RELEASABLE COMPONENTS FOR A GOLF CLUB

Abstract

The invention generally relates to releasable components for use on golf club heads. In certain aspects, the invention provides a releasable component, including, but not limited to, a face insert, damping insert, discrete weight insert, crown panel, sole panel, heel or toe panel, skirt panel, and the like that may be interchangeable so as to provide customization of the golf club to suit the player's needs. In some embodiments, the releasable component includes an attachment feature configured to releasably engage a corresponding attachment feature on the club head body by way of friction fit. In some embodiments, the releasable component includes a tool interface configured to releasably engage a tool to allow improve the process of attaching or removing the component to or from a golf club head.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure generally relates to golf equipment, and, more particularly, to releasable components for use on golf club heads.

BACKGROUND

The complexities of golf club design are known. The specifications for each component of the club (i.e., the club head, shaft, grip, and subcomponents thereof) directly impact the performance of the club. Thus, by varying design specifications, a golf club can be tailored to have specific performance characteristics. Among the more prominent considerations in club head design are loft, lie, face angle, horizontal face bulge, vertical face roll, center of gravity, rotational moment of inertia, material selection, overall head size, and overall head weight.

Golfers at all skill levels seek to enjoy golf, generally by improving their performance, lowering their golf scores, and reaching that next performance “level.” Golfers need golf clubs that can be used to hit the ball the right distance in the intended direction and enjoy the game more when the golf clubs have been customized and personalized to match their abilities and preferences. There have been attempts to offer golfers the ability to adjust and customize their golf clubs. Some attempts include adjustable weight systems, adjustable loft or lie angles, means to attenuate sound, means to dampen or deflect vibration to improve feel of the club, interchangeable inserts or panels (e.g., face inserts, crowns, portions of the skirt, etc.), each of which allows some form of customization for an individual golfer's playing needs. However, current club designs providing customization capabilities, particularly club systems that allow interchangeability of components, may be difficult to use and assemble.

Club designers and manufacturers often look for new ways to customize golf clubs. For instance, club designers are often looking to distribute weight to provide more forgiveness in a club head, improved accuracy, better spin control, or to provide a particular golf ball trajectory and the like. Various approaches have been implemented for redistributing mass about a golf club head.

Some club designers offer a multi-component club construction, in which one or more portions of the club head may be interchangeable (e.g., separable and recoupable) so as to redistribute weight to provide an associated playing characteristic. Some golf club heads are designed to accept interchangeable components that form portions of the club head body. For example, some club heads are designed to accept interchangeable face inserts, damping inserts, crown panels, sole panels, skirt panels, and the like. A multi-component construction may provide a golfer with the ability to interchange one or more components to achieve a desired playing characteristic.

Similarly, in order to achieve significant localized mass, weights formed of high-density materials have been attached to the sole, skirt, and other parts of a club head. With these types of weights, the method of installation is critical because the club head endures significant loads at impact with a golf ball, which can dislodge the weight. In some examples, individual weights are secured to the club head by way of fasteners (e.g., screws, bolts, etc.). For example, U.S. Publication 2013/0303304 to Sato shows a golf club head having a number of threaded ports in the sole into which weighted elements may be screwed. U.S. Pat. No. 8,684,863 to Bezilla et al. shows a golf club head having a weight mount point defined on a perimeter of the sole to which a weight member is secured via a fastener.

Although current club head designs allow a golfer to customize the club head to their individual preference, these club head designs have drawbacks. For example, the process of changing (removing and attaching) individual components to the club head can be very cumbersome and a time consuming process. For example, in the instance of changing a removable weight, current removable weight designs generally require a golfer to handle three separate items, including: (1) the club head; (2) the weight to be attached to or removed from the club head; and (3) the tool for engaging the weight and aiding in its attachment or removal. The handling of multiple items can be awkward, as the golf club head must be held steady with one hand while the golfer simultaneously handles the separate weight and tool in the other hand, which may present a particularly frustrating experience for the golfer and may result in weights being lost or misplaced. The same issues may be present when adding or removing separate club head components (e.g., face inserts, damping inserts, crown panels, skirt panels, etc.).

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a mechanism configured to improve the process of attaching or removing the component to or from a golf club head. More specifically, the present invention provides a mechanism to aid in the attachment or removal of a component to or from a golf club head. As will be described in greater detail herein, the mechanism may include, but is not limited to, a ball and socket assembly, threaded fastener assembly, tongue and groove assembly, or other releasable coupling means (e.g., magnetic assembly, pins, snaps, staples, etc.) for releasably coupling a releasable component to a golf club head. The releasable component may include, but not limited to, a face insert, damping insert, discrete weight insert, crown panel, sole panel, heel or toe panel, skirt panel, and the like that may be interchangeable so as to provide customization of the golf club to suit the player's needs or playing characteristics.

In certain aspects, the releasable component includes a component body having a distal end to be coupled to a golf club head and a proximal end having a tool interface configured to releasably engage a portion of a tool so as to improve the process of attaching or removing the releasable component to or from the golf club head. In particular, the component body is configured to be releasably coupled to the tool by a detent ball and spring assembly configured to provide a friction fit between the tool interface of the proximal end and a shank portion of the tool. In some embodiments, the tool interface is a socket configured to receive the shank portion of the tool within, such that, upon insertion of the shank portion into the socket, the detent ball and spring assembly is configured to releasably couple the tool to the releasable component, thereby aiding in the process of changing components on the club head.

In one embodiment, the detent ball and spring assembly is included within the socket of the releasable component. In other embodiments, the detent ball and spring assembly is included on the shank portion of the tool. In either embodiment, upon insertion of the shank portion into the socket, the detent ball is configured to provide a friction fit between the releasable component and the tool, thereby releasably coupling the component to the tool to allow improved handling of multiple parts when changing out components on the club head. Accordingly, the present invention provides a golfer with an improved process of attaching or removing a component to or from a golf club head. In particular, the friction fit provided by the detent ball and spring assembly prevents premature disengagement of the releasable component from the tool, thereby allowing a golfer to easily maneuver the releasable component and tool as a single piece when attempting to add, remove, or adjust component placement. This may be particularly useful when attempting to change components in relatively difficult to reach areas of the club head, such as portions within the interior of the club head. Thus, a golfer need only handle the club head and the tool when attaching or removing components.

For example, in the event that the golfer is attaching a weight member to the golf club head, the golfer need only load the weight member onto the shaft portion of the tool and then maneuver the tool so as to align with weight member with a desired weight mount point on the golf club head. The friction fit between the weight member and tool prevents the weight member from prematurely disengaging from the tool until the weight member is attached to the weight mount point of the golf club head. Accordingly, during movement of the tool and subsequent alignment of the weight member, the weight member remains attached to the tool, thereby preventing the opportunity for a lost or misplaced weight member. Upon attachment of the weight member (e.g., via threaded engagement), the golfer may simply remove the shank portion of the tool from the socket of the weight member, which results in disengagement of the detent ball with the shank portion or the interior surface of the recess, depending on the placement of the detent ball and spring assembly. Similarly, in the event that the golfer is removing the weight member from golf club head, the golfer need only insert the shank portion of the tool into the socket, thereby resulting in a friction fit. Upon detachment of the weight member from the golf club head (e.g., loosening the threaded engagement), the weight member remains coupled to the tool (via friction fit) until the user removes the shank portion of the tool from the socket of the weight member, which results in disengagement between the detent ball and the shank portion or interior surface of the recess, depending on the placement of the detent ball and spring assembly.

In certain aspects, the invention provides a releasable component for a golf club head. The releasable component includes a component body having a distal end configured to be coupled to a golf club head and a proximal end having a tool interface configured to receive a shank portion of a tool. The component body is configured to be releasably coupled to the tool by a detent ball and spring assembly configured to provide a friction fit between the tool interface of the proximal end and the shank portion of the tool.

In some embodiments, the detent ball and spring assembly includes a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture formed on the shank portion of the tool, wherein the spring is configured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and along an outer surface of the shank portion of the tool. Upon engagement between the shank portion of the tool and the tool interface of the releasable component, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction towards the spring upon contact between the detent ball and a surface of the tool interface. The detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the surface of the tool interface based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring, thereby releasably coupling the tool to the releasable component.

In other embodiments, the tool interface of the proximal end of the component body includes a recess configured to receive the shank portion of the tool within, wherein the detent ball and spring assembly includes a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture extending from an interior surface of the recess. The spring is configured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and into an interior of the recess. Upon insertion of the shank portion of the tool into the interior of the recess, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction away from the shank portion and towards the spring upon contact between the detent ball and an outer surface of the shank portion. The detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the outer surface of the shank portion based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring, thereby releasably coupling the tool to the releasable component.

In some embodiments, the recess extends entirely through the component body from the proximal end to the distal end, such that the shank portion of the tool is configured to extend entirely through the component body and further extend into a recess of at least an additional releasable component, such that the releasable component and additional releasable component are in stacked configuration along the shank portion of the tool.

The releasable component may be selected from a group consisting of a face insert, a damping insert, a weight member, a crown panel, a sole panel, a heel panel, a toe panel, a skirt panel, and a combination of at least two thereof.

In other aspects, the invention provides a releasable component for a golf club head. The releasable component includes a component body configured to be releasably coupled to a golf club head by way of a detent ball and spring assembly. The detent ball and spring assembly configured to provide a friction fit between an attachment feature of the component body and an associated attachment feature of the golf club head.

In some embodiments, the attachment feature of the component body includes at least one protrusion extending from the component body and the attachment feature of the golf club head includes at least one recess for receiving the at least one protrusion within. However, it should be noted that, in other embodiments, the attachment feature of the component body may include a recess and the attachment feature of the golf club head may include a protrusion.

In one embodiment, the detent ball and spring assembly includes a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture formed along a portion of the protrusion, wherein the spring is configured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and along an outer surface of the protrusion. Upon insertion of the protrusion of the component body into the recess of the golf club head, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction away from an interior surface of the recess and towards the spring upon contact between the detent ball and the interior surface of the recess. The detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the interior surface of the recess based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring.

In another embodiment, the detent ball and spring assembly includes a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture extending from an interior surface of the recess, wherein the spring is configured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and into an interior of the recess. Upon insertion of the protrusion of the component body into the interior of the recess, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction away from the protrusion and towards the spring upon contact between the detent ball and an outer surface of the protrusion. The detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the outer surface of the protrusion based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring.

In other aspects, the invention provides a golf club head including a club head body, a releasable component configured to be releasably coupled to the club head body, a detent ball and spring assembly configured to provide a friction fit between an attachment feature of the releasable component and a corresponding attachment feature of the club head body. One of the attachment features includes a protrusion and the other attachment feature includes a recess for receiving the protrusion within.

In some embodiments, the detent ball and spring assembly includes a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture formed along a portion of the protrusion, wherein the spring is configured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and along an outer surface of the protrusion. Upon insertion of the protrusion into an interior of the recess, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction away from an interior surface of the recess and towards the spring upon contact between the ball and the interior surface of the recess. The detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the interior surface of the recess based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring, thereby releasably coupling the releasable component to the club head body.

In another embodiment, the detent ball and spring assembly includes a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture extending from an interior surface of the recess, wherein the spring is configured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and into an interior of the recess. Upon insertion of the protrusion into the interior of the recess, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction away from the protrusion and towards the spring upon contact between the detent ball and an outer surface of the protrusion. The detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the outer surface of the protrusion based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring, thereby releasably coupling the releasable component to the club head body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a wood-type golf club including an embodiment of a club head consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 illustrating a removable crown panel and an embodiment of a specialty tool for releasably coupling to the crown panel for subsequent attachment or removal of the crown panel to or from the golf club head.

FIG. 5A is a side view, partly in section, of the crown panel and specialty tool of FIG. 4 illustrating the detent ball and spring assembly included within the tool interface of the crown panel.

FIG. 5B is a side view, partly in section, of the interaction between the shank portion of the specialty tool and the detent ball and spring assembly of the tool interface of the crown panel.

FIG. 6A is a side view, partly in section, of the crown panel and specialty tool of FIG. 4 illustrating the detent ball and spring assembly included on the shank portion of the specialty tool.

FIG. 6B is a side view, partly in section, of the interaction between the detent ball and spring assembly on the shank portion and the tool interface of the crown panel.

FIG. 7A shows a crown panel releasably coupled to the shank portion of the tool by way of a friction fit provided by the detent ball and spring system and subsequent alignment of the crown panel with a corresponding mounting section on the golf club head for subsequent attachment thereto.

FIG. 7B shows disengagement of the shank portion from the crown panel upon attachment of the crown panel to the golf club head.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a putter-type golf club head and a separate component configured to be releasably coupled to the putter-type golf club head by way of detent ball and spring assemblies.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the golf club head of FIG. 8 illustrating the separate component releasably coupled to the club head.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a weight member consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the weight member of FIG. 10 illustrating the detent ball and spring assembly in greater detail.

FIG. 12 is a top view of the weight member of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is an exploded side view, partly in section, of the weight member of FIG. 10 illustrating the detent ball and spring assembly in greater detail.

FIG. 14 is a side view, partly in section, of the weight member of FIG. 10 illustrating the detent ball and spring assembly in an assembled configuration.

FIG. 15 shows an embodiment of a specialty tool for attaching or removing the weight member of FIG. 10 to a golf club head.

FIGS. 16A and 16B are side views, partly in section, of the weight member of FIG. 1 illustrating interaction between the shank portion of the specialty tool and the tool interface of the weight member and the detent ball and spring assembly.

FIG. 17 is a bottom view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 illustrating a plurality of weight mount points on the sole of the club head for receiving and retaining a weight member consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 18 is a top view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 illustrating a plurality of weight mount points positioned on an internal surface within the interior cavity of the club head for receiving and retaining a weight member consistent with the present disclosure.

FIG. 19A shows a weight member releasably coupled to the shank portion of the tool by way of a friction fit provided by the detent ball and spring system and alignment of the weight member with a weight mount point for subsequent attachment thereto.

FIG. 19B shows disengagement of the shank portion from the weight member upon attachment of the weight member to the weight mount point.

FIG. 20 is a side view, partly in section, of another embodiment of a weight member consistent with the present disclosure illustrating a tool interface extending entirely through the body of the weight member.

FIG. 21 is a side view, partly in section, of the weight member of FIG. 20 illustrating interaction between the shank portion of the specialty tool and the tool interface of the weight member and the shank portion extending entirely through the weight member.

FIG. 22 shows a specialty tool having a plurality of weight members consistent with the embodiment of FIG. 20 arranged in a stacked configuration along the shank portion of the tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

By way of overview, the present invention is generally directed to releasable components for use with golf club heads. The present invention provides a mechanism configured to improve the process of attaching or removing the component to or from a golf club head. More specifically, the present invention provides a mechanism to aid in the attachment or removal of a component to or from a golf club head. As will be described in greater detail herein, the mechanism may include, but is not limited to, a ball and socket assembly, threaded fastener assembly, tongue and groove assembly, or other releasable coupling means (e.g., magnetic assembly, pins, snaps, staples, etc.) for releasably coupling a releasable component to a golf club head. The releasable component may include, but not limited to, a face insert, damping insert, discrete weight insert, crown panel, sole panel, heel or toe panel, skirt panel, and the like that may be interchangeable so as to provide customization of the golf club to suit the player's needs or playing characteristics.

In certain aspects, the releasable mechanism is included on a releasable component, such that a component body has a distal end to be coupled to a golf club head and a proximal end having a tool interface configured to releasably engage a portion of a tool so as to improve the process of attaching or removing the releasable component to or from the golf club head. In one embodiment, the component body is configured to be releasably coupled to the tool by a detent ball and spring assembly configured to provide a friction fit between the tool interface of the proximal end and a shank portion of the tool. In some embodiments, the tool interface is a socket configured to receive the shank portion of the tool within, such that, upon insertion of the shank portion into the socket, the detent ball and spring assembly is configured to releasably couple the tool to the releasable component, thereby aiding in the process of changing components on the club head.

In one embodiment, the detent ball and spring assembly is included within the socket of the releasable component. In other embodiments, the detent ball and spring assembly is included on the shank portion of the tool. In either embodiment, upon insertion of the shank portion into the socket, the detent ball is configured to provide a friction fit between the releasable component and the tool, thereby releasably coupling the component to the tool to allow improved handling of multiple parts when changing out components on the club head. Accordingly, the present invention provides a golfer with an improved process of attaching or removing a component to or from a golf club head. In particular, the friction fit provided by the detent ball and spring assembly prevents premature disengagement of the releasable component from the tool, thereby allowing a golfer to easily maneuver the releasable component and tool as a single piece when attempting to add, remove, or adjust component placement. This may be particularly useful when attempting to change components in relatively difficult to reach areas of the club head, such as portions within the interior of the club head. Thus, a golfer need only handle the club head and the tool when attaching or removing components.

For example, in the event that the golfer is attaching a weight member to the golf club head, the golfer need only load the weight member onto the shaft portion of the tool and then maneuver the tool so as to align with weight member with a desired weight mount point on the golf club head. The friction fit between the weight member and tool prevents the weight member from prematurely disengaging from the tool until the weight member is attached to the weight mount point of the golf club head. Accordingly, during movement of the tool and subsequent alignment of the weight member, the weight member remains attached to the tool, thereby preventing the opportunity for a lost or misplaced weight member. Upon attachment of the weight member (e.g., via threaded engagement), the golfer may simply remove the shank portion of the tool from the socket of the weight member, which results in disengagement of the detent ball with the shank portion or the interior surface of the recess, depending on the placement of the detent ball and spring assembly. Similarly, in the event that the golfer is removing the weight member from golf club head, the golfer need only insert the shank portion of the tool into the socket, thereby resulting in a friction fit. Upon detachment of the weight member from the golf club head (e.g., loosening the threaded engagement), the weight member remains coupled to the tool (via friction fit) until the user removes the shank portion of the tool from the socket of the weight member, which results in disengagement between the detent ball and the shank portion or interior surface of the recess, depending on the placement of the detent ball and spring assembly.

Although described throughout as a ball and spring assembly for providing a friction fit, it should be noted that the mechanism for providing a releasable coupling may include other types of assemblies. For example, in one embodiment, a magnetic fastening assembly having male and female fastener elements is configured to engage insert attachments, access panels, or other components to the golf club head. Placement of magnetic materials, such as Ferrites, Alnico, Samarium Cobalt, Neodymium, or bonded magnets, and magnetization types, such as axial, lateral, multipole, radial, or diametral on components and the tool allow for removal or attachment.

Referring to the figures and following description, golf clubs and golf club heads in accordance with the present invention are described. The golf club and club head structures described herein may be described in terms of wood-type golf clubs. However, the present invention is not limited to the precise embodiments disclosed herein but applies to golf clubs generally, including hybrid clubs, iron-type golf clubs, utility-type golf clubs, and the like.

Examples of golf club and golf club head structures in accordance with this invention may relate to “wood-type” golf clubs and hollow golf club heads, e.g., clubs and club heads typically used for drivers and fairway woods, as well as for “wood-type” utility or hybrid clubs, or the like. Although these club head structures may have little or no actual “wood” material, they still may be referred to conventionally in the art as “woods” (e.g., “metal woods,” “fairway woods,” etc.).

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a wood-type golf club 100 including an embodiment of a club head consistent with the present disclosure. As shown, the wood-type golf club 100 may include a wood-type golf club head 102 in accordance with the present disclosure. In addition to the golf club head 102, the overall golf club structure 100 may include a shaft 104 and a grip or handle 108 attached to one end of the shaft 102. The shaft 104 may be received in, engaged with, and/or attached to the golf club head 102 in any suitable or desired manner, including in conventional manners known and used in the art, without departing from the disclosure. As described in greater detail herein, the shaft 104 may be engaged with the golf club head 102 through a shaft-receiving sleeve or element extending into the club head 102 (e.g., a hosel 106), and/or directly to the club head structure 102. The shaft 104 may be made from any suitable or desired materials, including conventional materials known and used in the art, such as graphite based materials, composite or other non-metal materials, steel materials (including stainless steel), aluminum materials, other metal alloy materials, polymeric materials, combinations of various materials, and the like.

The grip or handle 108 may be attached to, engaged with, and/or extend from the shaft 104 in any suitable or desired manner, including in conventional manners known and used in the art, e.g., using adhesives or cements, etc. As another example, if desired, the grip or handle 108 may be integrally formed as a unitary, one-piece construction with the shaft 104. Additionally, any desired grip or handle materials may be used without departing from this disclosure, including, but not limited to, rubber materials, leather materials, other materials including cord or other fabric material embedded therein, polymeric materials, and the like.

Further, according to aspects of the disclosure, the golf club 100 may include a hosel 106. The shaft 104 may be received in and/or inserted into and/or through the hosel 106. The hosel 106 may be configured such that the shaft 104 may be engaged with the hosel 106 in a releasable manner using mechanical connectors to allow easy interchange of one shaft for another on the head. For example, threads, locking mechanisms, etc. may be incorporated into the hosel 106 and the end of the shaft 104 that is to be engaged with the hosel 106 may be configured with a corresponding configuration. In some embodiments, the shaft 104 may be secured to the hosel 106 via bonding with adhesives or cements, welding (e.g., laser welding), soldering, brazing, or other fusing techniques, etc. In some embodiments, the hosel 106 may be eliminated and the shaft 104 may be directly attached to the golf club head 102. For example, the shaft 104 may be directly engaged with the golf club head 102 (e.g., by bonding with adhesives or cements, welding (e.g., laser welding), soldering, brazing, or other fusing techniques, etc.).

FIGS. 2 and 3 are front and top views of a golf club head 102 according to some embodiments of the present invention. As shown, the golf club head 102 has a club head body 108 having a hosel 106, a front portion 110, a rear portion 111, a heel 112, a toe 114, a crown 116, a sole 118, and a ball-striking face 120.

As generally understood, a wide variety of overall club head constructions are possible without departing from this invention. For example, if desired, some or all of the various individual parts of the club head 102 described above may be made from multiple pieces that are connected together (e.g., by welding, adhesives, or other fusing techniques; by mechanical connectors; etc.). The various parts (e.g., heel, toe, crown, sole, ball-striking face, portions of the body, etc.) may be made from any desired materials and combinations of different materials, including materials that are conventionally known and used in the art, such as metal materials, including lightweight metal materials. More specific examples of suitable lightweight metal materials include steel, titanium and titanium alloys, aluminum and aluminum alloys, magnesium and magnesium alloys, etc.

As additional examples or alternatives, in order to reduce the club head 102 weight, one or more portions of the club head structure 102 advantageously may be made from a composite material, such as from carbon fiber composite materials that are conventionally known and used in the art. Other suitable composite or other non-metal materials that may be used for one or more portions of the club head structure 102 include, for example: fiberglass composite materials, basalt fiber composite materials, polymer materials, etc. As described in greater detail herein, at least some portion(s) of the body 108 may be made from composite or other non-metal materials. As yet further examples, the entire body 108 of the club head 102 may be made from composite or other non-metal materials without departing from this invention. The composite or other non-metal material(s) may be incorporated as part of the club head structure 102 in any desired manner, including in conventional manners that are known and used in the art.

Reducing the club head's weight (e.g., through the use of composite or other non-metal materials, lightweight metals, metallic foam or other cellular structured materials, etc.) allows club designers and/or club fitters to selectively position additional weight in the overall club head structure 102, e.g., to desirable locations to increase the moment of inertia, affect the center of gravity location, and/or affect other playability characteristics of the club head structure 102 (e.g., to draw or fade bias a club head; to help get shots airborne by providing a low center of gravity; to help produce a lower, more boring ball flight; to help correct or compensate for swing flaws that produce undesired ball flights, such as hooks or slices, ballooning shots, etc.).

The various individual parts that make up a club head structure 102, if made from multiple pieces, may be engaged with one another and/or held together in any suitable or desired manner, including in conventional manners known and used in the art. For example, a separate ball-striking plate insert 122 may be joined to the ball-striking face 120 and a separate crown panel insert 124 may be joined to the club head body 108 (directly or indirectly through intermediate members) by adhesives, cements, welding, soldering, or other bonding or finishing techniques, and the like.

In some arrangements, the various parts of the club head 102 may be joined by mechanical connectors (such as threads, screws, nuts, bolts, or other connectors), and the like. In some embodiments, the mating edges of various parts of the club head structure 102 (e.g., the edges where heel, toe, crown, sole, ball-striking face, and/or other parts of the body contact and join to one another) may include one or more raised ribs, tabs, ledges, or other engagement elements that fit into or onto corresponding grooves, slots, surfaces, ledges, openings, or other structures provided in or on the facing side edge to which it is joined. Cements, adhesives, mechanical connectors, finishing material, or the like may be used in combination with the raised rib/groove/ledge/edge or other connecting structures described above to further help secure the various parts of the club head structure 102 together. Examples of golf club heads having a multi-component construction and various means and methods of coupling components to the club head are discussed Golf Club Head with Multi-Component Construction, U.S. Publication 2013/0178305, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

As previously described herein, the present invention provides a releasable component including an attachment feature configured to improve the process of attaching or removing the component to or from a golf club head. The releasable component may include, but is not limited to, a face insert, damping insert, discrete weight insert, crown panel, sole panel, heel or toe panel, skirt panel, and the like that may be interchangeable so as to provide customization of the golf club to suit the player's needs or playing characteristics.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the golf club head 102 illustrating a removable crown panel 124 and an embodiment of a specialty tool 10 for releasably coupling to the crown panel 124 for subsequent attachment or removal of the crown panel 124 to or from the golf club head 102. It should be noted that the releasable component can include any type of component for the club head, as described herein, and not be limited to the crown panel 124 shown and described.

As shown, the specialty tool 10 may generally resemble a wrench having a grip 12, a shank 14, a distal end 16 of the shank 12, and a housing 18 which may include additional components to aid in the attachment or removal of the crown panel 124 to the club head 102. For example, in one embodiment, a torque-limiting mechanism (not shown) may be included within the housing 18 and configured to prevent over-tightening of an given component during attachment to the club head 102 (e.g., a component that is attached to the club head 102 via rotating fastener, such as threaded engagement). In use, once the torque limit is met, the torque-limiting mechanism of the exemplary embodiment will cause the grip 12 to rotationally disengage from the shank 14. In this manner, the torque wrench 10 inhibits excessive torque on a component being tightened. The wrench 12 may be limited to the conventional amount of torque as generally understood by one skilled in the art. Furthermore, the torque-limiting mechanism may be configured to create an audible indication to the golfer of when the predetermined torque is applied. It should be noted that specialty tools having various other types of torque-limiting mechanisms, or even without such mechanisms, can be used.

As shown, the shank 14 terminates in a distal end 16 configured to operatively mate with a corresponding portion of the crown panel 124. For example, as shown, the crown panel 124 may generally include a body 126 having a distal end 128 configured to be coupled to a corresponding mounting section 130 of the club head 102 and a proximal end 132 having a tool interface 134 configured to receive the distal end 16 of the shank 14 of the tool 10. The distal end 16, in addition to the shank 14 itself, may include a special shape in accordance with USGA adjustability requirements. For example, as shown, the shank 14 and distal end 16 have an Allen key shape. It should be noted that the shank 14 or distal end 16 may have other shapes, including, but not limited to, a square, a rectangle, a triangle, a cross, a hexagon, and other polygonal shapes. Additionally, or alternatively, the distal end 16 may have a specialty tip, such as a Phillips tip, a torx bit, a tri-wing, torq-set, double-square, triple square, polydrive, spline drive, or the like for engaging a portion of the tool interface 134 of the crown panel 124.

The tool interface 134 may include any known shape for engaging the distal end 16 of the shank 14. For example, the tool interface 134 may include a recess (hereinafter referred to as “recess 134”) having a hexagonal shape corresponding to the Allen key shape of the shank 14 and distal end 16. It should be noted, however, that the recess 134 may have a variety of different shapes and sizes corresponding to the shape of the distal end 16 and/or shank 14, including, but not limited to, a square, a rectangle, a triangle, a cross, a hexagon, and other polygonal shapes. It should further be noted that the tool interface 134 need not be limited to a recess for receiving the distal end 16 of the shank 14. Instead, in some embodiments, the tool interface 134 may include a protrusion configured to be received within a recess formed on a distal end 16 of the shank 14. For ease of description, however, the tool interface 134 is depicted as a recess for receiving the distal end 16 of the shank 14 within.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the tool interface 134 includes a detent ball and spring assembly 136 configured to releasably couple the tool 10 and the crown panel 124 to one another. More specifically, the detent ball and spring assembly 136 is configured to releasably couple the shank 14 to the recess 134 on the proximal end 132 of the crown panel 124, specifically providing a friction fit between an outer surface of the shank 14 and a portion of the detent ball and spring assembly 136 when the distal end 16 of the shank 14 is inserted into the recess 134. Accordingly, the crown panel 124 will remain affixed to the tool 10, thereby allowing a golfer to hold the golf club head 102 with one head and the tool 10 (having the crown panel 124 attached thereto) with the other hand so as to improve the process of attaching the crown panel 124 to the club head 102.

FIG. 5A is a side view, partly in section, of the crown panel 124 and the shank 14 of the specialty tool 10 illustrating the detent ball and spring assembly 136 included within the recess 134 of the crown panel 124. As shown, the detent ball and spring assembly 136 includes a spring member 138, a detent ball 140 (e.g., ball bearing), and a set screw 142 arranged within a portion of the recess 134. The assembly 136 is arranged such that the spring member 138 is configured to apply a biasing force upon the detent ball 140 in a direction towards an interior 144 of the recess 134, such that a portion of the detent ball 140 extends into the interior 144 of the recess 134. For example, an aperture 146, or cylinder, may have an opening 148 along an inner surface 150 of the recess 134 and extend from the inner surface 150 away from the interior 144 of the recess 134. The set screw 142, spring member 138, and detent ball 140 are positioned within the aperture 146 such that the detent ball 140 is positioned at the opening 148 adjacent to the interior 144 of the recess 134, the set screw 142 is positioned at a point most distal from the opening 148, and the spring member 138 is positioned between the detent ball 140 and the set screw 142. It should be noted that the opening 148 of the aperture 146 at the inner surface 150 may have a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the detent ball 140 so as to prevent the detent ball 140 from completely passing through the opening 148 and out of the aperture 146. For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, only a portion of the detent ball 140 is able to pass through the opening 148 of the aperture 146 and into the interior 144 of the recess 134.

As generally understood, the detent ball 140 is configured to move within the aperture 146 between multiple positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the aperture 146. For example, in a default position (e.g., when the recess 134 is devoid of any tool insertion, as shown in FIG. 5A) the detent ball 140 is forced into contact with the opening 148 of the aperture 146 such that a portion of the detent ball 140 passes through the opening 148 and into the interior 144 of the recess 134. In the event that additional force is applied to the detent ball 140 from the interior 144 of the recess 134 (e.g., upon insertion of a portion of the tool into the recess 134), the additional force may be sufficient in overcoming the biasing force of the spring member 138, thereby resulting in the detent ball 140 moving in a direction away from the opening 148 and towards the spring member 138, resulting in further compression of the spring member 138 and increasing biasing force exerted upon the detent ball 140 in a direction towards the opening 148 and interior 144 of the recess 134. Accordingly, the detent ball 140 is configured to maintain contact with an object (e.g., portion of tool) received within the recess 134 and provide a friction fit thereto based on the constant biasing force provided by the spring member 138.

It is to be understood that a portion of the aperture 146 may be internally threaded so as to correspondingly engage an externally threaded portion of the set screw 142. Although not shown, the set screw 142 may be retained within the aperture 146 by way of threaded engagement. Furthermore, the amount of biasing force applied to the detent ball 140 from the spring member 138 may be adjusted by adjustment of the set screw 142 (e.g., increase biasing force by tightening set screw 142 in direction towards interior 144 of recess 134 or decrease biasing force by loosening set screw 142 in direction away from interior 144 of recess 134).

FIG. 5B is a side view, partly in section, of the interaction between the shank 14 of the specialty tool 10 and the detent ball and spring assembly 136 of the recess 134 of the crown panel 124. To releasably couple the tool 10 to the crown panel 124, a golfer need only insert the distal end 16 of the shank 14 of the tool 10 into the recess 134, as indicated by arrow 152. Upon insertion of the shank 14 into the recess 134, the shank 14 makes contact with the detent ball 140, as indicated by arrow 154, and provides additional force to the detent ball 140 sufficient to overcome the initial biasing force from the spring member 138, resulting in movement of the detent ball 140 in a direction towards the spring member 138, as indicated by arrow 156. Accordingly, movement of the detent ball 140 results in further compression of the spring member 138 and subsequently increases biasing force exerted upon the detent ball 140 in a direction towards the shank 14, as indicated by arrow 158. Accordingly, the detent ball 140 is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the shank 14, resulting in the crown panel 124 being releasably coupled to the shank 14 of the tool 10.

In another embodiment, the detent ball and spring assembly 136 may be included on the shank 14 of the tool 10, as opposed to the recess 134 of the crown panel 124. For example, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the spring 138, detent ball 140, and set screw 142 may be positioned within an aperture formed on a portion of the shank 14, in a similar arrangement as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B regarding the recess 134. Accordingly, in a default position (e.g, when the shank 14 is not within the recess 134, as shown in FIG. 6A) a portion of the detent ball 140 is exposed along an outer surface of the shank 14. FIG. 6B is a side view, partly in section, of the interaction between the detent ball and spring assembly 136 of the shank 14 and the recess 134 of the crown panel 124. To releasably couple the tool 10 to the crown panel 124, a golfer need only insert the distal end 16 of the shank 14 into the recess 134, as indicated by arrow 152. Upon insertion of the shank 14 into the recess 134, the detent ball 140 makes contact with the inner surface 150 of the recess 134, as indicated by arrow 160, thereby resulting in further compression of the spring member 138 and increasing biasing force exerted upon the detent ball 140 in a direction towards the inner surface 150 of the recess 134. Accordingly, the detent ball 140 is configured to maintain contact with the inner surface 150 of the recess 134 and provide a friction fit thereto based on the constant biasing force provided by the spring member 138.

The friction fit provided by the detent ball and spring assembly 136 prevents premature disengagement of the crown panel 124 from the tool 10, thereby allowing a golfer to easily maneuver the crown panel 124 and tool 10 as a single piece when attempting to add or remove components, such as the crown panel 124, to or from a golf club head 102.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, the crown panel 124 is releasably coupled to the tool 10 by way of the friction fit provided by the detent ball and spring assembly between the shank 14 and the recess 134. Thus, a golfer need only handle the club head 102 and the tool 10 when attaching or removing the crown panel 124 (or other components) to the club head 102, thereby improving the handling of the crown panel during the attachment process.

For example, in the event that an adhesive is used to couple the distal end 128 of the crown panel 124 to the corresponding mounting section 130 of the club head 102, the process of attaching the panel 124 may be a particularly messy process, as the adhesive may come into contact with a person's hands. Accordingly, the present invention allows a user to simply handle the tool 10 (having the crown panel 124 releasably coupled thereto) when maneuvering and aligning the crown panel 124 into engagement with the mounting section 130, thereby preventing the risk of unwanted contact with an adhesive. As shown in FIG. 7B, upon attachment of the crown panel 124 to the mounting section 130, a golfer may disengage the tool 10 from the crown panel 124 simply by removing the shank 14 from the recess 134, as indicated by arrow 162. Removal of the shank 14 from the interior 144 of the recess 134, and thus removal of the additional force upon the detent ball 140, subsequently causes in the detent ball 140 to return to the default position

It should be noted that, although the previous description is focused on releasable components configured to be releasably coupled to a tool by way of friction fit with a detent ball and spring assembly, the present disclosure further contemplates the use of the detent ball and spring assembly for releasably coupling removable components to the body of a club head. For example, FIGS. 8 and 9 show a putter-type golf club head 200 and a removable component 220 configured to be releasably coupled to the club head 200 by way of the detent ball and spring assembly previously described herein. It should be noted that a putter-type club head 200 is shown simply for the purposes of discussion and that other club head types and removable components are contemplated herein. The removable component 220 may include, but is not limited to, a component for adjusting mass distribution properties of the club head, a component providing vibrational damping capabilities, a component providing indicia or graphics, or a component for providing other characteristics.

As shown, the putter-type club head 200 includes a body 202 including a top line 204, a sole 206, a heel 206, and a toe 208. The club head 200 further includes a face 210 disposed on a front portion of the body 202 and a hosel 212 disposed adjacent to the heel 206 of the body 202. A portion of the body 202 further defines a section 214 for receiving the removable component 220. For example, an aft-section may form a female engagement portion 214 having a shape or size and having a contour configured to receive and correspondingly mate with the removable component 220, serving as the male engagement portion. The body 202 of the club head 200 further includes one or more mount portions 216a, 216b configured to receive corresponding portions of the removable component 220. For example, the mount portions 216a, 216b may each define a recess having a detent ball and spring assembly, similar to the arrangement of the detent ball and spring assembly 136 within the recess 134 of the crown panel 124 previously described herein. The recesses may each be shaped or sized to receive corresponding protrusions 222a, 222b formed on the removable component 220. Upon insertion of the protrusions 222a, 222b into the corresponding bores of the mount portions 216a, 216b, the detent ball and spring assembly of each is configured to provide a friction fit with the protrusions 222a, 222b similar to the friction fit engagement between the detent ball and spring assembly 136 and the shank 14 previously described herein. In order to remove the component 220 from the club head 200, the golfer need only pull the component 220 and club head 200 away from each other to disengage the friction fit.

In other embodiments, the detent ball and spring assembly may be included on the protrusions, in a similar fashion as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B regarding the shank 14 of the tool 10. Furthermore, it should be noted that the body 202 of the club head 200 may include protrusions and the removable component 220 may include corresponding recesses for receiving the protrusions therein.

As previously described herein, a releasable component consistent with the present disclosure may include discrete weight members configured to be attached or removed to or from a golf club head. FIG. 10 illustrates one embodiment of a weight member 300 that may be used with embodiments of a golf club head of the present disclosure. As shown, the weight member 300 includes a weight body 302 having a distal end 304 and a proximal end 306. The distal end 304 is configured to be coupled to a golf club head, as will be described in greater detail herein. The proximal end 306 includes a tool interface 308 configured to cooperate with a tool, such as a specialty tool with a custom tip, for attaching or removing the weight member 300 to a golf club head via the tool interface 308. Accordingly, the tool interface 308 may include a shaped recessed tool port, for example. As shown in the figures and described herein, the tool interface 308 is a socket shaped or sized to receive one or more working portions of a tool used for attaching or removing the weight member. For ease of description, the tool interface will be referred to hereinafter as “socket 308”.

The weight member 300 further includes a detent ball and spring assembly 310 positioned on the proximal end 306 of the weight body 302. The detent ball and spring assembly 310 is configured to releasably couple a portion of the tool to the proximal end 306 of the weight body 302, specifically providing a friction fit between a portion of the detent ball and spring assembly 310 and a portion of the tool when inserted into the socket 308. Accordingly, the weight member 300 will remain affixed to the tool, thereby allowing a golfer to hold the golf club head with one head and the tool (having the weight member attached thereto) with the other hand so as to improve the process of attaching the weight member to the club head.

The distal end 304 of the weight member 300 is configured to be coupled to the club head via one or more weight mount points provided on the club head, as described in greater detail herein. For example, the distal end 304 may include an external threading 312 formed on an outer surface thereof configured to engage an internally threaded portion of the club head (e.g., weight mount point), such that the weight member 300 is attached to the club head. Attachment and removal of the weight member 300 to a club head is described in greater detail herein.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the weight member 300 illustrating the detent ball and spring assembly 310 in greater detail. FIG. 12 is a top view of the weight member 300, FIG. 13 is an exploded side view, partly in section, of the weight member 300, and FIG. 14 is a side view, partly in section, of the weight member 300 illustrated the detent ball and spring assembly in an assembled configuration. The detent ball and spring assembly 310 includes a spring member 314, a detent ball 316 (e.g., ball bearing), and a set screw 318 arranged within a portion of the proximal end 306 of the weight body 302. The assembly is arranged such that the spring member 314 is configured to apply a biasing force upon the detent ball 316 in a direction towards an interior 319 of the socket 308, such that a portion of the detent ball 316 extends into an interior 319 of the socket 308.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the proximal end 306 of the weight body 302 includes an aperture 320, or cylinder, formed in the weight body 302 and extending between an inner surface 322 of the socket 308 and an outer surface of the weight body 302. The set screw 318, spring member 314, and detent ball 316 are positioned within the aperture 320 such that the detent ball 316 is positioned adjacent to the interior 319 of the socket 308, the set screw 318 is positioned adjacent to the outer surface of the weight body 302, and the spring member 314 is positioned between the detent ball 316 and the set screw 318. It should be noted that the opening 321 of the aperture 320 at the inner surface 322 may have a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the detent ball 316 so as to prevent the detent ball 316 from completely passing through the opening and out of the aperture 320. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, only a portion of the detent ball 316 is able to pass through the opening 321 of the aperture 320 and into the interior 319 of the socket 308.

As generally understood, the detent ball 316 is configured to move within the aperture 320 between multiple positions relative to the longitudinal axis of the aperture 320. For example, in a default position (e.g., when the socket 308 is devoid of any tool insertion) the detent ball 316 is forced into contact with the opening 321 of the aperture 320 such that a portion of the detent ball 316 passes through the opening 321 and into the interior 319 of the socket 308. In the event that additional force is applied to the detent ball 316 from the interior 319 of the socket 308 (e.g., upon insertion of a portion of the tool into the socket 308), the additional force may be sufficient in overcoming the biasing force of the spring member 314, thereby resulting in the detent ball 316 moving in a direction away from the opening 321 and towards the spring member 314, resulting in further compression of the spring member 314 and increasing biasing force exerted upon the detent ball 316 in a direction towards the opening 321 and interior 319 of the socket 308. Accordingly, the detent ball 316 is configured to maintain contact with an object (e.g., portion of tool) received within the socket 308 and provide a friction fit thereto based on the constant biasing force provided by the spring member 314.

It is to be understood that a portion of the aperture 320 may be internally threaded so as to correspondingly engage an externally threaded portion of the set screw 318. Although not shown, the set screw 318 may be retained within the aperture 320 by way of threaded engagement. Furthermore, the amount of biasing force applied to the detent ball 316 from the spring member 314 may be adjusted by adjustment of the set screw 318 (e.g., increase biasing force by tightening set screw 318 in direction towards interior 319 of socket 308 or decrease biasing force by loosening set screw 318 in direction away from interior 319 of socket 308).

The weight member 300 may be made of any suitable material of any desired density, including metals, non-metallic materials, composites, ceramics, polymers, and the like. In some embodiments, the weight member 300 may be formed of carbon steel, stainless steel, carbon fiber, tungsten, tungsten loaded polymer, combinations of one or more of these materials, and the like.

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the specialty tool 10 for attaching or removing the weight member 300 to a golf club head. As previously described herein, the specialty tool 10 is may generally resemble a wrench having a grip 12, a shank 14, a distal end 16 of the shank 14, and a housing 18 which may include additional components to aid in the attachment or removal of the weight member 300. For example, a torque-limiting mechanism (not shown) may be included within the housing 18 and configured to prevent over-tightening of the weight member 300 into corresponding weight mount points, described in greater detail herein. In use, once the torque limit is met, the torque-limiting mechanism of the exemplary embodiment will cause the grip 12 to rotationally disengage from the shank 14. In this manner, the torque wrench 10 inhibits excessive torque on the weight member 300 being tightened.

FIGS. 16A and 16B are side views, partly in section, of the weight member 300 and the shank 14 of the tool 10, illustrating interaction between the shank 14 and the socket 308 and the detent ball and spring assembly 310. As shown in FIG. 7A, the detent ball 316 is in the default position. To releasably couple the weight member 300 to the tool 10, a golfer need only insert the shank 14 of the tool 10 into the socket 308, as indicated by arrow 44. As shown in FIG. 7B, upon insertion of the shank 14 into the socket 308, the shank 14 makes contact with the detent ball 316, as indicated by arrow 326, and provides additional force to the detent ball 316 sufficient to overcome the initial biasing force from the spring member 314, resulting in movement of the detent ball 316 in a direction towards the spring member 314, as indicated by arrow 328. Accordingly, movement of the detent ball 316 results in further compression of the spring member 314 and subsequently increases biasing force exerted upon the detent ball 316 in a direction towards the shank 14, as indicated by arrow 330. Accordingly, the detent ball 316 is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the shank 14, resulting in the weight member 300 being releasably coupled to the shank 14.

The friction fit provided by the detent ball 316 and spring member 314 prevents premature disengagement of the weight member 300 from the tool 10, thereby allowing a golfer to easily maneuver the weight member 300 and tool 10 as a single piece when attempting to add, remove, or adjust weight placement on a golf club head. Thus, a golfer need only handle the club head and the tool when attaching or removing weights. Accordingly, the present invention provides a golfer with an improved process of attaching or removing a weight to or from a golf club head. For example, by having the weight remain releasably attached to the tool, there is less chance of losing or misplacing individual weights, as is the case with some current designs.

One example of a way to improve performance of a golf club head, or accuracy, distance, etc. of a shot, is by adjusting mass distribution properties of the club head to one or more regions in order to adjust a center of gravity, mass moment of inertia, and/or swingweight of the club head. Accordingly, the weight members described herein may be attached to a golf club head at various positions so as to affect mass properties of the club head. FIGS. 1-3 show an embodiment of a wood-type golf club 100 including an embodiment of a club head 102 consistent with the present disclosure, upon which weight members of the present disclosure may be attached for adjusting mass distribution properties.

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, for example, a golf club head 102 consistent with the present disclosure may include one or more weight mount points 164 for receiving and retaining a weight member 300 thereto. Accordingly, depending on the position of any given weight mount point 164, a weight member 300 attached thereto will provide a different effect with regard to mass properties of the club head. Each weight mount point 164 generally includes an interface for receiving and retaining the distal end 304 of the weight member 300. For example, in one embodiment, the weight member 300 and weight mount points 164 may be coupled via a threaded engagement, wherein each weight mount point 164 may include an internally threaded bore (shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B) configured to receive the externally threaded distal end 304 of the weight member 300. It should be noted that other types of engagement may be used for attaching the weight member 300 to a weight mount point 164.

The weight mount points 164 may be positioned along various portions of the club head body 102. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, a plurality of weight mount points 164 is positioned on the sole 118 of the club head 102. In some embodiments, the club head 102 may be a hollow, wood-type golf club head 102 (e.g., driver, fairway wood, or hybrid) and the club head body 102 defines an enclosed interior volume or cavity. For example, FIG. 18 is a top view, partly in section, of the golf club head 102 illustrating a view into the interior cavity 166 of the club head 102. As shown, a plurality of weight mount points 164 may be distributed along an interior surface 168 in a predefined pattern or arrangement. For example, weight mount points 164 may be distributed in any suitable locations within club head 102. In general, it may be preferable to include points 164 on an interior surface 168 of the sole 118 of club head 102 as golfers may find benefit in keeping a club head center of gravity low.

The club head 102 may include any number of mount points 164, such as, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10s, etc. In the depicted embodiment, club head 102 includes four mount points 164, one centered between the heel 112 and toe 114 and adjacent to the front 110, one centered between the heel 112 and toe 114 and adjacent to the rear or aft 111, and one adjacent the heel 112, and one adjacent to the toe 114 of the interior surface 168 of the sole 118. In some embodiments, club head 102 is made to have a certain mass such that, when a certain number of removable weights 300 (e.g., one or two) are included, the overall mass of club head 102 is a desirable value. The specifics of weight placement within the interior of hollow-bodied golf club heads, as well as exemplary weight mount points, are discussed in Golf Club Head with Accessible Interior, U.S. Publication 2014/0228142, and Golf Club with Accessible Interior, U.S. Publication 2014/0349777, the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIGS. 19A and 19B illustrate the process of attaching a weight member 300 to a desired weight mount point 164 on a golf club head 102. As shown in FIG. 19A, a weight member 300 is already releasably coupled to the shank 14 of the tool 10 by way of the friction fit provided by the detent ball and spring assembly 310. The friction fit provided by the detent ball 316 and spring member 314 prevents premature disengagement of the weight member 300 from the shank 14, particularly during alignment of the weight member 300 with the desired weight mount point 164, thus improving handling of the components during weight attachment and decreasing risk of losing the weight member 300.

As shown, the weight mount point 164 is provided on the sole 118 of the club head 102, such as the club head 102 shown in FIG. 17. The weight mount point 164 generally includes a recess 170 having internal threading 172 configured to receive the external threading 312 on the distal end 304 of the weight member 300. Upon aligning the weight member 300 with the weight mount point 164, the golfer need only move the weight member 300 (via handling the tool 10) towards the weight mount point, as indicated by arrow 332, such that the distal end 304 of the weight member 300 is received within the recess 170. Upon rational movement of the grip 12 of the tool 10 and subsequent rotational movement of the shank 14, as indicated by arrow 334, the shank 14 applies torque to the socket 308, thereby resulting in rotational movement of the weight member 300 and distal end 304 such that the external threading 312 of the distal end 304 is fastened to the internal threading 172 of the weight mount point 164. Once the proper torque has been applied, the torque-limiting mechanism may provide an audible signal to the golfer that the weight member 300 is adequately tightened into engagement with the weight mount point 164.

As shown in FIG. 19B, upon attachment of the weight member 300 to the weight mount point 164, a golfer may disengage the shank 14 from the weight member 300 simply by withdrawing the shank 14 from the socket 308, as indicated by arrow 336. Removal of the shank 14 from the interior 319 of the socket 308, and thus removal of the additional force upon the detent ball 316, subsequently causes in the detent ball 316 to return to the default position.

It should be noted that upon removing a weight member 300 from a weight mount point 164, the golfer simply need to insert the shank 14 into the socket 308, which thereby causes the friction fit engagement between the detent ball 316 and the shank 14, and apply torque to loosen the threaded engagement between the distal end 304 and the internal threads 172 of the recess 170. Upon complete detachment of the weight member 300 from the weight mount point 164, the friction fit between the shank 14 of the tool 10 and detent ball 316 of the weight member 300 prevents the weight member 300 from simply falling out of the weight mount point 164 once sufficiently loosened therefrom.

FIG. 20 is a side view, partly in section, of another embodiment of a weight member 300a consistent with the present disclosure. As shown, in some embodiments, the socket 308 may extend entirely through the weight body 302 from the distal end 304 to the proximal end 306. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 21, the shank 14 of the tool 10 may extend completely through the weight member 300a, as indicated by arrow 338, such that the distal end 16 of the shank 14 may be positioned past the distal end 304 of the weight member 300a.

The ability to pass the shank 14 entirely through a weight member consistent with the present disclosure has advantages. For example, as shown in FIG. 22, a plurality of weight members 300a, 300b, 300n, at least some of which having sockets 308 extending entirely therethrough, may be releasably coupled to the shank 14. By allowing multiple weight members to be loaded onto the shank 14 of the tool 10, the process of attaching or removing multiple weights can be improved. For example, in the event that multiple weights are to be attached, a golfer need only load the desired number of weights onto the shank 14, wherein each weight member will be affixed to the shank 14 via its own friction fit. Accordingly, upon attachment of a first weight to the desired weight mount point, the golfer need only slide the next weight down the shank 14 near the distal end 16 and then attach said weight to a desired weight mount point, and so on until all loaded weights have been attached. This is similarly the case when removing weights. A first weight may be removed from engagement with a weight mount point, and the golfer may then slide the first removed weight up the shank 14 to expose the distal end 16 for subsequent engagement with an additional weight to be removed, and so one. Accordingly, the golfer may be able to handle multiple weight members at any given time, thereby improving the process of adding, removing, or changing weights.

Furthermore, by extending the length of the shank 14, a golfer may be able to further attach, remove, or adjust weights within an interior cavity of a hollow-body golf club head, which may otherwise be a difficult task with current weight system designs. For example, one could access an interior cavity via a sole port, for example, and a longer shank 14 would allow them to place weights in areas of the interior that would otherwise be inaccessible with normal length tool. Examples of accessible interiors on golf club heads are discussed in Golf Club Head with Accessible Interior, U.S. Publication 2014/0228142, and Golf Club with Accessible Interior, U.S. Publication 2014/0349777, the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

While several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the functions and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the present disclosure. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the teachings of the present disclosure is/are used.

Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the disclosure described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, the disclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. The present disclosure is directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the present disclosure.

All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”

The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified, unless clearly indicated to the contrary.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described (or portions thereof), and it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Accordingly, the claims are intended to cover all such equivalents.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

References and citations to other documents, such as patents, patent applications, patent publications, journals, books, papers, web contents, have been made throughout this disclosure. All such documents are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

EQUIVALENTS

Various modifications of the invention and many further embodiments thereof, in addition to those shown and described herein, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the full contents of this document, including references to the scientific and patent literature cited herein. The subject matter herein contains important information, exemplification and guidance that can be adapted to the practice of this invention in its various embodiments and equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A releasable component for a golf club head, the releasable component comprising:

a component body having a distal end configured to be coupled to a golf club head and a proximal end having a tool interface configured to receive a shank portion of a tool;

wherein the component body is configured to be releasably coupled to the tool by way of interaction between the shank portion and the tool interface and further be coupled and decoupled to or from a golf club head with the tool.

2. The releasable component of claim 1, wherein the component body is configured to be releasably coupled to the tool by a detent ball and spring assembly configured to provide a friction fit between the tool interface of the proximal end of the component body and the shank portion of the tool.

3. The releasable component of claim 2, wherein the detent ball and spring assembly comprises a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture formed on the shank portion of the tool, wherein the spring is configured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and along an outer surface of the shank portion of the tool.

4. The releasable component of claim 3, wherein, upon engagement between the shank portion of the tool and the tool interface of the releasable component, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction towards the spring upon contact between the detent ball and a surface of the tool interface.

5. The releasable component of claim 4, wherein the detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the surface of the tool interface based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring, thereby releasably coupling the tool to the releasable component.

6. The releasable component of claim 2, wherein the tool interface of the proximal end of the component body comprises a recess configured to receive the shank portion of the tool within and the detent ball and spring assembly comprises a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture extending from an interior surface of the recess, wherein the spring is configured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and into an interior of the recess.

7. The releasable component of claim 6, wherein, upon insertion of the shank portion of the tool into the interior of the recess, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction away from the shank portion and towards the spring upon contact between the detent ball and an outer surface of the shank portion.

8. The releasable component of claim 7, wherein the detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the outer surface of the shank portion based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring, thereby releasably coupling the tool to the releasable component.

9. The releasable component of claim 6, wherein the recess extends entirely through the component body from the proximal end to the distal end, such that the shank portion of the tool is configured to extend entirely through the component body and further extend into a recess of at least an additional releasable component, such that the releasable component and additional releasable component are in stacked configuration along the shank portion of the tool.

10. The releasable component of claim 1, the releasable component is selected from a group consisting of a face insert, a damping insert, a weight member, a crown panel, a sole panel, a heel panel, a toe panel, a skirt panel, and a combination of at least two thereof.

11. A releasable component for a golf club head, the releasable component comprising:

a component body configured to be releasably coupled to a golf club head by way of a detent ball and spring assembly, the detent ball and spring assembly configured to provide a friction fit between an attachment feature of the component body and an associated attachment feature of the golf club head.

12. The releasable component of claim 11, wherein the attachment feature of the component body comprises at least one protrusion extending from the component body and the attachment feature of the golf club head comprises at least one recess for receiving the at least one protrusion within.

13. The releasable component of claim 12, wherein the detent ball and spring assembly comprises a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture formed along a portion of the protrusion, wherein the spring is configured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and along an outer surface of the protrusion.

14. The releasable component of claim 13, wherein, upon insertion of the protrusion of the component body into the recess of the golf club head, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction away from an interior surface of the recess and towards the spring upon contact between the detent ball and the interior surface of the recess, the detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the interior surface of the recess based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring.

15. The releasable component of claim 12, wherein the detent ball and spring assembly comprises a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture extending from an interior surface of the recess, wherein the spring is configured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and into an interior of the recess.

16. The releasable component of claim 15, wherein, upon insertion of the protrusion of the component body into the interior of the recess, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction away from the protrusion and towards the spring upon contact between the detent ball and an outer surface of the protrusion, the detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the outer surface of the protrusion based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring.

17. The releasable component of claim 11, wherein the component body is selected from a group consisting of a face insert, a damping insert, a weight member, a crown panel, a sole panel, a heel panel, a toe panel, a skirt panel, and a combination of at least two thereof.

18. A golf club head comprising:

a club head body;

a releasable component configured to be releasably coupled to the club head body; and

a coupling mechanism configured to provide releasable coupling between an attachment feature of the releasable component and a corresponding attachment feature of the club head body;

wherein one of the attachment features comprises a male fastener member and the other attachment feature comprises a female fastener member.

19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises a detent ball and spring assembly comprising a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture formed along a portion of the male fastener member, the spring is configured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and along an outer surface of the male fastener member, wherein, upon insertion of the male fastener member into an interior of the female fastener member, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction away from an interior surface of the female fastener member and towards the spring upon contact between the ball and the interior surface of the female fastener member, the detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the interior surface of the female fastener member based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring, thereby releasably coupling the releasable component to the club head body.

20. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises a detent ball and spring assembly comprising a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture extending from an interior surface of the female fastener member, the spring is configured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and into an interior of the female fastener member, wherein, upon insertion of the male fastener member into the interior of the female fastener member, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction away from the male fastener member and towards the spring upon contact between the detent ball and an outer surface of the male fastener member, the detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the outer surface of the male fastener member based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring, thereby releasably coupling the releasable component to the club head body.