WO2008154684A1

WO2008154684A1 - A golf club head

Info

Publication number: WO2008154684A1
Application number: PCT/AU2008/000883
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robyn Ann Sherman
Original assignee: Robyn Ann Sherman
Priority date: 2007-06-19
Filing date: 2008-06-19
Publication date: 2008-12-24

Abstract

The invention resides in a golf club head comprising a base having a striking face; alignment indicia forming part of a movable rotation member, the alignment indicia orientated at an angle with respect to the striking face, the angle between the alignment indicia and the striking face being adjustable; and a biasing member adapted to apply a biasing force to the rotation member when the alignment indicia is orientated at an angle that is not substantially perpendicular to said striking face.

Description

TITLE

"A GOLF CLUB HEAD" FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a golf club head. In particular, although not exclusively, the invention relates to a golf club head that provides for a more accurate stroke.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

The game of golf is one of the most popular recreational sports in the world in terms of participants. The popularity of golf does not mean that the game is easy. Golf requires consistent precision of movement to achieve mastery of the game. Subtle imperfections in the execution of strokes produce amplified errors in the outcome of the shot. In particular, many golfers have identified the putting stroke as the most difficult to master and the area in which most strokes are dropped during a round of golf. It has been found that for longer distance putts a right handed player aims to the right of their intended target. Similarly, a left handed player aims to the left of their intended target. This is due to the fact that human vision has evolved to judge distance and path while the head is horizontal.

However, when a golfer is lining up a putt, the head is held at an angle and hence the eyes are not horizontal. This physiological inaccuracy in judgement results in many putts being missed due to being aligned incorrectly.

The inventor has previously provided a solution to this problem as described in WO 2004/071594. This document describes a putter head that has a putter face and a linear marking located on an upper surface of the putter head. The relative angle of the putter face with respect to the linear marking is adjustable in order to compensate for inherent inaccuracies in a player's visual judgement when putting. In a preferred embodiment, the upper surface is in the form of a rotatable disc wherein the rotatable disc is moveable about an axis in order to selectively adjust the relative angle between the linear marking and the putter face.

Whilst this device functions well to solve the aforementioned problems, there are often restrictions placed on golfers competing in competitions whereby they are prohibited from modifying their equipment during the course of a round. As such, the device described in WO 2004/071594 may not be allowable as a golf club in many competitions as it enables a golfer to adjust inaccuracies during the course of a competition round. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to overcome or at least alleviate one or more of the above problems and/or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION In one form, although it need not be the only or indeed the broadest form, the invention resides in a golf club head comprising: a base having a striking face; alignment indicia forming part of a movable rotation member, the alignment indicia orientated at an angle with respect to the striking face, the angle between the alignment indicia and the striking face being adjustable; and a biasing member adapted to apply a biasing force to the rotation member when the alignment indicia is orientated at an angle that is not substantially perpendicular to said striking face.

The biasing member is made from a resilient material, such as rubber. The biasing member has a channel for locating at least part of the rotation member. The biasing member can include at least two leg members extending from the base portion, each leg member including a slot and the two leg members defining a channel.

Typically, the rotation member includes an upper face on which is formed the alignment indicia. Normally, the rotation member includes a boss and the biasing force is applied the boss. Further, the rotation member is usually rotatably mounted with respect to the base. Adjusters may be able to contact the rotation member to hold the rotation member in a desired position. The adjusters are typically in the form of adjustment screws.

A hollow body may extend rearwardly from adjacent the striking face. The rotation member may be rotatably mounted with respect to the hollow body. The biasing member is usually positioned within the hollow body. At least one adjuster may be located within the hollow body to hold the rotation member in position within the hollow body. The hollow body is normally integrally formed with the base.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To assist in understanding the invention and to enable a person skilled in the art to put the invention into practical effect, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A shows a front perspective view of a golf club head according to an embodiment of the invention secured to a golf club shaft;

FIG. 1 B shows a rear perspective view of the golf club head secured to the golf club shaft of FIG. 1 A;

FIG. 2A shows a close up front perspective view of the golf club head shown in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2B shows a close up rear perspective view of the golf club head shown in FIG. 1A; FIG. 3A shows an exploded front perspective view of an adjustment device forming part of the golf club head shown in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 3B shows an exploded rear perspective view an adjustment device forming part of the golf club head shown in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 4A shows a plan view of an adjustment device forming part of the golf club head shown in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 4B shows a cross sectional view of the adjustment device shown in FIG. 4A through section line C-C;

FIG. 4C shows a cross sectional view of the adjustment device shown in FIG. 4A through section line D-D; FIG. 5A shows a plan view of the golf club head shown in FIG. 1 A in a first position; and

FIG. 5B shows a plan view of the golf club head shown in FIG. 1A in a second position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1A shows a front perspective view of a golf club head 100 according to an embodiment of the invention secured to a golf club shaft 200 and FIG. 1 B shows a rear perspective view of golf club head 100 secured to golf club shaft 200. FIG. 2A shows a close up front perspective view of golf club head 100 and FIG. 2B shows a close up rear perspective view of golf club head 100.

Golf club head 100 has a base 120 having a striking face 110 and an adjustment device 300 extending rearwardly from striking face 110 and being rotatable with respect to striking face 110. Golf club head 100 is secured to golf club shaft 200 as is known in the art.

FIG. 3A shows an exploded front perspective view of adjustment device 300 forming part of golf club head 100 and FIG. 3B shows an exploded rear perspective view of adjustment device 300 forming part of golf club head 100. Adjustment device 300 comprises a body 320 extending rearwardly from striking face 110 of golf club head 100. Body 320 is preferably of a hollow construction and has an angled forward face (not shown) that abuts and is generally complementary with a rear face 111 of base 120. Preferably, body 320 is secured to rear face 111 of base 120 by means of rivets screws, chemical adhesive or the like. Optionally, body 320 may be integrally formed with base 120.

Body 320 has a main chamber 321 and a slot 322 separated from main chamber 321 by way of slot walls 323. Suitably, each slot wall 323 extends partially within hollow body 320 from opposed inner faces of hollow body 320. An opening 324 extends rearwardly within hollow body 320 from slot 322.

Furthermore, body 320 also has a pair of adjustment apertures 325 each extending from an outer face of body 320 and terminating within opening 324 as shown.

Adjustment device 300 further comprises a rotation member 310 which includes an upper face 311 having alignment indicia 312 located thereon. A shaft 313 extends downwardly from upper face 311 and has a cavity 313A extending longitudinally therethrough. Rotation member 310 further includes a boss 314 projecting downwardly from upper face 311 whereby the boss 314 extends along an underside of upper face 311 from shaft 313 to adjacent a rear edge of upper face 311 as will be discussed in greater detail below. Rotation member 310 is rotatably secured to body 320 as will be discussed in greater detail below.

Adjustment device 300 further includes an interference collar 350 having an aperture 351 extending longitudinally therethrough. Interference collar 350 is receivable within cavity 313A of shaft 313. A shaft screw 340 is locatable through a shaft aperture 326 extending through a lower wall of body 320 and terminates within aperture 351 of interference collar 350.

A biasing member 360 forms part of adjustment device 300. Suitably, biasing member 360 is formed from rubber or a like resilient compound. Biasing member 360 is receivable within slot 322 of body 320.

Biasing member 360 includes a base portion 361 and two leg members 362 extending from base portion 361 and defining a boss channel 363 therebetween. Boss channel 363 is adapted to receive at least a portion of boss 314 of rotation member 310. Biasing member 360 further comprises a slot 364 located within each leg 362. An outer face of each leg 362 abuts against an inner face of a wall of body 320 within slot 322. Furthermore, an inner face of each leg 362 bears against a portion of a respective opposed face of boss 314 of rotation member 310. Adjustment device 300 further comprises a pair of adjustment screws

330 receivable through adjustment apertures 325 of body within opening 324 such that a toe of each adjustment screw abuts portion of a respective opposed face of boss 314 of rotation member 310.

FIG. 4A shows a plan view of adjustment device 300 forming part of the golf club head 100. FIG. 4B shows a cross sectional view of adjustment device shown 300 through section line C-C in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4C shows a cross sectional view of adjustment device 300 through section line D-D shown in FIG. 4A. Rotation member 310 is secured to body 320 by way of shaft screw 340 extending through shaft aperture 326 in body 320 and terminating within cavity 313A of shaft 313 forming part of rotation member 310. A threaded portion 326A of shaft aperture 326 cooperates with a corresponding threaded portion on a shaft of shaft screw 340. Furthermore, shaft screw 340 is held within cavity 313A of shaft 313 by way of an interference fit provided by interference collar 350 such that interference collar 350 bears on both shaft screw 340 and an inner face of shaft 313 within cavity 313A.

The bearing force provided by interference collar 350 is sufficient to securely mount rotation member 310 to body 320 such that rotation member

310 is able to be rotated with respect to body 320 in order that an angle formed between alignment indicia 312 and striking face 110 is able to be adjusted.

Rotation of rotation member 310 with respect to body 320, and hence adjustment of the angle formed between alignment indicia 312 and striking face 110, is facilitated by screwing adjustment screws 330 such that each respective adjustment screw bears against a respective face of boss 314 within opening 324 of body 320.

This force applied to boss 314 by screwing a respective adjustment screw 330 within adjustment aperture 325 causes the rotation member 310 to rotate about shaft 313 as shown, for example, in FIGS. 5A and 5B.

This movement causes boss 314 to bear on an inner face of a respective leg 362 of biasing member 360 such that the respective leg 362 deforms as provided by slot 364. Deformation of the respective leg 362 causes biasing member 360 to bear against, and apply a biasing force to, boss 314 in a direction opposite to the direction of force applied by the respective adjustment screw 330.

That is, when rotation member 310 is rotated about shaft 313 by applying a force to boss 314 by screwing a respective adjustment screw 330 further within opening 324 such that rotation member 410 moves from a neutral position, where the angle formed between alignment indicia 312 and striking face 110 is substantially perpendicular, to an adjusted position, wherein the angle formed between alignment indicia 312 and striking face 110 is not perpendicular, biasing member 360 applies a force on rotation member 310 via boss in a direction that attempts to move rotation member

310 back to the neutral position.

The biasing force applied by biasing member 360 on boss 314 of rotation member 310 is resisted by abutment of a toe of a respective adjustment screw 330 on a face of boss 314.

If an attempt is subsequently made to further adjust the angle formed between alignment indicia 312 and striking face 110, as for example during a round of play, the rotation device 310 is inclined to return to the neutral position. Hence, a player would then need to perform many practice strokes to accurately adjust the angle formed between alignment indicia 312 and striking face 110 to accurately correct their individual physiological inaccuracy. This process is clearly not able to be carried out during a round of golf, but must be carried out on a practice putting green, for example.

As such, the invention provides a device whereby a player is able to cater for physiological inaccuracies due to their head being held at an angle when lining up and further provides a device that is not able to be subtly adjusted during a competition round in order to comply with regulations of many professional golfing associations. Throughout the specification, the aim has been to describe the invention without limiting the invention to any one embodiment or specific collection of features. Persons skilled in the relevant art may realize variations from the specific embodiments that will nonetheless fall within the scope of the invention. For example, the invention has been described with reference to golf club head 100 in the form of a putter head. However, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention is applicable to any golf club head such as drivers, irons, etc.

It will be appreciated that various other changes and modifications may be made to the embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, whilst the embodiment described above is in relation to a putter. A skilled reader will appreciate that the invention may be similarly applied to other golf clubs such as drivers, irons and the like.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A golf club head comprising: a base having a striking face; alignment indicia forming part of a movable rotation member, the alignment indicia orientated at an angle with respect to the striking face, the angle between the alignment indicia and the striking face being adjustable; and a biasing member adapted to apply a biasing force to the rotation member when the alignment indicia is orientated at an angle that is not substantially perpendicular to said striking face.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the biasing member is made from a resilient material.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the biasing member is made from rubber.

4. The golf club head of any one of the preceding claims wherein the rotation member includes an upper face on which is formed the alignment indicia.

5. The golf club head of any one of the preceding claims wherein the rotation member includes a boss and the biasing force is applied the boss.

6. The golf club head of any one of the preceding claims wherein the rotation member is rotatably mounted with respect to the base.

7. The golf club head of any one of the preceding claims further including adjusters to contact the rotation member to hold the rotation member in a desired position.

8. The golf club head of claim 7 wherein the adjusters are in the form of adjustment screws.

9. The golf club head of any one of the preceding claims wherein a hollow body extends rearwardly from adjacent the striking face.

10. The golf club head of claim 9 wherein the rotation member is rotatably mounted with respect to the hollow body.

11. The golf club head of claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the biasing member is positioned within the hollow body.

12. The golf club head of any one of claims 9 to 11 wherein at least one adjuster is located within the hollow body to hold the rotation member in position within the hollow body.

13. The golf club head of any one of claims 9 to 11 wherein the hollow body is integrally formed with the base.

14. The golf club head of any one of the preceding claims wherein the biasing member has a channel for locating at least part of the rotation member.

15. The golf club head of any one of the preceding claims wherein the biasing member includes at least two leg members extending from the base portion, each leg member including a slot and the two leg members defining a channel.