Golf Club Head and Hosel Weight

Abstract

A golf club head includes a body having a front face for impacting a golf ball and a hosel having a bore. The body including the hosel may be made of a material such as steel. A hosel weight mounted in the hosel bore may be made of another material such as tungsten which has a greater density than the material forming the body. The hosel weight has a bore for receiving one end of a golf club shaft.

Description

BACKGROUND

This invention relates generally to golf equipment and, in particular, to a golf club head.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,790 to Kubica et al discloses an iron-type golf club head with a heel portion, a toe portion and a front face arranged for impact with a golf ball. In one example, golf club heads such as shown in the Kubica et al patent may be designed so that their center of gravity is directly behind or near the golf ball impact zone which may be located at the geometric center of the front face. The moment of inertia of a golf club head can be increased by positioning more weight in the heel and toe portions of the golf club head.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf club head including a hosel into which a hosel weight according to the present invention is mounted;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a heel portion of the golf club head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view similar to FIG. 2 with the hosel weight removed;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the heel portion of the golf club head shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5; and

FIGS. 7-9 are enlarged views showing different embodiments of the club head hosel.

DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, an iron-type golf club head H includes a body B with a sole 10, a top edge 12, a heel portion 14, a toe portion 16 and a front face 18 arranged for impacting a golf ball. Front face 18 extends between the heel and toe portions 14, 16. The golf club head H also includes a hosel 20 with a generally cylindrical shape on the heel portion 14 of the body B. The hosel 20 has a longitudinal axis A and a generally cylindrical bore 22 defined by its peripheral wall 26 for receiving a hosel weight 24. The hosel bore 22 is offset (i.e. not concentric) with respect to the longitudinal axis A. The heel portion 14 of the body B includes a shoulder 15 adjacent a lower end of the hosel bore 22. Mounted in the hosel 20 is the hosel weight 24. The hosel weight 24 may be fastened in the hosel 20 by conventional means such as adhesive or mechanical devices. Although FIGS. 1-5 may depict an iron-type golf club head, the apparatus and methods described herein may be applicable to other suitable types of golf club heads (e.g., driver-type golf club heads, fairway wood-type golf club heads, hybrid-type golf club heads, wedge-type golf club heads, putter-type golf club heads, etc.).

The hosel weight 24 has a longitudinal axis C and a generally cylindrical bore 28 which receives one end of a golf club shaft (not shown). When the hosel weight 24 is mounted in the hosel bore 22, its bore 28 is concentric with the hosel longitudinal axis A and the hosel weight 24 contacts the shoulder 15. The hosel weight bore 28 is offset (i.e., not concentric) with respect to the longitudinal axis C of the hosel weight 24. Therefore, a peripheral wall 30 of the hosel weight 24 that defines the bore 28 has a varying thickness dimension. As shown in FIG. 3, the peripheral wall 30 has a thickness dimension T1 at its thickest point and a thickness dimension T2 at its thinnest point. This results in the hosel weight 24 having significantly more mass in the vicinity of the thickness dimension T1 than in the vicinity of the thickness dimension T2. As seen in FIG. 3, the hosel weight 24 may be positioned so that its longitudinal axis C is offset from the hosel longitudinal axis A in a direction extending generally from the toe portion 16 toward the heel portion 14.

Alternatively, the hosel weight 24 may be rotated 180 degrees from the position shown in FIG. 3 so that its longitudinal axis C is offset from the hosel longitudinal axis A in a direction extending generally from the heel portion 14 toward the toe portion 16. It will be understood that in this alternative position, thickness dimension T1 of the hosel weight peripheral wall 30 is shifted 180 degrees from where it is located in FIG. 3. The hosel 20 may also be modified so that its bore 22 is offset with respect to the longitudinal axis A toward the body toe portion 16 instead of toward the body heel portion 14.

In one embodiment, the body B including the hosel 20 is made of metallic material such as steel having a first density while the hosel weight 24 is made of a metallic material such as tungsten having a second density which is greater than the first density. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the body B including the hosel 20 is made of titanium and the hosel weight is made of either zirconium or tungsten. In further embodiments, the body B including the hosel 20 is made of composite material and the hosel weight 24 is made of either metal or another composite material. It is preferred, but not required, that the material (i.e. tungsten or zirconium) forming the hosel weight 24 will have a higher density than the material (i.e. steel or titanium) forming the body B including the hosel 20.

The hosel weight 24 adds mass to the hosel 20 which increases the moment of inertia of the club head H. The amount of mass added to the hosel 20 is significantly increased and the moment of inertia of the club head H is significantly increased when the hosel weight 24 is made of denser material, as described above, than the body B. With the hosel weight 24 mounted in the hosel 20, the center of gravity of the club head H is shifted toward the heel portion 14 of the body B.

As stated above, the hosel bore 22 is offset (i.e. not concentric) with respect to the longitudinal axis A of the hosel 20. This offset results in the peripheral wall 26 of the hosel 20 having a varying thickness dimension similar to the varying thickness dimension of the peripheral wall 30 of the hosel weight 24. The combination of the hosel 20 and the hosel weight 24 results in hosel weight bore 28 being centered with respect to the outer periphery of the hosel 20 when the hosel weight 24 is mounted in the hosel bore 22.

Referring to FIGS. 7-9, hosels 20a, 20b and 20c are similar to hosel 20 except that their bores 22a, 22b, and 22c have different shapes than the cylindrical bore 22 in hosel 20. For example, the bore 22a in hosel 20a is rectangular and the longitudinal axis C of the hosel weight 24 is offset from the hosel longitudinal axis A. The bore 22b in hosel 20b is polygonal and the longitudinal axis C of the hosel weight 24 is offset from the hosel longitudinal axis A. The bore 22c in hosel 20c is elliptical and the longitudinal axis C of the hosel weight 24 is offset from the hosel longitudinal axis A. In the hosels 20a, 20b and 20c, the peripheral walls 26a, 26b and 26c that define the bores 22a, 22b and 22c have a thickness dimension T1 at their thickest point and a thickness dimension T2 at their thinnest point. In each of the hosels 20a, 20b and 20c, thickness dimension T1 is greater than thickness dimension T2.

It will be understood that when using the hosels 20a, 20b and 20c, the hosel weight 24 will be modified to have an outer shape that is complimentary to the bores 22a, 22b and 22c. For example, when using the hosel 20a, the hosel weight 24 will be modified to have a generally rectangular outer shape. When using the hosel 20b, the hosel weight 24 will be modified to have a generally polygonal outer shape and, when using the hosel 20c, the hosel weight 24 will be modified to have a generally elliptical outer shape.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body having a heel portion, a toe portion and front face extending between said heel and toe portions for impacting a golf ball;

said body including a hosel having a longitudinal axis and a bore; and

a hosel weight mounted in said hosel bore, said hosel weight having a longitudinal axis and a bore for receiving one end of a golf club shaft, said hosel weight longitudinal axis being offset from said hosel longitudinal axis.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said hosel weight bore is offset with respect to said hosel weight longitudinal axis.

3. The golf club head of claim 2, wherein said hosel weight has a peripheral wall defining its bore, and wherein said hosel weight peripheral wall has a varying thickness dimension.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein said hosel bore is offset with respect to said hosel longitudinal axis.

5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein said hosel weight bore is concentric with respect to said hosel longitudinal axis.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

said body is made of a material having a first density;

said hosel weight is made of a material having a second density; and

said second density is greater than said first density.

7. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein said body including said hosel is made of steel and wherein said hosel weight is made of tungsten.

8. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein said body including said hosel is made of titanium and wherein said hosel weight is made of zirconium.

9. The golf club head of claim 6, wherein said body including said hosel is made of titanium and wherein said hosel weight is made of tungsten.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said hosel weight longitudinal axis is offset relative to said hosel longitudinal axis in a direction extending generally from said body toe portion toward said body heel portion.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein said hosel bore is generally cylindrical.

12. An iron-type golf club head comprising:

a body having a sole, a top edge, a heel portion, a toe portion and front face extending between said heel and toe portions for impacting a golf ball;

said body including a hosel adjacent said heel portion, said hosel having a longitudinal axis and a bore; and

a hosel weight mounted in said hosel bore, said hosel weight having a longitudinal axis and a bore for receiving one end of a golf club shaft, said hosel weight longitudinal axis being offset from said hosel longitudinal axis.

13. The iron-type golf club head of claim 12, wherein said hosel weight bore is offset with respect to said hosel weight longitudinal axis.

14. The iron-type golf club head of claim 13, wherein said hosel weight has a peripheral wall defining its bore, and wherein said hosel weight peripheral wall has a varying thickness dimension.

15. The iron-type golf club head of claim 14, wherein said hosel bore is offset with respect to said hosel longitudinal axis.

16. The iron-type golf club head of claim 15, wherein said hosel weight bore is concentric with respect to said hosel longitudinal axis.

17. The iron-type golf club head of claim 12, wherein:

said body is made of a material having a first density;

said hosel weight is made of a material having a second density; and

said second density is greater than said first density.

18. The iron-type golf club head of claim 17, wherein said body including said hosel is made of steel and wherein said hosel weight is made of tungsten.

19. The iron-type golf club head of claim 17, wherein said body including said hosel is made of titanium and wherein said hosel weight is made of zirconium.

20. The iron-type golf club head of claim 17, wherein said body including said hosel is made of titanium and wherein said hosel weight is made of tungsten.

21. The iron-type golf club head of claim 12, wherein said hosel weight longitudinal axis is offset relative to said hosel longitudinal axis in a direction extending generally from said body toe portion toward said body heel portion.

22. The iron-type golf club head of claim 12, wherein said hosel bore is generally cylindrical.

23. A method of making a golf club head comprising:

providing a body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a front face extending between said heel and toe portions for impacting a golf ball, and a hosel having a longitudinal axis and bore; and

mounting a hosel weight having a longitudinal axis in said hosel bore so that a bore in said hosel weight receives one end of a golf club shaft with said hosel weight longitudinal axis being offset from said hosel longitudinal axis.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said hosel weight longitudinal axis is offset relative to said hosel longitudinal axis in a direction extending generally from said body toe portion toward said body heel portion.