Abstract:
An adjustable shaft and hosel assembly allows for dependent and independent adjustment of a golf club&#39;s face angle, loft angle, and lie angle. The adjustable shaft and hosel assembly comprises a shaft sleeve, a hosel portion, a tubular adjustment piece having non-parallel upper and lower surfaces, and a retention feature that provides an engagement between the tubular adjustment piece and the shaft sleeve to prevent the tubular adjustment piece from becoming detached from the shaft sleeve.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/872,335, filed on Oct. 1, 2015, and issued on Jan. 10, 2017, as U.S. Pat. No. 9,539,474, which is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/452,157, filed on Aug. 5, 2014, and issued on Nov. 3, 2015, as U.S. Pat. No. 9,174,097, which claims priority to 61/949,169, filed on Mar. 6, 2014, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/332,846, filed on Dec. 21, 2011, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/326,156, filed on Dec. 14, 2011, and issued on May 6, 2014, as U.S. patent No. 8,715,102, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/311,319, filed on Dec. 5, 2011, and issued on Apr. 1, 2014, as U.S. Pat. No. 8,684,859, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/451,523, filed on Mar. 10, 2011, and to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/452,521, filed on Mar. 14, 2011, to each of which the present application also claims priority, and the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties herein. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a golf club head having an adjustable shaft and hosel assembly. More specifically, the present invention relates to a golf club shaft and hosel connection assembly comprising one or more shims that permit a user to adjust the loft, lie, and face angle of the golf club head, either dependently or independently without requiring the user to remove the shaft from the hosel completely. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     It is known that changing the angle of a golf club shaft with respect to the golf club head will change certain club specifications, including loft angle, lie angle, and face angle. 
     Several types of adjustable golf clubs are currently available on the market. These models allow the user to adjust one or more of the golf club head&#39;s loft, lie and face angle by adjusting certain golf club components, which themselves rotate the shaft in a cone-shaped path about a reference axis. 
     Several of these models include angled wedges or tubular adjustment features that are retained on a shaft sleeve with features such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,235,839. The problem with these retention features, and in particular the separate retainer disclosed in connection with  FIG. 38  of that reference, is that the retainer is often composed of a weaker material than the shaft sleeve and thus has a high failure rate. Furthermore, once the retainer is affixed to the shaft sleeve as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,235,839, the retainer must be permitted to move in a circular pattern during adjustment of the tubular adjustment feature (which moves the shaft sleeve around a cone-shaped path), and thus the shaft sleeve of golf club head, between its available angular positions. This movement requires that the hosel bore be sized to permit the movement of the retainer. The movement of the retainer thus becomes the limiting factor when calculating the minimum hosel bore for a golf club head, and can lead to a hosel having an undesirably large diameter, thereby limiting where the hosel can be disposed on a golf club head. Therefore, there is a need for adjustable golf clubs having narrower hosel bores and stronger, more streamlined adjustability retention features. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to golf club heads that include tubular shims, which permit a golfer to adjust the loft, lie, and face angle of the golf club head, either dependently or independently of one another, and retention features that retain the shims on a shaft sleeve so that removing a shaft sleeve from a golf club head does not cause the shims to disengage from the shaft sleeve. In particular, the present invention dispenses with the use of a separate retention piece to save on cost, reduce the inside diameter of a golf club hosel, increase the ease of manufacturing, and reduce the failure rate. 
     One aspect of the present invention is an adjustable golf club comprising a golf club head comprising a hosel, a shaft, a shaft sleeve comprising a tip end, a middle portion, an upper end, a shaft-receiving bore disposed in the upper end and extending into the middle portion, an external surface, and a first ridge protruding from the external surface, and a first tubular adjustment piece comprising non-parallel upper and lower surfaces, an interior surface, and a second ridge protruding from the interior surface, the tubular adjustment piece encircling at least a part of the middle portion of the shaft sleeve, wherein the first ridge abuts the second ridge to removably fix the tubular adjustment piece on the shaft sleeve between the second ridge and the upper end. In some embodiments, the first ridge may be integrally formed with the shaft sleeve, the second ridge may be integrally formed with the first tubular adjustment piece. In a further embodiment, the golf club head may comprise a fastener comprising a head and a threaded extension, the tip end of the shaft sleeve may comprise a threaded tip bore, and the threaded extension may engage with the threaded tip bore. In a further embodiment, the tip end may be bell shaped. 
     In some embodiments, each of the shaft sleeve and the first tubular adjustment piece may be composed of an aluminum alloy. In another embodiment, the first ridge may extend around the entire circumference of the shaft sleeve, and the second ridge may not extend around the entire internal circumference of the first tubular adjustment piece. In one embodiment, the golf club may further comprise a second tubular adjustment piece, which may encircle at least a part of the middle portion of the shaft sleeve and which may be disposed between the first tubular adjustment piece and the upper end of the shaft sleeve. In a further embodiment, the second tubular adjustment piece may comprise a third ridge protruding from an interior surface. In some embodiments, the upper end of the shaft sleeve may have a first diameter, the middle portion of the shaft sleeve may have a second diameter, the tip end of the shaft sleeve may have a third diameter, and the first diameter may be greater than both the second diameter and the third diameter. In a further embodiment, the first tubular adjustment piece may be movable between the first ridge and the upper end when the shaft sleeve is not engaged with the hosel. In another embodiment, the first tubular adjustment piece may comprise a plurality of teeth, and the second ridge may be disposed on at least one of the plurality of teeth. 
     Another aspect of the present invention is an adjustable golf club comprising a golf club head comprising a hosel, a shaft, a shaft sleeve comprising a tip end, a middle portion, an upper end, a shaft-receiving bore disposed in the upper end and extending into the middle portion, an external surface, and a ridge protruding from the external surface, and a first tubular adjustment piece having non-parallel upper and lower surfaces and at least one alignment bore extending through at least one side wall, the tubular adjustment piece encircling at least a portion of the shaft sleeve, and at least one alignment pin disposed within the at least one alignment bore and protruding away from an interior surface of the first tubular adjustment piece, wherein the at least one alignment pin abuts the ridge to removably fix the first tubular adjustment piece on the shaft sleeve between the ridge and the upper end. In some embodiments, the at least one alignment bore may comprise first and second alignment bores, and the at least one alignment pin may comprise first and second alignment pins. 
     In another embodiment, each of the shaft sleeve and the first tubular adjustment piece may be composed of an aluminum alloy, and the at least one alignment pin may be composed of a polymeric material. In another embodiment, the first tubular adjustment piece may comprise a plurality of teeth, and the at least one alignment bore may be disposed in at least one of the plurality of teeth. In yet another embodiment, the golf club may further comprise a fastener comprising a head and a threaded extension, the tip end of the shaft sleeve may comprise a threaded tip bore, and the threaded extension may engage with the threaded tip bore. In a further embodiment, the tip end may be bell shaped. In another embodiment, the first tubular adjustment piece may be movable between the first ridge and the upper end when the shaft sleeve is not engaged with the hosel. 
     Having briefly described the present invention, the above and further objects, features and advantages thereof will be recognized by those skilled in the pertinent art from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side, perspective view of a first embodiment of a shaft sleeve comprising shims engaged with a partially transparent hosel. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1  along lines  2 - 2 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side perspective view of the shaft sleeve shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the shaft sleeve shown in  FIG. 3  along lines  4 - 4 . 
         FIG. 5  is a top perspective view of the lower shim shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the shim shown in  FIG. 5  along lines  6 - 6 . 
         FIG. 7  is a view of the cross-sectional shaft sleeve shown in  FIG. 4  engaged with the cross-sectional shim shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a top perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the lower shim shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the shim shown in  FIG. 8  along lines  9 - 9 . 
         FIG. 10  is view of the cross-sectional shaft sleeve shown in  FIG. 6  engaged with the cross-sectional shim shown in  FIG. 11 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention can be used with any adjustable hosel configuration that includes tubular shim features, including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,403,770, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, and in U.S. Pat. No. 8,235,839. 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 1-7 .  FIGS. 1 and 2  show the preferred adjustable hosel assembly  10  engaged with an exemplary hosel  20 , which may be affixed to or integrally formed with any type of golf club head, including a driver, fairway wood, hybrid, iron, wedge, or putter. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the adjustable hosel assembly  10  comprises a shaft sleeve  100 , a pair of tubular adjustment pieces, also referred to herein as shims  30 ,  40 , a ferrule  50 , a fastener  60  comprising a head  62  and a threaded portion  64 , a pair of washers  70 ,  72 , and an o-ring  75 . The hosel  20  shown in these Figures comprises a bore  25  sized to receive at least a part of the shaft sleeve  100 , and includes a flange  22  against which the washers  70 ,  72  and o-ring  75  rest when the fastener  60  is fully engaged with the shaft sleeve  100 . The bore  25  must be large enough to permit the shaft sleeve  100  to move when the shims  30 ,  40  adjust the angle of a shaft with respect to the hosel  20  and the golf club head to which it is attached, but not as large as it would have to be if a separate retainer cap were attached to the shaft sleeve  100 . 
     The shaft sleeve  100 , shown alone in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , comprises an upper portion  110  having the greatest diameter D 1  and a set of teeth  112  that act as alignment features when interacting with one of the shims  30 ,  40 , a middle portion  120  having a second diameter D 2  that is smaller than D 1 , a ridge  130  disposed on the external surface, and extending completely around the circumference, of the middle portion  120 , the ridge  130  having a third diameter D 3  that is greater than D 2  but smaller than D 1 , and a tip portion  140  that has the smallest diameter D 4  and a bell-shaped flared region  145  at its terminus with a diameter D 5  that is smaller than or equal to D 2  and greater than D 4  (D 4 &lt;D 5 ≦D 2 ). The shaft sleeve  100  also includes a sleeve bore  105 , which preferably has a bore axis that is coaxial with an overall axis of the shaft sleeve  100 ; in other words, without more, rotating the shaft sleeve  100  of the present invention within the hosel  20  will not change the angle between the shaft and the hosel  20 . The tip portion  140  includes a threaded joint bore  142  sized to receive the threaded portion  64  of the fastener  60 , which allows a user to fix the shaft sleeve  100  to a hosel  20  as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The flared region  145  helps to catch the threaded portion  64  of the fastener  60  when a user attempts to secure the shaft sleeve  100  to the hosel  20  during assembly. 
     A preferred shim  40  of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The shim  40  is a cylindrical adjustment piece with an upper surface  42  that is not parallel with its lower surface  44 , such that it has an angle a and tilts the shaft sleeve  100  when the shim  40  is sandwiched between the upper portion  110  of the shaft sleeve or another shim  30  and the hosel  20 . The shim  40  comprises a first plurality of teeth  46  that are sized to mate with matching alignment features on the hosel  20 , and a second plurality of teeth  48  sized to mate with matching alignment features on another shim  30 . In an alternative embodiment, the second plurality of teeth  48  may mate with the teeth  112  of the shaft sleeve, or may be identical in size and shape to the first plurality of teeth  46 . The shim preferably includes an alignment divot  43  that mates with an alignment protrusion (not shown) extending from a lower surface of the other shim  30 . The shim  40  also comprises an internal surface  41  from which a ridge  45  extends. As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the ridge  45  preferably is disposed only on the internal surface  41  of the second plurality of teeth  48 , such that it is discontinuous, but in other embodiments may be disposed anywhere on the internal surface  41  and may extend continuously around the entire inner circumference of the shim  40 . The shim has an internal diameter D 6  that is greater than both D 2  and D 3 , except for the ridge  45 , which has a diameter D 7  that is smaller than D 3.    
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the shim  40  is attached to the shaft sleeve  100  by sliding the shim  40  over the tip portion  140  and middle portion  120  of the shaft sleeve  100  until the shim  40  ridge  45  makes contact with the ridge  130  on the shaft sleeve  100 . Sufficient pressure will cause the shim  40  to deform slightly so that the shim  40  ridge  45  is pushed up and over the ridge  130  on the shaft sleeve  100 , preferably making a snapping or clicking sound as it does so to indicate that it has successfully been installed on the shaft sleeve  100 . Once the ridge  45  on the shim  40  is disposed on the upper side the shaft sleeve  100  ridge  130 , the shim  40  cannot be removed from the shaft sleeve  100  without exerting enough pressure to deform it again. If no pressure is placed on the shim  40 , it will not disengage from the shaft sleeve  100 —instead, when the shaft sleeve  100  is removed from a hosel  20 , the shim  40  ridge  45  will rest against the ridge  130  on the shaft sleeve  100 , thus retaining the shim  40  on the shaft sleeve  100 . The shim  40  also preferably can move freely on the shaft sleeve  100  between the ridge  130  and the upper portion  110  of the shaft sleeve  100  unless the other shim  30  is also disposed on the shaft sleeve  100 , in which case the shim  40  can move between the ridge  130  and the other shim  30 . 
     A second embodiment of the shim  40  disclosed herein is shown in  FIGS. 8-10 . In this embodiment, the shim  80  has all of the same features as the shim  40  disclosed in connection with the preferred embodiment, including first and second pluralities of teeth  86 ,  88 , non-parallel upper and lower surfaces  82 ,  84 , and a cylindrical internal surface  81 . This shim  80  does not include a ridge, however. Instead, it comprises a pair of through bores  83   a,    83   b  extending through each of the second plurality of teeth  88 , and a pair of alignment pins  90 ,  92  securely fitted within the through bores  83   a,    83   b.  The alignment pins  90 ,  92  extend into the hollow interior of the shim  80  and to create a functional internal diameter of D 7 . The shim  80  can be attached to the shaft sleeve  100  in the same manner as the shim  40  disclosed above, except that the alignment pins  90 ,  92  preferably are made from a softer material than the shim  80  and bend more easily to increase the ease of attaching and removing the shim  80  from the shaft sleeve  100 . In any event, as shown in  FIG. 10 , the alignment pins  90 ,  92  abut the ridge  130  on the shaft sleeve  100  when the shim  80  is fully installed on the shaft sleeve  100  and prevent the shim  80  from falling off. 
     The second shim  30  may or may not include a ridge, but otherwise includes each of the features described in connection with the first shim  40 , including a first plurality of teeth  36  that interact with the teeth  112  disposed on the shaft sleeve  100  and a second plurality of teeth  38  that interact with the second plurality of teeth  48  on the first shim  40 . The shims  30 ,  40  and shaft sleeve  100  disclosed herein preferably are composed of one or more lightweight but structurally sound materials, including but not limited to plastic, composite, aluminum, titanium alloy, and/or other such materials. In each of the embodiments disclosed herein, the ridge  130  preferably is integrally formed with the shaft sleeve  100  and the ridge  45  is integrally formed with the shim  40 , though in alternative embodiments these ridges  130 ,  45  may be formed separately and permanently or temporarily affixed to the shaft sleeve  100  and shim  40 . 
     From the foregoing it is believed that those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize the meritorious advancement of this invention and will readily understand that while the present invention has been described in association with a preferred embodiment thereof, and other embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, numerous changes, modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which is intended to be unlimited by the foregoing except as may appear in the following appended claims. Therefore, the embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined in the following appended claims.