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 .
Claims 1-27 have been examined.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-17, 20, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Greer et al (US Patent Application Publication 2023/0158371; CIP of US Patent 11554296 filed 7/31/2020).
1. Greer et al disclose a fixation assembly for fixing a golf club shaft to a golf club head comprising:
a first bore (140) integrated into the golf club head (Fig 5), the first bore having a first orientation fixation feature (188) and a first axis of symmetry (hosel bore axis 180);
an adapter ring (216) having an inner second bore (Fig 13) and a second orientation fixation feature (220) for mating with the first orientation fixation feature to fix an orientation of the adapter ring relative to the first bore (Par. 0068);
wherein the second bore has a second axis of symmetry, and wherein when the second orientation fixation feature is mated with the first orientation fixation feature, the first axis of symmetry is not colinear or parallel with the second axis of symmetry (Par. 0049: “The receiver couplers of the receiver coupler set 188 can be complementary to the asymmetric profile of the sleeve couplers of the sleeve coupler set 184” and Par. 0066: “The removable spacer can comprise one or more coupler sets having a plurality of couplers similar to the sleeve coupler set 184 of the shaft sleeve 156 and the receiver coupler set 188 of the hosel 132”).
2. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly of claim 1 wherein the first orientation fixation feature and the second orientation fixation feature mate in one of a plurality of discrete potential orientations, and wherein each of the discrete potential orientations defines a different relationship between the first axis of symmetry and the second axis of symmetry (Par. 0042-0043).
3. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly of claim 2 wherein, in each of the discrete orientations, the first axis of symmetry and the second axis of symmetry define an identical angle in a different direction.
4. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly of claim 2, wherein the plurality of discrete orientations is four discrete orientations (Par. 0046).
5. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly of claim 1 wherein the first orientation fixation feature comprises a plurality of teeth defined at regular intervals (Fig 5), and wherein the second orientation fixation feature comprises a corresponding plurality of teeth at regular intervals (Fig 13).
6. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly of claim 5 wherein the first orientation fixation feature is at an inner surface of the first bore and (Fig 5) wherein the second orientation fixation feature is at an outer surface of the adapter ring (Fig 13).
7. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly of claim 1 wherein the adapter ring has an outer surface with rotational symmetry, and wherein an outer surface axis of symmetry of the adapter ring is not colinear or parallel with the second axis of symmetry (Par. 0049: “the sleeve couplers of sleeve coupler set 184 can be asymmetric about the outer surface of the shaft sleeve 156 such that one or more sleeve couplers are longer in length at a first area of the shaft sleeve 156 (i.e. coupler length measured in a sleeve top end 160 to sleeve bottom end 164 direction)”).
8. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly of claim 7 wherein the outer surface axis of symmetry and the second axis of symmetry coincide at a meeting location spaced apart from the adapter ring (Figs 3 and 15).
9. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly of claim 8 wherein the first bore is blind and the meeting location is adjacent an end of the first bore (Fig 15).
10. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly of claim 9 wherein the end of the first bore has an aperture (144) for admitting a screw (152).
11. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly of claim 1 wherein, when assembled, an end of the golf club shaft (136) extends through the second bore and into the first bore, and wherein the golf club shaft has an axial direction defined by the second axis of symmetry and at least partially reinforced by contact with the first bore (Fig 15; Par. 0040-0041).
12. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly of claim 1 further comprising a shaft tip adapter (156) extending through the second bore and into the first bore and having an axial direction defined by the second axis of symmetry and at least partially reinforced by contact with the first bore, and wherein the shaft tip adapter has an internal sleeve for receiving the golf club shaft (Fig 15).
13. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly of claim 12 wherein the adapter ring has a third orientation fixation feature (224) and wherein the shaft tip adapter has a fourth orientation fixation feature (184) for mating with the third orientation fixation feature to fix an orientation of the shaft tip adapter relative to the adapter ring.
14. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly of claim 13, wherein the golf club shaft has a handle (not shown in the Figures) with a defined orientation, and wherein the defined orientation is fixed relative to the golf club head by the mating of the first orientation fixation feature and the second orientation fixture and the mating of the third orientation fixation feature and the fourth orientation fixation feature.
15. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly of claim 14, wherein the first orientation fixation feature and the second orientation fixation feature mate in one of a defined number of discrete potential orientations, and wherein the third orientation fixation feature and the fourth orientation fixation feature mate in one of the defined number of discrete potential orientations (Par. 0049: “The receiver couplers of the receiver coupler set 188 can be complementary to the asymmetric profile of the sleeve couplers of the sleeve coupler set 184” and Par. 0066: “The removable spacer can comprise one or more coupler sets having a plurality of couplers similar to the sleeve coupler set 184 of the shaft sleeve 156 and the receiver coupler set 188 of the hosel 132”).
16. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly of claim 12 wherein the shaft tip adapter has a threaded end (172) for receiving a screw, wherein the screw fixes the shaft tip adapter relative to an end of the first bore (Fig 8A).
17. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly of claim 12, wherein the shaft tip adapter has at least one groove (236) in the axial direction at a distal end, and wherein the first bore has at least one rib (232) at a distal end for mating with the at least one groove (Fig 15).
20. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly of claim 1, wherein the golf club head is either center shafted or neck style, and wherein the first bore is integrated into the golf club head at a hosel (Fig 5).
21. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly of claim 1 wherein at least portions of the first bore and the adapter ring are tapered, such that once assembled, a tightening of the assembly results in compressive forces (Figs 4-5 and 13).
Claims 22-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Billings (US Patent Application Publication 2024/0033584).
22. Billings discloses a system for fixing a golf club shaft to a golf club head, the system comprising:
a first bore (190) integrated into the golf club head (Figs 2B and 3B), the first bore having a first orientation fixation feature (126) and a first axis of symmetry (Figs 2B and 3B);
a plurality of adapter rings each having a corresponding second bore and a corresponding second orientation fixation feature for mating with the first orientation fixation feature to fix an orientation of the corresponding adapter ring relative to the first bore (Figs 4A-4D);
wherein the second bore of each of the plurality of adapter rings has a corresponding second axis of symmetry, and wherein when the corresponding second orientation fixation feature is mated with the first orientation fixation feature, the first axis of symmetry is not colinear or parallel with the corresponding second axis of symmetry (Figs 4A-4D).
23. Billings discloses the system of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of adapter rings has a corresponding outer surface with rotational symmetry, and wherein an outer surface axis of symmetry of the adapter ring is not colinear or parallel with the corresponding second axis of symmetry (Figs 4A-4D).
24. Billings discloses the system of claim 23, wherein for each of the plurality of adapter rings, the outer surface axis of symmetry and the second axis of symmetry define an offset angle relative to each other and coincide at a meeting location spaced apart from the adapter ring by a first distance (Figs 4A-4D).
25. Billings discloses the system of claim 24, wherein for any pair of adapter rings of the plurality of adapter rings, the offset angle is different but the first distance is substantially similar (Figs 4A-4D).
26. Billings discloses the system of claim 22 further comprising a shaft tip adapter (129/140/142; Fig 6A) having an internal sleeve for receiving the golf club shaft, and wherein upon fixing the golf club shaft to the golf club head, the second orientation fixation feature of a first adapter ring of the plurality of adapter rings is mated with the first orientation fixation feature and the shaft tip adapter extends through the corresponding second bore and into the first bore and has an axial direction defined by the second axis of symmetry and at least partially reinforced by contact with the first bore (Fig 6B).
27. Billings discloses the system of claim 22, wherein each adapter ring of the plurality of adapter rings has a third orientation fixation feature, and upon fixing the golf club shaft to the golf club head, the second orientation fixation feature of a first adapter ring of the plurality of adapter rings is mated with the first orientation fixation feature, and the third orientation fixation feature of the first adapter ring mates to either a fourth orientation fixation feature on the golf club shaft of a corresponding shaft tip adapter or the second orientation fixation feature of a second adapter ring (Fig 4A).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Greer et al in view of Billings (US Patent Application Publication 2024/0033584)
18. Greer et al disclose the fixation assembly significantly as claimed, but do not disclose wherein the first bore is integrated into a hosel adapter, and wherein the hosel adapter is either fixed within the base of the golf club head or to a neck extending from the golf club head.
Billings teaches a similar adjustable golf club hosel and shaft system in which adapters are used to adjust the loft and lie angle of a shaft relative to a golf club head wherein the adapters are insert into a first bore of a hosel adapter which can be fixed within a golf club head (Figs 5A-6B) or into a neck extending from the golf club head (Figs 3A-3C) which provides a quick and efficient means of fitting the club putter specification to a large number of golfer requirements and also adjusting the specifications for changing user needs or course condition (Abstract). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the first bore to be integrated into a hosel adapter fixed in a club head or neck as taught by Billings to provide differing shaft alignment configurations such as differing lie angles, head loft specifications, offset, onset or no offset, etc. In the disclosed subject matter, the addition of different combinations of adjustment spacers and their orientations can provide entirely new levels of customization, fitting and adjustability.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Hill et al, Myers, Cheng, Milleman et al, and Beach et al all disclose similar hosel assemblies which provide angular adjustments between a golf club head and shaft.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSHUA T KENNEDY whose telephone number is (571)272-8297. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7a-4:30p MST.
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/JOSHUA T KENNEDY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3784 8/18/2026
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