Abstract:
Embodiments of golf club heads with hosel weights are disclosed herein. Other examples and related methods are also presented herein.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This patent application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/202,593, filed on Sep. 2, 2008. The disclosure of the referenced application is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates generally to golf equipment and, in particular, to a golf club head. 
     BACKGROUND 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,790 to Kubica et al discloses an iron-type golf club head with a heel portion, a toe portion and a front face arranged for impact with a golf ball. In one example, golf club heads such as shown in the Kubica et al patent may be designed so that their center of gravity is directly behind or near the golf ball impact zone, which may be located at the geometric center of the front face. The moment of inertia of a golf club head can be increased by positioning more weight in the heel and toe portions of the golf club head. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a golf club head incorporating one embodiment of a hosel weight according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of a heel portion of the golf club head of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged view similar to  FIG. 2  with the hosel weight removed; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the heel portion of the golf club head shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged end view of the hosel weight in one position; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged end view of the hosel weight in another position; 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged end view of the hosel weight in a further position; 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged end view of the hosel weight in another position; 
         FIGS. 9-11  are enlarged end views similar to  FIG. 5  showing different embodiments of the hosel weight; 
         FIGS. 12-15  are views similar to  FIGS. 1-4  showing the hosel weight mounted on an alternative golf club head; 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of a golf club head incorporating another embodiment of a hosel weight according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 17  is an exploded view of the heel portion of the golf club head shown in  FIG. 16 ; 
         FIG. 18  is a cross sectional view taken along lines  18 - 18  in  FIG. 17 ; and 
         FIG. 19  is a cross sectional view taken along lines  19 - 19  in  FIG. 17 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , an iron-type golf club head H includes a body B with a sole  10 , a top edge  12 , a heel portion  14 , a toe portion  16  and a front face  18  arranged for impacting a golf ball. Front face  18  extends between the heel and toe portions  14 ,  16 . The golf club head H also includes a hosel  20  with a generally cylindrical shape on the heel portion  14  of the body B. The hosel  20  has a longitudinal axis A and a bore  22  defined by its peripheral wall  26  for receiving one end of a golf club shaft (not shown). The hosel bore  22  is concentric with the longitudinal axis A. The heel portion  14  of the body B includes a shoulder  15  adjacent a lower end of the hosel  20 . Mounted on the hosel  20  is a hosel weight  24 . The hosel weight  24  is formed as a generally cylindrical sleeve and may be fastened to the hosel  20  by conventional means such as adhesive or mechanical devices. Alternatively, the hosel  20  and the hosel weight  24  may be conical instead of cylindrical. Although  FIGS. 1-4  may depict an iron-type golf club head, the apparatus and methods described herein may be applicable to other suitable types of golf club heads (e.g., driver-type golf club heads, fairway wood-type golf club heads, hybrid-type golf club heads, wedge-type golf club heads, putter-type golf club heads, etc.). 
     Turning to  FIG. 5 , the hosel weight  24  has a longitudinal axis C and a generally cylindrical bore  28  which receives the hosel  20 . When the hosel weight  24  is mounted on the hosel  20 , its bore  28  is concentric with the longitudinal axis A and the hosel weight  24  contacts the shoulder  15 . The hosel weight bore  28  is offset (i.e., not concentric) with respect to the longitudinal axis C of the hosel weight  24 . Therefore, a peripheral wall  30  of the hosel weight  24  that defines the bore  28  has a varying thickness dimension. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the peripheral wall  30  has a thickness dimension T 1  at its thickest point and a thickness dimension T 2  at its thinnest point. This results in the hosel weight  24  having significantly more mass in the vicinity of the thickness dimension T 1  than in the vicinity of the thickness dimension T 2 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the hosel weight  24  may be positioned so that its longitudinal axis C is offset from the hosel longitudinal axis A by a distance D in a direction TH extending generally from the toe portion  16  toward the heel portion  14 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6-8 , it will be understood that the hosel weight  24  may be positioned so that its thickness dimension T 1  is located at any point along the circumference of the hosel  20 . For example, the hosel weight  24  may be positioned as shown in  FIG. 6  so that its longitudinal axis C is offset from the hosel longitudinal axis A by the distance D in a direction FR extending generally rearwardly relative to the front face  18 . The hosel weight  24  may also be positioned as shown in  FIG. 7  so that its longitudinal axis C is offset from the hosel longitudinal axis A by the distance D in a direction HT extending generally from the heel portion  14  toward the toe portion  16 . The hosel weight  24  may be positioned as shown in  FIG. 8  so that its longitudinal axis C is offset from the hosel longitudinal axis A by the distance D in a direction RF extending generally forwardly relative to the front face  18 . Therefore, the hosel weight  24  may be positioned with its thickness dimension T 1  located on the forward side, the rearward side, the toe side or the heel side of the hosel  20  or anywhere in between those positions. As described in detail below, the position of the thickness dimension T 1  may affect the center of gravity and/or the moment of inertia of the club head H. 
     In one embodiment, the body B including the hosel  20  is made of a metallic material such as steel having a first density while the hosel weight  24  is made of a metallic material such as tungsten having a second density which is greater than the first density. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the body B including the hosel  20  is made of titanium and the hosel weight  24  is made of either zirconium or tungsten. In further embodiments, the body B including the hosel  20  is made of composite material and the hosel weight  24  is made of either metal or another composite material. It is preferred, but not required, that the material (i.e. tungsten or zirconium) forming the hosel weight  24  will have a higher density than the material (i.e. steel or titanium) forming the body B including the hosel  20 . 
     The hosel weight  24  adds mass to the hosel  20  which increases the moment of inertia of the club head H. The amount of mass added to the hosel  20  is significantly increased and the moment of inertia of the club head H is significantly increased when the hosel weight  24  is made of denser material as described above than the body B. With the hosel weight  24  mounted on the hosel  20 , the center of gravity of the club head H is shifted toward the heel portion  14  of the body B. When comparing the positions of the hosel weight  24  as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 7 , it will be realized that the club head center of gravity will be shifted farther toward the body heel portion  14  and the club head moment of inertia will be increased more with the hosel weight  24  in the position shown in  FIG. 5  than with the hosel weight  24  in the position shown in  FIG. 7 . Depending on the particular orientation of the hosel weight  24  on the hosel  20 , the center of gravity of the club head H may also be shifted slightly forward or rearward. For example, when the hosel weight  24  is in the orientation shown in  FIG. 6 , the club head center of gravity is shifted slightly rearward and, when the hosel weight  24  is in the orientation shown in  FIG. 8 , the club head center of gravity is shifted slightly forward. 
     If a golfer desires the club head H to have its center of gravity shifted as far toward the heel portion  14  as possible in addition to having its moment of inertia maximized, the hosel weight  24  should be in the position shown in  FIG. 5 . If a golfer desires the club head H to have its center of gravity shifted as far rearward as possible, the hosel weight  24  should be in the position shown in  FIG. 6  and, if a golfer desires the club head H to have its center of gravity shifted as far forward as possible, the hosel weight  24  should be in the position shown in  FIG. 8 . An optimal position for the hosel weight  24  may be when it is rotated approximately 45 degrees counterclockwise from the position shown in  FIG. 5  so that its thickness dimension T 1  is located halfway between the positions shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
     While the above examples may describe and depict the hosel weight  24  being mounted on the body B in a particular manner (e.g.,  FIG. 2 ), the club head H may be manufactured so that both the shoulder  15  and the hosel weight  24  vary in thickness dimension. In another example, the hosel  20  and the hosel weight  24  may be concentric and thus share a common longitudinal axis (e.g., the hosel longitudinal axis A). In a further example, the shoulder  15  may vary in thickness dimension while the hosel weight  24  may have a substantially uniform thickness dimension. In this example, the shoulder  15  may vary in thickness dimension in a similar manner as shown in  FIGS. 5 ,  6 ,  7 , and/or  8 . Referring to  FIGS. 5-8 , for example, the shoulder  15  may have a first thickness dimension T 1  and a second thickness dimension T 2 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 9-11 , hosel weights  24   a ,  24   b  and  24   c  are similar to hosel weight  24  except that their bores  28   a ,  28   b  and  28   c  have different shapes than the cylindrical bore  28  in hosel weight  24 . For example, the bore  28   a  in hosel weight  24   a  is rectangular and the longitudinal axis C of the hosel weight  24   a  is offset from the hosel longitudinal axis A by a distance D 1 . The bore  28   b  in hosel weight  24   b  is polygonal and the longitudinal axis C of the hosel weight  24   b  is offset from the hosel longitudinal axis A by a distance D 2 . The bore  28   c  in hosel weight  24   c  is elliptical and the longitudinal axis C of the hosel weight  24   c  is offset from the hosel longitudinal axis A by a distance D 3 . In the hosel weights  24   a ,  24   b  and  24   c , the peripheral walls  30   a ,  30   b  and  30   c  that define the bores  28   a ,  28   b  and  28   c  have a thickness dimension T 1  at their thickest point and a thickness dimension T 2  at their thinnest point. In each of the hosel weights  24   a ,  24   b  and  24   c , thickness dimension T 1  is greater than thickness dimension T 2 . 
     It will be understood that when using the hosel weights  24   a ,  24   b  and  24   c , the hosel  20  will be modified to have an outer shape that is complimentary to the bores  28   a ,  28   b  and  28   c . For example, when using the hosel weight  24   a , the hosel  20  will be modified to have a generally rectangular outer shape. When using the hosel weight  24   b , the hosel  20  will be modified to have a generally polygonal shape and, when using the hosel weight  24   c , the hosel  20  will be modified to have a generally elliptical outer shape. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 12-15 , the hosel weight  24  is mounted on a golf club head H having a different hosel  20   a  with a bore  22   a  that is offset (i.e. not concentric) with respect to the longitudinal axis A of the hosel  20   a . This offset results in the peripheral wall  26   a  of the hosel  20   a  having a varying thickness dimension similar to the varying thickness dimension of the peripheral wall  30  of the hosel weight  24 . The combination of the hosel  20   a  and the hosel weight  24  results in the bore  22   a  being centered (instead of offset) with respect to the outer periphery of the hosel weight  24  when the hosel weight  24  is in the position shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 16-19 , an iron-type golf club head H includes a body B with a sole  10 , a top edge  12 , a heel portion  14 , a toe portion  16  and a front face  18  as described above. The golf club head H also includes a hosel  20   b  on the body heel portion  14  with a bore  22   b  for receiving the end of a golf club shaft (not shown). The bore  22   b  is offset (i.e. not concentric) relative to the longitudinal axis of the hosel  20   b . An elongated lug  21  is provided on one side of the hosel  20   b . A hosel weight  23  includes an offset bore  25  that receives the hosel  20   b . A slot  27  extends along one side of the hosel weight  23  and receives the lug  21  in order to lock the hosel weight  23  in position on the hosel  20   b  and prevent it from rotating. As seen in  FIG. 18 , the hosel  20   b  is tapered from bottom to top and the bore  25  in the hosel weight  23  increases in diameter from top to bottom in order to match the taper of the hosel  20   b.