US20080132353A1

US20080132353A1 - Weight adjustable golf club head

Info

Publication number: US20080132353A1
Application number: US11/565,667
Authority: US
Inventors: Pen-Long Hsiao
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-12-01
Filing date: 2006-12-01
Publication date: 2008-06-05

Abstract

The club head contains a number of blind holes arranged at appropriate places other than the hitting surface of the club head. Each blind hole is for the accommodation of a weight member. Each weight member contains at least a weight element and a fastening element. The fastening element has a threaded rod extending from the bottom of a cone-shaped head. The fastening element is squeezed into an end of the weight element with the threaded rod penetrating through the weight element and into the club head for fixation. On the other hand, the circumference of the weight element has a number of slits so that the cone-shaped head of the fastening element can force the wall of the weight element to press tightly against the hole to further enhance the fixation.

Description

(A) TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a golf club head, and more particularly to a golf club head whose center of gravity is adjustable.

(B) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

In recent years, as the manufacturing technologies for golf club heads continuously advance, large varieties of club heads of various forms and specifications are developed. The main purpose of all these new club head designs is nothing but to help golfers to hit the balls farther and more accurately. However, a golfer's performance still has a very large part related to the golfer's stance and habit.
Therefore, so-called “weight tunable club heads” are developed and claimed to be able to adjust the club head's center of gravity to best suit a golfer's stance and habit. These “weight tunable club heads” generally have a number of fixed positions arranged on the club head and weights in the form of bolts are inserted or taken out so as to adjust the club head's center of gravity. There are also some “weight tunable club heads” allowing different weights to be placed in fixed positions of the club head. However, these approaches require that the club heads to be formed in high precision and the formation of the bolt holes is quite demanding in terms of both production time and effort. Any slight deviation in the manufacturing process will render the club head useless, thereby significantly increasing the resource consumption and production cost. It is because of these manufacturing issues that “weight tunable club heads” usually have hefty price tags. Moreover, to achieve bolts of different weights, the bolts have to be made of an appropriate material and the limited material selection also affects where these bolts can be placed on the club heads. Therefore, it is very difficult to have a single design to meet the needs of golfers of various skill levels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A novel club head is provided herein. The club head contains a number of blind holes arranged at appropriate places other than the hitting surface of the club head. Each blind hole is for the accommodation of a weight member. By altering the weight of the weight members or their locations in the blind holes, the center of gravity of the club head is adjusted.
Each weight member contains at least a weight element and a fastening element. The fastening element has a threaded rod extending from the bottom of a cone-shaped head. The fastening element is squeezed into an end of the weight element with the threaded rod penetrating through the weight element and into the club head for fixation. On the other hand, the circumference of the weight element has a number of slits so that the cone-shaped head of the fastening element can force the wall of the weight element to press tightly against the hole to further enhance the fixation.
The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.
Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded diagram showing the various components of a club head according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective diagram showing the club head of FIG. 1 after its assembly.

FIG. 3 is a sectional diagram of the weight member of FIG. 1 when the fastening element is not tightly screwed into the weight element.

FIG. 4 is a sectional diagram of the weight member of FIG. 1 when the fastening element is tightly screwed into the weight element.

FIG. 5 is a sectional diagram along the X-X line of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a sectional diagram showing the weight member according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional diagram showing the weight member according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a club head 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention has a number of cylindrical blind holes 11 of appropriate depths into the interior of the club head 1 configured on the back surface (i.e., the curved surface opposite to the hitting surface of the club head 1) with appropriate spacing among them. Each of the blind holes 11 therefore provides a storage space 12 for the accommodation of a weight member 2.
The weight member 2 contains a tubular weight element 23, and a fastening element 22 and a seat element 21 plugged into the two ends of the weight element 23, respectively. The diameter of the weight element 23 is slightly smaller than the aperture of the blind hole 11 so that the weight element 23 can be slid into the blind hole 11. Along the circumference of the weight element 23, a member of through slits 231 are provided along the axial direction from a first end towards the other, second end (but not reaching the second end). Similarly, a number of through slits 232 are provided along the axial direction from the second end towards the first end. The slits 231 and 232 are interleaved and uniformly spaced so that the two ends of the weight element 23 are somewhat flexible to expand and recover radially.
As shown in FIG. 3, the seat element 21 has a cone-shaped body with a circular base 211 having a slightly larger diameter than that of the body and an axial threaded through channel 213. On the other hand, the fastening element 22 has a cone-shaped head and a threaded rod 221 extending axially from the bottom of the cone-shaped head. Please note that the wall of weight element 23 actually grow thinner from the middle section towards the ends and, as such, when the fastening element 22 and the seat element 21 are plugged into the two ends of the weight element 23, respectively, the cone-shaped head of the fastening element 22 and the cone-shaped body of the seat element 21 are well received by the wall of the weight element 23, as shown in FIG. 3. Then, by rotating the fastening element 21 through a slot or hole 222 on the top surface of the head, the threaded rod 221 is screwed into the through channel 213 so that the three elements 21, 22, and 23 are joined together into the weight member 2. The diameters of the elements are configured such that the weight member 2 is perfectly accommodated by the blind hole 11 on the club head 1.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the bottom of each blind hole 11 has a smaller hole 121 in the center that is aligned with the through channel 213 of the seat element 21 when the weight member 2 is placed inside the blind hole 11. Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the threaded rod 211 can be screwed all the way through the through channel 213 of the seat element 21, and hole 121 of the blind hole 11, and into the interior of the club head 1. As such, together with the two ends of the weight element 23 being expanded to press tightly against the wall of the blind hole 11, the weight member 2 is fixedly locked to the club head 1 to affect or adjust the center of gravity of the club head 1. Correspondingly, when the fastening element 22 is unscrewed and as the threaded rod 221 is removed from the hole 121 and the through channel 213, the pressure against the wall of the blind hole 11 is released and the weight member 2 can be conveniently taken out of the blind hole 11.
When screwing or unscrewing the fastening element 22, to prevent the seat element 21 to rotate along with the threaded rod 221, a cross-shaped groove 212 is provided on the bottom surface of the base 211 of the seat element 21. And, correspondingly, a cross-shaped wedge 122 is provided on the bottom of the blind hole 11. As such, when the cross-shaped groove 212 and wedge 122 meet and lock to each other, the seat element is prevented from rotating along with threaded rod 221.
The weight element 23 can be made of a metallic material of a specific density such as steel, titanium, nickel, aluminum, copper, or even thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). Therefore a golfer can have multiple weight elements 23 at hand, each having a specific weight, so that one can be picked and used depending on the golfer's requirement. Usually, a golfer bases on the point of fall and the trajectory of a previous hit to decide how the club head 1's center of gravity should be adjusted. Then, by replacing the weight elements 23 of the weight members 2 in the blind holes 11 as described above, the center of gravity of the club head 1 can be adjusted to fit more naturally to the golfer's specific habit and stance. The club head 1 of the present invention can be integrally formed without complex machinery process so that its production process and cost can be effectively simplified and reduced.
As shown in FIG. 6, a club head 1A according to a second embodiment of the present invention has the blind holes 1A1 with longer depths than those of the previous embodiment. Inside the storage space 1A2 of each blind hole 1A1, two opposing slots 1A23 and 1A24 are provided along the axial direction and along the inner wall of the blind hole 1A1. Correspondingly, two radially protruding tenons 2A14 and 2A15 are provided on the rim of the base 2A11 of the seat element 2A1. As such, the seat element 2A1 is prevented from rotation when the fastening element 2A2 is screwed. In the present embodiment, there are multiple fastening elements 2A2, each having a threaded rod 2A21 of a specific length. When a particular fastening element 2A2 is used and screwed to join the seat element 2A1, the threaded rod 2A21 is able to run through the through channel 2A13 until its tip reaches the bottom of the blind hole 1A1. In the process, again, the slits 2A31 and 2A32 allows the two ends of the weight element 2A3 to expand and to press against the wall of the blind hole 1A1. However, due to the particular length of the threaded rod 2A21, the weight member 2 is positioned at a particular location along the storage space 1A2 of the blind hole 1A1. As such, by using different fastening elements 2A2, the center of gravity of the club head 1A can be adjusted differently.
As shown in FIG. 7, a club head 1B according to a third embodiment of the present invention has the blind holes 1B1 with shorter depths than those of the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the weight member contains a fastening element 2′4 and a weight element 2′5. The fastening element 2′4 is similar to those of the previous embodiments and has a cone-shaped head and a threaded rob 2′41. On the other hand, the weight element 2′5 is like a basin having a front opening with slant inner wall for receiving the head of the fastening element 2′4. It also contains a number of slits 2′51 running axially from the front opening towards the other end of the weight element 2′5. These slits 2′51 again allow the front opening to expand to press again the wall of the blind hole 1B1. Extending from the bottom of the weight element 2′5 is a hexagonal block 2′52 with an axial through channel 2′53 in the corner. The hexagonal block 2′52 is able to be fit inside a corresponding through hole 1B25 on the bottom of the hole 1B1. As such, when the fastening element 2′4 is screwed, the weight element 2′5 will not rotate along with the threaded rod 2′41.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A club head comprising:

a plurality of blind holes arranged at appropriate places other than the hitting surface of said club head, the bottom of each blind hole having a hole in the center;

a plurality of weight members removably housed inside said blind holes, respectively, each weight member having a tubular weight element, and a fastening element and a weight element plugged into a first end and a second end of said weight element, respectively;

wherein said weight element has a plurality of first slits extending from said first end of said weight element towards said second end and a plurality of second slits extending from said second end towards said first end, said first and second slits being interleaved and uniformly spaced;

said fastening element has a cone-shaped head and a threaded rod extending from the bottom of said head;

said seat element has cone-shaped body with an axial threaded through channel and a base having a slightly larger diameter than that of said cone-shaped body;

said weight element has cone-shaped inner walls at said first and second ends so as to fit the shapes of said head of said fastening element and said body of said seat element; and

said threaded rod has an appropriate length to be screwed or unscrewed through said weight element, said through channel of said seat element, and into or from said hole on the bottom of each blind hole.

2. The club head according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of each blind hole has a cross-shaped wedge; and the bottom surface of said base of said seat element has a correspondingly shaped groove so that, when said wedge is embedded into said groove as said threaded rod is screwed or unscrewed, said seat element is prevented form rotation.

3. The club head according to claim 1, wherein said weight element is made out of the following material: steel, titanium, nickel, aluminum, copper, and thermoplastic polyurethane.

4. A club head comprising:

a plurality of blind holes arranged at appropriate places other than the hitting surface of said club head, the inner wall of each blind hole having a plurality of opposing axial slots;

a plurality of weight members removably housed inside said blind holes, respectively, each weight member having a tubular weight element, and a fastening element and a weight element plugged into a first end and a second end of said weight element; wherein said weight element has a plurality of first slits extending from said first end of said weight element towards said second end and a plurality of second slits extending from said second end towards said first end, said first and second slits being interleaved and uniformly spaced;

said seat element has a cone-shaped body with an axial threaded through channel and a base having a slightly larger diameter than that of said cone-shaped body, said base having a plurality of tenons protruding radially from the rim;

said tenons are fit inside said slots of said blind hole, respectively, so that, when said threaded rod is screwed or unscrewed, said seat element is prevented from rotation;

said threaded rod has an appropriate length to be screwed or unscrewed through said weight element and said through channel of said seal element until the tip of said threaded rod reaches the bottom of said blind hole.

5. The club head according to claim 4, wherein said weight element is made one of the following material: steel, titanium, nickel, aluminum, copper, and thermoplastic polyurethane.

6. A club head comprising:

a plurality of blind holes arranged at appropriate places other than the hitting surface of said club head, the bottom of each blind hole having a hole of a particular geometric shape in the center;

a plurality of weight members removably housed inside said blind holes, respectively, each weight member having a weight element with a basin-like shape and a fastening element plugged into a front opening of said weight element;

wherein said weight element has a block extending from the bottom of said weight element and having a corresponding geometrical cross-sectional shape so as to fit inside said hole on the bottom of said blind hole;

said weight element has a plurality of slits extending from said front opening towards the bottom of said weight element and a through channel through said block;

said weight element has a cone-shaped inner wall at said front opening so as to fit the shape of said head of said fastening element; and

said threaded rod has an appropriate length to be screwed or unscrewed through and through channel of said weight element, and into or from the interior of said club head.

7. The club head according to claim 6, wherein said weight element is made one of the following material: steel, titanium, nickel, aluminum, copper, and thermoplastic polyurethane.