Golf club head with adjustable resting face angle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11957965-B2
Application number	US-202217823478-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2022
Priority date	May 5, 2017
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

A golf club head includes a club body and a resting face angle adjuster. The club body includes a crown opposite a sole, a toe end opposite a heel end, a back end opposite a face, and a hosel. The sole includes a sole surface. The resting face angle adjuster includes an adjustment member having a keel surface, and a recess formed in the sole such that a portion of the sole surface at least partially bounds the recess. The adjustment member is disposed in the recess and positionable between a first adjustment position and a second adjustment position. In the first adjustment position, the keel surface is at a first distance relative to the portion of the sole surface. In the second adjustment position, the keel surface is at a second distance relative to the portion of the sole surface not equal to the first distance in the direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A golf club head comprising:
a club body having a crown opposite a sole, a toe end opposite a heel end, a back end opposite a face, and a hosel, the sole including a sole surface; and
a resting face angle adjuster including:

a recess positioned on the sole;
an adjustment member at least partially received in the recess; and
wherein: the recess is closer to the heel end than the toe end; the recess is defined by a bottom wall, a front wall, a back wall opposite the front wall, and opposing sidewalls; the recess comprises a pair of opening in each side wall configured to receive a cylindrical projection to secure the adjustment member to the recess; the adjustment member comprises a bottom surface, a keel surface opposite the bottom surface, a first end, and a second end opposite the first end; the cylindrical projection project outward from the first end and a cylindrical projection project outward from the second end;

a spring is positioned between the front wall and the first end
a threaded bore extending through the club body from the back end to the back wall and configured to engage an adjustment screw;
wherein:
the adjustment screw comprises a tip portion that projects into the recess;
the adjustable screw is configured such that when tip portion abuts the bottom surface the adjustment member rotates about a pivot axis; and

the adjustment member is repositionable within the recess in a plurality of adjustment positions.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the adjustment member is repositionable between a retracted position and an extended position.

3. The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein:
the adjustment member is repositionable in any number of intermediate adjustment positions between the retracted position and the extended position.

4. The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein:
when the adjustment member is in the retracted position, the keel surface is below or flush with an adjacent surface portion.

5. The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein:
when the adjustment member is in the extended position, the keel surface projects above an adjacent surface portion.

6. The golf club head of claim 5 , wherein:
a keel height H is measured orthogonal to the adjacent surface portion, from the adjacent surface portion to the keel surface; and
the keel height H is sufficient to allow the keel surface to contact the ground to generate a keel point when the golf club head is in an address position.

7. The golf club head of claim 5 , wherein:
repositioning the adjustment member from the retracted position to the extended position causes the golf club head to lie in a more closed position; and
in the more closed position, measured with the club head in an address position, the toe end is closer to a golf ball than the heel end.

8. The golf club head of claim 5 , wherein:
the golf club head further comprises a resting face angle, defined as an angle formed between the face and an imaginary line that extends from a golf ball along a player's intended target line at address position; and
the adjustment member is repositionable between the retracted position, with a keel height H of zero, and an extended position, with a keel height H that results in a resting face angle change of between 1 and 10 degrees, compared to the resting face angle with the adjustment member in the retracted position.

9. The golf club head of claim 5 , wherein:
the keel surface is located behind a center of gravity of the golf club head.

10. The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein:
the adjustment member is adjustable within the recess when the adjustment screw is loosened and is fixed when the adjustment screw is tightened.

11. The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein:
the adjustment member is fully within the recess when the adjustment member is in the retracted position.

12. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the adjustment member is positionable in a discrete number of adjustment positions.

13. A golf club head comprising:
a club body having a crown opposite a sole, a toe end opposite a heel end, a back end opposite a face, and a hosel, the sole including a sole surface; and
a resting face angle adjuster including:

a recess positioned on the sole;
an adjustment member at least partially received in the recess; and
wherein a spring is positioned between the recess and the adjustment member;

an adjustment screw;
wherein:
the adjustment member defines a plurality of cylindrical projections; the recess defines a pair of openings configured to receive the plurality of cylindrical projections; wherein: the plurality of cylindrical projections defines a pivot axis;

the adjustment member is repositionable by in a plurality of positions, including a retracted position and an extended position;
the adjustment member does not extend through the opening in the sole surface, in the retracted position;
the adjustment member projects through the opening in the sole surface, in the extended position;
the golf club head comprises a resting face angle, defined as the angle formed between the face and an imaginary line that extends from the golf ball along a player's intended target line at address position; and
repositioning the adjustment member changes the resting face angle.

14. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein:
the adjustment member is repositionable in any number of intermediate adjustment positions between the retracted position and the extended position.

15. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein:
the adjustment member is positionable in a discrete number of adjustment positions.

16. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein:
the adjustment screw is rotatably adjustable within a threaded bore so that a tip portion projects through the back wall into the recess; and
the tip portion engages the adjustment member.

17. The golf club head of claim 16 , wherein:
the adjustment member is rotatable about the pivot axis.

18. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein:
a keel surface is located behind a center of gravity of the golf club head.

19. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein:
with the club head resting in an address position, when the adjustment member is in the extended position, the toe end is closer to a golf ball than the heel end, compared to when the adjustment member is in the retracted position.

20. A golf club head of claim 13 , wherein:
a resting face angle is measured, with the club head at address, between the face and an imaginary line that extends from a golf ball along an intended target line at address;
the resting face angle is zero when the face is perpendicular to the intended target line;
when the adjusting member is repositioned from the first adjustment position to the second adjustment position, a resting face angle change is altered by a degree amount selected from the group consisting of: 1 degree, 2 degrees, 3 degrees, 4 degrees, 5 degrees, 6 degrees, 7 degrees, 8 degrees, 9 degrees, and 10 degrees.

Assignees

• Karsten Mfg Corp

Inventors

• Jertson Martin R
• Lee Daniel K
• Chen Xiaojian
• Milleman Travis D

Classifications

• A63B53/06 Primary

  adjustable · CPC title

• A63B53/0466

  wood-type · CPC title

• A63B60/52

  with slits · CPC title

• A63B53/0433 Primary

  with special sole configurations · CPC title

• A63B53/0445

  Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface · CPC title