Golf club heads with hosel inserts and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12070660-B2
Application number	US-202117330309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2021
Priority date	Aug 31, 2011
Publication date	Aug 27, 2024
Grant date	Aug 27, 2024

Abstract

A golf club head includes a hosel and a shaft sleeve insertable into the hosel, A shaft sleeve body of the shaft sleeve, the shaft sleeve body includes an outer wall and a first coupler protruding from the sleeve outer wall and having a first coupler surface area, a second coupler protruding from the sleeve outer wall and having a second coupler surface area, a third coupler protruding from the sleeve outer wall and having a third coupler surface area, and a fourth coupler protruding from the sleeve outer wall and having a fourth coupler surface area. Each of the first second, third and fourth couplers has an arcuate surface continuously curved throughout its respective surface area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A golf club head comprising:
a club head body comprising:
a sole portion comprising a sole bottom end, a top portion opposite the sole portion,
a heel portion, a toe portion opposite the heel portion, a rear portion, a front portion opposite the rear portion, the front portion comprising a strike face; and
a hosel;
a shaft sleeve insertable into the hosel and configured to couple a golf club shaft with the hosel; and
a securing fastener configured to couple to a sleeve bottom end of the shaft sleeve to secure the shaft sleeve in the hosel;
wherein:
the hosel comprises a hosel bore configured to receive the shaft sleeve;
the shaft sleeve comprises:
a shaft bore configured to receive an end of the golf club shaft;
a shaft sleeve body comprising a shaft sleeve outer wall;
a shaft sleeve cap configured to be coupled with the shaft sleeve body;
a sleeve top end;
a sleeve bottom end;
a sleeve axis extending longitudinally between the sleeve top end and sleeve bottom end;

the shaft sleeve body further comprising:
a first coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a first coupler surface area over an entirety of said first coupler;

a second coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a second coupler surface area over an entirety of said second coupler;
a third coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a third coupler surface area over an entirety of said third coupler; and
a fourth coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a fourth coupler surface area over an entirety of said fourth coupler;
the first coupler comprising a first arcuate surface continuously curved throughout the first coupler surface area;
the second coupler comprising a second arcuate surface continuously curved throughout the second coupler surface area;
the third coupler comprising a third arcuate surface continuously curved throughout the third coupler surface area;
the fourth coupler comprising a fourth arcuate surface continuously curved throughout the fourth coupler surface area;

the shaft bore further comprising a shaft bore axis;
wherein the shaft sleeve outer wall and shaft bore are non-coaxial; and
wherein the first coupler, the second coupler, the third coupler, and the fourth coupler form a smooth perimeter defined by concave and convex surfaces around the shaft sleeve outer wall.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the hosel further comprises a hosel axis and a bottom horizontal axis, the bottom horizontal axis being horizontally tangent to the sole bottom end; wherein the hosel axis defines a hosel lie angle relative to the bottom horizontal axis; and wherein the shaft bore axis and sleeve axis together define a change in loft angle and a change in lie angle relative to the hosel lie angle.

3. The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein:
a first coupler position defines a first loft angle and a first lie angle between the shaft bore axis and the bottom horizontal axis;
a second coupler position defines a second loft angle and a second lie angle between the shaft bore axis and the bottom horizontal axis;
a third coupler position defines a third loft angle and a third lie angle between the shaft bore axis and the bottom horizontal axis;
a fourth coupler position defines a fourth loft angle and a fourth lie angle between the shaft bore axis and the bottom horizontal axis.

4. The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein:
the first lie angle is between 0.2 degrees and 4 degrees less than the hosel lie angle.

5. The golf club head of claim 4 , wherein the first loft angle remains in a neutral orientation.

6. The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein:
the second lie angle is between 0.2 degrees and 4 degrees greater than the hosel lie angle.

7. The golf club head of claim 6 , wherein the second loft angle remains in a neutral orientation.

8. The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the third lie angle remains in a neutral orientation.

9. The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the fourth lie angle remains in a neutral orientation.

10. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the shaft sleeve further comprises a fifth coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a fifth arcuate surface curved throughout the fifth coupler; and
a sixth coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a sixth arcuate surface curved throughout the sixth coupler.

11. A golf club head comprising:
a club head body comprising:
a sole portion comprising a sole bottom end, a top portion opposite the sole portion, a heel portion, a toe portion opposite the heel portion, a rear portion, a front portion opposite the rear portion, the front portion comprising a strike face;
a hosel; and
a golf coupling mechanism comprising:
a shaft sleeve configured to be coupled to an end of a golf club shaft and a hosel;
a shaft receiver of the golf club head configured to receive the shaft sleeve and having a shaft receiver inner wall;
wherein:
the shaft sleeve comprises:
a shaft bore configured to receive the end of the golf club shaft;
a shaft sleeve body comprising a shaft sleeve outer wall;
a shaft sleeve cap configured to be coupled with the shaft sleeve;
a sleeve top end;
a sleeve bottom end;
a sleeve axis extending longitudinally between the sleeve top end and sleeve bottom end;
a coupler set comprising:
a first coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a first coupler surface area over an entirety of said first coupler;
a second coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a second coupler surface area over an entirety of said second coupler;
a third coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a third coupler surface area over an entirety of said third coupler; and
a fourth coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a fourth coupler surface area over an entirety of said fourth coupler;

wherein:
the shaft bore comprises a shaft bore axis;
the first coupler comprises a first arcuate surface curved throughout the first coupler surface area;
the second coupler comprises a second arcuate surface curved throughout the second coupler surface area;
the third coupler comprises a third arcuate surface curved throughout the third coupler surface area;
the fourth coupler comprises a fourth arcuate surface curved throughout the fourth coupler surface area; and

the shaft receiver comprises:
a fifth coupler indented into the shaft receiver inner wall and comprising a fifth coupler surface area over an entirety of said fifth coupler;
a sixth coupler indented into the shaft receiver inner wall and comprising a sixth coupler surface area over an entirety of said sixth coupler;
a seventh coupler indented into the shaft receiver inner wall and comprising a seventh coupler surface area over an entirety of said seventh coupler;
an eighth coupler indented into the shaft receiver inner wall and comprising a eighth coupler surface area over an entirety of said eighth coupler;
the fifth coupler comprises a fifth arcuate surface curved throughout the fifth coupler surface area;
the sixth coupler comprises a sixth arcuate surface curved throughout the sixth coupler surface area;
the seventh coupler comprises a seventh arcuate surface curved throughout the seventh coupler surface area;
the eighth coupler comprises an eighth arcuate surface curved throughout the eighth coupler surface area; and

wherein the shaft sleeve outer wall and shaft bore are non-coaxial; and
wherein an outer surface of the coupler set forms a smooth perimeter d

Assignees

• Karsten Mfg Corp

Inventors

• Clarke Jacob T
• Morales Eric J
• Stokke Ryan M
• Greer Evan R
• Cole Eric V
• Kultala David S

Classifications

• A63B53/023

  adjustable angular orientation · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• A63B53/0466

  wood-type · CPC title

• A63B53/02 Primary

  Joint structures between the head and the shaft · CPC title