Abstract:
A golf club head comprising a means for adjusting the location of the center of gravity and a slidable weight assembly are disclosed herein. The club head comprises two channels, each having at least one shoulder portion, a floor, and a rail extending upwards from the floor. The channels intersect at a junction, and a slidable weight comprising a top portion, a mechanical fastener, a clamping structure, and a keyed, anti-rotation structure is disposed within at least one of the channels. When the mechanical fastener is tightened, the top portion presses against the at least one shoulder portion and pulls the clamping structure upward so that the clamping structure grips the rail. The rails are spaced from one another at the junction, and the clamping structure allows the slidable weight to be moved into either of the channels without being indexed.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/012,493, filed on Feb. 1, 2016, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/933,973, filed on Nov. 5, 2015, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/163,946, filed on Jan. 24, 2014, and issued on Dec. 15, 2015, as U.S. Pat. No. 9,211,453, and is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/174,068, filed on Feb. 6, 2014, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety 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. More specifically, the present invention relates to a slidable weight for a golf club head that can be adjusted along one or more channels in the golf club head. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     The ability to adjust center of gravity location and weight in a golf club head is useful for controlling performance of the golf club. The prior art includes several different solutions for adjustable weighting, but these solutions do not optimize weight adjustment, especially along tracks or channels that follow the curvature of the golf club head or intersect with other channels. For example, several golf club manufacturers employ slidable weights that clamp a pair of rails in a channel when the weights are fixed in place, but these designs are more complex and costly than they need to be, and the presence of multiple rails increases the overall weight of the golf club head and reduces the amount of discretionary mass available to the manufacturer during the design process. Therefore, there is a need for a weighting mechanism that allows for simple and flexible center of gravity (CG) and moment of inertia (MOI) adjustability along channels that intersect with one another and follow a golf club head&#39;s curvature. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention allows consumers to easily move and fix a weight at any location within intersecting channels disposed in the golf club head in such a way to maximize aesthetic appearances while preserving the function of the movable weight. The objective of this invention is to provide an adjustable weighting feature for lateral center of gravity control which is placed to maximize effectiveness and may be entirely concealed from view at address. Additional goals include minimizing the fixed component of the structure dedicated to the weighting system and also minimizing any potential effect on impact sound. 
     The slidable weight of the present invention fits within one or more contoured or rounded channels and can be clamped to any location along the channels. The slidable weight is added to a channel at a single location, and, when engaged with a channel, the slidable weight has multiple points of contact at each location on the channel despite the changing contour and channel geometry. The slidable weight also includes a keyed, anti-rotation structure that prevents the parts of the slidable weight from rotating with respect to one another when the slidable weight is fixed within a channel 
     One aspect of the present invention is a golf club head comprising a body comprising a first channel, and a weight assembly comprising at least one mechanical fastener comprising a head portion and a threaded extension portion, a top portion comprising a first upper surface, a first lower surface, a first keyed feature, and a first through-bore sized to receive the head portion of the at least one mechanical fastener, and a base portion comprising a second upper surface, a second lower surface, a second keyed feature, a second, threaded through-bore extending from the second upper surface to the second lower surface and sized to receive the threaded extension portion of the at least one mechanical fastener, and a clamping portion extending from the lower surface, wherein the first channel comprises a first floor, at least one first shoulder portion, and a first rail, wherein the clamping portion is sized to receive at least an upper portion of the first rail, wherein, when the clamping portion is engaged with the first rail, tightening the mechanical fastener pulls the top portion towards the base portion and causes the first lower surface of the top portion to press against the at least one first shoulder portion and the clamping portion to reversibly grip the upper portion of the first rail, and wherein the first keyed feature engages the second keyed feature to limit rotation of the top portion with respect to the base portion. 
     In some embodiments, the first keyed feature may extend from the first lower surface and the second keyed feature may extend into the second upper surface. In a further embodiment, the first keyed feature may comprise at least one triangular tooth and the second keyed feature may comprise at least one triangular depression sized to receive the at least one triangular tooth. In other embodiments, the first lower surface may comprise at least one convex protrusion, and the first rail may comprise a chamfered end region. In another embodiment, the clamping portion may comprise a plurality of tapered projections, each pair of adjacent tapered projections may form a slot between them, and each slot may be sized to receive an upper portion of the first rail. In a further embodiment, the plurality of tapered projections may comprise four tapered projections, which may be evenly spaced around the second through-bore. 
     In another embodiment, the body may further comprise a second channel comprising at least one second shoulder portion, a second floor, and a second rail extending from the second floor in a direction normal to the second floor, the clamping portion may be sized to receive at least an upper portion of the second rail, and when the clamping portion is engaged with the second rail, tightening the mechanical fastener may pull the top portion towards the base portion and cause the first lower surface of the top portion to press against the at least one second shoulder portion and the clamping portion to reversibly grip the upper portion of the second rail. In a further embodiment, the second channel may extend in a direction approximately perpendicular to at least a portion of the first channel, the second channel may intersect the first channel to form a junction, the first rail may comprise a first chamfered end region, the second rail may comprise a second chamfered end region, and each of the first and second chamfered end regions may be disposed within the junction. 
     In some embodiments, the clamping portion may have a first width, an open space may be disposed within the junction between the first chamfered end region and the second chamfered end region, and the open space may have a second width that is greater than the first width. In a further embodiment, a plug sized to fit within the open space and prevent the first weight from disengaging from either of the first and second rails may be included with the golf club head. In any of the embodiments, the first rail may comprise a first rail segment and a second rail segment, the first rail segment may be spaced from the second rail segment to form an open space, the clamping portion may have a first width, and the open space may have a second width that is greater than the first width. In another embodiment, the first rail may have a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of T-shaped, V-shaped, and Y-shaped. 
     Another aspect of the present invention is a weight assembly comprising at least one mechanical fastener comprising a head portion and a threaded extension portion, a top portion comprising a first keyed feature and an unthreaded through-bore sized to receive the head portion of the at least one mechanical fastener, and a base portion comprising a clamping portion, a second keyed feature, and a threaded through-bore sized to receive the threaded extension portion of the at least one mechanical fastener, wherein the first keyed feature engages the second keyed feature to prevent rotation of the top portion with respect to the base portion, wherein the clamping portion comprises a plurality of projections spaced from one another to form at least one slot, and wherein the slot has a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of T-shaped, V-shaped, and Y-shaped. 
     In some embodiments, the top portion may comprise a lower surface, the base portion may comprise an upper surface, the first keyed feature may extend from the lower surface, and the second keyed feature may extend into the upper surface. In a further embodiment, the first keyed feature may comprise at least one triangular tooth, and the second keyed feature may comprise at least one triangular depression sized to receive the at least one triangular tooth. In a further embodiment, the at least one triangular tooth may comprise first and second triangular teeth spaced at opposite sides of the top portion, and the at least one triangular depression may comprise first and second triangular depressions spaced at opposite sides of the base portion. In other embodiments, the top portion may be composed of a first material, the base portion may be composed of a second material, and first material may have a different density than the second material. In a further embodiment, the first material may have a higher density than the second material. 
     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 top plan view of a first embodiment of the golf club head of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is another bottom perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged view of the circled portion of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the slidable weight assembly shown in  FIG. 4  along lines  5 - 5 . 
         FIG. 6  is a side elevational view of the slidable weight assembly shown in  FIGS. 2-4 . 
         FIG. 7  is a bottom elevational view of the slidable weight assembly shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  along lines  8 - 8 . 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2  with the slidable weight assembly engaged with one of the rear rails on the golf club head. 
         FIG. 10  is an enlarged view of the circled portion of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the slidable weight assembly of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  is a side perspective view of the top portion of the slidable weight assembly shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 13  is a top perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 14  is a side perspective view of the base portion of the slidable weight assembly shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         FIG. 15  is a top perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 14 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The design approaches described herein are based on a construction used in a driver head characterized by a composite crown adhesively bonded to a cast titanium body. This particular construction approach permits the crown configuration to be adapted to the inventive weighting scheme with minimal impact on weight and function. However, the weighting embodiments disclosed herein can be used with other constructions, including all titanium, all composite, and a composite body with metal face cup. The embodiments may also work in conjunction with at least one adjustable weight port on the sole, crown, and/or other part of the driver head. Shifting weight along the channel described herein gives a user control of the golf club head&#39;s center of gravity location and other mass properties. 
     A first embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 1-10 . The golf club head  10  comprises a body  20  composed of a metal material and a crown  30  composed of a composite material covering an upper opening (not shown) in the body  20 . The body  20  includes a face  22 , a heel side  23 , a toe side  25 , a hosel  26 , a rear side  28 , and a sole  40 , and preferably is integrally cast from a titanium or steel alloy, though it may be made from a carbon composite material, including one or more of the materials disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,033,822, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the sole  40  includes a first elongated channel  50  that extends from the heel side  23  to the toe side  25  via the rear side  28  and receives a slidable weight assembly  100  on a rail  60  extending upwards from, and approximately normal to, a floor  55  of the elongated channel  50 . The rail  60  has two segments  62 ,  64  separated by an open space  65  where the weight assembly  100  can be inserted into the elongated channel  50  and onto one of the rail  60  segments  62 ,  64 . The rail  60  preferably is integrally cast, molded, forged, or formed with the body  20 , but in an alternative embodiment may be separately created and assembled as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/174,068, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. The elongated channel  50  also includes a pair of shoulders  52 ,  54 , extending from the side walls  51 ,  53  of the channel  50 , and which preferably are located closer to the sole  40  surface than to the floor  55  of the channel  50 . 
     The sole  40  includes a second elongated channel  70 , which is linear, extends approximately normal to the face  22  in a front-to-back direction, and intersects the first elongated channel  50  at a junction  90  located at an approximate midpoint  56  of the first elongated channel  50 . The second channel  70  also includes a pair of shoulders  72 ,  74 , a floor  75 , and a rail  80  extending upwards from, and approximately normal to, the floor  75 . As shown in the Figures, the rail  80  in the second channel  70  is spaced from the rail segments  62  in the first channel  50  to maintain the open space  65 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , each of the rails  60 ,  80  has a cross-sectional shape that tapers in thickness from a narrow region  67  to a thicker region  68 . Each rail&#39;s  60 ,  80  cross-sectional dimensions (e.g., thickness, height, radii, etc.) are preferably the same, taking into account manufacturing tolerances. As shown in the Figures, the rails  60 ,  80  in the first embodiment have approximately Y-shaped cross-sections, but in alternative embodiments the rails  60 ,  80  may have Y- or T-shaped cross-sections. 
     The weight assembly  100  of the present invention, which may have any shape but preferably is approximately circular as shown in the Figures, includes a top portion  110 , a base portion  130 , and a mechanical fastener  150  connecting the top portion  110  to the base portion  130 . When tightened, the mechanical fastener  150 , which has a head portion  152  and a threaded extension portion  154  extending from the head portion  152 , pulls the base portion  130  towards the top portion  110  to create a clamping force. The circular shape of the weight assembly  100  allows it to move smoothly within straight, rounded, and contoured channels  50 ,  70  without requiring a specific orientation therein. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4-6 , the top portion  110  comprises an upper surface  111 , a lower surface  112 , a through-bore  113  sized to receive the mechanical fastener  150 , and particularly the head portion  152 , an internal ledge  114  within the through-bore  113  to prevent the head portion  152  of the mechanical fastener  150  from disengaging from the top portion  110 , and a plurality of convex protrusions  115  extending from the lower surface  112  around the circumference of the top portion  110 . The convex protrusions  115  preferably are spaced from one another to form a wave- or tooth-like pattern. The top portion  110  has a width W 1  that is slightly less than the largest width W 2  of the channels  50 ,  70 , and preferably is composed of a high density material such as a tungsten alloy, though it may be made of any materials known to a person skilled in the art. 
     The base portion  130  has a width W 3  that is less than W 1  and includes an upper surface  131 , a lower surface  132 , a threaded through-bore  133  sized to receive the threaded extension portion  154  of the mechanical fastener  150 , and a clamping portion  134  extending from the lower surface  132 . The clamping portion  134  comprises four tapered projections  134   a ,  134   b ,  134   c ,  134   d  that are evenly spaced around the threaded through-bore  133  and that form a pair of tapering slots  135   a ,  135   b  having the same general cross-sectional shape and geometry as that of the rails  60 ,  80 , e.g., Y-shaped, V-shaped, or T-shaped. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the weight assembly  100  is attached to one of the rails  60 ,  80  in a channel  50 ,  70  by inserting it into the open space  65  and then sliding the selected rail  60 ,  80  into one of the tapering slots  135   a ,  135   b  in the base portion  130  of the weight assembly  100 . As illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the open space  65  between the rail segments  62 ,  64  and the second rail  80  has a width W 4  that is slightly larger than W 3  so that the weight assembly  100 , and particularly the base portion  130 , has enough room to be placed within an elongated channel  50 ,  70  in such a way that it can be slid onto a rail  60 ,  80 . It is important that the end portion  63 ,  66 ,  82  of each rail  60 ,  80  is chamfered as shown in  FIG. 10  so as to guide the base portion  130  onto the rails  60 ,  80  via the tapering slots  135   a ,  135   b . Without the chamfering, it is more difficult to engage the weight assembly  100  with the rails  60 ,  80 . 
     Once the weight assembly  100  of the present invention is engaged with a rail  60 ,  80  and the mechanical fastener  150  has not yet been tightened, the weight assembly  100  can move freely within the selected channel  50 ,  70  and be clamped at any position on the chosen rail  60 ,  80  except for the open space  65  between the rail  60  segments  62 ,  64  and second rail  80 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , when the mechanical fastener  150  is tightened using a tool sized to engage with the head portion  152 , the base portion  130  is pulled upwards away from the floor  55 ,  75  of the selected channel  50 ,  70 , while the top portion  110  is pressed against the shoulders  52 ,  54 ,  72 ,  74  of the selected channel  50 ,  70 , thus causing the clamping portion  134  to pull up on the underside of the selected rail  60 ,  80 . This creates a clamping force between lower sides of the selected rail  60 ,  80  and the inner surfaces of the tapered projections  134   a ,  134   b ,  134   c ,  134   d . Furthermore, the rounded nature of the convex protrusions  115  serves to reduce the surface area of the top portion  110  making contact with the shoulders  52 ,  54 ,  72 ,  74  and to increase the clamping force provided by the weight assembly  100  at any given location on the channels  50 ,  70 . In this way, the weight assembly  100  is reversibly fixed to the selected rail  60 ,  80  within the selected channel  50 ,  70  and will not be dislodged when the golf club head  10  is in use. The curvature of the tapered projections&#39;  134   a ,  134   b ,  134   c ,  134   d  inner surfaces allows the weight assembly  100  to move freely within the channels  50 ,  70 , as they have smaller radii than that of the rail&#39;s  60 ,  80  radii. 
     In an alternative, preferred embodiment, shown in  FIGS. 11-15 , the slidable weight assembly  100  has all of the features of the slidable weight assembly  100  shown in  FIGS. 4-6 , but also includes a keyed structure  140  that prevents the top portion  110  from rotating with respect to the base portion  130  when the golf club head  10  is in use. In particular, the top portion  110  comprises a pair of sharp teeth  116 ,  117  extending from an underside of the internal ledge  114  at opposite sides of the top portion  110 , while the base portion  130  includes a pair of triangular depressions  136 ,  137  extending into its upper surface  131  at opposite sides of the base portion  130 . When the weight assembly  100  is tightened within one of the channels  50 ,  70 , the teeth  116 ,  117  engage the triangular depressions  136 ,  137  and limit rotation of the top portion  110  with respect to the base portion  130 . This, in turn, prevents the weight assembly  100  from loosening and disengaging from the channel  50 ,  70 . Though the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 11-15  includes a triangular keyed structure  140 , the keyed structure  140  may, in other embodiments, include any mating features that limit the rotation of the top portion  110  with respect to the base portion. 
     If a golfer wishes to move the weight assembly  100  from one channel  50 ,  70  to another, she need only loosen the mechanical fastener  150  so that the top portion  110  and base portion  130  move away from another and release the clamping force on the rail  60 ,  80  and shoulders  52 ,  54 ,  72 ,  74 , slide the weight assembly  100  into the open space  65 , and then, without removing or indexing the weight assembly  100 , slide it onto a different rail  60 ,  80  and re-tighten the mechanical fastener  150 . The orientation of the tapering slots  135   a ,  135   b  permit this easy transition from one channel  50 ,  70  into another, perpendicular or intersecting channel  50 ,  70 . 
     The open space  65  at the junction  90  may be filled with a plug (not shown) to further ensure that none of the weight assemblies  100  becomes disengaged from the elongated channels  50 ,  70 . The plug may have clamping features that snap onto one or any of the rails  60 ,  80 , and/or it may include a threaded bore that lines up with a threaded bore in the open space  65  to receive a bolt to secure it to the golf club head  10 . The plug may also have any of the features of the stopper disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/174,068 or the weight screw or plug disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/163,946. 
     In any of the embodiments disclosed herein, the crown  30  may be affixed to the body  20  with an adhesive material. The crown  30  is formed from a light-weight material, preferably a non-metal material such as a composite, which may be selected from any of the composite materials disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,460,123 and 9,033,822, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. 
     The rail  60  and plug may be formed as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/174,068, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. Similarly, the elongated channels  50 ,  70  disclosed herein may have any of the configurations disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,696,491, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, and the elongated channels  50 ,  70  disclosed herein may be disposed anywhere on the golf club head  10 , including the sole  40 , crown  30 , face  22 , and ribbon portions, if applicable. Though the embodiment disclosed herein is shown in a driver, the inventive adjustable weighting configuration may also be used with other type of golf clubs, including fairway woods, irons, wedges, hybrids, and putters. 
     In other embodiments, the golf club head  10  may have a multi-material composition such as any of those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,244,976, 6,332,847, 6,386,990, 6,406,378, 6,440,008, 6,471,604, 6,491,592, 6,527,650, 6,565,452, 6,575,845, 6,478,692, 6,582,323, 6,508,978, 6,592,466, 6,602,149, 6,607,452, 6,612,398, 6,663,504, 6,669,578, 6,739,982, 6,758,763, 6,860,824, 6,994,637, 7,025,692, 7,070,517, 7,112,148, 7,118,493, 7,121,957, 7,125,344, 7,128,661, 7,163,470, 7,226,366, 7,252,600, 7,258,631, 7,314,418, 7,320,646, 7,387,577, 7,396,296, 7,402,112, 7,407,448, 7,413,520, 7,431,667, 7,438,647, 7,455,598, 7,476,161, 7,491,134, 7,497,787, 7,549,935, 7,578,751, 7,717,807, 7,749,096, and 7,749,097, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety herein. 
     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.