Releasable components for a golf club

Abstract

The invention generally relates to releasable components for use on golf club heads. In certain aspects, the invention provides a releasable component, including, but not limited to, a face insert, damping insert, discrete weight insert, crown panel, sole panel, heel or toe panel, skirt panel, and the like that may be interchangeable so as to provide customization of the golf club to suit the player's needs. In some embodiments, the releasable component includes an attachment feature configured to releasably engage a corresponding attachment feature on the club head body by way of friction fit. In some embodiments, the releasable component includes a tool interface configured to releasably engage a tool to allow improve the process of attaching or removing the component to or from a golf club head.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A releasable component for a golf club head, the releasable component comprising:
 a component body having a distal end configured to be coupled to a golf club head and a proximal end having a tool interface configured to receive a shank portion of a tool;   wherein the component body is configured to be releasably coupled to the tool by way of interaction between the shank portion and the tool interface and further be coupled and decoupled to or from a golf club head with the tool.   
     
     
         2 . The releasable component of  claim 1 , wherein the component body is configured to be releasably coupled to the tool by a detent ball and spring assembly configured to provide a friction fit between the tool interface of the proximal end of the component body and the shank portion of the tool. 
     
     
         3 . The releasable component of  claim 2 , wherein the detent ball and spring assembly comprises a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture formed on the shank portion of the tool, wherein the spring is configured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and along an outer surface of the shank portion of the tool. 
     
     
         4 . The releasable component of  claim 3 , wherein, upon engagement between the shank portion of the tool and the tool interface of the releasable component, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction towards the spring upon contact between the detent ball and a surface of the tool interface. 
     
     
         5 . The releasable component of  claim 4 , wherein the detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the surface of the tool interface based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring, thereby releasably coupling the tool to the releasable component. 
     
     
         6 . The releasable component of  claim 2 , wherein the tool interface of the proximal end of the component body comprises a recess configured to receive the shank portion of the tool within and the detent ball and spring assembly comprises a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture extending from an interior surface of the recess, wherein the spring is configured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and into an interior of the recess. 
     
     
         7 . The releasable component of  claim 6 , wherein, upon insertion of the shank portion of the tool into the interior of the recess, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction away from the shank portion and towards the spring upon contact between the detent ball and an outer surface of the shank portion. 
     
     
         8 . The releasable component of  claim 7 , wherein the detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the outer surface of the shank portion based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring, thereby releasably coupling the tool to the releasable component. 
     
     
         9 . The releasable component of  claim 6 , wherein the recess extends entirely through the component body from the proximal end to the distal end, such that the shank portion of the tool is configured to extend entirely through the component body and further extend into a recess of at least an additional releasable component, such that the releasable component and additional releasable component are in stacked configuration along the shank portion of the tool. 
     
     
         10 . The releasable component of  claim 1 , the releasable component is selected from a group consisting of a face insert, a damping insert, a weight member, a crown panel, a sole panel, a heel panel, a toe panel, a skirt panel, and a combination of at least two thereof. 
     
     
         11 . A releasable component for a golf club head, the releasable component comprising:
 a component body configured to be releasably coupled to a golf club head by way of a detent ball and spring assembly, the detent ball and spring assembly configured to provide a friction fit between an attachment feature of the component body and an associated attachment feature of the golf club head.   
     
     
         12 . The releasable component of  claim 11 , wherein the attachment feature of the component body comprises at least one protrusion extending from the component body and the attachment feature of the golf club head comprises at least one recess for receiving the at least one protrusion within. 
     
     
         13 . The releasable component of  claim 12 , wherein the detent ball and spring assembly comprises a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture formed along a portion of the protrusion, wherein the spring is configured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and along an outer surface of the protrusion. 
     
     
         14 . The releasable component of  claim 13 , wherein, upon insertion of the protrusion of the component body into the recess of the golf club head, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction away from an interior surface of the recess and towards the spring upon contact between the detent ball and the interior surface of the recess, the detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the interior surface of the recess based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring. 
     
     
         15 . The releasable component of  claim 12 , wherein the detent ball and spring assembly comprises a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture extending from an interior surface of the recess, wherein the spring is configured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and into an interior of the recess. 
     
     
         16 . The releasable component of  claim 15 , wherein, upon insertion of the protrusion of the component body into the interior of the recess, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction away from the protrusion and towards the spring upon contact between the detent ball and an outer surface of the protrusion, the detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the outer surface of the protrusion based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring. 
     
     
         17 . The releasable component of  claim 11 , wherein the component body is selected from a group consisting of a face insert, a damping insert, a weight member, a crown panel, a sole panel, a heel panel, a toe panel, a skirt panel, and a combination of at least two thereof. 
     
     
         18 . A golf club head comprising:
 a club head body;   a releasable component configured to be releasably coupled to the club head body; and   a coupling mechanism configured to provide releasable coupling between an attachment feature of the releasable component and a corresponding attachment feature of the club head body;   wherein one of the attachment features comprises a male fastener member and the other attachment feature comprises a female fastener member.   
     
     
         19 . The golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein the coupling mechanism comprises a detent ball and spring assembly comprising a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture formed along a portion of the male fastener member, the spring is configured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and along an outer surface of the male fastener member, wherein, upon insertion of the male fastener member into an interior of the female fastener member, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction away from an interior surface of the female fastener member and towards the spring upon contact between the ball and the interior surface of the female fastener member, the detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the interior surface of the female fastener member based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring, thereby releasably coupling the releasable component to the club head body. 
     
     
         20 . The golf club head of  claim 18 , wherein the coupling mechanism comprises a detent ball and spring assembly comprising a spring and detent ball positioned within an aperture extending from an interior surface of the female fastener member, the spring is configured to apply a biasing force against the detent ball such that a portion of the detent ball extends out of an opening of the aperture and into an interior of the female fastener member, wherein, upon insertion of the male fastener member into the interior of the female fastener member, the detent ball is configured to deflect in a direction away from the male fastener member and towards the spring upon contact between the detent ball and an outer surface of the male fastener member, the detent ball is configured to maintain contact and provide a friction fit with the outer surface of the male fastener member based on the biasing force applied to the detent ball from the spring, thereby releasably coupling the releasable component to the club head body.