Patent Grant
11918870
The present invention relates to golf clubs, and more particularly to golf clubs having a weighting system with movable weights.
Patents relating to golf clubs include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,419,560; 5,540,437; 6,702,693 B2; and 7,815,524 B2, and the references listed on the face and any subsequent pages thereof.
A number of patents and patent publications are directed to golf club heads with an adjustable center of gravity. Such patents include U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0009143 A1, Myers (Callaway Golf Company). Some of these patents disclose metal wood club heads having a channel and a slidable weight assembly disposed in their soles or skirt portion. The adjustability of the moment of inertia and center of gravity of such club heads is, however, limited due to the fact that the slidable weight assembly is confined to locations within the periphery of the club head.
There remains a need for weighting mechanisms that allow for adjusting the moment of inertia and center of gravity of such club heads to an even greater degree.
The present invention relates to golf clubs, and more particularly to golf clubs having a weighting system with movable weights. This can allow the moment of inertia and center of gravity to be adjusted.
There are numerous, non-limiting embodiments of the invention. All embodiments, even if they are only described as being “embodiments” of the invention, are intended to be non-limiting (that is, there may be other embodiments in addition to these), unless they are expressly described as limiting the scope of the invention. Any of the embodiments described herein can also be combined with any other embodiments in any manner to form still other embodiments.
The golf clubs may comprise metal woods, hybrids, irons, “crossover irons”, or putters. The golf clubs may comprise movable features, such as a weighting system, that have one or more weights that are movable from a first position to a second position. In some cases, the movable weight may be movable from a position inward of the periphery of the main body of the club head to a position that is outward of the periphery of the main body. In other cases, the movable weight need not be movable to a position that is outward of the periphery of the main body.
In one embodiment, the golf club head comprises:
The weighting system can take several different forms. In some cases, the weighting system can comprise a track and at least one weight that is movable between different positions along the track. In some cases, the weighting system can comprise at least one weighted element that is movable from a retracted position to an extended position. In some cases, the latter type of weighted element may be biased to move in a particular direction, such as by one or more springs. In some cases, the weighting system can comprise at least one weighted element that is rotatable from a first angle to a second angle. Such a weighted element (or “rotatable weight element”) may provide rotation by being pivotable.
Other embodiments are also contemplated. A shaft and a grip can be further provided to form a golf club. The shaft has two ends, where one end is inserted into the club head, or into a hosel joined to the club head. The grip can be positioned on top of the other end of the shaft.
Any of the adjustable elements described herein can be adjustable in a manner that makes the golf club legal for tournament play according to the rules of the USGA. For instance, such clubs would typically not be adjustable during a round of golf.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the present invention, it is believed the invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The present invention relates to golf clubs, and more particularly to golf clubs having a weighting system with movable weights.
The club head 22 shown in
The X axis runs tangent to the point on the leading edge 28A of the club head 22 at the origin O in a direction between the heel 32 and the toe 34. The term “X-direction” refers to a direction parallel to the X axis. The positive X direction along the X axis runs from the origin, O, toward the heel 32. The negative X direction along the X axis runs from the origin, O, toward the toe 34. The X direction may be referred to herein as the “lateral” direction. The Y axis is perpendicular to the X axis and intersects the X axis. The Y axis runs from the origin O where it intersects the X axis in a direction vertically upward from the origin O. The Y axis can define positions (in the “Y-direction”) that are disposed above the bottom of the sole 38 of the club head 22. The Y direction refers to a direction parallel to the Y axis, and may be referred to herein as the “vertical” direction. The third axis, the Z axis, passes through the origin O, and is perpendicular to X and Y axes (and goes into the plane of the paper). The Z axis can define positions (in the “Z-direction”) that are either on the club face 28, or in front of the club face, or to the rear of the club face 28. The Z direction refers to a direction parallel to the Z axis, and may be referred to as the forward or rearward (or front or rear) direction. The X and Z axes define an X-Z plane that contains surface S.
The terms “inward” (“inside” or “inboard”) IW and “outward” (“outside” or “outboard”) OW may be used herein to define the relative positions of various elements on the club head 22. These directions may be shown with arrows in the drawings. For example, as shown in
The center of gravity (and other properties) of the club head are defined in the conventional manner which is further described in the book entitled “Golf Club Fitting & Performance” by Ralph Maltby, The GolfWorks, Newark, Ohio, U.S.A., 2011. The club head 22 can be balanced on its face, its sole, or other surfaces of the club head. The club head has a center of gravity CG that is located within the periphery of the club head 22 where lines drawn through all the balance points intersect. The center of gravity CG of the club head 22 can be: above; at; or, below the center of gravity of a golf ball when the golf club is at address position behind the golf ball. (A center of gravity that is above the center of gravity of a golf ball, however, may be less desirable, and in some cases, undesirable.) The moment of inertia. MOI, of a golf club head can be calculated, or it may be measured using a testing machine at The GolfWorks, Newark, Ohio.
Certain types of golf clubs are commonly used (at least part of the time) to hit golf balls at rest on the ground (rather than being teed up on a golf tee as with drivers). These include irons, crossover irons, fairway woods, hybrids, and the like. In the case of these types of clubs, it may be desirable for the golf club head to have a vertical center of gravity that is less than or equal to the center of gravity of a golf ball at rest on the ground. The term “vertical center of gravity” refers to the vertical (Y direction) distance that the center of gravity is from the sole 38 of the club head 22. Thus, the golf club head's vertical center of gravity may be at or below the center of gravity of a golf ball at rest on the ground. Since a golf ball has a diameter of 1.680 inches (42.67 mm), it may be desirable for these types of golf clubs to have a vertical center of gravity that is less than or equal to 0.84 inches.
The club head 22 comprises a main body 44 and a weighting system. The term “main body”, as used herein, refers to the portion of the club head 22 that does not include the weighting system. The main body 44 has a periphery 46. The periphery 46 of the main body 44 may comprise portions on the club face 28, the back surface 30, the heel portion 32, the toe portion 34, the top edge 36, and the sole 38 of the club head 22. In some cases, the main body can be at least partially hollow for any suitable purpose, such as to allow for the elimination of weight and/or redistribution of weight (such as by the weighting systems described herein).
The main body 44 of the club head 22 can comprise one or more materials. The main body 44 of the club head 22 can be made of any suitable material or materials. Suitable materials include, but are not limited to stainless steel, titanium, graphite, carbon fiber, aluminum, polymeric material, plastic, or combinations thereof. The main body 44 of the club head 22 can be made in any suitable manner including, but not limited to forging, casting, molding, or joining one or more forged, cast, molded, or otherwise formed, pieces together in any suitable manner. Suitable manners for joining such pieces together include, but are not limited to using mechanical fasteners, adhesives, brazing, welds, friction fitting, or any other known manners of attachment.
The golf club head 22 shown in
The club head 22 shown in
The weighting system 50, in the embodiment shown in
In
In the embodiment shown in
The track 52 may, in some cases, be oriented generally horizontally on the back surface 30 of the club head 22 so that the weight(s) 54 are movable in the X direction. The track 52 may extend between the heel 32 of the club head and the toe 34 of the club head 22. In some cases, the track 52 may be configured so that it terminates laterally inward of the portions on the periphery 46 of the club head at the heel 32 and/or the toe 34. In other cases, the track 52 may extend to one or more of the portions on the periphery 46 of the club head at the heel 32 and/or the toe 34, or beyond the same. In some cases, the track 52 may be configured so that at least a portion of the weight 54, (and in some cases, all of the weight 54) extends laterally outward beyond the heel and/or toe of the club head.
The weights 54 are comprised of a material (or more than one different material) of higher specific gravity than at least a portion of the main body 44 of the club head 22. The phrase “higher specific gravity”, as used herein, means higher specific gravity than at least some portion of the main body 44 of the club head 22. The weights 54 may have a higher specific gravity than the portion(s) of the main body of the club head 22 with the highest specific gravity. In other embodiments, the weights 54 may have a higher specific gravity than at least some other portion of the main body 44 of the club head 22. Non-limiting examples of materials with higher specific gravity include: lead, brass, and tungsten. Such materials would have a higher specific gravity than stainless steel or titanium, for example, which may form at least a portion of the main body 44 of the club head 22.
The weights 54 described herein refer to higher specific gravity material that is supplied by the manufacturer either as part of the club head 22, or together with, or for the club head 22 as a component for the club head 22 which is intended to be added to the club head 22. That is, the weights 54 described herein are those that are intended to be offered for use as part of the club head, as manufactured. The weights 54 referred to herein are intended to be distinguished from higher specific gravity material, such as lead tape, which may be obtained and subsequently cut and applied to the club head by a golfer, but is not a part of a pre-fabricated weighting system for a particular club head.
The weights 54 can be of any suitable configuration and size. It is not necessary that all of the weights 54 have the same configuration, or be of the same size. If there is more than one weight 54, any two or more weights 54 may differ in configuration and/or size.
The weights 54 may have a regular-shaped, or an irregularly shaped configuration. The weights 54 may also comprise structures that have one or more regularly shaped sides and one or more irregularly shaped sides. The weights 54 may be symmetrical, or asymmetrical about one or more axis. The weights 54 can have sides or portions with rectilinear shapes, curvilinear shapes, or they can comprise portions having both types of shapes. The aforementioned shapes can be seen when the weights 54 are viewed from a given direction (including, but not limited to the back surface 30 of the club head 22). Examples of regular shaped configurations include, but are not limited to: cubes, parallelepipeds, any other known polygon shapes, spheres, hemi-spheres, cylinders, and certain other geometric shapes. In some embodiments, however, it may be desirable for the weights 54 to exclude certain of these configurations (e.g., spherical or cylindrical).
In the embodiment shown in
The weights 54 can have any suitable dimensions (e.g., length, width, diameter, or thickness). The weights 54 can have any suitable dimensions relative to the adjacent portion (or portions) of the main body 44. As used herein in reference to the weights 54, the terms “length”, L, and “width”, W, refer generally to the longer and shorter dimensions of the weights, respectively, as measured along the surface to which they are joined or positioned (e.g., the back surface, or the sole of the club head). If the weights do not have longer and shorter dimensions (e.g., the weights are square or circular), their length and width may be the same. The thickness of the weights 54 is their dimension measured in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the club head 22 to which the weights are joined. Thus, if the weights 54 are joined to the back surface 30 of the club head 22, the thickness will be measured in a direction from the front of the club head 22 to the back 30 of the club head 22 (that is, in the Z direction). If the weights 54 are joined to the sole 38 of the club head 22, the thickness of the weights 54 will be measured in a direction perpendicular to the portion of the sole 38 (that is, generally in the Y direction).
In addition, as shown in
When the embodiments of the weighting system 50 are described herein as comprising a plurality of track portions, any suitable number of track portions greater than or equal to two may be present. The weighting system 50 on a club head also need not have all the track portions shown in a particular drawing figure. In some cases, the weighting system 50 may comprise any two, or more, of the track portions shown in the drawings. In other cases, the track portions can be in other configurations that are not specifically shown in the drawings but are within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein. For instance, the track portions can be oriented in any suitable orientation that is consistent with the present disclosure. In addition, it should be understood that any of the individual track portions shown and/or described herein can be provided on a club head as the sole track, without providing any of the other track portions that are shown in a particular drawing figure (of an embodiment with a plurality of track portions).
For example,
The first track portion 52A may extend toward, to, or beyond, the heel 32 of the club head and toward, to, or beyond the toe 34 of the club head 22. For example, as shown in
The track portions on the sole 38 may be oriented in any suitable direction. The track portions can be oriented in the X direction, the Z direction, or any direction in the X-Z plane. The different track portions can be parallel to each other, or they can form an angle or other suitable relationship with one another. In the embodiment shown in
As shown in
The weight element(s) 80 may be movable from a retracted position inside the recess 82 to one or more extended positions. That is, in the retracted position, the weights are located at least partially in the recess. In the extended position, the weight element(s) 80 further protrude from the recess 82. In some cases, this weight element 80 may be movable outward from the heel 32 and/or toe 34 in the X direction as shown by the upper set of double-headed arrows in
The weight elements 80 have an inner surface 76 and an outer surface 78. The outer surface 78 of the weight element shown in
In this case, there are two rotatable elements—one joined adjacent to the heel 32 of the club head, and one joined adjacent to the toe 34 of the club head. Several non-limiting examples of positions for the rotatable weight elements 90 are shown in dashed lines. These positions include at least one in which at least a portion of the weighting element 90 extends outward beyond the periphery 46 of the club head 22 in the X direction from the heel 32 and/or toe 34. In the embodiment shown, the rotatable elements 90 comprise a rectangular weight that has a proximal end 92 and a distal end 94. The rotatable elements 90 are rotatably joined at a location on the back surface 30 of the club head 22. The back surface 30 of the club head 22 may optionally have a recessed area 96 to make room for rotation of the rotatable weight elements 90. Rotation can be provided by joining the rotatable weight element 90 adjacent its proximal end 92 with a pin 98. The pin 98 can be oriented in any suitable direction. In the embodiment shown, the pin 98 can be oriented generally, or substantially, in the Y direction.
The weighting systems described herein may have several additional features. The weights can be removable and replaceable with lighter or heavier weights in any of the embodiments described herein. The leading edge of the weights can be aerodynamically shaped, particularly when all or a portion of the weights may extend outward from the periphery of the main body 44. For instance, the leading edge of the weights 54 may be rounded and provided with a convex configuration as shown in
In some cases, the weighting systems 50 described herein may not be visible to a golfer when the golf club 20 is held in the usual manner with the club head 22 placed on the ground in the address position. In other cases, one or more portions of the weighting systems 50 may be visible to a golfer when the golf club 20 is held with the club head 22 in the address position.
In addition, any of the weights described herein can be adjustable before play so that the golfer can pre-select a desired shape for the golf shots that they will hit with such clubs and/or to compensate for swing faults that they may have on any given day.
Numerous other embodiments of the golf clubs described herein are possible. For example, in other embodiments, the club head can be provided with more, or fewer, higher specific gravity weights, or weights having different configurations than those shown in each of the drawing figures. In other embodiments, any of the features of the golf clubs described herein can be combined in any suitable manner to produce still other embodiments. The features of the golf clubs described herein may also be combined with the features of the golf clubs described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,419,560; 5,540,437; 6,702,693 B2; and 7,815,524 B2, and the references listed on the face and any subsequent pages thereof, as well as in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0009143 A1, Myers.
The golf clubs described herein may provide a number of advantages. It should be understood, however, that such advantages are not required to be provided unless specifically set forth in the appended claims. Golfer's swings vary from day-to-day, and shot trajectories (draw or fade; high or low) can vary from club to club. The weighting systems described herein provide a golfer with the ability to adjust any of these things before a round. The weighting system can provide greater adjustability in the moment of inertia than in current club heads having weights that are located in tracks on the underside or the back of the club head that are confined to movement within the periphery of the club head. The weighting system can, in some cases, provide the ability to adjust the center of gravity of the club head upward or downward. This may provide a golfer with the ability to hit a ball lower (for example, when it is windy), or higher (for example, when it is not windy). The weighting system may be adjusted faster than adjustable weighting systems that require removing and screwing in weights.
The disclosure of all patents, patent applications (and any patents which issue thereon, as well as any corresponding published foreign patent applications), and publications mentioned throughout this description are hereby incorporated by reference herein. It is expressly not admitted, however, that any of the documents incorporated by reference herein teach or disclose the present invention.
It should be understood that every maximum numerical limitation given throughout this specification includes every lower numerical limitation, as if such lower numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every minimum numerical limitation given throughout this specification includes every higher numerical limitation, as if such higher numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every numerical range given throughout this specification includes every narrower numerical range that falls within such broader numerical range, as if such narrower numerical ranges were all expressly written herein.
While particular embodiments of the subject invention have been described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications of the subject invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, while the present invention has been described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/920,704 filed Jul. 4, 2020, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/871,129 filed Jul. 6, 2019, the entire disclosure of such applications being incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2155830 | Howard | Apr 1939 | A |
| 5419560 | Bamber | May 1995 | A |
| 5540437 | Bamber | Jul 1996 | A |
| 5616088 | Aizawa et al. | Apr 1997 | A |
| 5769737 | Holladay | Jun 1998 | A |
| 5916041 | Antonious | Jun 1999 | A |
| 6123627 | Antonious | Sep 2000 | A |
| 6280348 | Stites | Aug 2001 | B1 |
| 6290609 | Takeda | Sep 2001 | B1 |
| 6379264 | Forzano | Apr 2002 | B1 |
| 6386990 | Reyes et al. | May 2002 | B1 |
| 6450897 | Stites | Sep 2002 | B2 |
| 6554719 | Peters et al. | Apr 2003 | B2 |
| 6702693 | Bamber | Apr 2004 | B2 |
| 7147573 | DiMarco | Dec 2006 | B2 |
| 7166040 | Hoffman et al. | Jan 2007 | B2 |
| 7166041 | Evans | Jan 2007 | B2 |
| 7186190 | Beach et al. | Mar 2007 | B1 |
| 7201669 | Stites et al. | Apr 2007 | B2 |
| 7223180 | Willett et al. | May 2007 | B2 |
| 7300361 | Stites et al. | Nov 2007 | B2 |
| 7717803 | DiMarco | May 2010 | B2 |
| 7815524 | Bamber | Oct 2010 | B2 |
| 8016694 | Llewellyn | Sep 2011 | B2 |
| 9358434 | Bamber | Jun 2016 | B2 |
| 9550097 | Myers | Jan 2017 | B1 |
| 9597563 | Voshall et al. | Mar 2017 | B2 |
| 10173110 | Foster | Jan 2019 | B1 |
| 10369437 | Cleghorn | Aug 2019 | B1 |
| 10376757 | Golden | Aug 2019 | B2 |
| 10434385 | Mine et al. | Oct 2019 | B2 |
| 10981039 | Ripp | Apr 2021 | B1 |
| 11266889 | Bamber | Mar 2022 | B2 |
| 20060122004 | Chen | Jun 2006 | A1 |
| 20060183568 | Bamber | Aug 2006 | A1 |
| 20060240907 | Latiri | Oct 2006 | A1 |
| 20070004534 | Lee | Jan 2007 | A1 |
| 20070111820 | Stites | May 2007 | A1 |
| 20070178988 | Tavares | Aug 2007 | A1 |
| 20080020861 | Adams | Jan 2008 | A1 |
| 20080108450 | Bamber | May 2008 | A1 |
| 20100075773 | Casati, Jr. | Mar 2010 | A1 |
| 20100167838 | Horii | Jul 2010 | A1 |
| 20100331103 | Takahashi | Dec 2010 | A1 |
| 20130344976 | Stites | Dec 2013 | A1 |
| 20150297961 | Voshall | Oct 2015 | A1 |
| 20150306473 | Breier | Oct 2015 | A1 |
| 20160051869 | Foster | Feb 2016 | A1 |
| 20160059093 | Nielson | Mar 2016 | A1 |
| 20160129322 | Myers | May 2016 | A1 |
| 20160129323 | Myers | May 2016 | A1 |
| 20170001081 | Harrington | Jan 2017 | A1 |
| 20170173413 | Cleghorn | Jun 2017 | A1 |
| 20170173420 | Frame | Jun 2017 | A1 |
| 20180311547 | Busch | Nov 2018 | A1 |
| 20180326268 | Yi | Nov 2018 | A1 |
| 20190009143 | Myers | Jan 2019 | A1 |
| 20210001191 | Bamber | Jan 2021 | A1 |
| 20210260449 | Cleghorn | Aug 2021 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1195350 | Oct 2002 | EP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20220168616 A1 | Jun 2022 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62871129 | Jul 2019 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16920704 | Jul 2020 | US |
| Child | 17672587 | US |
