# US 11,077,344 B2 · Golf club head

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- Number: US 11,077,344 B2
- Document ID: US11077344B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/714,578
- Filed: 2019-12-13
- Published: 2020-07-02
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2012-09-18
- Assignees: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
- Applicants: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
- Inventors: Joseph Reeve Nielson; Nathan T. Sargent; Christopher John Harbert; Todd P. Beach; Brian Bazzel; Mark Vincent Greaney; Christian Reber Wester; Craig Richard Slyfield; Matthew David Johnson; Matthew Greensmith; Kraig Alan Willett
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077344B2

## CPC

- A63B 53/06: adjustable
- A63B 53/02: Joint structures between the head and the shaft
- A63B 53/0466: {wood-type}
- A63B 60/00: Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
- A63B 60/02: Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass (A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence)
- A63B 60/52: with slits
- A63B 53/023: {adjustable angular orientation}
- A63B 53/0408: {characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness}
- A63B 53/0416: {Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert}
- A63B 53/0433: {with special sole configurations}
- A63B 53/0437: {with special crown configurations}
- A63B 53/045: {Strengthening ribs}
- A63B 53/0454: {Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate}
- A63B 53/047: {iron-type}
- A63B 53/0487: {for putters (A63B53/065 takes precedence)}
- A63B 60/002: {Resonance frequency related characteristics}
- A63B 2053/0491: {with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable}
- A63B 2209/00: Characteristics of used materials
- A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H)

## Abstract

A golf club head comprises a body having a face, a crown and a sole together defining an interior cavity. The body having a channel located on the sole and extending generally from a heel end of the body to a toe end of the body. A weight member movably positioned within the channel such that a position of the weight member within the channel is able to be adjusted, thereby adjusting a location of a center of gravity of the body. Additionally, adjustment of the weight member provides a maximum x-axis adjustment range of the position of the center of gravity (Max ΔCGx) that is greater than 2 mm and a maximum z-axis adjustment range of the center of gravity (Max ΔCGz) that is less than 2 mm.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A golf club head comprising:
a body having a face, a crown and a sole together defining an interior cavity, the body having a channel, the channel comprising first and second opposing ledges extending within the channel;
at least one crown opening and at least one crown insert attached to the body and covering the at least one crown opening;
at least one weight member configured to clamp the first and second ledges at selected locations along the channel, wherein movement of the at least one weight member within the channel adjusts a location of a center of gravity of the golf club head;
the at least one weight member is located entirely external to the interior cavity of the body and comprises an outer member, an inner member, and a threaded fastening bolt that connects the outer member to the inner member;
a coefficient of restitution (COR) feature located on the sole of the golf club head;
a weight installation cavity located in a portion of the channel in which the first and second opposing ledges extend,
wherein the weight installation cavity is configured to allow angled insertion of at least the inner member through an opening within the channel, and the weight installation cavity is one of the selected locations that the at least one weight member is configured to clamp, and
wherein at least a portion of the outer member is disposed within the channel when the at least one weight member is clamped to the first and second ledges;
a heel opening located on a heel end of the body, the heel opening configured to receive a fastening member; and
a head-shaft connection system including a sleeve that is secured by the fastening member in a locked position, the head-shaft connection system configured to allow the golf club head to be adjustably attachable to a golf club shaft in a plurality of different positions resulting in an adjustability range of different combinations of loft angle, face angle, or lie angle,
wherein the at least one crown insert is formed from a composite material,
wherein at least one of the inner member and the outer member are noncircular and shaped to prevent rotation within the channel upon tightening the threaded fastening bolt,
wherein the COR feature has a length and is offset an offset distance from a leading edge of the golf club head, where the offset distance is a minimum distance from the leading edge of the golf club head to the COR feature, and
wherein the face includes a center face location that defines the head origin of a coordinate system in which an x-axis is tangential to the face at the center face location and is parallel to a ground plane when the body is in a normal address position, a y-axis extends perpendicular to the x-axis and is also parallel to the ground plane, and a z-axis extends perpendicular to the ground plane, wherein a positive x-axis extends toward the heel portion from the head origin, a positive y-axis extends rearwardly from the head origin, and a positive z-axis extends upwardly from the head origin.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the outer member comprises a central protrusion that extends into a space between the first and second ledges, the outer member further comprising first and second recessed surfaces on opposite sides of the central protrusion, the first recessed surface being configured to contact the first ledge and the second recessed surface being configured to contact the second ledge.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The golf club head of claim 2, wherein when the at least one weight member is secured to the channel, the outer member engages an outward facing surface of the at least one ledge and the inner member engages an inward-facing surface of the at least one ledge, and the threaded fastening bolt has a threaded shaft that extends through a first aperture of the outer member and engages mating threads located in a second aperture of the inner member;
wherein the threaded shaft of the threaded fasting bolt has a shaft axis that extends through both the crown and the sole;
wherein the outer member is noncircular and is configured to prevent rotation when tightening the threaded fastening bolt.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the COR feature is a channel and the channel is merged with the heel opening.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the face has a face thickness that varies including a maximum face thickness greater than about 3.0 mm, a minimum face thickness less than about 3.0 mm, and the face thickness has a thickness change of at least 25% over the face between the maximum face thickness and the minimum face thickness.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the COR feature is a channel.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the COR feature is a through slot.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein adjustment of the at least one weight member within the channel provides a maximum y-axis adjustment range of the position of the center of gravity (Max ΔCGy) that is no less than 2 mm and no more than 8 mm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body is formed of titanium, and the golf club head has a volume of at least 400 cm3.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the face has a face thickness that varies including a maximum face thickness and a minimum face thickness, and wherein the maximum face thickness is greater than 3.0 mm, the minimum face thickness is less than 2.3 mm, and the face thickness has a thickness change of at least 25% over the face between the minimum face thickness and the maximum face thickness.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a face opening, and wherein the golf club head further comprises a composite face plate received in the face opening.