Golf club having an adjustable weight assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12246227-B2
Application number	US-202318319398-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2023
Priority date	Apr 18, 2019
Publication date	Mar 11, 2025
Grant date	Mar 11, 2025

Abstract

A golf club head includes: a body including: a striking face having a lower edge and an opposite upper edge; a sole extending from the lower edge; and a crown extending from the upper edge, wherein the striking face, the sole, and the crown, define at least part of an outer surface of the body; a recessed channel formed in the outer surface; and a weight assembly including: a weight; a cover extending at least partially over the recessed channel; and a threaded fastener configured to engage with the cover and to move the cover between a locked position and an unlocked position, wherein the weight is slidably engaged with the cover such that the weight moves with the cover between the locked position and the unlocked position, and wherein the weight assembly is configured such that the weight is slidable relative to the cover when the cover is in the unlocked position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

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

a recessed channel formed in the outer surface; and
a weight assembly comprising:
a weight;
a cover extending at least partially over the recessed channel; and
a threaded fastener configured to engage with the cover and to move the cover between a locked position and an unlocked position,

wherein the weight is slidably engaged with the cover such that the weight moves with the cover between the locked position and the unlocked position,
wherein the weight assembly is configured such that the weight is slidable relative to the cover when the cover is in the unlocked position, and
wherein the threaded fastener is selectively movable along a fastener axis and is coupled to the cover such that the threaded fastener is rotatable relative to the cover and such that the cover is moveable with the threaded fastener along the fastener axis.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the weight assembly is configured such that the weight contacts one or more walls defining the recessed channel when the cover is in the locked position.

3. The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein the weight assembly is configured such that the cover compresses the weight against the one or more walls defining the recessed channel when the cover is in the locked position.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the threaded fastener is coupled to the cover such that the cover moves with the threaded fastener along the fastener axis between the locked and unlocked positions.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein a sliding direction along which the weight is slidable relative to the cover when the cover is in the unlocked position is different from a direction along which the cover is configured to be moved between the locked and unlocked positions.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein one of the cover or the weight comprises a protruding portion, the other one of the cover or the weight has a groove shaped and sized to at least partially receive the protruding portion to slidably engage the weight to the cover.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the threaded fastener is adapted to retain the weight in the recessed channel only indirectly by the cover.

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

a recessed channel formed in the outer surface; and
a weight assembly comprising a weight, a cover, and a fastener,
wherein the cover is positionable in a locked position and an unlocked position, and
wherein the weight is coupled with the cover such that the weight is slidably engaged with the cover when the cover is in the unlocked position, and such that movement of the weight relative to the cover is restrained by the cover when the cover is in the locked position.

9. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the weight assembly is configured such that the weight is compressed between the cover and one or more walls defining the recessed channel when the cover is in the locked position.

10. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the recessed channel comprises at least one locating lug extending into the recessed channel, and the weight is configured to engage with the at least one locating lug when the cover is in the locked position.

11. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the cover is linearly movable between the locked and unlocked positions.

12. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the fastener is selectively movable along a fastener axis and is coupled to the cover via a lock washer such that the fastener is rotatable relative to the cover and such that the cover is moveable with the fastener along the fastener axis.

13. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the weight is slidably engaged with the cover such that the weight moves with the cover between the locked and unlocked positions.

14. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the fastener is adapted to retain the weight in the recessed channel only indirectly by the cover.

15. A golf club head comprising:
a body;
a recessed channel formed in the body;
a cover adapted to at least partially cover the recessed channel;
a threaded fastener coupling the cover to the body, selectively movable along a fastener axis, and coupled to the cover such that the threaded fastener moves the cover from a locked position to an unlocked position when the threaded fastener is moved along the fastener axis from a lowered position to a raised position; and
a weight slidably engaged with the cover such that the weight is slidable relative to the cover when the cover is in the unlocked position,
wherein the threaded fastener is coupled to the cover such that the threaded fastener is rotatable relative to the cover and such that the cover is linearly movable with the threaded fastener along the fastener axis.

16. The golf club head of claim 15 , wherein the threaded fastener is coupled to the cover via a lock washer.

17. The golf club head of claim 15 , wherein the cover is configured to compress the weight against one or more walls defining the recessed channel when the cover is in the locked position.

18. The golf club head of claim 15 , wherein the golf club head is a metal wood golf club head comprising:
a striking face having a lower edge and an opposite upper edge;
a sole extending rearwardly from the lower edge; and
a crown coupled between the upper edge and the sole,
wherein the striking face, the sole, and the crown, define at least part of an outer surface of the body, and
wherein the recessed channel is formed in the outer surface of the body.

19. The golf club head of claim 15 , wherein the weight is slidably engaged with the cover such that the weight moves with the cover when the cover is moved from the locked position to the unlocked position.

20. The golf club head of claim 15 , wherein the cover comprises an elongated flange extending along a toe-heel direction of the body, and the weight has a groove shaped and sized to receive at least part of the flange to slidably engage the weight to the cover.

Assignees

• Acushnet Co

Inventors

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

Classifications

• A63B53/0437

  with special crown configurations · CPC title

• A63B53/045

  Strengthening ribs · CPC title

• A63B53/0466

  wood-type · CPC title

• A63B53/047

  iron-type · CPC title

• A63B2053/0495

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