Golf club having removable weight

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10525314-B2
Application number	US-201816200541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2018
Priority date	Oct 31, 2016
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

A golf club head includes a club head body and a weight member that is secured to the body in a weight mount. The weight member is constructed to utilize lateral forces to couple to the head body to minimize the structure required to retain the weight member. The weight member includes a spring feature that is movably coupled to a weight body so that it is movable between a first configuration and a second configuration. In the second configuration a portion of the spring feature extends outward from a side wall of the weight body. The weight mount includes an undercut and the spring feature extends into the undercut and is partially flexed by the abutment of the spring feature and a perimeter wall of weight mount when the weight member is disposed in the weight mount.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A weight member for a golf club head including a weight mount, comprising:
a weight body defining a side wall and a through hole intersecting the side wall, and
a spring feature,
wherein the spring feature is a cantilevered arm,
wherein at least a portion of the cantilevered arm is movably coupled to the weight body so that it is movable between a first configuration and a second configuration,
wherein in the first configuration a portion of the spring feature extends outward from a side wall of the weight body by a first distance R 1 ,
wherein in the second configuration a portion of the spring feature extends outward from a side wall of the weight body by a second distance R 2 ,
wherein the cantilevered arm includes a fixed end coupled to the weight body and a cantilevered end, and
wherein the through hole of the weight body receives a portion of the cantilevered arm.

2. The weight member of claim 1 , wherein the first distance R 1 is between about 1.0 mm and about 4.0 mm, and wherein the second distance R 2 is less than 1.0 mm.

3. The weight member of claim 1 , wherein the weight body is cylindrical and the through hole is a diametric bore that receives the portion of the cantilevered arm.

4. The weight member of claim 3 , wherein the cantilevered arm further comprises a radial arm that extends radially from a location on the cantilevered arm that is closer to the cantilevered end than the fixed end, and wherein the radial arm extends into the diametric bore.

5. The weight member of claim 3 , wherein a slot extends through an external end surface of the weight body and intersects the diametric bore.

6. The weight member of claim 1 , wherein the spring feature comprises a plurality of cantilevered arms spaced around the perimeter of the weight body.

7. The weight member of claim 1 , wherein the cantilevered arm is formed by a slot cut in the sidewall of a tubular member.

8. The weight member of claim 7 , wherein the weight body is a cylindrical member having a first portion having a first outer diameter and a second portion having a second outer diameter, wherein the first outer diameter is smaller than the second outer diameter, wherein the tubular member is coupled to the weight body on the first portion.

9. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the cantilevered arm is constructed as a separate component and mechanically coupled to the weight body.

10. A weight member for a golf club head including a weight mount, comprising:
a weight body defining a side wall and a slot, and
a spring feature comprising a slide member and a spring member, wherein the slide member is disposed in sliding engagement with the weight body at a sliding interface,
wherein the slide member is movably coupled to the weight body so that it is movable between a first configuration and a second configuration,
wherein in the first configuration a portion of the slide member extends outward from a side wall of the weight body by a first distance R 1 , wherein in the second configuration a portion of the slide member extends outward from a side wall of the weight body by a second distance R 2 ,
wherein the spring member is interposed between the weight body and the slide member,
wherein in at least one of the first configuration and the second configuration the spring member is under compression such that the spring member is configured to apply a force on the slide member that forces the slide member to extend outward relative to the weight body.

11. The weight member of claim 10 , wherein the sliding interface includes a tongue and groove interface.

12. The weight member of claim 11 , wherein side walls of the slot include lateral grooves, and wherein portions of the slide member extend into the grooves.

13. The weight member of claim 10 , wherein the slide member includes a tool engagement feature that is exposed external to the weight member, wherein the tool engagement feature is a recess included on a body of the slide member.

14. The weight member of claim 10 , wherein the slide member includes a slide stop, wherein the slide stop includes a cantilevered arm and a locking tab, wherein the locking tab is received by a locking recess disposed in the slot of the weight body.

15. A weight member for a golf club head including a weight mount, comprising:
a weight body defining a side wall and a through hole intersecting the side wall, and
a spring feature,
wherein the spring feature comprises at least a first cantilevered arm and a second cantilevered arm,
wherein the first and second cantilevered arms are formed by slots cut in the sidewall of a tubular member,
wherein at least a portion of each of the first and second cantilevered arms is movably coupled to the weight body so that it is movable between a first configuration and a second configuration,
wherein in the first configuration a portion of the first cantilevered arm extends outward from a side wall of the weight body by a first distance R 1 ,
wherein in the second configuration a portion of the second cantilevered arm extends outward from a side wall of the weight body by a second distance R 2 that is different than the first distance R 1 , and
wherein the through hole of the weight body receives a portion of the first cantilevered arm.

16. The golf club head of claim 15 , wherein the weight body is a cylindrical member having a first portion having a first outer diameter and a second portion having a second outer diameter, wherein the first outer diameter is smaller than the second outer diameter, wherein the tubular member is coupled to the weight body on the first portion.

17. The golf club head of claim 15 , wherein the first distance R 1 is between about 1.0 mm and about 4.0 mm, and wherein the second distance R 2 is less than 1.0 mm.

18. The weight member of claim 15 , wherein the weight body is cylindrical and the through hole is a diametric bore that receives the portion of the cantilevered arm.

19. The weight member of claim 18 , wherein the cantilevered arm further comprises a radial arm that extends radially from a location on the cantilevered arm that is closer to the cantilevered end than the fixed end, and wherein the radial arm extends into the diametric bore.

20. The weight member of claim 18 , wherein a slot extends through an external end surface of the weight body and intersects the diametric bore.

Assignees

• Acushnet Co

Inventors

• Hebreo Jonathan
• Mccarthy Andrew
• De La Cruz Noah
• Martens Grant M

Classifications

• A63B2071/0625

  Emitting sound, noise or music · CPC title

• A63B2053/0491

  with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable · CPC title

• A63B60/52

  with slits · CPC title

• A63B53/0466

  wood-type · CPC title

• A63B2053/0495

  moving on impact, slidable, spring or otherwise elastically biased · CPC title