IP Library Granted Patent US 9,868,035
Granted Patent B2
US 9,868,035 · App. 15/003,494 · Granted Jan 16, 2018

Golf clubs with hosel inserts and related methods

Inventors: Jacob Clarke (Phoenix, AZ); Eric J. Morales (Laveen, AZ); Ryan M. Stokke (Anthem, AZ); Evan Greer (Phoenix, AZ); Eric V. Cole (Phoenix, AZ)
Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
A63B53/02A63B53/0466A63B2053/023Y10T29/49826
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,868,035
App. No.
15/003,494
Granted
Jan 16, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of golf coupling mechanisms are presented herein. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.

Claims (94)

1. A golf club head comprising:

a club head body comprising:

a sole portion comprising a sole bottom end, a top portion opposite the sole portion, a heel portion, a toe portion opposite the heel portion, a rear portion, a front portion opposite the rear portion, the front portion comprising a strike face; and

a hosel;

a shaft sleeve insertable into the hosel and configured to couple a golf club shaft with the hosel; and

a securing fastener configured to couple to a sleeve bottom end of the shaft sleeve to secure the shaft sleeve in the hosel;

wherein:

the hosel comprises a hosel bore configured to receive the shaft sleeve;

the shaft sleeve comprises:

a shaft bore configured to receive an end of the golf club shaft;

a shaft sleeve body comprising a sleeve body outer wall, and at least one coupler at the sleeve body outer wall; and

a shaft sleeve cap configured to be coupled with the shaft sleeve body;

the club head body further comprises an assembled club head center of gravity when the club head body is assembled with the shaft sleeve and the securing fastener;

the assembled club head center of gravity is located at an assembled club head CG vertical distance relative to the sole bottom end; and

when the golf club head is at an address position, with the shaft sleeve secured in the hosel:

the shaft sleeve center of gravity is located at a shaft sleeve CG vertical distance less than or equal to approximately 46.5 millimeters relative to the sole bottom end, and the sleeve CG vertical distance is at least approximately 7.6 mm greater than the assembled club head CG vertical distance.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:

the shaft sleeve body comprises an intermediate region;

the shaft sleeve body comprises a sleeve body wall; and

the sleeve body wall comprises an intermediate region thickness of approximately 0.020 inch at the intermediate region.

3. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:

the shaft sleeve body comprises a coupler region;

the shaft sleeve body comprises a sleeve body wall;

the sleeve body wall comprises a coupler region thickness that varies at the coupler region from a greatest thickness of the sleeve body wall to a least thickness of the sleeve body wall;

the greatest thickness of the sleeve body wall is less than or equal to approximately 0.75 inch; and

the least thickness of the sleeve body wall is greater than or equal to approximately 0.020 inch.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:

the hosel bore comprises at least one receiver configured to engage the at least one coupler; and

when the hosel bore receives the shaft sleeve, the at least one coupler engages the at least one receiver to restrict a rotation of the shaft sleeve relative to the hosel.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:

the shaft sleeve cap is removably coupled with the shaft sleeve body.

6. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one coupler comprises multiple couplers;

the multiple couplers comprise a first coupler and a second coupler; and

a coupler length of the first coupler is the same as the coupler length of the second coupler.

7. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one coupler comprises a coupler length; and

the coupler length is greater than or equal to approximately 0.260 inch and less than or equal to approximately 0.38 inch.

8. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:

the shaft sleeve body comprises a receiving groove;

the shaft sleeve cap comprises an extrusion portion; and

the receiving groove is configured to receive the extrusion portion when the shaft sleeve body is coupled with the shaft sleeve cap.

9. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:

the shaft sleeve cap comprises at least one rib and a cap wall; and

the at least one rib is configured to securely couple and center the shaft sleeve cap.

10. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:

the shaft sleeve cap comprises a cap bore and one or more ribs extending into the cap bore; and

when the shaft bore receives the end of the golf club shaft, the one or more ribs center the golf club shaft within the shaft bore.

11. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:

the shaft sleeve comprises a shaft sleeve mass of approximately 4.5 grams;

the shaft sleeve body comprises a shaft sleeve body mass less than or equal to approximately 4.1 grams; or

the shaft sleeve cap comprises a shaft sleeve cap mass greater than or equal to approximately 0.3 grams, and less than or equal to approximately 1.0 grams.

12. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:

when the shaft sleeve cap is coupled with the shaft sleeve body, and when the fastener is securing the shaft sleeve to the hosel, the golf club head comprises an assembled club head mass;

and

the assembled club head mass is less than or equal to approximately 199 grams.

13. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:

when the shaft sleeve cap is coupled with the shaft sleeve body, and when the fastener is securing the shaft sleeve to the hosel, the golf club head comprises an assembled club head mass;

the shaft sleeve comprises a shaft sleeve mass;

and

a ratio of the shaft sleeve mass to the assembled club head mass is less than or equal to approximately 2.2%.

14. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:

the golf club head comprises a disassembled club head mass;

the shaft sleeve comprises a shaft sleeve mass; and

a ratio of the shaft sleeve mass to the disassembled club head mass is less than or equal to approximately 2.3%.

15. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein:

the shaft sleeve CG vertical distance is less than or equal to approximately 45.3 millimeters relative to the sole bottom end.

16. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:

when the shaft sleeve body is coupled to the shaft sleeve cap, the shaft sleeve comprises a shaft sleeve height, and the shaft sleeve height is greater than or equal to approximately 1.78 inches and less than or equal to approximately 1.82 inches;

when the shaft sleeve body is coupled to the shaft sleeve cap, the shaft sleeve comprises a shaft sleeve body height, and the shaft sleeve body height is greater than or equal to approximately 1.529 inches and less than or equal to approximately 1.569 inches; or

when the shaft sleeve body is coupled to the shaft sleeve cap, the shaft sleeve comprises a shaft sleeve cap height, and the shaft sleeve cap height is greater than or equal to approximately 0.46 inches and less than or equal to approximately 0.50 inches.

17. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the shaft sleeve cap comprises soft polymer plastic, wherein the soft polymer plastic can be no greater than 55 on the Shore D durometer scale.

18. A golf club head comprising:

a club head body comprising:

a sole portion comprising a sole bottom end, a top portion opposite the sole portion, a heel portion, a toe portion opposite the heel portion, a rear portion, a front portion opposite the rear portion, the front portion comprising a strike face; and

a hosel;

a shaft sleeve insertable into the hosel and configured to couple a golf club shaft with the hosel; and

a securing fastener configured to couple to a sleeve bottom end of the shaft sleeve to secure the shaft sleeve in the hosel;

wherein:

the hosel comprises a hosel bore configured to receive the shaft sleeve;

the shaft sleeve comprises:

a shaft bore configured to receive an end of the golf club shaft;

a shaft sleeve body comprising a sleeve body outer wall, and at least one coupler on the sleeve body outer wall; and

a shaft sleeve cap configured to be coupled with the shaft sleeve body;

the shaft sleeve body further comprises an intermediate region and a sleeve body wall;

the shaft sleeve comprises a shaft sleeve mass of approximately 4.5 grams;

the shaft sleeve body comprises a shaft sleeve body mass less than or equal to approximately 4.1 grams;

the shaft sleeve cap comprises a cap bore and one or more ribs extending into the cap bore;

when the shaft bore receives the end of the golf club shaft, the one or more ribs center the golf club shaft within the shaft bore;

the shaft sleeve cap is removably coupled with the shaft sleeve body;

the club head body further comprises an assembled club head center of gravity when the club head body is assembled with the shaft sleeve and the securing fastener;

the assembled club head center of gravity is located at an assembled club head CG vertical distance relative to the sole bottom end; and

when the golf club head is at an address position, with the shaft sleeve secured in the hosel:

the shaft sleeve center of gravity is located at a shaft sleeve CG vertical distance greater than or equal to approximately 43.5 millimeters and less than or equal to approximately 47.0 millimeters relative to the sole bottom end, and the sleeve CG vertical distance is at least approximately 7.6 mm greater than the assembled club head CG vertical distance.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 9, 2016
From: CLARKE, JACOB; MORALES, ERIC J.; STOKKE, RYAN M.; GREER, EVAN; COLE, ERIC V.
To: KARSTEN MANUFACTURING CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 037934/0859 →
Continuity (17)
Continuation In Part 14282786 · May 20, 2014
Continuation In Part 13795653 · Mar 12, 2013
Continuation In Part 13429319 · Mar 24, 2012
Continuation In Part 13468663 · May 10, 2012
Continuation In Part 13468675 · May 10, 2015
Continuation In Part 13735123 · Jan 7, 2013
Continuation In Part 13429319
Continuation In Part 13429319
Continuation In Part 13468663
Continuation In Part 13468675
Continuation In Part 13468677
Continuation 13429319 · Mar 24, 2012
Provisional Application 62107240 · Jan 23, 2015
Provisional Application 62254081 · Nov 11, 2015
Provisional Application 61590232 · Jan 24, 2012
Provisional Application 61529880 · Aug 31, 2011
Related Publication 20160136487A1 · May 19, 2016