DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-9, 11-12, 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Willett et al (US2016/0367871 A1) hereinafter (Willett) in view of Sargent et al (US2014/0080628 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Willett discloses a golf club head ("golf club head 220" para [0067]; Fig 20-22), comprising:
a top rail (top of strike face and crown portion 141, Fig 20-22), a sole opposite the top rail (sole 143, Fig 3), a heel (portion of head at 151 proximate the handle, Fig 20-22), a toe opposite the heel (portion of head at 153 opposite the handle and heel, Fig 20-22), a rear (155, Fig 20-22), and a front opposite the rear and comprising a strike face having a geometric center (from with face plate 148, Fig 20-22), wherein the top rail, sole, heel, toe, rear, and front cooperate to define an interior void (150, Fig 20-22; "The body can include a crown 141, sole 143, skirt 145 and face plate 148 defining an interior cavity 150" para [0067]);
a center of gravity (CG) (center of gravity 169, Fig 15-16);
an x axis extending horizontally through the geometric center in a heel-to-toe direction and parallel to a ground plane when the golf club head is at an address position (axis 172, Fig 17; para [0100]), a y axis extending vertically through the geometric center in a top rail to sole direction and perpendicular to the X axis (ais 176, Fig 17; para [0100]), a Z axis extending in a front to rear direction orthogonal to both the x axis and the y axis (axis 174, Fig 17; para [0100]), an xy plane extending along the x axis and the y axis, a yz plane extending along the y axis and the 7. axis, and an xz plane extending along the x axis and the z axis (see Fig 15-17);
a loft plane tangent to the geometric center defining a loft angle between the loft plane and the ground plane (loft plane of the strike face having an angle between the loft plane and the ground plane of the surface below);
the strike face being capable of containing score lines and wherein said score lines could extend to a score- line area toe boundary plane, which is parallel to the yz plane and intersects a toward-most end of the score lines, wherein the score-line area toe boundary plane demarcates the toe from a remainder of the club head (intended use: strike face capable of containing score lines; face plate 148, Fig 17, 20-22; extending towards the toe of the golf club head but not all the way to the toe portion);
wherein the toe comprises:
a toe face height measured along the score-line area toe boundary plane from a toe-sole point to a toe-top rail point (height of toe portion at end of score line plane from sole to top rail, Fig 20-22);
a low-toe boundary plane parallel to the XZ plane and intersecting the score-line area toe boundary plane at a point along the toe face height above the toe-sole point (any plane parallel to the XZ plane and intersecting the score-line arca toe boundary plane, sec Fig 20-22); and
a target low-toe region below a low-toe boundary plane (point below low-toe boundary plane, Fig 20-22);
a socket located in the low-toe region (weight port 232 at toe region, Fig 20) and comprising:
a socket aperture formed at an exterior surface of the club (opening of port 232, Fig 20-22; par [0046]);
a socket base surface located inside the toe (interior of port, Fig 20-22);
a socket side wall extending from the socket aperture to the socket base surface (wall of port, Fig 20-22), wherein the socket side wall and the socket base surface are imperforate SO that the socket does not fluidly communicate with the interior void (socket being a defined pocket keeping weight separate from interior cavity 150 of golf club head, Fig 22);
a socket axis extending through a geometric center of the socket side wall (see Fig 20-22);
a socket length measured along the socket axis from the aperture to the base surface (see Fig 20-22); and a socket volume enclosed by the socket side wall from the aperture to the base surface (volume of port 232, Fig 20);
a multi-weight assembly associated with the socket (weights 224, Fig 20-22) and comprising:
a primary weight sized for insertion into the socket, wherein the primary weight comprises a primary weight material having a primary weight material density (mass element 34 of weights, Fig 10; para [0049]); and
a weighted retainer for securing the primary weight within the socket, wherein the weighted retainer comprises a weighted retainer material having a weighted retainer material density different from the primary weight material density ("screw 36, Fig 10; para [0049]).
Willett discloses the claimed device with the exception of the low-toe boundary plane intersects the score-line area toe boundary plane at a point that is 60 cc of the toe face height above the toe-sole point. It is old and well known in the art that routine experimentation and design choices could have arrived at a point as claimed to ensure the socket is located as desired on the toe portion of the golf club head. [W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation.” In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955).
Willett as modified above discloses the claimed device with the exception of the strike face comprises score lines. However, Sargent discloses a similar golf club head wherein the strike face comprises score lines (320, Fig 1A; para [0181]; para [0183]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have included score lines to the strike face of Willett given that Sargent teaches such would allow for dispersion of water and debris from the strike face as desired.
Regarding claim 2, Willett shows the socket side wall comprises internal threads (threaded opening 236, Fig 22), and wherein the weighted retainer comprises an exterior portion of the primary weight formed with external threads (threaded part of screw 80, Fig 10).
Regarding claim 3, T Willett shows the base surface comprises a threaded recess (threaded opening 236, Fig 22); the primary weight comprises a central passage (bore 78, Fig 10); and the weighted retainer comprises a fastener sized for insertion through the central passage of the primary weight (screw 36 with fastener 80 for insertion into bore 78, Fig 10), wherein a tip of the fastener comprises external threads for threadably engaging the threaded recess in the base surface (see Fig 10, 22; "each mass element 34 of the weight assemblies 30 defines a bore 78 sized to freely receive the weight assembly screw 36" para [0065]).
Regarding claim 4, Willett shows the primary weight comprises an annular shape surrounding the central passage (mass 34, Fig 10; para [0065]).
Regarding claim 5, Willett shows the primary weight comprises a frustoconical shape surrounding the central passage (mass 34, Fig 10).
Regarding claim 7, Willett show the fastener comprises a weighted toe screw (screw 36, Fig 10).
Regarding claim 8, Willett shows the primary weight is sized to mechanically engage the socket side wall (see Fig 20-22, Fig 10; wherein weight 224 is sized within port).
Regarding claim 9, Willett shows the weighted retainer comprises a cap sized for insertion into the socket (see cap Fig 10), the cap comprising a cap head extending across the aperture of the socket (Figs 10, 20-22), wherein an exterior surface of the cap head is shaped to follow a contour of the toe (Fig. 20 shows the weight head is shaped to follow a contour of the toe 232).
Regarding claim 11, Willett teaches the socket side wall comprises internal threads (threaded opening 236, Fig 22; para [0064]). Willett further shows a hollow fastener, comprising a fastener body sized for insertion into the socket and having a fastener side wall extending from a fastener head to a fastener bottom rim; a fastener interior cavity extending from the fastener bottom rim toward the fastener head, wherein the fastener interior cavity is sized to receive the primary weight; and a fastener exterior side wall comprises external threads for threadably engaging the internal threads of the socket side wall (Figs. 10, 12, 22; paragraphs [0044, 0077-0079]).
Regarding claim 12, Willett teaches the base surface comprises a threaded recess (threaded opening 236, Fig 22); the socket comprises a cross-sectional shape (Fig 22);
the primary weight comprises: a primary weight body having a cross-sectional shape complementary to the socket shape (mass 34, Fig 10, 22), the primary weight body defining a central passage (bore 78, Fig 10; para [0065]); and
a primary weight head disposed at the aperture of the socket (top head at numeral 30, Fig 10); and the weighted retainer comprises a fastener sized for insertion through the central passage of the primary weight (screw 36, Fig 10; "each mass element 34 of the weight assemblies 30 defines a bore 78 sized to freely receive the weight assembly screw 36" para [0065]), wherein a tip of the fastener comprises external threads for threadably engaging the threaded recess in the base surface (80, Fig 10, 22; "The threaded openings 236 are configured to receive and secure assembly screw bodies 280 of the weight assemblies 224" para [0077]).
Willett further shows an exterior surface of the primary weight head is shaped to follow a contour of the toe (Fig. 20 shows the weight head is shaped to follow a contour of the toe 232).
Willett discloses the claimed device with the exception of the socket comprises a rectilinear cross-sectional shape, and wherein the primary weight body has a rectilinear cross-sectional shape complementary to the socket shape. It has been held that a change in shape and/or form is generally recognized as a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed rectilinear cross-sectional shape was significant. In re Dailey, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1976).
Regarding claim 15, Willett shows a port separate from the socket and extending from an exterior surface of the club head to the interior void of the club head (top port 222, Fig 20-22).
Regarding claim 16, Willett shows the interior void of the club head comprises a fully enclosed cavity (enclosed cavity 150, Fig 20-22).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the prior art as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Northcutt et al (US2022/0347530 A1) hereinafter (Northcutt).
Regarding claim 10, Willett teaches the weight and the socket (Fig 20-22) but does not expressly disclose the weighted retainer comprises epoxy disposed between the primary weight and the socket. However, Northcutt discloses a similar golf club head wherein the weight is retained on the socket with an epoxy ("the pocket is further at least partially secured to the body by an epoxy, wherein the weight assembly further includes a cover at least partially covering the recessed channel" para [0006]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have used epoxy for attaching the weight and socket given that Northcutt teaches epoxy is a known means for securing two surfaces together.
Claims 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the prior art as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Day et al (US 10,213,665) hereinafter (Day).
Regarding claim 17, Willett teaches the body (Fig 20-22; "The body can include a crown 141, sole 143, skirt 145 and face plate 148 defining an interior cavity 150" para [0067]). Willett discloses the claimed device with the exception of a body weight disposed in the interior void, wherein: the top rail, sole, heel, toe, rear and front are formed of a club head material having a club head material density; and the body weight comprises a body weight material having a body weight material density greater than the club head material density. However, Day teaches a similar golf club head wherein the golf club body (golf club head 2802 with body, Fig 24A) comprises weights inside the interior void (disc weights 2315, 2316, Fig 23-24A). It would have been obvious to a to one of ordinary skill in the art to have added weights to the interior of Willett’s golf club head given that Day teaches such would aid in the desired weight distribution of the gold club head during use.
Furthermore, while Willett and Day are silent as to the body weight comprises a body weight material having a body weight material density greater than the club head material density, routine experimentation and design choices are well known in the art and accordingly, and it would have been obvious to a one of ordinary skill in the art to have made the weight material having a greater density than the golf club head to further ensure the added weights change the center gravity as desired.
Regarding claim 18, Willett as modified in view of Day further teaches the body weight is coupled to the rear or sole (connected to sole as seen in Fig 24A of Cobra).
Regarding claim 19, Willett as modified in view of Day further teaches the body weight is coupled to the toe (coupled between toe and heel, Fig 24A of Cobra).
Regarding claim 20, Willett as modified in view of Day further teaches at least one of the primary weight and the weighted retainer engages the body weight (as modified by Cobra, weight discs 2315, 2316; being attached by external screw through the void into the gold club interior).
Claims 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the prior art as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Milleman et al (US12,685,909) hereinafter (Milleman).
Regarding claim 6, Willett further teaches the weight and base (Fig 20-22). However, Willet does not expressly disclose disposing VHB tape between the primary weight and the base surface. However, Milleman discloses the use of various adhesives including VHB tape for securing a first and second component on a golf club head together (column 33, lines 56-67).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: claim 13 would be allowable over the prior art of record, because the prior art does not show or suggest the second socket extends at least partially through the primary weight and a toe weight is disposed in the second socket and coupled to the primary weight and the cap weight.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Milleman et al (12,472,407).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MITRA ARYANPOUR whose telephone number is (571) 272-4405. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon, Thurs, Fri 8:00am to 4:00pm, Wed 8:00-2:00.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Eugene Kim can be reached on 571-272-4463. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MITRA ARYANPOUR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3711
/ma/
21 August 2026
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