IP Library Granted Patent US 11,691,057
Granted Patent B2
US 11,691,057 · App. 17/366,376 · Granted Jul 4, 2023

Golf club having an adjustable weight assembly

Inventors: Thomas Orrin Bennett (Carlsbad, CA); Mitchell E. Bac (Temecula, CA); Tyrone Northcutt (San Marcos, CA); Takeshi Casey Funaki (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: Acushnet Company
A63B53/08A63B53/06A63B53/045A63B53/047A63B53/0437A63B53/0466A63B2053/0495
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,691,057
App. No.
17/366,376
Filed
Jul 2, 2021
Granted
Jul 4, 2023
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3711
USPC
473/335
Abstract

A golf club head includes a body having a recessed channel formed in an outer surface. A weight assembly that includes a weight at least partially disposed within the recessed channel, a cover extending at least partially over the recessed channel, and a fastener coupling the cover to the body. The fastener is adapted to retain the weight in the recessed channel only indirectly by the cover. The weight is slidably engaged with the cover and the cover is positionable in at least an unlocked configuration whereby the cover is raised at least partially out of the recessed channel and the weight is selectively slidable within the recessed channel, and a locked configuration whereby the cover is at least partially disposed within the recessed channel and the weight is secured within the recessed channel. The weight moves with the cover between the unlocked configuration and the locked configuration.

Claims (41)

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising:

a striking face comprising a lower edge and an opposite upper edge;

a sole extending from the lower edge; and

a crown extending from the upper edge, wherein one or more of the striking face, the sole, and the crown, define an outer surface of the body;

a recessed channel formed in the outer surface; and

a weight assembly comprising:

a weight at least partially disposed within the recessed channel;

a cover extending at least partially over the recessed channel; and

a threaded fastener coupling the cover to the body, wherein the threaded fastener is adapted to retain the weight in the recessed channel only indirectly by the cover,

wherein the weight is slidably engaged with the cover such that when the cover is moved between an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration, the weight moves with the cover.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the threaded fastener defines a fastener axis, and wherein the cover and the weight are configured to move together along the fastener axis between the unlocked configuration and the locked configuration.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein when the cover is in the unlocked configuration, the weight is slidable along the cover, and wherein a sliding direction of the weight in the unlocked configuration is different than a movement direction of the cover between the unlocked configuration and the locked configuration.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein in the unlocked configuration, both the cover and the weight are raised at least partially out of the recessed channel.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the slidable engagement between the weight and the cover is configured to allow the weight to slide along the cover when the cover is in the unlocked configuration.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the slidable engagement between the weight and the cover is configured to raise or lower the weight relative to the recessed channel when the cover is moved between the unlocked configuration and the locked configuration.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the threaded fastener defines a fastener axis and the cover moves along the fastener axis between the unlocked configuration and the locked configuration, and wherein the slidable engagement between the weight and the cover prevents movement of the weight relative to the cover along the fastener axis in both the unlocked configuration and the locked configuration.

8. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising:

a striking face comprising a lower edge and an opposite upper edge;

a sole extending from the lower edge; and

a crown extending from the upper edge, wherein one or more of the striking face, the sole, and the crown, define an outer surface of the body;

a recessed channel formed in the outer surface and comprising a bottom track having a plurality of bosses; and

a weight assembly comprising a weight, a cover, and a fastener, wherein the fastener is adapted to retain the weight in the recessed channel only indirectly by the cover, wherein the weight comprises a hollow, and wherein the hollow is configured to receive a boss of the plurality of bosses.

9. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the plurality of bosses is disposed at a fade bias position of the club head and at least one of the plurality of bosses is disposed at a draw bias position of the club head.

10. The golf club head of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of bosses is disposed at a center-neutral position of the club head.

11. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the weight assembly is moveable between at least an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration, and wherein the hollow is received by the boss of the plurality of bosses in the locked configuration.

12. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the weight assembly is movable between at least an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration, and wherein the movement of the weight between the unlocked configuration and the locked configuration is at least a height of the plurality of bosses.

13. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the weight assembly is movable between at least an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration, and wherein in the unlocked configuration the weight is at least partially raised relative to the body by at least a height of the plurality of bosses.

14. The golf club head of claim 8 , wherein the fastener defines a fastener axis, and the plurality of bosses project in a direction along the fastener axis.

15. A golf club head comprising:

a body;

a recessed channel formed in the body and having at least one boss extending therein;

a cover configured to at least partially cover the recessed channel;

a fastener coupling the cover to the body and configured to move the cover between at least a first configuration and a second configuration; and

a weight directly engaged with the cover and at least partially disposed within the recessed channel, wherein when the cover is in the first configuration the weight engages with the at least one boss, and when the cover is in the second configuration the weight disengages from the at least one boss and is slidable relative the cover,

wherein the weight defines a hollow configured to engage with the at least one boss.

16. The golf club head of claim 15 , wherein when the cover is in the second configuration and the weight is slidable relative to the cover, at least a portion of the weight is disposed above the body when the weight slides along the cover.

17. The golf club head of claim 15 , wherein the recessed channel has a bottom track and the at least one boss extends from the bottom track.

18. The golf club head of claim 15 , wherein the cover has an L-shaped cross section with a long leg at least partially defining an exterior surface of the cover, the weight being disposed adjacent the long leg of the cover.

19. The golf club head of claim 15 , wherein the weight moves with the cover between the first configuration and the second configuration.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 22, 2025
From: ACUSHNET COMPANY
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 073689/0464 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2024
From: BENNETT, THOMAS ORRIN; BAC, MITCHELL E.; NORTHCUTT, TYRONE; FUNAKI, TAKESHI CASEY
To: ACUSHNET COMPANY
Reel/Frame 069323/0890 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 3, 2022
From: ACUSHNET COMPANY
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 061099/0236 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 16708255 · Dec 9, 2019
Continuation In Part 16535844 · Aug 8, 2019
Continuation In Part 16387859 · Apr 18, 2019
Related Publication 20210402270A1 · Dec 30, 2021
Cited By (15)
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