Patents by Inventor Karl A. Clausen

Karl A. Clausen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20140349777
    Abstract: The invention provides a golf club head having a port for providing a view into the interior cavity of the club head. The club head further includes at least one rib positioned along an internal surface of the club head and adjacent to the port. The at least one rib is configured to provide sound tuning characteristics, increasing the frequency of the port, thereby improving acoustic properties of the club head, particularly the sound produced by the golf club head during ball impact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Tim A. Beno, Karl Clausen
  • Publication number: 20140323237
    Abstract: A golf club head having an insert mechanically coupled to a frame. The construction allows a golf club head to be fabricated with a combination of dissimilar materials, resulting in a club head with improved performance. In some embodiments, the insert comprises an outer insert material, an inner insert material, and a sandwiched material. The sandwiched material may be constructed with a plurality of voids having a varying distribution, thereby resembling a biological structure. Methods for forming a golf club having an insert mechanically coupled to a frame are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: COBRA GOLF INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Tim A. Beno, Karl Clausen, Richard Romo Sanchez
  • Publication number: 20140228142
    Abstract: The invention provides a golf club head that includes a weight adjustment system inside of the club head. Preferably, when the club is played, no part of the adjustment system is directly accessible or exposed to an exterior of the club. The club head may include a panel that opens or is removable, or the club head may be disassembled to provide access to the internal weight adjustment system. A weight adjustment system generally includes at least one mechanism by which a mass distribution of the golf club head can be changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: COBRA GOLF INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Tim A. Beno, Joshua G. Breier, Karl A. Clausen, Andrew Curtis, Cameron J. Day, Caleb Kroloff, Douglas E. Roberts, Ryan L. Roach, Richard Romo Sanchez, Peter L. Soracco, Michael S. Yagley
  • Publication number: 20140187346
    Abstract: The invention provides a golf club head with a fully removable component that can withstand the stress of repeated hits. When assembled, the removable component is held in place by a fastening mechanism that includes structural elements that distribute the holding force across the component and tend to equalize the forces around the periphery where the component meets the body. The fastening mechanism may include a post that reaches across the open space within the hollow club head, pulling the removable component towards an opposed main club head body. Since a golf club of the present invention can be opened, it may include a mechanism on the inside for use by a golfer, such as an electronic device or an adjustment mechanism. The golf club may include a weight adjustment system that allows the club to be custom-fitted to a golfer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: COBRA GOLF INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Tim A. Beno, Joshua G. Breier, Karl A. Clausen, Andrew Curtis, Caleb Kroloff, Steven M. Mitzel, Scott H. Moreira, Richard Romo Sanchez, Peter L. Soracco
  • Patent number: 8715108
    Abstract: The present invention is directed at a quick release connection system to facilitate customization of golf clubs. It can be used to interchange soleplates quickly and easily. Teeth are disposed on the inside of a frame so that a soleplate may be inserted with minimal resistance, but cannot be removed without specific steps which may require the use of a simple tool. Strengthening and interlock devices are provided to ensure performance quality akin to traditional golf clubs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: Karl Clausen, Peter L. Soracco
  • Publication number: 20130324299
    Abstract: The invention generally relates to golf clubs with adjustable mass properties. In certain aspects, the invention provides methods and mechanisms for adjusting a club head center of gravity in a vertical direction. Changing a center of gravity in the vertical direction can be done without substantially changing the center of a gravity in other directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Inventors: Karl A. Clausen, Peter L. Soracco, Richard Romo Sanchez, Joshua G. Breier, Ryan L. Roach, Tim A. Beno, Andrew Curtis, Bret A. Newmiller, David Morelock
  • Publication number: 20130244805
    Abstract: A releasable connection system for assembling a shaft and a club head, e.g., a golf club shaft and a golf club head. The connection system provides interchangeability between a shaft and a club head and allows the head to be adjusted with respect to the shaft. The mating structures between the shaft and the club head may be indexed for reproducible placement. In an embodiment, the connection system also includes retaining structures that maintain the connection fastener position when the head and shaft are separated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: Jesse Bolane, Joshua G. Breier, Karl A. Clausen, Andrew Curtis, Steven M. Mitzel, Scott H. Moreira
  • Publication number: 20130225311
    Abstract: This application generally relates to sets of golf clubs including at least one adjustable club to provide a set with no distance gap. The adjustable club may include a loft-adjustment mechanism and a mechanism to prevent unintended face-angle change. The club is reliable for shots covering the full range of distances associated with multiple loft settings. Thus, an adjustable club can be included in a golfer's golf bag and can play double-duty in terms of the ranges of shot distances it is reliably useful for. In this way, the golfer's bag can contain fourteen clubs that cover all desired ranges between the putter and the driver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: COBRA GOLF INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Karl A. Clausen, Thomas W. Preece, Douglas E. Roberts
  • Publication number: 20130225317
    Abstract: The invention generally provides a golf club head having a sole with a region for surface contact such that, when an adjustable club is given different settings, if the club is held at address resting on a surface, the club naturally comes to a rest position in which it exhibits substantially the same face angle in any adjusted setting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: COBRA GOLF INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Karl A. Clausen, Thomas W. Preece, Douglas E. Roberts
  • Publication number: 20130196784
    Abstract: The invention generally relates to a setting indicator for a golf club having an adjustable attribute. The invention provides a component to serve as a setting indicator or setting display device for a golf club or a golf club having a setting indicator. The setting indicator includes a window and an adjustment mechanism configured to provide a golf club with a selected attribute while also displaying an indicia through the window to provide information about the selected attribute.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: COBRA GOLF INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Karl A. Clausen, Andrew Curtis
  • Publication number: 20130150175
    Abstract: The present invention is directed at a quick release connection system to facilitate customization of golf clubs. It can be used to interchange soleplates quickly and easily. Teeth are disposed on the inside of a frame so that a soleplate may be inserted with minimal resistance, but cannot be removed without specific steps which may require the use of a simple tool. Strengthening and interlock devices are provided to ensure performance quality akin to traditional golf clubs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Inventors: Karl A. Clausen, Peter L. Soracco
  • Patent number: 8449408
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an iron-type golf club that may be included in a set. In particular, the inventive golf club includes an adjustable hosel coupling and a mechanism for altering the sole configuration. The golf club may be included in a set having a progressive sole configuration that provides desired bounce for each club within the set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: Karl A. Clausen, Douglas E. Roberts
  • Publication number: 20130097050
    Abstract: Methods and systems for selecting and fabricating individualized golf clubs or golf club components. Using a website, for example, a golfer can input relevant information about his or her golf game, receive recommendations for golf club components, select from the recommendations, and have the desired golf club components manufactured and delivered. In some embodiments, the golf club components include custom golf club heads fabricated using layer by layer processing, such as direct metal laser sintering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Inventors: Peter L. Soracco, Karl Clausen
  • Patent number: 8403772
    Abstract: The present invention is directed at a quick release connection system to facilitate customization of golf clubs. It can be used to interchange soleplates quickly and easily. Teeth are disposed on the inside of a frame so that a soleplate may be inserted with minimal resistance, but cannot be removed without specific steps which may require the use of a simple tool. Strengthening and interlock devices are provided to ensure performance quality akin to traditional golf clubs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: Karl A. Clausen, Peter L. Soracco
  • Patent number: 8342982
    Abstract: A hitting face of a golf club head having improved flexural stiffness properties. In one embodiment, the hitting face is made from multiple materials. The main portion of the hitting face is a plate-like face made from a first material having a first density. An internal insert made from a second material having a second density that is greater than the first density is attached directly or indirectly to the plate-like face at or near the geometric center thereof. The internal insert increases the flexural stiffness of in a central zone of the hitting face so that a golf club head that has a larger zone of substantially uniform high initial ball speed. In another embodiment, the hitting face includes an insert that includes main plate and at least one wing extending therefrom. The insert is welded to the golf club head so that the main plate does not deflect separately from the remainder of the hitting face. The geometry of the insert controls the stiffness in the axial directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Karl A. Clausen, Scott A. Rice
  • Patent number: D680180
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: Karl A. Clausen, Douglas E. Roberts, Oswaldo Gonzalez
  • Patent number: D684230
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: Douglas E. Roberts, Oswaldo Gonzalez, Austin B. Oliveiro, Karl A. Clausen, David Morelock
  • Patent number: D685040
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: Karl A. Clausen, Andrew Curtis, Douglas E. Roberts
  • Patent number: D708685
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: Christopher D. Harvell, Ryan L. Roach, Cameron J. Day, Douglas E. Roberts, Karl A. Clausen, Sean Tang
  • Patent number: D709149
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: Ryan L. Roach, Cameron J. Day, Oswaldo Gonzalez, Douglas E. Roberts, Karl A. Clausen, Sean Tang