Golf clubs with hosel inserts and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9327170-B2
Application number	US-201414282786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2014
Priority date	Aug 31, 2011
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments of golf clubs with hosel inserts are presented herein. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A golf club head comprising:
an exterior head surface comprising:
a strike face;
an exterior crown surface coupled to the strike face, the exterior crown surface comprising an exterior hosel surface, and the exterior hosel surface comprising a top opening that provides access to an interior head volume of the golf club head; and
an exterior sole surface coupled to the strike face and opposite the exterior crown surface;

an interior head surface opposite the exterior head surface and defining the interior head volume;
a receiver located within the interior head volume and comprising:
a receiver hosel structure adjacent to the top opening and defined at least in part by the interior head surface opposite the exterior hosel surface; and
a receiver lower structure separated by the interior head volume from the receiver hosel structure;

and
a shaft sleeve comprising a sleeve bottom coupler;
wherein:
the receiver lower structure comprises a receiver bottom coupler that is complementary with the sleeve bottom coupler and that is configured to secure the sleeve bottom coupler when the shaft sleeve is seated in the receiver;
one of the sleeve bottom coupler or the receiver bottom coupler comprises:
a female coupler comprising:
a tub bottom surface; and
a tub wall bounding the tub bottom surface; and
a tub diameter of the tub bottom surface bounded by the tub wall;

a different one of the sleeve bottom coupler or the receiver bottom coupler comprises:
a male coupler comprising:
a male coupler bottom surface; and
a male coupler diameter of the male coupler bottom surface;

when the shaft sleeve is fully seated in the receiver:
the tub diameter complementarily accommodates the male coupler diameter; and
the tub bottom surface remains separated from the male coupler bottom surface;

a majority of a top end of the receiver lower structure is exposed to a majority of the interior head volume; and
the majority of the top end of the receiver lower structure is decoupled from the receiver hosel structure.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the receiver lower structure is defined at least in part by the interior head surface.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the shaft sleeve further comprises a first sleeve coupler;
the receiver hosel structure comprises a first receiver coupler adjacent to the top opening; and
the first receiver coupler is complementary to, and configured to mate with, the first sleeve coupler when the shaft sleeve is fully seated in the receiver.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the receiver is configured to receive the shaft sleeve through the top opening; and
when the shaft sleeve is fully seated in the receiver, a majority of a bottom half of the shaft sleeve is exposed to the interior head volume of the golf club head.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the receiver bottom coupler is configured to restrict a heel-to-toe direction displacement of the sleeve bottom coupler when the shaft sleeve is secured in the receiver.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the receiver lower structure is devoid of one or more anti-rotation couplers with which to restrict a rotational movement of the shaft sleeve when the shaft sleeve is fully seated in the receiver.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the tub bottom surface is substantially flat and circular; and
the male coupler bottom surface is substantially flat and circular.

8. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
a surface area of the top end of the receiver lower structure is greater than a surface area of the tub bottom surface bounded by the tub wall.

9. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
the exterior hosel surface comprises a hosel top end bounding the top opening; and
the hosel top end comprises a hosel top diameter less than or equal to 15.2 mm.

10. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
a maximum distance from a bottom end of the receiver hosel structure to the top end of the receiver lower structure is up to approximately 25.4 mm.

11. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:
a maximum distance from the top opening to the top end of the receiver lower structure is up to approximately 38.1 mm.

12. The golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fastener configured to be received by the receiver lower structure.

13. A golf club head comprising:
an exterior head surface comprising:
a strike face;
an exterior crown surface coupled to the strike face, the exterior crown surface comprising an exterior hosel surface, and the exterior hosel surface comprising a top opening that provides access to an interior head volume of the golf club head; and
an exterior sole surface coupled to the strike face and opposite the exterior crown surface;

an interior head surface opposite the exterior head surface and defining the interior head volume;
a receiver located within the interior head volume and comprising:
a receiver hosel structure adjacent to the top opening and defined at least in part by the interior head surface opposite the exterior hosel surface; and
a receiver lower structure separated by the interior head volume from the receiver hosel structure;

and
the shaft sleeve;
wherein:
the receiver lower structure comprises:
a receiver bottom coupler bounded by the top perimeter of the receiver lower structure;

the receiver bottom coupler is complementary with a sleeve bottom coupler of a shaft sleeve and configured to secure the sleeve bottom coupler when the shaft sleeve is seated in the receiver;
the receiver hosel structure comprises a first receiver coupler adjacent to the top opening;
the shaft sleeve comprises a first sleeve coupler complementary to the first receiver coupler of the receiver hosel structure;
when the shaft sleeve is fully seated in the receiver, the first receiver coupler engages the first sleeve coupler to restrict a rotation of the shaft sleeve;
an arcuate surface of the first sleeve coupler is curved throughout an entire surface area of the first sleeve coupler;
an arcuate surface of the first receiver coupler is curved throughout an entire surface area of the first receiver coupler; and
at least 25% of a top perimeter of the receiver lower structure is decoupled from a bottom perimeter of the receiver hosel structure.

14. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein:
a top end of the receiver lower structure is bounded by the top perimeter and separated from the receiver hosel structure by a structural void in the interior head volume.

15. The golf club head of claim 13 , further wherein:
the shaft sleeve comprises a bore and a bore wall bounding the bore; and
the bore wall comprises one or more voids therethrough extending from the bore to an exterior of the shaft sleeve.

16. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein:
the receiver lower structure comprises a fastener passageway that extends to the interior head volume through the interior and exterior head surfaces;
the exterior hosel surface defines a hosel axis about which the exterior hosel surface is centered; and
the hosel axis extends through a center of the fastener passageway and a center of the top opening.

17. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein:
the first receiver coupler is configured to mate with the first sleeve coupler when the shaft sleeve is fully seated in the receiver.

18. The golf club head of claim 13 , wherein:
the exterior hosel surface comprises a hosel top end bounding the top opening

Assignees

• Karsten Mfg Corp

Inventors

• Solheim John A
• Cole Eric V
• Blankenship Jeffrey A
• Morales Eric J
• Stokke Ryan M
• Jertson Martin R

Classifications

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• A63B2053/023

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A63B53/02 Primary

  Joint structures between the head and the shaft · CPC title

• A63B53/0466 Primary

  wood-type · CPC title

• A63B53/023

  adjustable angular orientation · CPC title