Granted Patent B2

US 12,070,660 · App. 17/330,309 · Granted Aug 27, 2024

Inventors: Jacob T. Clarke (Apex, NC); Eric J. Morales (Laveen, AZ); Ryan M. Stokke (Anthem, AZ); Evan R. Greer (Peoria, AZ); Eric V. Cole (Phoenix, AZ); David S. Kultala (Phoenix, AZ)

Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation

A63B53/02A63B53/0466A63B53/023Y10T29/49826

Abstract

Claims (82)

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 shaft sleeve outer wall;

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

a sleeve top end;

a sleeve bottom end;

a sleeve axis extending longitudinally between the sleeve top end and sleeve bottom end;

the shaft sleeve body further comprising:

a first coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a first coupler surface area over an entirety of said first coupler;

a second coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a second coupler surface area over an entirety of said second coupler;

a third coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a third coupler surface area over an entirety of said third coupler; and

a fourth coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a fourth coupler surface area over an entirety of said fourth coupler;

the first coupler comprising a first arcuate surface continuously curved throughout the first coupler surface area;

the second coupler comprising a second arcuate surface continuously curved throughout the second coupler surface area;

the third coupler comprising a third arcuate surface continuously curved throughout the third coupler surface area;

the fourth coupler comprising a fourth arcuate surface continuously curved throughout the fourth coupler surface area;

the shaft bore further comprising a shaft bore axis;

wherein the shaft sleeve outer wall and shaft bore are non-coaxial; and

wherein the first coupler, the second coupler, the third coupler, and the fourth coupler form a smooth perimeter defined by concave and convex surfaces around the shaft sleeve outer wall.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 , wherein the hosel further comprises a hosel axis and a bottom horizontal axis, the bottom horizontal axis being horizontally tangent to the sole bottom end; wherein the hosel axis defines a hosel lie angle relative to the bottom horizontal axis; and wherein the shaft bore axis and sleeve axis together define a change in loft angle and a change in lie angle relative to the hosel lie angle.

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

a first coupler position defines a first loft angle and a first lie angle between the shaft bore axis and the bottom horizontal axis;

a second coupler position defines a second loft angle and a second lie angle between the shaft bore axis and the bottom horizontal axis;

a third coupler position defines a third loft angle and a third lie angle between the shaft bore axis and the bottom horizontal axis;

a fourth coupler position defines a fourth loft angle and a fourth lie angle between the shaft bore axis and the bottom horizontal axis.

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

the first lie angle is between 0.2 degrees and 4 degrees less than the hosel lie angle.

5. The golf club head of claim 4 , wherein the first loft angle remains in a neutral orientation.

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

the second lie angle is between 0.2 degrees and 4 degrees greater than the hosel lie angle.

7. The golf club head of claim 6 , wherein the second loft angle remains in a neutral orientation.

8. The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the third lie angle remains in a neutral orientation.

9. The golf club head of claim 3 , wherein the fourth lie angle remains in a neutral orientation.

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

the shaft sleeve further comprises a fifth coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a fifth arcuate surface curved throughout the fifth coupler; and

a sixth coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a sixth arcuate surface curved throughout the sixth coupler.

11. 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;

a hosel; and

a golf coupling mechanism comprising:

a shaft sleeve configured to be coupled to an end of a golf club shaft and a hosel;

a shaft receiver of the golf club head configured to receive the shaft sleeve and having a shaft receiver inner wall;

wherein:

the shaft sleeve comprises:

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

a shaft sleeve body comprising a shaft sleeve outer wall;

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

a sleeve top end;

a sleeve bottom end;

a sleeve axis extending longitudinally between the sleeve top end and sleeve bottom end;

a coupler set comprising:

a first coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a first coupler surface area over an entirety of said first coupler;

a second coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a second coupler surface area over an entirety of said second coupler;

a third coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a third coupler surface area over an entirety of said third coupler; and

a fourth coupler protruding from the shaft sleeve outer wall and comprising a fourth coupler surface area over an entirety of said fourth coupler;

wherein:

the shaft bore comprises a shaft bore axis;

the first coupler comprises a first arcuate surface curved throughout the first coupler surface area;

the second coupler comprises a second arcuate surface curved throughout the second coupler surface area;

the third coupler comprises a third arcuate surface curved throughout the third coupler surface area;

the fourth coupler comprises a fourth arcuate surface curved throughout the fourth coupler surface area; and

the shaft receiver comprises:

a fifth coupler indented into the shaft receiver inner wall and comprising a fifth coupler surface area over an entirety of said fifth coupler;

a sixth coupler indented into the shaft receiver inner wall and comprising a sixth coupler surface area over an entirety of said sixth coupler;

a seventh coupler indented into the shaft receiver inner wall and comprising a seventh coupler surface area over an entirety of said seventh coupler;

an eighth coupler indented into the shaft receiver inner wall and comprising a eighth coupler surface area over an entirety of said eighth coupler;

the fifth coupler comprises a fifth arcuate surface curved throughout the fifth coupler surface area;

the sixth coupler comprises a sixth arcuate surface curved throughout the sixth coupler surface area;

the seventh coupler comprises a seventh arcuate surface curved throughout the seventh coupler surface area;

the eighth coupler comprises an eighth arcuate surface curved throughout the eighth coupler surface area; and

wherein the shaft sleeve outer wall and shaft bore are non-coaxial; and

wherein an outer surface of the coupler set forms a smooth perimeter defined by concave and convex surfaces.

Continuity (20)

Cited By (1)

US 12,508,477