U.S. patent application number 11/565667 was filed with the patent office on 2008-06-05 for weight adjustable golf club head.
Invention is credited to Pen-Long Hsiao.
Application Number | 20080132353 11/565667 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39521949 |
Filed Date | 2008-06-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080132353 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hsiao; Pen-Long |
June 5, 2008 |
WEIGHT ADJUSTABLE GOLF CLUB HEAD
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.
Inventors: |
Hsiao; Pen-Long; (Ta Liao
Hsiang, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LEONG C LEI
PMB # 1008, 1867 YGNACIO VALLEY ROAD
WALNUT CREEK
CA
94598
US
|
Family ID: |
39521949 |
Appl. No.: |
11/565667 |
Filed: |
December 1, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/336 ;
473/337; 473/349 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 53/0466 20130101;
A63B 2053/0491 20130101; A63B 60/02 20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/336 ;
473/337; 473/349 |
International
Class: |
A63B 53/00 20060101
A63B053/00 |
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 fastening
element has a cone-shaped head and a threaded rod extending from
the bottom of said head; 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 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 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
fastening element has a cone-shaped head and a threaded rod
extending from the bottom of said head; 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.
Description
(A) TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 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
[0002] 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.
[0003] 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
[0004] 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.
[0005] 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.
[0006] 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.
[0007] 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
[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded diagram showing the various
components of a club head according to a first embodiment of the
present invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective diagram showing the club head of
FIG. 1 after its assembly.
[0010] 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.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a sectional diagram of the weight member of FIG. 1
when the fastening element is tightly screwed into the weight
element.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a sectional diagram along the X-X line of FIG.
4.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a sectional diagram showing the weight member
according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
[0014] 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
[0015] 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.
[0016] 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.
[0017] 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.
[0018] 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.
[0019] 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.
[0020] 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.
[0021] 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.
[0022] 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.
[0023] 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.
[0024] 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.
[0025] 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.
* * * * *