Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slidable weight assembly for use with sporting goods, such as a golf club head. More specifically, the present invention relates to a slidable weight for a golf club head that can be adjusted along a continuous channel.
2. Description of the Related Art
The ability to adjust center of gravity location and weight in the head of driving clubs is useful for controlling performance of the golf club. The prior art includes several different solutions for adjustable weighting, but these solutions do not optimize weight adjustment. There is a need for a weighting mechanism that allows for simple and flexible center of gravity (CG) and moment of inertia (MOI) adjustability.
The present invention is a novel way of working with adjustable products. The present invention allows consumers to easily move and fix a weight at any location within a channel disposed in a piece of sporting goods equipment, and particularly a golf club head, in such a way to maximize aesthetic appearances while preserving the function of the movable weight. The objective of this invention is to provide an adjustable weight with minimal or no effect on appearance at address while maximizing the ability of the weight to adjust center of gravity height. Additional goals include minimizing the fixed component of the structure dedicated to the weighting system and also minimizing any potential effect on impact sound. Yet another object of the present invention is an adjustable weighting feature for lateral or vertical center of gravity control which is placed to maximize effectiveness and may be entirely concealed from view at address.
One aspect of the present invention is a slidable weight comprising a clamping mechanism with a cam feature that, when turned 90 degrees, causes a combined clamping and pull-down effect that fixes the weight within a channel, which may be disposed in any sporting equipment but particularly in a golf club head.
Another aspect of the present invention is a slidable weight assembly comprising a weight portion comprising a through bore having a first diameter, a base comprising an upper lip having a second diameter, a keyed bore, a neck, and a foot having a long side with a first length and a short side with a second length, and a retaining ring, wherein the first length is greater than the second length, wherein the neck is disposed within the through bore, and wherein each of the second diameter, the first length, and the second length is greater than the first diameter. In some embodiments, the weight portion may comprise a pair of hooked edges. In another embodiment, the foot may be rectangular or oval-shaped. In another embodiment, the weight portion may be composed of a first material having a first density, the base may be composed of a second material having a second density, and the first density may be greater than the second density. In a further embodiment, the weight portion may be composed of a tungsten alloy and the base may be composed of a polymeric material. In a further embodiment, the weight portion may comprise a ring-shaped recess sized to receive the retaining ring. In another embodiment, the keyed bore may be sized to receive a tool.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a golf club head comprising a body comprising a channel and the slidable weight assembly described above, wherein the channel comprises a longitudinal axis, a floor having a first width, a first rail, a second rail, and an opening having a second width, wherein the first width is greater than the second width, wherein the first width is greater than the second length, wherein the first length is greater than or equal to the first width, wherein the foot is disposed within the channel, wherein the neck extends through the opening, wherein the slidable weight is capable of moving within the channel when the long side is parallel with the longitudinal axis, and wherein turning the foot approximately 90 degrees within the channel reversibly fixes the slidable weight assembly within the channel. In some embodiments, the golf club head may be a wood-type golf club head such as a driver-type golf club head. In a further embodiment, the weight portion may comprise a pair of hooked edges, each of which may extend over one of the first and second rails of the channel. In another embodiment, turning the foot may pull the weight portion towards the channel floor. In yet another embodiment, the body may comprise a crown, a sole, and a face, and the channel may be disposed on the sole. In another embodiment, the channel may be in communication with a weight port, and the slidable weight assembly may be sized to fit within the weight port to access the channel.
Another aspect of the present invention is a slidable weight assembly comprising a weight portion comprising a through bore, and a cam comprising a top portion, a keyed bore, a neck, and a base having a long side with a first length and a short side with a second length, wherein the first length is greater than the second length, wherein the neck is disposed within the through bore, and wherein the keyed bore is sized to receive a tool. In some embodiments, the through bore may comprise a first diameter, the top portion may comprise a second diameter, and each of the second diameter, the first length, and the second length may be greater than the first diameter. In other embodiments, the weight portion may comprise a pair of hooked edges. In one embodiment, the base may have a shape selected from the group consisting of oval and eye-shaped.
In a further embodiment, the weight portion may be composed of a first material having a first density, the cam may be composed of a second material having a second density, and the first density may be greater than the second density. In a further embodiment, the weight portion may be composed of a tungsten alloy and the base may be composed of a polymeric material. In some embodiments, the slidable weight assembly may comprise a retainer ring, and the weight portion may comprise a ring-shaped recess sized to receive the retainer ring. In other embodiments, the through bore may comprise a keyed opening, the top portion may be shaped to fit within the keyed opening, and turning the cam may reversibly lock the weight portion to the cam. In a further embodiment, the keyed opening may comprise a pair of extensions extending inwards from a lower surface of the weight portion, and in another embodiment, at least a part of the top portion may rest on the extensions when the weight portion is reversibly locked to the cam.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is a golf club head comprising a body comprising a first rail and a second rail that are spaced from, and extend parallel to, one another; and the slidable weight assembly described herein, wherein the first rail and second rail form a channel having a floor with a first width and an upper opening with a second width, wherein the first width is greater than the second width, wherein the base is disposed within the channel, wherein the neck extends through the upper opening, wherein a majority of the weight portion is disposed above the first and second rails, wherein the slidable weight assembly is movable between the first and second rails when the long side of the base is oriented so that it is parallel with the first and second rails, and wherein turning the cam by 45 to 90 degrees reversibly fixes the slidable weight assembly to the first and second rails. In some embodiments, the golf club head may comprise a recessed area, and the first and second rails may be disposed within the recessed area. In a further embodiment, the recessed area may be in communication with a weight port, and the slidable weight assembly may be sized to fit within the weight port to access the first and second rails.
In another embodiment, at least one of the first and second rails may comprise an inner wall that forms an angle with the floor, and the angle may be less than 90°, more preferably between 45° and 85°, and most preferably approximately 70°. In some embodiments, at least one of the first and second rails may have a thickness of less than 0.100 inch, and in other embodiments, the first and second rails may be spaced from one another by a distance of between 0.500 and 1.00 inch. In another embodiment, the golf club head may include a pair of small rails extending from a lower surface of the weight portion, and the small rails may rest against, and space the lower surface from, the first and second rails.
Having briefly described the present invention, the above and further objects, features and advantages thereof will be recognized by those skilled in the pertinent art from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The design approaches described herein are based on a construction used in a driver head characterized by a composite crown adhesively bonded to a cast titanium body. This particular construction approach permits the crown configuration to be adapted to the inventive weighting scheme with minimal impact on weight and function. However, the weighting embodiments disclosed herein can be used with other constructions, including all titanium, all composite, and a composite body with metal face cup. It can also work in conjunction with at least one adjustable weight port on the sole of the driver head. Shifting weight along the channel described herein allows for control of center of gravity location. The slidable weight assembly 10 of the present invention can be used with any sporting goods equipment having a channel, but preferably is used with golf clubs such as woods, irons, putters, and hybrids.
A first embodiment of the slidable weight assembly 10 of the present invention is shown in
As shown in
The slidable weight assembly 10 disclosed herein may be used with any of the channels disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/033,218, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, and preferably is used with a channel 50 having a first width W1 at its floor 52 that is greater than a second width W2 at its uppermost opening 58 as shown in the Figures herein. Though the slidable weight assembly 10 may be assembled as described above, with the base 30 formed from two or more pieces 30a, 30b and assembled within the channel 50, the channel 50 preferably leads to an opening or pocket where the base 30 of a fully-assembled slidable weight assembly 10 can be inserted into the channel 50, as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/033,218. As shown in
The slidable weight assembly 10 can move freely within the channel 50 when the foot 34 of the base 30 is oriented such that its longest dimension is aligned with the longitudinal axis 55 of the channel 50, as shown in
A second, preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in
The weight portion 120 of the slidable weight assembly 100 is shown in greater detail in
As shown in
The cam 130 part of the slidable weight assembly 100 is shown in more detail in
As with the first embodiment, slidable weight assembly 100 can move freely between the rails 180, 185 when the base 138 of the cam 130 is oriented such that its longest dimension is aligned with rails 180, 185. In this configuration, the slidable weight assembly 100 is in its unlocked configuration. The rails 180, 185 still border the cam 130 on two sides in this configuration, but the cam 130 does not place any pressure on the rails 180, 185 or create much friction. Once the slidable weight assembly 100 is moved to a desired location between the rails 180, 185, it is fixed or locked into that location by inserting a tool into the keyed bore 136 of the cam 130 and turning the tool so that the cam 130 makes a 45 to 90 degree turn, such that the longest dimension L3 of the base 138 is perpendicular to and presses against the rails 180, 185, as shown in
From the foregoing it is believed that those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize the meritorious advancement of this invention and will readily understand that while the present invention has been described in association with a preferred embodiment thereof, and other embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, numerous changes, modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which is intended to be unlimited by the foregoing except as may appear in the following appended claims. Therefore, the embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined in the following appended claims.
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/216,971, filed on Mar. 17, 2014, and issued on Jul. 12, 2016, as U.S. Pat. No. 9,387,376, which claims priority to 61/940,288, filed on Feb. 14, 2014, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/153,722, filed on Jan. 13, 2014, and issued on Dec. 1, 2015, as U.S. Pat. No. 9,199,145, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/033,218, filed on Sep. 20, 2013, and issued on Apr. 15, 2014, as U.S. Pat. No. 8,696,491, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/923,571, filed on Jun. 21, 2013, and issued on Jul. 21, 2015, as U.S. Pat. No. 9,084,921, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/778,958, filed on Feb. 27, 2013, and issued on Nov. 25, 2014, as U.S. Pat. No. 8,894,506, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/727,608, filed on Nov. 16, 2012, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61940288 | Feb 2014 | US | |
61727608 | Nov 2012 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14216971 | Mar 2014 | US |
Child | 15193933 | US | |
Parent | 14033218 | Sep 2013 | US |
Child | 14153722 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14153722 | Jan 2014 | US |
Child | 14216971 | US | |
Parent | 13923571 | Jun 2013 | US |
Child | 14033218 | US | |
Parent | 13778958 | Feb 2013 | US |
Child | 13923571 | US |