Perpendicular To Projectile Striking Face Patents (Class 473/337)
  • Patent number: 10335650
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a slidable weight for adjusting the location of the club head center of gravity is disclosed herein. The club head has a channel disposed in its sole and a slidable weight assembly comprising a weight body and a rotatable cam portion. The channel includes a single, L-shaped rail extending upwards from a channel floor, and the slidable weight assembly is reversibly fixed to the rail when the rotatable cam portion is rotated such that a curved protrusion is disposed underneath a ledge of the L-shaped rail. The channel preferably has an S-shaped or closed loop configuration such that the club head's center of gravity can be adjusted along X (front to back) and Y (heel to toe) horizontal axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: Matthew Myers
  • Patent number: 10300358
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a first portion that is rigidly adhered to a second portion to at least partially define an interior club head volume. The first portion is formed from a metallic material and includes a face, and the second portion is formed from a polymeric material and defines a bore that is configured to receive and to selectively retain an elongate weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Joshua Boggs
  • Patent number: 10238930
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a striking face, a sole portion, a top portion, a hosel, a rear surface, a loft no less than 40°, a virtual vertical plane, and a center of gravity. The striking face has a face center, a leading edge, and a virtual striking face plane. The hosel includes an internal bore configured to receive a golf shaft and includes a peripheral side wall and a shaft abutment surface configured to abut a tip end of the golf shaft. The rear surface is opposite the striking face and has an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion including a forward-extending recess. The insert covers the recess forming a hollow portion. The virtual vertical plane is perpendicular to the striking face plane and passes through the face center. The center of gravity is spaced a distance from the virtual vertical plane in the heel-to-toe direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Patrick Ripp, Phill Seagram, Mika Becktor, Keith Dolezel
  • Patent number: 10238933
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a body and a plurality of adjustable stiffening members is disclosed herein. The body comprises a face section, a sole section, and a crown section or a return section, and also defines a hollow interior. Each of the plurality of stiffening members is at least partially disposed within the hollow interior, and extends from the crown section or return section to the sole section to reduce stresses placed on the face during impact with a golf ball. The stiffening members, each of which comprises a rod and a tube, may be adjusted to be in compression or tension, thereby preloading the body and affecting the stresses experienced by the golf club head upon impact with a golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: James A. Seluga, Christopher A. G. Nunez, Matthew Myers, Denver Holt
  • Patent number: 10213665
    Abstract: The invention provides a golf club head with a lid or cover enclosing a recess such as a channel for an adjustable weight. A golf club head can include a multi-position weight track or other channel or concavity to house a feature such as an adjustable weight mechanism. The club head has a lid that covers the channel, which—when closed—provides an outer surface of the golf club head that does not collect dirt or make whistling sounds when used and thus removes distractions and maintains the club head's intended weight distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Cobra Golf Incorporated
    Inventors: Cameron J. Day, Andrew Curtis, Bryce Hobbs, Douglas E. Roberts, Sean Tang
  • Patent number: 10213661
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a body and a plurality of tubes is disclosed herein. The body comprises a face section, a sole section with a protrusion extending upward and a crown section. The body defines a hollow interior. Each of the plurality of tubes extends from the crown section to the protrusion of the sole section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: James A. Seluga, Matthew Myers
  • Patent number: 10173110
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising multiple means of adjusting the location of the center of gravity, and the bias, is disclosed herein. In a preferred embodiment, the golf club head comprises a non-metal medallion comprising a channel that is affixed to one of the crown and the sole, a slidable weight sized to fit within the channel, and a cover that attaches to the medallion and locks the slidable weight within the channel at a location selected by a user. The cover preferably includes at least one cutout so that the slidable weight is at least partially visible to the user when it is locked within the channel. The cover also includes additional cutouts that receive protrusions extending from the medallion to more securely attach the cover to the medallion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Philip G. Foster, Matthew Myers, Wee Joung Kim, Steven C. Sutton, Larry Tang, Denver Holt
  • Patent number: 10130854
    Abstract: A golf club head has a body defining a ball striking face. The body further has a first leg extending away from the ball striking face and a second leg extending away from the ball striking face wherein a void is defined between the first leg and the second leg. The body further defines a cover that extends over the void. The golf club head may further have support structures and adjustable weight members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: John T. Stites, Yoshimasa Fujita
  • Patent number: 10099095
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a slidable weight for adjusting the location of the club head center of gravity is disclosed herein. The club head has an S-shaped channel disposed in its sole and a slidable weight assembly comprising a retention plate, at least one bolt, and a weighted base. The weighted base comprises at least one spherical portion extending from its underside to permit the slidable weight assembly to slide smoothly within the channel, which preferably has a partially tubular cross-section along a vertical Z-axis. The bolt, when tightened, reversibly fixes the slidable weight assembly to a pair of rails extending into the channel from the channel's walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: Matthew Myers
  • Patent number: 10086244
    Abstract: A golf club has a club head body with a back portion and striking face. A cradle is attached to an internal surface of the back portion, and an elastomer extends from the cradle towards a rear surface of the striking face. The golf club head may also have an adjustment mechanism operatively connected to the elastomer and the back portion of the golf club. Adjustment of the adjustment mechanism causes a change in compression of the elastomer element. The adjustment mechanism may be a threaded element such as a screw, and the golf club head may be a part of a kit included multiple differently weighted screws.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: John Morin, Charles E. Golden
  • Patent number: 10076694
    Abstract: A golf club head including a crown, a sole, a hosel, a face, a weight port, an internal cavity, and a stiffening member. The weight port is affixed to the sole. The stiffening member is located in the interior cavity and permanently affixed to the hosel. The stiffening member is also permanently affixed to the sole and the weight port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Darryl C. Galvan, Richard L. Cleghorn, Clayton Evans, Stephanie Luttrell, Mark C. Myrhum
  • Patent number: 10076690
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a slidable weight for adjusting the location of the club head center of gravity is disclosed herein. The club head has a channel disposed in its sole and a slidable weight assembly comprising a weight body and a rotatable cam portion. The channel includes a single, L-shaped rail extending upwards from a channel floor, and the slidable weight assembly is reversibly fixed to the rail when the rotatable cam portion is rotated such that a curved protrusion is disposed underneath a ledge of the L-shaped rail. The channel preferably has an S-shaped or closed loop configuration such that the club head's center of gravity can be adjusted along X (front to back) and Y (heel to toe) horizontal axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: Matthew Myers
  • Patent number: 10065086
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a golf club head comprising a body having a crown, a sole, a front wall and a hosel, wherein the body defines a hollow interior. The golf club head further comprises a center of gravity adjustment assembly wherein the center of gravity adjustment assembly is positioned within the hollow interior of the body, and allows the center of gravity of the golf club head to be adjusted by at least 0.050 inch, preferably along a vertical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: James A. Seluga, Denver Holt
  • Patent number: 10052537
    Abstract: A weight member for removable attachment to a weight port of a golf club head is provided. The weight member comprises a head that has a tool mating port for operatively receiving a portion of a fastening tool. The weight member further comprises a shaft that is associated with the head such that the shaft terminates at an end surface. The shaft has a threaded external surface and a non-threaded internal bore that extends from the end surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: SRI SPORTS LIMITED
    Inventors: Dan S. Nivanh, Nathaniel J. Radcliffe, Jimmy H. Kuan
  • Patent number: 10052534
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to sets of iron golf clubs, and more particularly, to sets of iron golf clubs that are comprised of significant tungsten weighting to maximize the MOI about an axis through the CG that is parallel to the shaft axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: Marni D. Ines
  • Patent number: 10035054
    Abstract: Golf club heads include at least one weight port situated to retain weights and positioned above an approximate club face geometric center with the club in a standard address position. One, two, or more weight ports can be located above the club face center in a club crown or other portion of a club body. Club head vertical center of gravity can be selected to compensate dynamic loft associated with locating the club head center of gravity well behind the club face. Three-dimensional adjustment of club head center of gravity is possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Kraig Alan Willett, Todd P. Beach, Christopher John Harbert, Gery Mel Zimmerman
  • Patent number: 10022602
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a means for adjusting the location of the center of gravity and a slidable weight assembly are disclosed herein. The club head comprises two channels, each having at least one shoulder portion, a floor, and a rail extending upwards from the floor. The channels intersect at a junction, and a slidable weight comprising a top portion, a mechanical fastener, a clamping structure, and a keyed, anti-rotation structure is disposed within at least one of the channels. When the mechanical fastener is tightened, the top portion presses against the at least one shoulder portion and pulls the clamping structure upward so that the clamping structure grips the rail. The rails are spaced from one another at the junction, and the clamping structure allows the slidable weight to be moved into either of the channels without being indexed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Keith L. Kingston, Matthew Myers, Wee Joung Kim
  • Patent number: 10010772
    Abstract: The present invention is direct to a set of golf clubs comprising long irons, mid-irons and short irons. The invention contemplates the use of titanium or steel for the main body portion and significant tungsten weight members at the heel and toe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Marni Ines, Jonathan Hebreo, Michael E. Franz, Joshua C. Stokes
  • Patent number: 10004954
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a body having a heel portion, a toe portion, a sole portion, and an outer surface, a strikeface having a geometric center, a head center of gravity, and a weight member including a weight pad. The weight member is configured to be repositionable by the user to a first position or a second position. The club head having the weight member in the first position shifts the head center of gravity toward the strikeface, and the club head having the weight member in the second position shifts the head center of gravity away from the strikeface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Xiaojian Chen, Eric J. Morales, Martin R. Jertson
  • Patent number: 9987535
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a striking face, and a body coupled to the striking face. The body includes a crown, a sole disposed in generally opposed relation to the crown, and a back extending away from the striking face. The striking face and body collectively define a hollow interior chamber. A weight is disposed entirely within the interior chamber. An adjustment mechanism is coupled to the body and the weight to enable external adjustment of the weight along three axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Michael J. Kline, John Rae, Pat Ripp
  • Patent number: 9919190
    Abstract: A golf club head comprises a body and at least one self-extracting pressed weight assembly. The body comprises a face plate positioned at a forward portion of the golf club head, a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion of the golf club head and a skirt positioned around a periphery of the golf club head between the sole and the crown. The body defines an interior cavity. The weight assembly comprises at least three components and is configured for a press fit engagement with the golf club head. The assembly has a drive portion and a threaded portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Taylor Made Gold Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd P. Beach, Benoit Vincent, Ian C. Wright, Kraig Alan Willett, Gery Mel Zimmerman, Joseph Henry Hoffman
  • Patent number: 9914026
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball where the face has multiple thickness regions. The face has a center region, an upper region, a lower region, a toe region, and a heel region. The upper and lower regions have a ramped thickness extending from a center region to an upper and lower edge of the face. The heel and toe regions have a constant face thickness and have a thickness less than the other regions. Additionally, the club head body has a channel extending across a portion of the sole. The channel may be recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and have a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole. The channel may have a cross-sectional profile that is asymmetric with a front wall and a rear wall where the front wall is longer than the rear wall. The channel may also have a center thickness that is different than a thickness at the heel and toe sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua M. Boggs, Kevin Harper, Eric A. Larson, Michael T. Prichard, Hiromitsu Akiyama, Yoshimasa Fujita
  • Patent number: 9914024
    Abstract: When hitting a ball to a target with a putter, the ball often travels to a point which is deviated to the right from the target. When a golfer looks at the target just after taking his address, he turns his head to a target about a rotation axis which extends through the back of his head. When this rotation axis is not horizontal and an angle defined by the rotation axis and his sighting line to a putter head is not 90°, he has an optical illusion which tricks him into believing that he has to correct his address position. The patter of the present invention is provided with a thin-plate pendulum thereby allowing him to turn his head about the rotation axis while keeping the angle defined by the rotation axis and his sighting line at 90°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Taiseikogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyosi Simizu
  • Patent number: 9914027
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a metal frame having a sole opening, a composite laminate crown joined to the frame, a composite laminate sole insert joined to the frame and overlying the sole opening, and a thermoplastic composite component overmolded on the sole insert. The composite component may include a weight track, ribs, supports or other features. A method of making the golf club includes the steps of forming a frame having a sole opening, forming a composite laminate sole insert, forming a composite laminate crown insert, injection molding a thermoplastic composite head component over the sole insert to create a sole insert unit, and joining the sole insert unit and crown insert to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher John Harbert, Joseph Reeve Nielson, Nathan T. Sargent, Christian Reber Wester
  • Patent number: 9901793
    Abstract: A golf club head of this invention includes a face portion, first and second interchangeable members, a first attachment portion from which the first and second interchangeable members are detachable, and a second attachment portion from which the first and second interchangeable members are detachable. The first interchangeable member is a reinforcing member that abuts against the rear surface of the face portion and restricts deformation of an abutment portion when the member is attached to the first attachment portion. The second interchangeable member is a member that does not abut against the rear surface of the face portion when the member is attached to the first attachment portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wataru Ban, Tomonori Kitagawa, Kozue Wada
  • Patent number: 9895585
    Abstract: Embodiments of golf club heads and methods to manufacture golf club heads are generally described herein. In one example, a golf club head may include a body portion with a toe portion, a heel portion, a rear portion, a front portion with a strike face, a sole portion, and a top portion with a plurality of ports. The body portion may define a periphery of the golf club head, and a height of the body portion proximate to the toe portion may be greater than a height of the body portion proximate to the heel portion. The golf club head may also include a plurality of weight portions with each weight portion disposed in one port of the plurality of ports. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: PARSONS XTREME GOLF, LLC
    Inventor: Caleb S. Kroloff
  • Patent number: 9861864
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a club body including a crown, a sole, a skirt disposed between and connecting the crown and the sole and a face portion connected to a front end of the club body. The face portion includes a geometric center defining the origin of a coordinate system when the golf club head is ideally positioned, the coordinate system including an x-axis being tangent to the face portion at the origin and parallel to a ground plane, a y-axis intersecting the origin being parallel to the ground plane and orthogonal to the x-axis, and a z-axis intersecting the origin being orthogonal to both the x-axis and the y-axis. The golf club head defines a center of gravity CG, the CG being a distance CGY from the origin as measured along the y-axis and a distance CGZ from the origin as measured along the z-axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd P. Beach, John Francis Lorentzen, Bing-Ling Chao, Mark Vincent Greaney
  • Patent number: 9839823
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a crown with an edge support structure and a flexible, conformal weight sized to fit within the edge support structure is disclosed herein. The edge support structure preferably is disposed on an internal surface of the crown so that the conformal weight is invisible when the golf club head is viewed at address. The conformal weight can be removed to adjust the vertical center of gravity of the club head, and preferably is oriented in a front-to-back direction along the club head's X-axis. The conformal weight preferably is composed of a high-density polymeric material with a specific gravity ranging from 1.8 to 4.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: Steven M. Ehlers
  • Patent number: 9814947
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a body and a plurality of carbon tubes is disclosed herein. The body comprises a face section, a sole section with a protrusion extending upward and a crown section. The body defines a hollow interior. Each of the plurality of carbon tubes extends from the crown section to the protrusion of the sole section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: James A. Seluga, Matthew Myers
  • Patent number: 9782646
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a golf club head comprising a body having a crown, a sole, a front wall and a hosel, wherein the body defines a hollow interior. The golf club head further comprises a center of gravity adjustment assembly wherein the center of gravity adjustment assembly is positioned within the hollow interior of the body, and allows the center of gravity of the golf club head to be adjusted by at least 0.050 inch, preferably along a vertical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: James A. Seluga, Denver Holt
  • Patent number: 9776058
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a body and a plurality of stiffening members and satisfying the equation Vballnorm?0.0356x+140.82 is disclosed herein. The body comprises a face section, a sole section, and a crown or return section, and defines a hollow interior. Each of the plurality of stiffening members extends from the crown or return section to the sole section within the hollow interior to reduce stresses placed on the face section during impact with a golf ball. The stiffening members are all located within 1 inch of a rear surface of the face section measured along a plane normal to the center of the face, and are spaced a distance of 0.500 to 2.00 inch from one another within the hollow interior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: James A. Seluga, Matthew Myers
  • Patent number: 9750993
    Abstract: The present invention is direct to a set of golf clubs comprising long irons, mid-irons and short irons. The invention contemplates the use of titanium or steel for the main body portion and significant tungsten weight members coupled to at least the toe via a mechanical fastener.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Ryan J. A. Ritchie, Marni Ines, Jonathan Hebreo, Michael E. Franz
  • Patent number: 9744415
    Abstract: A golf club head, including a hosel, a striking face, a sole extending aftward from a lower edge of the ball striking face, a crown extending aftward from an upper edge of the ball striking face, a skirt extending between the sole and the crown, a plurality of weight mounts disposed on at least one of the sole, the crown, and the skirt, and a weight retainer configured to engage the weight mounts, wherein each of the plurality of weight mounts comprise a locking feature, wherein the weight retainer comprises an engagement feature configured to engage the locking feature, wherein the engagement feature and the locking feature are configured to releasably lock the weight retainer to the golf club head in less than one full rotation of the weight retainer relative to the golf club head around an axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Nick Frame, Charles E. Golden, Richard L. Cleghorn, Scott A. Knutson, Steven J. Forshner
  • Patent number: 9731171
    Abstract: A golf club includes a golf club head having a sole, a crown, and a face. The golf club head defines a bore that has an outer cylindrical portion and a stop extending radially inward from the outer cylindrical portion. An elongate member is insertable within the bore. The elongate member includes a body portion and a protrusion extending radially outward from the body portion. The elongate member is rotatable within the bore between a first angular position and a second angular position, where the elongate member can be freely withdrawn from the bore while in the first angular position and is restrained from being freely withdrawn from the bore while in the second angular position. The stop is at least partially disposed in a path of the protrusion as the elongate member is rotated between the first angular position and the second angular position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Joshua Boggs
  • Patent number: 9724577
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a means for adjusting the location of the center of gravity and a slidable weight assembly are disclosed herein. The club head comprises two channels, each having at least one shoulder portion, a floor, and a rail extending upwards from the floor. The channels intersect at a junction, and a slidable weight comprising a top portion, a mechanical fastener, a clamping structure, and a keyed, anti-rotation structure is disposed within at least one of the channels. When the mechanical fastener is tightened, the top portion presses against the at least one shoulder portion and pulls the clamping structure upward so that the clamping structure grips the rail. The rails are spaced from one another at the junction, and the clamping structure allows the slidable weight to be moved into either of the channels without being indexed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Keith L. Kingston, Matthew Myers, Wee Joung Kim
  • Patent number: 9717962
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a golf club head comprising a body having a crown, a sole, a front wall and a hosel, wherein the body defines a hollow interior. The golf club head further comprises a center of gravity height adjustment assembly wherein the center of gravity height adjustment assembly is positioned within the hollow interior of the body. The products of inertia (Ixz and Iyz) of the golf club head have an absolute value below 100 g-cm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: James A. Seluga
  • Patent number: 9707459
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a slidable weight for adjusting the location of the club head center of gravity is disclosed herein. The club head has a channel disposed in its sole and a slidable weight assembly comprising a weight body and a rotatable cam portion. The channel includes a single, L-shaped rail extending upwards from a channel floor, and the slidable weight assembly is reversibly fixed to the rail when the rotatable cam portion is rotated such that a curved protrusion is disposed underneath a ledge of the L-shaped rail. The channel preferably has an S-shaped or closed loop configuration such that the club head's center of gravity can be adjusted along X (front to back) and Y (heel to toe) horizontal axes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: Matthew Myers
  • Patent number: 9682298
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a means for adjusting the location of the center of gravity is disclosed herein. In particular, the golf club head of the present invention comprises two channels, each having at least one shoulder portion, a floor, and a rail extending upwards from the floor. The channels intersect at a junction, and a slidable weight comprising a top portion, a mechanical fastener, and a clamping structure is disposed within at least one of the channels. When the mechanical fastener is tightened, the top portion presses against the at least one shoulder portion and pulls the clamping structure upward so that the clamping structure grips the rail. The rails are spaced from one another at the junction, and the clamping structure allows the slidable weight to be moved into either of the channels without being indexed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Keith L. Kingston, Matthew Myers, Wee Joung Kim
  • Patent number: 9682299
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a golf club head comprising one or more center of gravity and bias adjustment features. In some embodiments, the golf club head comprises an elongated cartridge having one or more sockets or weight ports to receive weight plugs, the arrangement of which can be changed to adjust the mass properties of the golf club head. The orientation of the cartridge itself can also be reversed to adjust the mass properties. In other embodiments, the golf club head comprises at least one semicircular weight ring that extends around the rear portion of the golf club head, and is removable and replaceable to adjust the mass properties of the golf club head. In still other embodiments, these features are combined on one head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Larry Tang, James A. Seluga, D. Clayton Evans
  • Patent number: 9623302
    Abstract: A golf club head with means for adjusting a center of gravity location along more than one axis is disclosed herein. The golf club head comprises one or more adjustable features, including a weight arm for receiving removable weights, e.g., slidable weights, weight screws, and invertible weight cartridges, and one or more invertible weight cartridges that fit within a tube extending between the golf club head's crown and sole via an interior cavity. The weight arm fits within a rectangular, elongated cutout in the sole and permits the golfer to adjust the location of one or more removable weights along its length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Matthew Myers, James A. Seluga, Patrick Dawson
  • Patent number: 9597558
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a body and a plurality of carbon tubes is disclosed herein. The body comprises a face section, a sole section and a crown section. The body defines a hollow interior. Each of the plurality of carbon tubes extends from the crown section to the sole section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: James A. Seluga, Matthew Myers
  • Patent number: 9561406
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a face, a crown, a sole, and defines a bore that is configured to receive and to selectively retain an elongate weight. The bore is aligned on a longitudinal axis that intersects the face. An elongate weight is insertable into the bore in either a first orientation or a second orientation, with a first end of the weight making initial entry into the bore when inserted in the first orientation, and a second end of the weight making initial entry into the bore when inserted in the second orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventor: Joshua Boggs
  • Patent number: 9446294
    Abstract: A golf club head has a body defining a ball striking face. The body further has a first leg extending away from the ball striking face and a second leg extending away from the ball striking face wherein a void is defined between the first leg and the second leg. The body further defines a cover that extends over the void. The golf club head may further have support structures and adjustable weight members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew G. V. Oldknow, Sherry L. Jones, James H. Lua
  • Patent number: 9427637
    Abstract: A golf club head comprises a sole, a recessed sole port in the sole; and a rotatably adjustable sole piece adapted to be at least partially received within the sole port and comprising a central body having a plurality of contact surfaces adapted to contact the sole port and being offset from each other along a central axis extending through the central body of the sole piece. The sole piece can be positioned at least partially within the sole port at five or more rotational and axial positions with respect to the central axis, wherein at each rotational position, at least one of said contact surfaces of the central body contacts the sole port to set the axial position of the sole piece. The sole port and/or the sole piece can be generally pentagonal in shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd P. Beach, Kraig Alan Willett, Nathan T. Sargent, Michael Franz
  • Patent number: 9421432
    Abstract: A golf club head is provided a weight system to adjust the center of gravity. In one embodiment, the weight system is a tube having a weight at one end that may be inserted into the golf club head to move the center of gravity at least forward and backward within 6 mm and up and down within 6 mm. Preferably, the tube is angled downward toward the face by at least 3 degrees. In another embodiment, the weight system may adjust the center of gravity of the golf club head along the x and z axis simultaneously using a weighted insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Darryl C. Galvan, Richard L. Cleghorn, Thomas Orrin Bennett, Mark C. Myrhum, Stephanie Bezilla, Eddie G. Perez, Richard Sanchez, Kenneth C. Scott, Stephen S. Murphy
  • Patent number: 9421442
    Abstract: A screw for use with a golf club head is disclosed herein. The screw comprises a head portion with a compressible feature that more securely retains the screw within a receptacle in the golf club head. The compressible feature preferably is a plurality of tapered extensions that can be compressed inwards by a tapered portion of the receptacle, creating spring tension between the head of the screw and the tapered portion of the receptacle. This helps to prevent the screw from becoming dislodged from the golf club head when it is in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: Thomas J. DiMarco
  • Patent number: 9403070
    Abstract: Golf club heads with trench features are described herein. Other embodiments and related methods are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan M. Stokke, Martin R. Jertson, Brandon L. Fossum
  • Patent number: 9399157
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a body defining an interior cavity. The body includes a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion, and a skirt positioned around a periphery between the sole and crown. The body has a forward portion and a rearward portion. The club head includes a face positioned at the forward portion of the body. In some embodiments, the crown includes a lattice-like structure having thin regions surrounded by a web of relatively thicker regions. In some embodiments, the club head includes one or more stiffening tubes attached between the sole and the crown to improve the acoustic performance of the golf club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Greensmith, Todd P. Beach, Nathan T. Sargent, Kraig Alan Willett, Joshua J. Dipert
  • Patent number: 9352199
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a golf club head comprising a body having a crown, a sole, a front wall and a hosel, wherein the body defines a hollow interior. The golf club head further comprises a center of gravity adjustment assembly wherein the center of gravity adjustment assembly is positioned within the hollow interior of the body, and allows the center of gravity of the golf club head to be adjusted by at least 0.050 inch, preferably along a vertical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: James A. Seluga, Denver Holt
  • Patent number: 9333390
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising one or more center of gravity adjustment assemblies, and weight cartridges and electronic diagnostic inserts that can be received by said assemblies, is disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Scott R. Manwaring, James A. Seluga