the club head and thus closer to the geometric center or center of gravity, and hence cannot increase MOI as efficiently. Further, the cavities themselves comprise a housing which adds mass to the interior of the club head, once again drawing the center of gravity toward the center of the club head and hindering the optimization of the MOI. Furthermore, the inventive attachment means do not use threaded connectors, as discussed herein.
An exemplary two-dimensional sole is modeled in
PA is defined with reference to
The effective thickness of the weight insert is defined as
teff=Volume of insert/PA
In accordance with the position of weight chip 28 in
The following table summarizes the mass characteristics of the sole modeled in
Alternatively, weight chip 28 and docking station 30 can be located elsewhere on club head 10. For example, weight chip 28 and docking station 30 can be located at the heel, toe or the back of the club head. Furthermore, a plurality of weight chips 28 and docking stations 30 can be utilized and located around the club head. More specifically, a number of docking stations 30 can be located proximate the heel, toe and back, and one weight chip 28 (or more) can be selectively deployed at any of the available docking stations to alter the mass characteristics of the club head. The unused docking stations can be filled with “dummy” chips, i.e., chips having substantially similar shape as weight chip 28 but without having a specific gravity higher than the specific gravity of the sole. Dummy chips can be made out of polymeric materials with specific gravities substantially lower than that of the sole of the club head.
Weight chip 28 preferably comprises a material having a density greater than the density of the material comprising sole 12. Alternatively, weight chip 28 may comprise the same material as sole 12, however having a greater thickness than the average thickness of sole 12. In other words, the weight per unit area or the “basis weight” of weight chip 28 is greater than that of sole 12. Weight chip 28 may comprise metals, e.g. titanium, stainless steel, or tungsten. Alternatively, weight chip 28 may comprise composite or polymeric material with or without high specific gravity fillers or flakes, such as tungsten or metal powders. Weight chip 28 alternatively comprises any material having a density appropriate to optimize any desired mass property including the location of the center of gravity in terms of height and depth and the various components of moment of inertia (Ishaft, Ixx, Izz and Iyy). By concentrating mass in weight chip 28, weight chip 28 increases the moment of inertia of the club head relative to a club head having a sole with constant density. The areas of higher density or greater thickness, i.e., higher weight per unit area or higher basis weight, may occupy all or part(s) of weight chip 28. Such areas can be referred to as areas of concentrated mass, discussed further below.
Preferably, the basis weight of weight chip 28 (or portions thereof) is at least about 1.5 times the basis weight of sole 12, more preferably at least about two times and most preferably at least three times the basis weight of sole 12.
As shown in
For purpose of comparison only, the PA of a conventional cylindrical weight insert, such as those illustrated in
Preferably, weight chip 28 has a plan area of about 4 cm2 and an effective thickness of about 0.5 cm. More preferably, weight chip 28 has a plan area of about 6 cm2 and an effective thickness of about 0.3 cm. Most preferably, weight chip 28 has a plan area of about 7 cm2 and an effective thickness of about 0.3 cm. Referring to chip ratio of weight chip 28 (plan area/thickness), weight chip 28 preferably has a chip ratio greater than about 8. More preferably, weight chip 28 has a chip ratio greater than about 14, and most preferably, weight chip 28 has a chip ratio greater than about 20. The volume of weight chip 28 refers to the plan area multiplied by the effective thickness, and preferably comprises about 3% or less, preferably about 2% or less, or about 1% or less of the volume of club head 10. Hence, since the USGA maximum volume for driver club heads is 460 cc and the preferred volume for the chip is about 1% volume, the volume of chip 28 should be less than 4.6 cc for driver clubs.
In an alternative embodiment, projection 40 may contain higher density or high specific gravity material, while body 29 may contain lower density or lower specific gravity material. Furthermore, chip 28 may be inserted from the direction from the perimeter of club head toward the center of the club head, as shown, or in the opposite direction, or any other orientation.
The center of gravity and MOI of club head 10 may be optimized, depending on the needs of the golfer, by altering the position of docking station 30 during manufacture. To fabricate a club head having a center of gravity rearward and below the center of hitting face 26 but substantially centered with respect to heel 22 and toe 24 of club head 10, docking station 28 may be located toward the back of sole 12 and centered with respect to the heel and toe. Alternatively, docking station 30, and hence weight chip 28, may be positioned toward toe 24 to create a club head having a tendency to remain open at impact with a golf ball. In another embodiment of the present invention, docking station 30 may be located toward heel 22 so that hitting face 26 has a tendency to be closed upon impact with a golf ball.
Sole 12 may also comprise more than one weight chip 28. For instance, two weight chips may be positioned at the back of sole 12, one toward the heel and one toward the toe. In another embodiment, three or more weight chips may be utilized. Preferably, the weight chips attach to sole 12 via the attachment mechanism illustrated in
One advantage of the weight chip of the present invention is that it can be utilized to control the swing weight of the clubs in the set. Swing weight is related to the weight of a club head and to the length of the shaft. For example, a 3-iron may weigh 240 grams while a wedge may weight 290 grams, but since the shaft of the 3-iron is longer than the shaft of the wedge both clubs may have the same swing weight. It is preferred that the swing weights for a set of irons are substantially similar. Weight chips 28 can be utilized in irons to adjust the swing weight of iron clubs. Weight chips 28 can also be used to adjust the swing weight of a driver, e.g., by changing a chip of 1 gram for a chip of 4 grams.
In accordance with this invention, other means of attaching a removable weight member to sole 12 may be utilized. In one embodiment, illustrated in
In another embodiment of the present invention, shown in
Other suitable attachment mechanisms include those described in or can be derived from commonly owned, co-pending patent application Ser. No. 11/563,224 filed on Nov. 27, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, sole 12 may comprise a removable weight member which has a varied mass and/or density over its plan area (PA). Referring to
To securely attach weight chip 328 to golf club head 10, sole 12 may comprise an attachment mechanism similar to that shown in
In another embodiment of the present invention, chip 28, 128, 228 and 338 may contain one or more pockets 31, shown in phantom lines in
The club head may be formed by any means known to those skilled in the art. For instance, portions of the club head may be formed from cast, forged, stamped, or molded components. Any material known to those skilled in the art may be used including, but not limited to, iron, steel, aluminum, tin, vanadium, chromium, cobalt, nickel, magnesium, or alloys. In a preferred embodiment, the face, the sole, the face plate, and the support members may comprise a high strength titanium alloy such as 10-2-3 (Ti-10% V-2% Fe-3% Al) or 15-3-3-3 (Ti-15% V-3% Cr-3% Sn-3% Al). In another embodiment, the face, the sole, the face plate, and/or the support members may be produced from a different titanium alloy such as a 6-4 alloy (Ti-6% Al-4% V).
In alternate embodiments, other forging and casting alloys may be used, such as stainless steel and aluminum. By forming the face plate by stamping, forging, or casting, the face portion may be thin yet still have sufficient strength to withstand repeated impact with a golf ball without failure. In turn, by forming the face portion as thin as possible while still meeting the desired mechanical performance standards, weight may be redistributed to other parts of the club head.
Turning now to
Unlike weight chip 28, removable panel 60 may generally be comprised of a material having a density that is lower than the density of the remainder of the club head 10 in order to generate more discretionary weight that can be strategically placed at various locations within golf club head 10. Discretionary weight, generally used to alter the center of gravity (CG) location, may be placed at the crown, sole, or even at the removable panel 60 portion of golf club head without departing from the scope of the present invention. In an alternative embodiment removable panel 60 may also be comprised of a material that has a density that is higher than the remainder of the club head 10 in order to adjust the center of gravity to be lower within the golf club head 10 without the need to create discretionary weight without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. Finally, in a further alternative embodiment of the present invention, removable panel 60 may even have the same density as the remainder of the golf club head 10 to allow center of gravity to be adjusted via other methods also without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Removable panel 60 may be comprised of a metal material such as titanium, stainless steel, tungsten, or any other material commonly used in a golf club without departing from the scope of the present invention. Alternatively, removable panel 60 may also be comprised of a composite or polymeric material with or without high specific gravity fillers or flakes such as tungsten or metal powders also without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Removable panel 60, as shown in the current exemplary embodiment may contain an aesthetic decorative design at its outer surface to enhance the visual appeal of the sole 12 of club head 10 without the need to replace the actual club head 10. This interchangeability of removable panel 60 may be advantageous, as it allows the golfer to adjust the aesthetic look and feel of the club head 10 with relative ease without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. For example, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, removable panel 60 may be comprised of different colors to change the aesthetic look of the golf club. Additionally, removable panel 60 may also take on various themed decorations such a birthday decoration, a graduation decoration, an anniversary decoration, a sports themed decoration, a college themed decoration, or any other decoration that could alter the aesthetic look and feel of the golf club head 10 all without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. Finally, removable panel 60 may also be customized to contain a personalized logo or message to give the golf club head 10 a personalized look and feel without having to replace the golf club head 10 itself also without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Removable panel 60, as shown in the current exemplary embodiment, may generally be sold as a complete set that could come with golf club head 10 along with one or more removable panels 60. Having a plurality of one or more removable panels 60 may generally allow a professional fitter or an end user to modify the weight panel 60 to change the performance characteristics or the aesthetic look and feel of golf club head 10 without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. Alternatively, removable panel 60 may also be sold separately from golf club head 10 to allow customization of the golf club head 10 independent of the original purchase without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.
Utilizing removable panels 60 to form the sole portion of golf club head 10 may also be advantageous in helping reduce the manufacturing costs associated with the production of golf club head 10. Because removable panels 60 are customizable and interchangeable, golf club head 10 may be constructed and manufactured without a sole, thus reducing the complexities associated with golf club head 10 production. Additionally, golf club head 10 may also be manufactured similar to a blank template from which individualized removable panels 60 may be attached, thus further simplifying the manufacturing process without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.
Removable panel 60, as shown in the current exemplary embodiment may also contain a coating that could improve the turf interaction of club head 10 when it comes in contact with the ground. It should be noted that however, removable panel 60, could also improve turf interaction based purely on the material itself without any coating in accordance with the scope and content of the present invention. The coating for removable panel 60 may generally be a polytetrafluoroethylene type material, however, numerous other materials such as silicone, diamond like carbon coatings, or any other coating that is capable of reducing the coefficient of friction without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.
Dampening layer 65, as shown in the current exemplary embodiment may have in increased thickness along the outer edges 69 to receive the outer edges of the removable panel 60. The increased thickness of the dampening layer 65 at the outer edges 69 may generally allow the dampening layer 65 to wrap around the removable panel 60, as the removable panel 60 digs into the dampening layer 65. This slight curvature may generally reduce dampening and further lock in the outer edges of the removable panel all without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. The exemplary embodiment may allow the outer edges 69 of the dampening layer 65 to cover up and secure the removable panel 60 in order to prevent the outer edges of the removable panel 60 from flapping or vibrating when club head 10 comes in contact with a golf ball.
To connect removable panel 60 to club head 10, each of the plurality of inverse bore portions 64 of the removable panel 60 is placed over each of the plurality of bore shafts 62 in the sole 12 section of the club head 10. As the removable panel 60 is lowered over each of the bore shaft(s) 62, teeth 66 will make contact with the outside of bore shaft 62 at the first score line 70, locking in the removable panel.
In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention, disassembly of the removable panel 60 and the club head 10 may be accomplished using a release tool 72, as shown in
It should be noted that although
Rotating bore shafts 92, as shown in the current exemplary embodiment, may contain a plurality of locking teeth 94 extending horizontally from the outer circumference of the rotating bore shaft 92. The plurality of locking teeth 94 are located around the perimeter of the plurality of rotating bore shaft 92, which themselves are located on the sole 12 of club head 10. Plurality of locking teeth 94 may generally be inserted into the plurality of locking teeth entry slots 98. which are located on the removable panel 60 in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Once the plurality of rotating bore shafts 92 passes through the removable panel 60 via the plurality of locking teeth entry slots 98, the plurality of rotating bore shafts 92 may then be securely fastened into their respective locking positions. Fastening the plurality of rotating bore shafts 92 may generally be accomplished by compressing the bore shaft spring 96 and depressing the plurality of rotating bore shafts 92 back into locking teeth entry slot 98 to allow the locking teeth 94 to be aligned with the locking teeth locking pin score line 90. Once the locking teeth 94 are aligned with the locking pin score line 90, the plurality of rotating bore shafts 92 may be individually turned into their secure position within the locking pin score line 90, wherein the bore shaft springs 96 will decompress and secure the removable panel 60 to the sole 12 of club head 10.
In order to disengage the removable panel 60 from the sole 12 of club head 10, a hex shaped release tool (not shown) may be used to depress the bore shaft spring 96, thus allowing the locking teeth 94 to return to its open position. The open position allows the locking teeth 94 to alignment with the locking pin entry slot 98, allowing the removable panel 60 to be disengaged from the sole 12 of club head 10.
It should be noted that a mere adjustment in the thickness of the sole 12 profile via the removable panel 60 may cause a shift in the shaft angle 123 from its perpendicular orientation relative to ground 122. In order to compensate for this shift in shaft angle 123, and in an attempt to ensure that the shaft angle 123 maintains its desired position perpendicular to the ground 122 at ninety degrees, a shaft adjustment mechanism 130 (shown in more detail in
The various shaft slots 131, as shown in the current exemplary embodiment may generally be used to match a predetermined shaft angle 123 that results from the various removable panels 60. Each removable panel 60 may generally be used to achieve a different loft angle 120 matching with a corresponding shaft slot 131 that may be used to bring the shaft angle 123 back to being perpendicular to the ground 122. It should be noted that although
Having a uniform golf club head 10 with variable removable panels 60 and a shaft adjustment mechanism may allow a single golf club head 10 to be designed, manufactured, and used while having a variety of loft angles 120 available for the consuming needs. This uniformly produced golf club head 10 may generally be beneficial in saving production costs, as only one golf club head 10 needs to be manufactured in order to achieve an entire line of golf club heads 10 that have varying loft angles 120. Additionally, various removable panels 60 may also allow the consuming public to adjust various lofts on the fly to adjust for various playing conditions.
Turning now to
In order to disengage the plurality of spring loaded snaps 152 from the plurality of snap receivers 154, pressure may be applied to the plurality of spring loaded snaps 152, allowing the plurality of snap springs 156 to compress. Once the plurality of snap springs 156 compresses, the plurality of spring loaded snaps will disengage the plurality of snap receivers, allowing the removable panel 60 to slide away from golf club head 10.
Golf club head 10, as shown in the current exemplary embodiment, may generally have the plurality of slidable guide rails located on the sole 12 of golf club head 10, while keeping the guide rail slots 151 on the removable panel 60. However, it should be noted that the slidable guide rails 150 may be located on the removable panel 60 and the guide rail slots 151 may be located on the sole 12 of golf club head 10 without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. Slidable guide rails 150, as shown in the current exemplary embodiment, may generally be rectangular protrusions on the sole 12 of the golf club head 10; however, slidable guide rails 150 may be triangular protrusions, circular protrusions, or any other form of protrusion that is capable of allowing the removable panel 60 to assemble onto golf club head 10 all without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.
While it is apparent that the illustrative embodiments of the invention disclosed herein fulfill the objectives of the present invention, it is appreciated that numerous modifications and other embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art. Additionally, feature(s) and/or element(s) from any embodiment may be used singly or in combination with other embodiment(s) and steps or elements from methods in accordance with the present invention can be executed or performed in any suitable order. Therefore, it will be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and embodiments, which would come within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The present application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/408,894 filed Mar. 23, 2009 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,105,175; which is a Continuation-In-Part of both U.S. application Ser. No. 12/263,532, filed Nov. 3, 2008 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,758,452 and U.S. application Ser. No. 11/563,224, filed Nov. 27, 2006 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,621,820; the disclosures of which are all hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20120094781 A1 | Apr 2012 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12408894 | Mar 2009 | US |
| Child | 13333314 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12263532 | Nov 2008 | US |
| Child | 12408894 | US | |
| Parent | 11563224 | Nov 2006 | US |
| Child | 12263532 | US |
