Golf club having an adjustable weight assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11090536-B2
Application number	US-201916708255-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2019
Priority date	Apr 18, 2019
Publication date	Aug 17, 2021
Grant date	Aug 17, 2021

Abstract

A golf club head includes a body having a recessed channel formed in an outer surface. A weight assembly that includes a weight at least partially disposed within the recessed channel, a cover extending at least partially over the recessed channel, and a fastener coupling the cover to the body. The fastener is adapted to retain the weight in the recessed channel only indirectly by the cover. The weight is slidably engaged with the cover and the cover is positionable in at least an unlocked configuration whereby the cover is raised at least partially out of the recessed channel and the weight is selectively slidable within the recessed channel, and a locked configuration whereby the cover is at least partially disposed within the recessed channel and the weight is secured within the recessed channel. The weight moves with the cover between the unlocked configuration and the locked configuration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A golf club head comprising:
a body comprising:
a striking face comprising a lower edge and an opposite upper edge;
a sole extending from the lower edge; and
a crown extending from the upper edge, wherein one or more of the striking face, the sole, and the crown, define an outer surface of the body;

a recessed channel formed in the outer surface, wherein the recessed channel comprises a first sidewall adjacent the striking face and an opposite second sidewall, and wherein the first sidewall comprises a plurality of dimples; and
a weight assembly comprising:
a weight at least partially disposed within the recessed channel, wherein the weight comprises a position indicator;
a cover extending at least partially over the recessed channel; and
a threaded fastener coupling the cover to the body, wherein the threaded fastener is adapted to retain the weight in the recessed channel only indirectly by the cover,

wherein the weight is slidably engaged with the cover, wherein the cover is positionable in at least an unlocked configuration whereby the cover is raised at least partially out of the recessed channel and the weight is selectively slidable within the recessed channel, and a locked configuration whereby the cover is at least partially disposed within the recessed channel and the weight is secured within the recessed channel, wherein the plurality of dimples are configured to selectively receive the position indicator of the weight when the cover is in the locked configuration, and wherein the weight moves with the cover between the unlocked configuration and the locked configuration.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a toe and an opposite heel, and wherein the recessed channel and the weight assembly extend in a substantially toe-heel direction.

3. The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein the weight assembly is disposed at a frontal section of the sole.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein when the cover is in the locked configuration, the weight is completely disposed within the recessed channel.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises an exterior surface, and wherein when the cover is in the locked configuration, the exterior surface of the cover aligns with the outer surface of the body.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises an inside surface, and wherein at least a portion of the inside surface of the cover comprises a soft metal configured to frictionally engage with the weight when the cover is in the locked configuration.

7. The golf club head of claim 6 , wherein the soft metal is formed with one or more grooves.

8. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the position indicator of the weight is visible when the cover is in the locked configuration.

9. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the fastener is disposed proximate the second sidewall.

10. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the cover completely covers the weight when the cover is in the locked configuration.

11. The golf club head of claim 10 , wherein the cover is at least partially transparent.

12. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the cover comprises an inside surface having a friction material.

13. A fairway-metal type golf club head comprising:
a body comprising:
a striking face comprising a lower edge and an opposite upper edge;
a sole extending from the lower edge; and

a crown extending from the upper edge, wherein one or more of the striking face, the sole, and the crown, define an outer surface of the body;
a recessed channel formed in the outer surface and disposed at a frontal section of the sole, wherein the recessed channel comprises a bottom track having a plurality of bosses; and
a weight assembly comprising a weight, a cover, and a fastener, wherein the fastener is adapted to retain the weight in the recessed channel only indirectly by the cover, and wherein the weight comprises a hollow,
wherein the weight assembly is selectively positionable so that in a first configuration, the weight is secured within the recessed channel by the cover and the hollow receives a boss of the plurality of bosses, and in a second configuration, the cover and the weight are at least partially raised with respect to the body so that the weight is selectively slidable within the recessed channel.

14. The fairway-metal type golf club head of claim 13 , wherein the cover comprises an exterior surface that does not extend above the outer surface of the body when the weight assembly is in the first configuration.

15. The fairway-metal type golf club head of claim 13 , wherein when the weight assembly is in the first configuration, the weight does not extend above the outer surface of the body.

16. The fairway-metal type golf club head of claim 13 , wherein the recessed channel comprises a plurality of dimples that correspond to the plurality of bosses, and the weight comprises a position indicator, and wherein when the hollow is received by the boss, the position indicator is at least partially received in a corresponding dimple of the plurality of dimples.

17. The fairway-metal type golf club head of claim 13 , wherein the cover comprises a flange, and the weight comprises a groove, and wherein the groove is slidably engaged with the flange when the weight assembly is in the second configuration.

Assignees

• Acushnet Co

Inventors

• Bennett Thomas Orrin
• Bac Mitchell E
• Northcutt Tyrone
• Funaki Takeshi Casey

Classifications

• A63B2071/0694

  Visual indication, e.g. Indicia · CPC title

• A63B2209/00

  Characteristics of used materials · CPC title

• A63B53/047

  iron-type · CPC title

• A63B60/02 Primary

  Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass (A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence) · CPC title

• A63B53/0437

  with special crown configurations · CPC title