Golf club having removable weight
A golf club head includes a club head body and a weight member that is secured to the body. The weight member is constructed to utilize lateral forces to couple to the head body to minimize the structure required to retain the weight member, and the weight member is preferably constructed so that it has a low profile.
1. A golf club head including a weight member, comprising:
club head body comprising a plurality of body members that combine to define a hollow body, wherein the body members include a face defining a ball-striking surface, a sole, a crown, and a skirt, wherein the sole extends aftward from a lower edge of the face, wherein the crown extends aftward from an upper edge of the face, and wherein the skirt extends between the sole and the crown around a perimeter of the body;
a weight mount disposed on at least one of the body members, wherein the weight mount defines a perimeter wall; and
a weight member that includes a weight body defining a side wall and at least two spring features, wherein each spring feature is defined by an elongate aperture extending through a thickness of the weight body at a location spaced from the side wall,
wherein the weight mount is sized so that the spring features abut the perimeter wall of the weight mount, and wherein the spring features are at least partially flexed laterally by the abutment of the spring feature with the perimeter wall when the weight member is disposed in the weight mount.
2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the weight body has an oculiform shape, wherein the weight member is rotatable in the weight mount between a first orientation and a second orientation, wherein rotating the weight member between the first orientation and the second orientation increases a lateral force between the spring feature and the perimeter wall.
3. The golf club head of claim 2 , wherein a portion of the weight member at the spring feature has a dimension D 1 and a second portion of the weight member at the spring feature has a dimension D 2 , wherein D2 is greater than D1, wherein the weight mount has a dimension across a portion of the weight mount that abuts the spring feature has a dimension D LOCK , and wherein D LOCK is greater than D 1 and less than D 2 .
4. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein translation of the weight member in the weight mount increases a lateral force between the spring feature and the perimeter wall.
5. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the weight mount includes a perimeter wall that defines an undercut.
6. The golf club head of claim 5 , wherein the undercut is formed by a side wall that is angled relative to the bottom wall of the weight mount, and wherein the side wall is angled at about 30° relative to the bottom wall of the weight mount.
7. The golf club head of claim 5 , wherein the perimeter wall includes a shoulder overhang, wherein a lower surface of the shoulder overhang is spaced from the bottom wall of the weight mount by a distance that is greater than the thickness of the weight member by about 0.01 inch to about 0.05 inch.
8. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein each spring feature is defined by an elongate aperture extending through a thickness of the weight body at a location spaced from the side wall, wherein the elongate aperture intersects the side wall of the weight body.
9. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the weight body includes at least three spring features.
10. The golf club head of claim 9 , wherein the weight mount includes a bridge member that extends across the weight mount and forms an undercut portion of the weight mount, and wherein at least one of the spring features includes a locking tooth, wherein the locking tooth includes a tapered surface, wherein the tapered surface abuts and slides past a tapered surface on the bridge member when the weight member is installed in the weight mount.
11. A golf club head including a weight member, comprising:
a club head body comprising a plurality of body members that combine to define a hollow body, wherein the body members include a face defining a ball-striking surface, a sole, a crown, and a skirt, wherein the sole extends aftward from a lower edge of the face, wherein the crown extends aftward from an upper edge of the face, and wherein the skirt extends between the sole and the crown around a perimeter of the body;
a weight mount disposed on at least one of the body members, wherein the weight mount is a slot extending through at least a portion of the thickness of the body member, wherein the slot is elongate, and wherein sidewalls of the slot are generally parallel; and
a weight member that includes a weight body, a spring clip, and a locking member; wherein the weight body includes an outer portion disposed outward of the body member, an inner portion, and a clip portion interposed between the outer portion and the inner portion, the inner portion extends through the slot toward in interior of the club head body; wherein the spring clip is disposed on the clip portion and includes a plurality of arms separated by a flexure; wherein the width of an outer engagement surface of the spring clip is greater than the width of the slot when the spring clip is in a free state so that the spring clip is compressed when the weight member is installed in the slot; and wherein the locking member extends through the outer portion and into the clip portion of the weight body.
12. The golf club head of claim 11 , wherein the sidewalls of the slot include a plurality of detent recesses extending away from a central axis of the elongate slot, and wherein the width of the outer portion of the spring clip is greater than the width of the slot at the detent recesses.
13. The golf club head of claim 12 , wherein the spring clip includes a detent projection in the outer engagement surface that extends outward, wherein the detent projection is shaped to complement and fit at least partially into a detent recess.
14. The golf club head of claim 11 , wherein the locking member includes a threaded body and a tapered extension, wherein the outer portion of the weight body includes a threaded bore that engages the threaded body of the locking member, wherein the tapered portion extends into the clip portion.
15. The golf club head of claim 14 , wherein the locking member abuts a portion of the spring clip when the locking member is extended.
16. A golf club head including a weight member, comprising:
a club head body comprising a plurality of body members that combine to define a hollow body, wherein the body members include a face defining a ball-striking surface, a sole, a crown, and a skirt, wherein the sole extends aftward from a lower edge of the face, wherein the crown extends aftward from an upper edge of the face, and wherein the skirt extends between the sole and the crown around a perimeter of the body;
a weight mount disposed on at least one of the body members, wherein the weight mount is a spring clamp that includes at least one flexible arm, wherein the spring clamp defines an opening that is at least partially defined by the flexible arm, wherein the flexible arm includes a fixed end and a free end, the fixed end is fixedly coupled to the body member, wherein the free end is movable between an opened position and a closed position; and
a weight member that includes a weight body, wherein the weight body includes a clamp portion that is disposed in the opening of the spring clamp, wherein the flexible arm forcibly abuts the clamp portion when the free end is in the closed position,
wherein the spring clamp is in an always on configuration so that it is naturally clamped on the weight member in the opening defined by the spring clamp.
17. The golf club head of claim 16 , wherein the body member includes a recess adjacent the opening in the spring clamp.
18. The golf club head of claim 16 , wherein the flexible arm includes a threaded bore that extends through the flexible arm adjacent the free end, and wherein a longitudinal axis of the threaded bore intersects a portion of the spring clamp spaced from the free end by a gap.
19. The golf club head of claim 16 , wherein the opening is semi-circular.
20. The golf club head of claim 16 , wherein the opening is polygonal.