GOLF CLUB HEAD WITH ADJUSTABLE WEIGHTING SYSTEM

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to golf club heads with adjustable mass properties.

BACKGROUND

Golfers are notoriously deliberate in their selection of clubs because they want to choose a club that will give the right trajectory for each shot. The center of gravity of the club head is a critical parameter that affects how the ball travels after the club strikes it. The location of the center of gravity depends on the amount and distribution of weight within the club head. Consequently, in an effort to make the center of gravity of a given club head adjustable, designers have made heads that have weighted pieces that can be added to, removed from, or repositioned within the club head.

Existing designs for club heads with adjustable weighting are fraught with deficiencies. Typically, adjustable golf club heads include one or more pockets on the sole of the head, and the weight distribution of the head can be altered by either placing a weighted insert into a given pocket or leaving the pocket empty. Empty pockets, however, are problematic. If an empty pocket is left uncovered, the user may be distracted by the sound (e.g., whistling) and aerodynamics of the club while swinging. An empty pocket can also trap grass, dirt, and other debris, which can affect the player's swing. In addition, if an uncovered, empty pocket exposes a hole for a fastener, e.g., the bore for a screw, the club head may not conform to official golfing rules and guidelines.

One alternative is to cover the empty pocket in an attempt to recapitulate the feel of an unadulterated club head. However, current covers used for weight pockets have drawbacks. For example, a covering, which may include a cover and a screw or bolt for affixing the cover in place, may have an overall mass that is significant when compared to the mass of a weighted insert that would have otherwise been placed within the pocket. Consequently, the combined mass of an empty pocket fitted with a covering begins to approach the combined mass of a pocket holding a weighted insert within. As a result of using a covering, more total mass is unintentionally added to the club head, which can have a negative impact and undermine the intended weight distribution in the club head, as compared to leaving the empty pocket uncovered. In other words, due to the additional mass of the covering, adding the covering over the empty pocket generally undermines the advantage otherwise gained by leaving the pocket empty.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to a golf club head having adjustable mass properties via a weighting system that allows for greater flexibility in modifying the center of gravity, mass moment of inertia, and/or swingweight of the golf club head while addressing the drawbacks associated with current adjustable weighting arrangements. In particular, the weighting system includes one or more weight housings strategically positioned on the sole of the club head, wherein each housing includes a receptacle or pocket configured to receive one or more weighted inserts within and a corresponding cover assembly configured to be releasably coupled to the receptacle. The cover assembly may be used (i.e., secured to the receptacle) to either retain one or more weighted inserts within the receptacle or simply cover an otherwise empty receptacle.

The receptacle is weight-relieved (i.e., altered to reduce its mass without changing its shape and size) to compensate for the mass of the cover assembly. For example, rather than comprising a solid frame throughout, the receptacle may have voids or openings within the body of the receptacle, to thereby decrease the mass of the receptacle to account for the mass of the cover assembly. As a result, the mass of the entire weight housing (empty receptacle with attached cover assembly) may be approximately equal to, or less than, the mass of a non-weight-relieved receptacle (i.e., a receptacle having a solid frame). Accordingly, due to the conservation of mass achieved as a result of the weight-relief design on the receptacles, the weight system allows for covers to be used to cover both filled and empty receptacles alike, without undermining the intended weight distribution which occurs in current club head designs. Therefore, the weighting systems afford a wide range of variability of the center of gravity from relatively small changes in the total mass of the club head. Furthermore, the use of covers addresses the problems associated with exposed receptacles, specifically reducing the risk of trapping grass, dirt, or other debris within an otherwise exposed receptacle as well as preventing the unattractive sound or poor aerodynamics associated with an exposed receptacle.

In some embodiments, a club head consistent with the present disclosure includes multiple weight housings provided in different locations to provide various weight placement configurations. For example, in some embodiments, a club head may include a first weight housing positioned at front or forward portion of the sole proximal to the club face and a second weight housing positioned at a rear or aft portion of the sole distal to the club face, with both the first and second weight housings being centrally positioned on the sole relative to a heel-toe axis.

The specific positioning of the first and second weight housings on the sole of the club head as well as the placement of weighted inserts in one or both of the weight housings allows for a player to modify at least one of the center of gravity, mass moment of inertia, and swingweight of the club head to thereby adjust ball-striking characteristics.

For example, a user may arrange the first and second weight housings in a first configuration, which includes the first weight housing being fully loaded with weighted inserts, while the second weight housing is left empty. This first configuration results in a center of gravity closer to the front of the club head (i.e., closer to the club face) and closer to the sole, which may yield a reduced spin rate and reduced launch angle, resulting in lower trajectory of ball flight and greater rolling distance upon landing. In a second configuration, the second weight housing may be fully loaded with weighted inserts and the first weight housing may be left empty, which in turn results in movement of the center of gravity away from the club face and sole and towards the rear and crown of the club head. This second configuration may yield a higher spin rate and higher launch angle, resulting in a higher trajectory and greater air-travel distance. It should be noted that intermediate parameters can be achieved by partially loading either of the first and second housings or by adding equal weight to the two weight housings, which may yield spin rates and launch angles within a range between the spin rate and launch angle achieved in either of the first and second configurations.

It should be noted that the first and second weight housing placements are not limited strictly to the front to rear (fore-aft) positioning as previously described. For example, in one embodiment, the first weight housing may be placed on a portion of the sole adjacent to the heel and the second weight housing may be positioned at a rear or aft portion of the sole closer to a central position on the sole relative to a heel-toe axis. This particular positioning of the weight housings may allow for adjustment of the center of gravity along the heel-toe axis, which, in addition to affecting the vertical trajectory of the ball, may also affect the lateral spin of the ball, thereby allowing a player to better control draw or fade shots or to compensate for a natural tendency to hit hook or slice shots.

Furthermore, in some embodiments, a golf club head consistent with the present disclosure may include at three or more weight housings positioned on the sole to further increase the number of weight placement configurations, thereby increasing the degree of adjustability for a player. For example, in one embodiment, first and second weight housings may be placed in the fore-aft positions and centrally positioned on the sole relative to a heel-toe axis. A third weight housing may be placed on a portion of the sole adjacent to the heel.

In one aspect, the present invention provides a golf club head including a club head body having a front portion, a rear portion, a ball-striking face at the front portion of the club head body, a heel, a toe, a crown or topline, and a sole. The golf club head further includes at least one weight housing disposed on a portion of the club head body. The weight housing includes a receptacle including a weight-relieved frame defining an interior volume configured to receive one or more interchangeable weighted inserts therein and a cover assembly configured to be attached to and removed from the receptacle. The cover assembly is configured to substantially enclose the interior volume of the frame. The mass properties of the golf club head are adjustable based on placement of the one or more interchangeable weighted inserts within the interior volume of the weight-relieved frame.

In some embodiments, a mass of the weight housing is approximately equal to or less than a mass of a non-weight-relieved frame comprising substantially identical dimensions and identical material as the weight-relieved frame. In some embodiments, the weight-relieved frame may include comprises one or more openings resulting from removal of one or more corresponding portions of material from the frame. In some embodiments, a mass of the cover assembly is approximately equal to or less than a combined mass of the one or more portions of the material removed from the frame. The interior volume of the weight-relieved frame may be in fluid communication with an interior cavity of the golf club head by way of the one or more openings. For example, the golf club head may be a hollow, wood-type club head. However, in some embodiments, the golf club head may be an iron-type club head. Yet still, in other embodiments, the golf club head may be a hybrid-type club head.

In some embodiments, the weight housing may include a metallic material, a non-metallic material, or a combination of metallic and non-metallic materials. For example, the weight-relieved frame may include a fibre-reinforced plastic or polymer (FRP).

The weight housing may be disposed on at least one of the sole, the crown or topline, a rear portion, a portion of the heel, and a portion of the toe of the club head body. For example, in one embodiment, the golf club head may include at least two weight housings disposed portions of the sole of the club head body, wherein a first weight housing is positioned on the sole closer to the front portion of the club head and a second weight housing is positioned on the sole closer to the rear portion of the club head body. The first weight housing may be positioned closer to the heel than to the toe along an axis defined by the heel and the toe. Accordingly, the specific positioning of the first and second weight housings on the sole of the club head as well as the placement of weighted inserts in one or both of the weight housings allows for a player to modify at least one of the center of gravity, mass moment of inertia, and swingweight of the club head to thereby adjust ball-striking characteristics.

In some embodiments, the weight-relieved frame is configured to receive at least two interchangeable weighted inserts. The interior volume of the weight-relieved frame may include at least two sub-compartments, wherein each sub-compartment is configured to receive one of at least two interchangeable weighted inserts.

In some embodiments, the cover assembly includes a cover member and a support member coupled to the cover member. The cover member may include a transparent portion through which the interior volume of the weight-relieved frame is visible when the cover assembly is attached to the weight-relieved frame. In some embodiments, when the one or more interchangeable weighted inserts are positioned in the interior volume of the weight-relieved frame, the transparent portion of the cover member provides a view of the one or more interchangeable weighted inserts from an exterior of the golf club head. In some embodiments, each weighted insert has a marking indicating a mass of the weighted insert, wherein the marking is visible through the transparent portion of cover member. The cover assembly may also include a fastener configured to releasably couple the cover member and support member to a portion of the weight-relieved frame. In some embodiments, each of the weight-relieved frame and the cover assembly includes a perimeter having corresponding dimensions. For example, in some embodiments, the weight-relieved frame and cover assembly may have corresponding annular perimeters or corresponding pentagonal perimeters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a wood-type golf club that may be used with the weighting systems described herein.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a golf club head.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the golf club head shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of a weight housing according to certain embodiments.

FIG. 5 is an oblique bottom view of an empty, non-weight-relieved receptacle.

FIG. 6 is an oblique bottom view of an empty, weight-relieved receptacle according to certain embodiments.

FIG. 7 is an oblique bottom view of the weight-relieved receptacle of FIG. 6 loaded with a weighted insert.

FIG. 8 is an exploded, oblique top view of a cover assembly and weighted inserts according to certain embodiments.

FIG. 9 is an oblique top view of the assembled cover assembly shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional side view of a weight housing loaded with a weighted insert according to some embodiments.

FIG. 10B is a top view of the weight housing shown in FIG. 10A.

FIG. 11 is a top view of the empty weight-relieved receptacle of FIG. 6.

FIG. 12 is a top view of the weight-relieved receptacle loaded with one weighted insert.

FIG. 13 is a top view of the weight-relieved receptacle loaded with two weighted inserts.

FIG. 14 is a top view of the weight-relieved receptacle with the cover assembly of FIG. 8 secured thereto.

FIG. 15A is an oblique bottom view of a golf club head that has two weight housings consistent with the present disclosure positioned on a sole of the club head according to certain embodiments.

FIG. 15B is an oblique bottom view of the golf club head of FIG. 15A illustrating a cover assembly associated with the rear-positioned weight housing in an exploded view.

FIG. 16A is side, partly sectional view of the golf club head of FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrating the front-positioned weight housing in an exploded view and having two weighted inserts loaded therein and the rear-positioned weight housing being empty.

FIG. 16B a side, sectional view of the golf club head from FIG. 16A, showing the weighted inserts seated in the front housing.

FIG. 17A is a side, partly sectional view of the golf club head of FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrating both the front-positioned and rear-positioned weight housings in exploded view and each having one weighted insert loaded therein.

FIG. 17B a side, sectional view of the golf club head from FIG. 17A, showing one weighted inserts seated in the front housing and one weighted insert seated in the rear housing.

FIG. 18A is a side, partly sectional view of the golf club head of FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrating the rear-positioned weight housing in an exploded view and having two weighted inserts loaded therein and the front-positioned weight housing being empty.

FIG. 18B a side, sectional view of the golf club head from FIG. 18A, showing the weighted inserts seated in the rear housing.

FIG. 19A is an oblique top view of another embodiment of a weight housing consistent with the present disclosure, the weight housing being loaded with two weighted inserts according to certain embodiments.

FIG. 19B is a side, partly sectional view of the weight housing of FIG. 19A with the fastener shown in phantom.

FIG. 20A is an oblique bottom view of the weight-relieved receptacle of FIG. 19A including weighted inserts loaded therein.

FIG. 20B is an oblique top view of the weight-relieved receptacle of FIG. 19A including weighted inserts loaded therein.

FIG. 21 is an oblique bottom view of a golf club head that two weight housings in its sole according to certain embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention is generally directed to a weight system for adjusting the mass properties of a golf club head to alter the performance characteristics of the club head. More specifically, the present invention provides a weighting system that allows for greater flexibility in modifying at least one of the center of gravity, mass moment of inertia, and swingweight of a golf club.

As used herein, the terms “mass” and “weight” are used interchangeably, although it is understood that these terms refer to different properties in a strict physical sense.

The weight distribution of a golf club head generally determines the location of the center of gravity of the club head. The position of the center of gravity within the club head affects the head's performance characteristics, such as launch angle and flight trajectory on impact with a golf ball. For example, when the center of gravity is positioned behind the point of engagement on the contact surface, the golf ball follows a generally straight route when struck. When the center of gravity is spaced to a side of the point of engagement, however, the golf ball may fly in an unintended direction and/or may follow a route that curves left or right, including ball flights that often are referred to as pulls, pushes, draws, fades, hooks, or slices. Moving the center of gravity toward the rear of the club head yields shots with more climbing trajectories, whereas shifting it forward toward the ball-striking face produces shots with more boring trajectories.

Referring to the figures and following description, golf clubs and golf club heads in accordance with the present invention are described. The golf club and club head structures described herein may be described in terms of wood-type golf clubs. However, the present invention is not limited to the precise embodiments disclosed herein but applies to golf clubs generally, including hybrid clubs, iron-type golf clubs, utility-type golf clubs, and the like.

Example golf club and golf club head structures in accordance with this invention may relate to “wood-type” golf clubs and golf club heads, e.g., clubs and club heads typically used for drivers and fairway woods, as well as for “wood-type” utility or hybrid clubs, or the like. Although these club head structures may have little or no actual “wood” material, they still may be referred to conventionally in the art as “woods” (e.g., “metal woods,” “fairway woods,” etc.). Alternatively, golf clubs and golf club head structures of the invention may relate to “iron-type” golf clubs and golf club heads.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a golf club 100 that may be used in accordance with embodiments of the golf club heads described herein. As shown, the golf club 100 may include a wood-type golf club head 102, a shaft 104, and a grip or handle 107 attached to one end of the shaft 104. In the illustration, the shaft 104 is engaged with the club head 102 via a hosel 106. The shaft 104 may be made from any suitable or desired materials, including conventional materials known and used in the art, such as graphite based materials, composite or other non-metal materials, steel materials (including stainless steel), aluminum materials, other metal alloy materials, polymeric materials, combinations of various materials, and the like.

The grip or handle 107 may be attached to, engaged with, and/or extend from the shaft 104 in any suitable or desired manner, including in conventional manners known and used in the art, e.g., using adhesives or cements, etc. As another example, if desired, the grip or handle 107 may be integrally formed as a unitary, one-piece construction with the shaft 104. Additionally, any desired grip or handle materials may be used without departing from this disclosure, including, but not limited to, rubber materials, leather materials, other materials including cord or other fabric material embedded therein, polymeric materials, and the like.

Further, according to aspects of the disclosure, the golf club 100 may include a hosel 106. The shaft 104 may be received in and/or inserted into and/or through the hosel 106. The hosel 106 may be configured such that the shaft 104 may be engaged with the hosel 106 in a releasable manner using mechanical connectors to allow easy interchange of one shaft for another on the head. For example, threads, locking mechanisms, etc. may be incorporated into the hosel 106, and the end of the shaft 104 that is to be engaged with the hosel 106 may be configured with a corresponding configuration. In some embodiments, the hosel 106 may be adjustable, such that a golfer can loosen a bolt coupling the shaft 104 to the club head 102 and adjust the hosel (e.g., rotate the hosel about an axis of the shaft) so as to adjust a loft or lie angle of the club head. Embodiments of an adjustable hosel are disclosed in application Ser. No. 13/363,886, filed Feb. 1, 2012, and titled “SETTING INDICATOR FOR GOLF CLUB”, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Alternatively, the shaft 104 may be secured to the hosel 106 via bonding with adhesives or cements, welding (e.g., laser welding), soldering, brazing, or other fusing techniques, etc. Yet still, in other embodiments, the shaft 104 is directly attached to the golf club head 102 without the aid of a hosel. For example, the shaft may be attached by bonding with adhesives or cements, welding (e.g., laser welding), soldering, brazing, or other fusing techniques.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a golf club head according to embodiments of the invention. As illustrated, the golf club head 102 has a club head body 108 having a hosel 106, a front portion 110, a rear portion (not shown), a heel 112, a toe 114, a crown 116, a sole 118, a ball-striking face 120. The ball-striking face 120 may include a ball-striking plate insert 122. The ball-striking plate insert 122 may be composed of one or more materials. The material(s) of the ball-striking plate insert should be relatively durable to withstand the repeated impacts with the golf ball. For example, the ball-striking plate insert 122 may comprise a high-strength steel, titanium, or other metal or alloy. FIG. 3 is a top view of the golf club head shown in FIG. 2. In addition to the features described in reference to FIG. 2, FIG. 3 illustrates a rear portion 111 of the club head body and a crown panel insert 124.

As generally understood, a wide variety of overall club head constructions are possible without departing from this invention. For example, if desired, some or all of the various individual parts of the club head 102 may be made from multiple pieces that are connected, e.g., by welding, adhesives, or other fusing techniques; by mechanical connectors; etc. The various parts (e.g., heel, toe, crown, sole, ball-striking face, portions of the body, etc.) may be made from any desired materials and combinations of different materials, including materials that are conventionally known and used in the art, such as metal materials, including lightweight metal materials. More specific examples of suitable lightweight metal materials include steel, titanium and titanium alloys, aluminum and aluminum alloys, magnesium and magnesium alloys, etc.

In addition, in order to reduce the mass of the club head 102, one or more portions of the club head 102 may be made from a composite material, such as from carbon fiber composite materials that are conventionally known and used in the art. Other suitable composite or other non-metal materials that may be used for one or more portions of the club head 102 include, for example, fiberglass composite materials, basalt fiber composite materials, polymer materials, etc. At least some portion(s) of the body 108 may be made from composite or other non-metal materials. As yet further examples, the entire body 108 of the club head 102 may be made from composite or other non-metal materials without departing from this invention. The composite or other non-metal material(s) may be incorporated as part of the club head 102 in any desired manner, including in conventional manners that are known and used in the art.

Reducing the mass of the club head (e.g., through the use of composite or other non-metal materials, lightweight metals, metallic foam or other cellular structured materials, etc.) allows club designers and/or club fitters to selectively position additional mass in the club head 102. This may be desirable, for example, to increase the moment of inertia, affect the location of the center of gravity, or affect other playability characteristics of the club head 102 (e.g., to draw or fade bias a club head; to help get shots airborne by providing a low center of gravity; to help produce a lower, more boring ball flight; to help correct or compensate for swing flaws that produce undesired ball flights, such as hooks or slices, ballooning shots, etc.).

The various individual parts that make up a club head 102 may be engaged with one another and/or held together in any suitable or desired manner, including in conventional manners known and used in the art. For example, a ball-striking plate insert 122 may be joined to the ball-striking face 120, or a crown panel insert 124 may be joined to the club head body 108 (directly or indirectly through intermediate members). These parts may be held together by adhesives, cements, welding, soldering, or other bonding or finishing techniques, and the like. Alternatively, the various parts of the club head 102 may be joined by mechanical connectors, such as threads, screws, nuts, bolts, and the like. In some embodiments, the mating edges of various parts of the club head 102 (e.g., the edges where heel, toe, crown, sole, ball-striking face, and/or other parts of the body contact and join to one another) may include one or more raised ribs, tabs, ledges, or other engagement elements that fit into or onto corresponding grooves, slots, surfaces, ledges, openings, or other structures provided in or on the facing side edge to which it is joined. Cements, adhesives, mechanical connectors, finishing material, or the like may be used in combination with the raised rib/groove/ledge/edge or other connecting structures described above to further help secure the various parts of the club head 102 together.

One way to improve performance of the club is by adjusting mass distribution properties of the club head, i.e., transferring mass to or from one or more regions of the head. This allows changes in the center of gravity, mass moment of inertia, and/or swingweight of the club head, which can alter the accuracy, distance, and trajectory of a shot. Described below are golf club heads having weighting systems allowing for adjustment of mass properties of the club head. As described in greater detail herein, the weighting system includes one or more weight housings strategically positioned on the sole of the club head, wherein each housing includes a receptacle or pocket configured to receive one or more weighted inserts within and a corresponding cover assembly configured to be releasably coupled to the receptacle. The cover assembly may be used (i.e., secured to the receptacle) to either retain one or more weighted inserts within the receptacle or simply cover an otherwise empty receptacle.

FIG. 4 is a side view of one embodiment of a weight housing 202 consistent with the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, the weight housing 202 includes a receptacle 204 and a cover assembly 206 that includes a cover (not shown), support 212, fastener 214, and clip 216. The housing includes an interior volume 218 that can receive one or more weighted inserts (not shown). The cover assembly 206 and receptacle 204 are complementary in shape and size, i.e., they have perimeters of corresponding dimensions, to allow them to fit together securely. As described in greater detail herein, the receptacle 204 is weight-relieved (i.e., altered to reduce its mass without changing its shape and size) to compensate for the mass of the cover assembly 206. For example, rather than comprising a solid frame throughout, the receptacle 204 may have voids or openings within the body of the receptacle 204, to thereby decrease the mass of the receptacle to account for the mass of the cover assembly. The receptacle 204 may be made primarily from a given material and having a given size and shape has a reduced mass compared to a non-weight-relieved receptacle made primarily from the same material and having the same size and shape.

FIG. 5 is an oblique bottom view of an empty, non-weight-relieved receptacle 208. The receptacle 208 illustrated is cylindrical and has a floor 220 and circular wall 222 that can hold a weighted insert (not shown). In the illustration, the non-weight-relieved receptacle 208 has a threaded central bore 224 that can engage with a threaded fastener, such as a screw or bolt, from the cover assembly.

FIG. 6 is an oblique bottom view of an empty, weight-relieved receptacle 204 according to certain embodiments of the invention. Like the non-weight-relieved receptacle shown in FIG. 5, the weight-relieved receptacle shown in FIG. 6 is cylindrical and has a floor 220 and circular wall 222 that can hold a weighted insert (not shown). In addition, the two receptacles are made of the same material. However, portions of the wall and floor have been removed from the floor and wall of the receptacle of FIG. 6 to reduce the mass of the receptacle, i.e., to relieve the receptacle of weight. Thus, although the receptacles in FIGS. 5 and 6 have the same cylindrical dimensions (i.e., height, radius, thickness of floor and wall), the weight-relieved receptacle in FIG. 6 has a lower mass than the non-weight-relieved receptacle in FIG. 5.

The weight-relieved receptacle shown in FIG. 6 may include one or more openings 226 in the wall 222 and/or floor 220 due to the removal of material from these structures. As a result of the openings 226, the weight-relieved receptacle may form a framework, such as a basket-like or cage-like structure. Although the weight-relieved receptacle shown in FIG. 6 has openings, other mechanisms of weight relief are possible within the scope of the invention. For example, the weight-relieved receptacle may include one or more hollow portions or one or more portions made from a different, less-dense material. The weight-relieved receptacle may be made from strong and lightweight materials, such as metals, non-metallic materials, composites, ceramics, polymers, and the like. Examples of suitable materials include titanium, a titanium alloy, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, magnesium, a magnesium alloy, steel, carbon steel, stainless steel, carbon fiber, tungsten, tungsten loaded polymer, fibre-reinforced plastic, and combinations of one or more of these materials.

The weight-relieved receptacle may be of any shape that can accommodate one or more weighted inserts. The receptacle may have a shape that has a uniform, two-dimensional cross-section, such as a cylinder, cube, or box. For example and without limitation, the two-dimensional cross-section may be a circle, oval, ellipse, or polygon (e.g., square, rectangle, triangle, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, trapezoid, parallelogram, or other polygon). The receptacle may have a shape that varies in three dimensions. For example and without limitation, the receptacle may be conical, spherical, ovoid, or bowl-shaped. The shape and size of the weight-relieved receptacle can be defined by geometric dimension. For example, a cylindrical receptacle can be defined by its height, radius, and thickness of its floor and wall. In other embodiments described herein, the receptacle may have a pentagonal shape (shown in FIGS. 19A, 19B, and 20-21). Thus, a pentagonal prism receptacle can be defined by its height, side length, and thickness of its floor and walls.

The weight-relieved receptacle 204 shown in FIG. 6 has a threaded central bore 224 that can engage with a threaded fastener, such as a screw or bolt, from the cover assembly. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 10A, the bore may include a protruding portion that extends upward from the floor of the receptacle, thus increasing the surface area of engagement between the fastener shaft 234 and central bore 224. However, other means of coupling the cover assembly 206 with the weight-relieved receptacle 204 may be used. For example and without limitation, the cover assembly may have multiple fasteners that engage with multiple pores in different positions; the cover assembly may engage the weight-relieved receptacle without the use of separate fasteners, e.g., through the use of threads, clips, hooks, snaps, or the like on the cover and/or the support.

FIG. 7 is an oblique bottom view of the weight-relieved receptacle 204 of FIG. 6 loaded with a weighted insert 228 and with the cover assembly (not shown) secured. The fastener 214 of the cover assembly extends through the central bore of the receptacle 204. In the illustration, the weighted insert 228 does not extend into the openings 226 in the floor and wall of the receptacle 204. In other embodiments, however, the openings 226 may accommodate a portion of the weighted insert 228 to help secure the weighted insert 228 within the weight housing 202.

FIG. 8 is an exploded, oblique top view of a cover assembly 206 and weighted inserts 228a and 228b that engage with a weight-relieved receptacle. In the illustration, the cover assembly 206 includes a fastener 214, support 212, cover 210, and clip 216. However, other arrangements are possible within the scope of the invention. For example, one or more of the components shown separately here may be integrally formed. Alternatively, one or more of the components shown separately here may be formed separately but permanently attached to each other. For example, in some embodiments, the entire cover assembly may be a single piece. In some embodiments, the cover assembly may not include a separate fastener, as described above. In some embodiments, the cover and support may be a single integral piece or may be single piece resulting the permanent attachment of two separate pieces. In some embodiments, the cover assembly may not include a clip.

The receptacle is weight-relieved (i.e., altered to reduce its mass without changing its shape and size) to compensate for the mass of the cover assembly. For example, rather than comprising a solid frame throughout, the receptacle may have voids or openings within the body of the receptacle, to thereby decrease the mass of the receptacle to account for the mass of the cover assembly. As a result of the receptacle 204 having a weight-relieved structure, the mass of the entire weight housing (empty receptacle with attached cover assembly) may be approximately equal to, or less than, the mass of a non-weight-relieved receptacle (i.e., a receptacle having a solid frame). Accordingly, due to the conservation of mass achieved as a result of the weight-relief design on the receptacles, the weight system allows for covers to be used to cover both filled and empty receptacles alike, without undermining the intended weight distribution which occurs in current club head designs. Therefore, the weighting systems afford a wide range of variability of the center of gravity from relatively small changes in the total mass of the club head. Furthermore, the use of covers addresses the problems associated with exposed receptacles, specifically reducing the risk of trapping grass, dirt, or other debris within an otherwise exposed receptacle as well as preventing the unattractive sound or poor aerodynamics associated with an exposed receptacle.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the fastener 214 has a threaded shaft 234 that engages with the threaded central bore 224 of the weight-relieved receptacle and a head 232 that secures the support 212 and cover 210. In some embodiments, the fastener is a screw or bolt. However, the fastener may be any fastener suitable for the purpose; many such fasteners are known in the art. The cover assembly illustrated in FIG. 8 also includes a clip 216. The clip may be a nut, washer, gasket, or the like. In some embodiments, the fastener and the clip are made from a strong and lightweight metal, such as steel, titanium, a titanium alloy, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, magnesium, or a magnesium alloy. Alternatively, the fastener, clip, or both may be made from a non-metallic or composite material, such as fibre-reinforced plastic.

The support 212 provides structural strength to the cover assembly and retains any weighted inserts inside the weight housing. However, it is desirable to keep the mass of the cover assembly as low as possible. Therefore, the support may be made from strong and lightweight materials, such as metals, non-metallic materials, composites, ceramics, polymers, and the like. Examples of suitable materials include titanium, a titanium alloy, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, magnesium, a magnesium alloy, steel, carbon steel, stainless steel, carbon fiber, tungsten, tungsten loaded polymer, fibre-reinforced plastic, and combinations of one or more of these materials. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the support 212 may have struts 230 that cover one or more portions of the weighted inserts and/or one or more portions of the cover. The use of a support 212 with struts 230 allows the support 212 to fulfill its functional purpose without adding excessive mass to the cover assembly. The support 212 may contact one or more portions of the sole of the club head body to properly position the cover assembly and retain any weighted inserts inside the weight housing.

The cover 210 provides a physical barrier that separates the interior volume of the weight housing from the external environment. The presence of the cover 210 prevents dirt, grass, and other debris from accumulating inside the weight housing. The cover 210 may have a patterned surface complementary to a pattern on the support 212 that facilitates the proper alignment of these two pieces of the cover assembly. Alternatively, the cover 210 may be permanently attached to the support 212 by any suitable means, for example, by mechanical fasteners, by bonding with adhesives or cements, by welding or brazing, etc. The cover 210 may contain one or more transparent portions 244 that allow the user to see whether the housing contains any weighted inserts without having to remove the cover assembly (see FIGS. 19A and 19B for illustrations). In some embodiments, the entire cover is transparent. The transparent portions 244 of the cover 210 may be made of a durable, transparent, thermoplastic material, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or polycarbonate.

In FIG. 8, the removable weighted inserts 228a and 228b are shown as semi-circular arcs that fit into a donut-shaped interior volume 218 in the weight housing 202. However, the weighted inserts may have any shape that allows them to be loaded into the weight housing 202, which includes the weight-relieved receptacle 204 and cover assembly 206. The shapes of the weighted inserts 228a and 228b may generally conform closely to the contour and shape of the interior volume of the receptacle 204 and weight housing 202 so that the weighted inserts 228a and 228b sit steadily within the weight housing 202 while the club is being swung. At the same time, it is desirable that the shapes of the weighted inserts 228a and 228b allow them to be easily inserted and removed from the weight-relieved receptacle 204 when the cover assembly 206 is removed from the receptacle 204. Similarly, the number of weighted inserts that fit into a single receptacle can vary. Generally, the variety of adjustability of the center of gravity of the golf club head increase as the number of weighted inserts that can be fitted within a single weight housing increases. Therefore, it is desirable that each weight housing be configured to hold at least two or more weighted inserts. Accordingly, the different number of combinations of weights and weight placement within any given weight housing has an impact on the degree to which the center of gravity can be adjusted.

FIG. 9 is an oblique top view of the assembled cover assembly 206 shown in FIG. 8. As shown, the support 212 sits on top of the cover 210. The fastener 214 and clip 216 secure the cover and support to the weight-relieved receptacle (not shown). As indicated above, however, other arrangements are possible within the scope of the invention.

FIG. 10A is a side view of a weight housing 202 loaded with a weighted insert 228. The interior volume of the weight housing 202 is occupied by the weighted insert 228. FIG. 10B is a top view of the weight housing 202 shown in FIG. 10A. From this view, only the cover assembly 206 is visible.

FIG. 11 is a top view of an empty weight-relieved receptacle 204 according to certain embodiments. The weight-relieved receptacle 204 includes openings 226 in the floor to reduce mass and a threaded central bore 224 to engage with a fastener of the cover assembly.

Each weighted insert has sufficient mass that the addition and removal of the weighted insert from a weight housing 202 affects the center of gravity of the golf club head. For example, the mass of any given weighted insert may be in the range of 1 gram to 30 grams. In some embodiments, a weighted insert may have a mass between approximately 2 grams to 16 grams. For a weighting system that includes multiple interchangeable weighted inserts, each weighted insert in a set may have the same mass or may have different masses.

A weighted insert may contain a mark 240, such as a number, letter, color, insignia, or the like, that indicates the mass of the insert (see FIGS. 12 and 13 for illustrations). The mark 240 may be positioned on the weighted insert so that the mark 240 is externally visible when the weighted insert is seated within the weight-relieved receptacle and the cover assembly is not attached. If the cover assembly includes a transparent portion (i.e., a window), the mark 240 may be positioned on the weighted insert so that it is externally visible through the window when the cover assembly is secured to the weight-relieved receptacle.

The weighted insert may include a tool interface feature 242 that facilitates removal of the weighted insert with a tool (see FIGS. 12 and 13 for illustrations). The tool interface feature 242 may be a patterned indentation that can accommodate the end of tool. Non-limiting examples of tool interface features include, but are not limited to, star-shaped, hexagonal, slotted, and cross-shaped indentations, which are suited for Torx wrenches, hexagonal wrenches, slotted screwdrivers, and Phillips-head screwdrivers, respectively.

The weighted insert may be made of any material with sufficient density to form weighted inserts that a small enough to fit into the weight housing but massive enough to affect the center of gravity of the golf club head. For example, the weighted inserts may be made of metals, non-metallic materials, composites, ceramics, polymers, and the like. Examples of suitable materials include aluminum, iron, steel, carbon steel, stainless steel, carbon fiber, tungsten, tungsten loaded polymer, and combinations of these materials. The weighted inserts 228 may be formed of a metal material, such as aluminum or steel, and forged into the desired shape. Alternatively, the weighted inserts may be formed using molding techniques, such as injection molding.

FIG. 12 is a top view of the weight-relieved receptacle 204 of FIG. 11 loaded with one weighted insert 228a. In the illustrated embodiment, weighted insert 228a includes a mass-indicating mark 240 and a tool interface feature 242 on the face of the insert that are exposed when the insert is seated in the weight-relieved receptacle.

FIG. 13 is a top view of the weight-relieved receptacle 204 of FIG. 11 loaded with two weighted inserts 228a and 228b. In the illustrated embodiment, each weighted insert includes a mass-indicating mark 240 and tool interface feature 242 on the face of the insert that are exposed when the insert is seated in the weight-relieved receptacle.

FIG. 14 is a top view of the weight-relieved receptacle 204 of FIG. 11 with the cover assembly secured. The support 212, cover 210, and fastener 214 of the cover assembly can be seen in this illustration, and weighted inserts 228a and 228b are obscured from view by the cover assembly.

FIG. 15A is an oblique bottom view of a golf club head 102 that has two weight housings 202a and 202b in its sole. FIG. 15B is an oblique bottom view of the golf club head 102 shown in FIG. 15A in which the cover assembly on the rear weight housing is shown in an exploded view. The components of the rear cover assembly 206b are as shown in FIG. 8. Each weight housing has its cover assembly attached to the corresponding receptacle. As shown in the illustration, weight housing 202a is positioned toward the front near the ball-striking face on the front-rear axis and in the center along the heel-toe axis, i.e., it is located near the front center of the club head. The weight housing 202b is positioned toward the rear along the front-rear axis and in the center along the heel-toe axis, i.e., it is located near the rear center of the club head. The positioning of the weight housings shown in FIG. 15A is for illustrative purposes only, and other arrangements are possible. For example, one or more of the weight housings may be displaced along the heel-toe axis, as discussed further below. In addition, the club head may contain more than two weight housings. For example, the club head may contain three, four, five, six, or more weight housings.

The golf club head illustrated in FIGS. 15A-15B includes a pair of weight housings in the sole of a wood-type club head. However, weight housings located on other portions of the club head and on other types of club heads are possible within the scope of the invention. For example, a club head may have one or more weight housings located on the crown or topline, ball-striking face, rear portion, heel, or toe. In addition, the club head may be a wood-type club head, iron-type club head, driver club head, fairway wood club head, or hybrid club head.

A golf club head with the weighting system described above can be used to adjust the weight distribution, and thus the performance, of the club as described below.

FIG. 16A is an exploded side view of the golf club head 102 according to FIGS. 15A-15B with one distribution of weighted inserts 228a and 228b. In this illustration, weighted inserts 228a and 228b have equal mass and are both loaded into the weight-relieved receptacle 204a of the front housing 202a, while the weight-relieved receptacle 204b of the rear housing 202b is empty. Dashed reference lines A and B represent axes that pass through the center of gravity of the club head when one of weighted inserts 228a and 228b is loaded into the front weight housing 202a and the other of weighted inserts 228a and 228b is loaded into the rear weight housing 202b (as shown in FIGS. 17A-17B). Some lines that represent internal and external surface markings and patterns on the club head are shown.

FIG. 16B a side view of the golf club head 102 from FIG. 16A with weighted inserts 228a and 228b seated in the front housing 202a. x represents the distance between the forward-most point of the club head and the center of gravity along the horizontal axis , and y represents the distance between lowest point of the club head (shown here inverted, with the sole facing up) and the center of gravity along the vertical axis. Values of x₁and y₁for a club head 102 having this particular distribution of weighted inserted 228a and 228b are 33.9 mm and 28.1 mm, respectively. In this weight distribution, the center of gravity 236a is displaced towards the ball-striking face of the club head and slightly towards the sole. Consequently, when a ball is struck with a club head having this weight distribution, the ball tends to have less spin and travels with a lower trajectory for a shorter air-travel distance, and roll farther upon landing.

FIG. 17A is an exploded side view of the golf club head 102 according to FIGS. 15A-15B with another distribution of weighted inserts 228a and 228b. In this illustration, weighted insert 228a is loaded into the weight-relieved receptacle 204a of the front weight housing 202a, and weighted insert 228b, of equal mass to weighted insert 228a, is loaded into the weight-relieved receptacle 204b of the rear housing 202b. Dashed reference lines A and B are the same as in FIG. 16A. Thus, the reference lines A and B represent axes that pass through the center of gravity of the club head for this particular configuration, and the center of gravity at the intersection of the two axes is indicated as 236b.

FIG. 17B a side view of the golf club head 102 from FIG. 17A with weighted insert 228a seated in the front housing 202a and weighted insert 228b seated in the rear housing 202b. Values of x₂and y₂for a club head 102 having this particular distribution of weighted inserted 228a and 228b are 36.9 mm and 28.5 mm, respectively. This weight distribution places the center of gravity of the club head in an intermediate position. Consequently, when a ball is struck with a club having this weight distribution, the ball's spin, trajectory, and air-travel distance tend to be greater than those produced by a club head with weighted inserts only in the forward weight housing, as shown in FIGS. 16A-16B, but less than those produced by a club head with weighted inserts only in the rear weight housing, as shown in FIGS. 18A-18B.

FIG. 18A is an exploded side view of the golf club head 102 according to FIGS. 15A-15B with still another distribution of weighted inserts 228a and 228b. In this illustration, weighted inserts 228a and 228b have equal mass and are both loaded into the weight-relieved receptacle 204b of the rear housing 202b, while the weight-relieved receptacle 204a of the front housing 202a is empty.

FIG. 18B a side view of the golf club head 102 from FIG. 18A with weighted inserts 228a and 228b seated in the rear housing 202b. Values of x₃and y₃for a club head 102 having this particular distribution of weighted inserted 228a and 228b are 40 mm and 28.8 mm, respectively. In this weight distribution, the center of gravity 236c is displaced towards the rear of the club head and slightly towards the crown. Consequently, when a ball is struck with a club having this weight distribution, the ball tends to have more spin and travel with a higher trajectory for a longer air-travel distance, and roll less upon landing.

As illustrated in FIGS. 16A-18B, the addition or removal of weighted inserts from the weight housings allows the center of gravity to be moved toward the front or rear of the club head. Due to the curvature of the sole, the center of gravity also moves slightly along the crown-sole axis, i.e., essentially parallel to the shaft of the golf club. It should be noted that other weighted insert arrangements are possible to further vary the center of gravity of the golf club head. For example, the placement of a single weighted insert 228 within a weight housing can be varied. In the illustration shown in FIGS. 17A-17B, weighted insert 228a is positioned in the front half and of the front weight housing 202a, and weighted insert 228b is positioned in the rear half of the rear weight housing 202b. However, both weighted inserts can be placed in the front halves or in the rear halves of the two weight housings. Another variation is to place a single weighted insert in one weight housing and zero or two weighted inserts in the other weight housing so that the club head has a total of one or three weighted inserts rather than two. Another option is to use two or more weighted inserts of different masses and place them in various positions with the club head.

In the club head illustrated in FIGS. 15A-18B, the weight housings are displaced in two dimensions but aligned along the heel-toe axis. Thus, redistribution of the weighted inserts between the weight housings does not significantly shift the center of gravity along the heel-toe axis. However, the weighting system can be used in other arrangements of weight housings within a club head that allow the user to move the center of gravity along the heel-toe axis

FIG. 19A is an oblique top view of another embodiment of a weight housing 302 consistent with the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, the weight housing 302 includes a receptacle 304 loaded with two weighted inserts 228a and 228b (only weighted insert 228b is visible in this view). The weight housing 302 includes a weight-relieved receptacle 304 and cover assembly 306. As illustrated, the weight-relieved receptacle 304 is generally in the form of a pentagonal prism. The cover assembly 306 includes a pentagonal support 312, a transparent cover 344, a fastener 314, and, in some embodiments, a clip (not shown). In the weight housing 302 as illustrated, the entire cover 344 is transparent. However, other configurations are possible. For example, the cover may have transparent portions, i.e., windows, and other portions that are impermeable to light. The support 312 has struts, which provide structural strength but reduce the mass of the support compared to a solid pentagonal structure made from the same material. The fastener 314 is engaged through a central bore (not shown) in the weight-relieved receptacle 304. FIG. 19B is a side, partly sectional view through the center of the loaded weight housing 302 in which the fastener 314 is in phantom to facilitate viewing of other structures. In this view, the clip 316 can be seen.

FIG. 20A is an oblique bottom view of the weight-relieved receptacle 304 and weighted inserts 328a and 328b from the weight housing 302 shown in FIGS. 19A-19B. The cover assembly 306 has been removed in the illustration, and the central bore 324 of the receptacle 304 is visible. FIG. 20B is an oblique top view of the weight-relieved receptacle 304 and weighted inserts 328a and 328b shown in FIG. 20A.

FIG. 21 is an oblique bottom view of a golf club head 102 that has two weight housings 302a and 302b in its sole. As shown in the illustration, weight housing 302a is positioned toward the heel side on the heel-toe axis and near the center along the front-rear axis. Weight housing 302b is positioned in the center along the heel-toe axis and toward the rear along the front-rear axis. With this configuration, movement of weighted inserts between the two weight housings causes the center of gravity to move along both the front-rear and heal-toe axes.

In some embodiments, one or more portions of the golf club head may include markings or indicia representative of a performance characteristic associated with placement of the weight assembly in each of the first and second positions. For example, portions of the sole may include markings indicating whether adding mass to a given weight housing via the addition of weighted inserts tends to increase or decrease loft, spin, roll, etc. of a struck ball.

The percentage of mass of the golf club head that comes from the weighting system, including the weight housings and any weighted inserts contained therein, may vary depending on a variety of factors, such as player preference, player experience, degree of adjustability sought, etc. For example, the weighting system may comprise approximately 5% to 20% of the total mass of the golf club head.

While several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the functions and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the present disclosure. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the teachings of the present disclosure is/are used.

Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the disclosure described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, the disclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. The present disclosure is directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the present disclosure.

All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”

The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified, unless clearly indicated to the contrary.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

References and citations to other documents, such as patents, patent applications, patent publications, journals, books, papers, web contents, have been made throughout this disclosure. All such documents are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

Equivalents

Various modifications of the invention and many further embodiments thereof, in addition to those shown and described herein, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the full contents of this document, including references to the scientific and patent literature cited herein. The subject matter herein contains important information, exemplification and guidance that can be adapted to the practice of this invention in its various embodiments and equivalents thereof.

GOLF CLUB HEAD WITH ADJUSTABLE WEIGHTING SYSTEM

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