JP2010035575A - Golf club - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a golf club with performance improved by a rib member by efficiently demonstrating the characteristics of a rib provided in a face part and increasing the effect of the rib while utilizing the feature of the face part. <P>SOLUTION: On the face part 12 of a metallic club head 10 in a hollow structure, a groove hole 34 passing through from the front surface to the back surface is formed. A rib member 30 whose projection part 30b is projecting inside an internal space N from the back surface of the face part 12 to the rear is formed of a material different from the face part 12. The front end of the rib member 30 is extended into the groove hole 34 to a position to reach the front surface of the face part 12, and the rib member 30 is fixed to the face part 12 through the groove hole 34. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a golf club having a hollow metal club head.

  Some golf clubs have a club head formed as a metal club head having a hollow structure. Usually, the metal club head has a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, a side on a toe side and a heel side. An outer shell is formed by the portion and the back portion on the rear side, and an internal space is formed inside the outer shell.

  In recent years, with the increase in the size of such a hollow club head, the thickness of the outer shell of the metal club head is made as thin as possible, and ribs are provided in the hollow inner space, thereby improving strength and hitting the ball. Adjustment of the deflection and deformation amount at the time, and adjustment of the coefficient of restitution, frequency, etc. are performed.

Some of such club heads have ribs formed on the inner surface of the face wall (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The rib is formed so as to be inclined in a direction to form an angle θ on the opposite side from the inclination line when the angle θ formed by the inclination line perpendicular to the axis of the shaft and the face line groove is formed. The plurality of ribs arranged in an inclined manner as described above ensures a sufficiently large durability against an impact at the time of impact even in a lightweight structure with a small wall thickness.
Japanese Patent No. 3415980

  However, this hollow structure club head is made of hollow metal by the lost wax casting method, and the rib is formed by the face wall itself, so that the performance of this rib can be increased or the rib performance can be exhibited efficiently. May not be possible. Thus, in the case of integral molding of the rib and the main body by the lost wax casting method, there are strength problems due to voids (nests) and sink marks (dents) at the base of the ribs, restrictions on the design freedom of the rib shape on the mold design, There are restrictions on the degree of freedom in designing the ribs and the main body from the casting flow. In addition, when using the forging method, there is a restriction on the degree of freedom in designing the rib shape such as the rib height (particularly with respect to the width).

  The present invention has been made based on such circumstances. The performance of the rib member is improved by efficiently exhibiting the characteristics of the rib provided on the face portion and increasing the effect of the rib while taking advantage of the features of the face portion. It is an object of the present invention to provide a golf club capable of achieving the above.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, an outer shell is formed by a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, a side portion on a toe side and a heel side, and a back portion on the rear side. A golf club having a hollow metal club head formed with an internal space on the inside thereof, wherein a slot is formed in the face portion from the front surface to the back surface, and the rear surface of the face portion is directed rearward. A rib member whose protruding portion protrudes into the internal space is formed of a material different from that of the face portion, and the front portion of the rib member is extended into the slot until reaching the front surface of the face portion. A golf club is provided in which a rib member is fixed to the face portion via the.

  A hollow structure in which an outer shell is formed by a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, a side portion on the toe side and a heel side, and a back portion on the rear side, and an inner space is formed inside the outer shell. A golf club having a metal club head, wherein a rib member having a protrusion protruding into the inner space from the back surface of the face portion toward the rear is made of a material different from the face portion and integrated with the face portion. Thus, a golf club is provided in which the protruding portion formed in the internal space of the rib member is formed in a shape having a larger width on the rear side than the front portion.

  The rib member may extend to a peripheral region surrounding the central region through the central region of the face portion including the respective central positions in the crown / sole direction and the toe / heel direction.

  The rib member can be integrally fixed to the face portion by welding.

  The rib member may have a through hole in a protruding portion disposed in the internal space.

  A golf club in which a rib member is formed of a material different from that of the face portion and is fixed to the face portion through a slot formed in the face portion can efficiently exhibit the characteristics of the rib member, and vibration and resilience when hitting a ball Can be optimized. Therefore, it is possible to provide a golf club with excellent performance and quality by utilizing the respective characteristics of the rib member and the face portion.

  Similarly, a golf club in which the rib member is formed of a material different from that of the face portion, and the protruding portion disposed in the internal space of the rib member is formed in a shape having a larger width on the rear side than the front portion. The characteristics of the rib member can be exhibited efficiently, and the vibration and rebound characteristics upon hitting can be optimized. Therefore, it is possible to provide a golf club with excellent performance and quality by utilizing the respective characteristics of the rib member and the face portion.

  When the rib member passes through the central region of the face portion and extends to the peripheral region surrounding the central region, the effect of the rib member can be exerted on a wide range of the face portion. Thereby, the characteristics of the rib member and the face portion can be further utilized, and a golf club with excellent performance and quality can be formed.

  When the rib member is integrally fixed to the face portion by welding, the rib member can be integrally connected via a weld overlay or a melted portion of both the rib member and the face portion. Further, it is possible to improve the strength and durability, and to form a golf club having excellent performance and quality utilizing the features of the rib member and the face portion.

  When the through hole is formed in the protruding portion of the rib member, the rib member can be reduced in weight, and the rib function can be strengthened while having a small weight ratio with respect to the face portion. A golf club with excellent performance and quality utilizing the characteristics of the face portion can be formed.

  1 to 4 show a metal club head 10 used in a golf club 8 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a golf club 8 using the club head 10 of the present embodiment has a reference horizontal surface such as the ground where a ball is placed on the tip of a shaft 6 formed into a tubular structure with, for example, a fiber reinforced resin or a metal material. A specified lie angle α and loft angle β (FIG. 4) are set for B, and a grip 4 formed of a flexible or soft material such as natural rubber or synthetic rubber is attached to the base end. Here, the lie angle α is an attachment angle of the shaft axis 6a with respect to a sole portion or a reference horizontal plane B described later. The loft angle β is an angle between a vertical plane orthogonal to the reference horizontal plane B and the front surface of the face portion 12.

  2 to 4 show the club head 10 made of a metal material in a hollow structure in detail.

  In the metal club head 10 of the present embodiment, a face member 14 having a hitting surface is disposed on the face portion 12, and the head body 10a supports the face member 14 from the back side. In the head main body 10a, a crown portion 16 and a sole portion 18 extend from the top edge 12a and the leading edge 12b of the face portion 12 to the back side, respectively. Between the crown portion 16 and the sole portion 18, the toe side side portion 20 and the heel side portion 22 extend along the peripheral edge portion of the crown portion 16 from the toe side edge 12 c and the heel side edge 12 d of the face portion 12, respectively. It extends to the back side while curving and continues to the back portion 24. The toe side part 20 and the heel side part 22 have large dimensions in the vertical direction, that is, the crown / sole direction on the face part 12 side, and the dimensions gradually decrease to the back part 24. Accordingly, the club head 10 substantially forms an outer shell by the face portion 12, the crown portion 16, the sole portion 18, the toe side and heel side side portions 20 and 22, and the back portion 24 at the rear portion. Is formed in the outer shell.

  The top edge 12a between the face portion 12 and the crown portion 16 can be specified by a ridge line between them, but is specified at a portion smaller than the radius of curvature of the surface portion that forms most of the face portion 12. Also good. The same applies to other portions that define the face portion 12 such as the leading edge 12b.

  The face member 14 fixed to the front opening of the head main body 10a is formed of a plate-like member having a bulge with a central portion slightly bulged outward, and the front surface hits a golf ball. Form a surface. A large number of score lines 13 (see FIG. 1) extending in the toe-heel direction are formed on the hitting surface of the face portion 12 by a suitable means such as a shallow groove in a substantially horizontal direction. A sweet spot S, which is a point extending through the center of gravity G of the club head 10 and extending perpendicularly to the hitting surface of the face portion 12, is located.

  The face member 14 is formed of a plate-like member that closes the front side opening of the head main body 10a including the crown portion 16, the sole portion 18, the toe side and heel side portions 20, 22, and the back portion 24. 12 may be formed as a whole, or may be formed in a so-called cup shape, and may form part of the crown portion 16, the sole portion 18, and the side portions 20 and 22 on the face portion 12 side. Furthermore, it may be formed in a plate shape that fits into an opening of a predetermined size formed in the face portion 12, and only a part of the face portion 12 may be formed. Further, the face portion 12 and the head main body 10a can be integrally cast. In that case, it is preferable to provide an opening in the crown portion 16 in order to facilitate joining of ribs described later in a later step.

  The head main body 10a of the present embodiment is preferably integrally formed by casting, for example, a titanium-based alloy, an iron-based alloy, or the like, except for the face member 14 provided on the face portion 12, and a face is formed on the front side thereof. An opening is formed in which the face member 14 formed in a cup shape constituting the hitting surface of the portion 12 is fixed by welding, adhesion or the like. Instead of such an integrated structure, each member constituting the head main body 10a (a member forming an outer shell such as a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, a side portion, etc.) is individually formed, and thereafter, assembly, welding, You may integrate by adhesion | attachment etc. It is also possible to cast the face portion 12 and the head main body 10a integrally. In this case, due to the rib effect of the present invention, a golf club head having high durability even if the face portion 12 is cast. Can be provided. Further, the crown portion 16 is formed of a fiber reinforced metal, a fiber reinforced resin, a magnesium alloy, a thin titanium alloy having a thickness of 0.3 to 0.7 mm, a thin stainless steel alloy having the same thickness, or the like. Joining by brazing or the like is also possible. In this case, since the crown portion 16 of the head main body 10a is opened to the outside, it is easy to insert a rib member, which will be described later, into the inner surface of the head.

  The face member 14 coupled to the head body 10a is integrally formed by, for example, pressing or forging a titanium alloy, an iron alloy, or the like so as to have a predetermined cup shape. The average thickness of the ball striking surface including the position of the spot S (the average value of the maximum thickness portion, the minimum thickness portion, and the intermediate thickness portion of each part, and the measured values of three or more locations of at least a predetermined thickness and a large area) Is preferably formed to have a thickness of about 1.5 mm to 3.2 mm which can withstand an impact at the time of hitting. In the case of forming with a rolled material, it is preferable to arrange the rolling direction along the crown / sole direction in order to increase the repulsive force of the face portion 12 and increase the durability.

  The face member 14 formed in this way is fixed to the end face of the opening formed in the head main body 10a by suitable means such as adhesion, welding, or brazing. Of course, the face portion 12 may be integrally formed with the head main body 10a instead of fixing the face member 14 as a separate member. In any case, as shown in FIG. 4, the thickness of the portion along the top edge 12a and the leading edge 12b is formed to be thinner than the average thickness of the ball striking surface. It is preferable to be able to give. Thus, it is preferable to form the thickness of the thin portion along the top edge 12a and the leading edge 12b to about 1.5 to 2.6 mm.

  A shaft fastening portion (not shown) for fastening the tip of the shaft 6 is integrally formed on the head body 10 a that supports the face member 14. The shaft 6 is fixed to the shaft fixing portion by inserting the tip end portion of the shaft 6 through the opening 26 a of the hosel portion 26 formed to protrude from the crown portion 16.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the face portion 12 is provided with ribs on the portion on the sole portion 18 side, which is a lower portion than the sweet spot S, so that the upper portion of the face portion 12 is deformed and rebounded at the time of hitting a ball. It is formed so that the launching direction (flying direction) of the golf ball can be increased and the flight distance can be stably improved.

  The rib according to the present embodiment includes a lateral rib member 30 extending in the toe / heel direction along the hitting surface of the face portion 12, and 2 extending in the crown / sole direction from the lateral rib member 30 toward the sole portion 18. Two vertical rib members 32. These rib members 30 and 32 are formed as members different from the face member 14 that forms the face portion 12, and are integrated through the groove holes 34 and 36 formed through the face portion 12 from the front surface to the back surface. Fixed. The width of such slots 34 and 36 is 10 mm or less, and preferably in the range of 2 to 6 mm. The ball at the time of hitting hits a surface other than the rib basically. Therefore, even when a different material is used for the face portion 12, the shot feeling can be improved. In this specification, the different member is not limited to a member having a different metal component, and even if the same metal component is used, the molding method is different (for example, a rolled plate and a cast material). This includes cases where rates are different.

  These rib members 30 and 32 can be formed of the same material as that of the face member 14, but can be formed of an optimum material according to the purpose of arrangement. For example, when the strength of the face member 14 is intended to be improved, it is preferable to use a material having a physical property equal to or higher than that of the face member 14. On the other hand, when vibration adjustment is intended, a material having a tensile elastic modulus different from the material forming the face member 14 can be used. If necessary, a material having a high vibration damping property is used to obtain a hitting sound and a hitting ball. The feeling can also be adjusted.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the lateral rib member 30 and the two vertical rib members 32 of the present embodiment pass through the central region C of the face portion 12 including the respective central positions in the crown / sole direction and the toe / heel direction, It extends to the peripheral area surrounding this central area C. By arranging in this way, the effect of the rib members 30 and 32 can be exerted over a wide range from the central region of the face portion 12 to the peripheral region extending to the edge portion that partitions the face portion 12. Thereby, the characteristics of the rib member and the face portion can be further utilized, and a golf club with excellent performance and quality can be formed.

  Here, the central region is an elliptical region C in which the central portion when the face portion 12 is divided into three equal parts along the toe-heel direction and the central portion when divided into three equal parts along the crown-heel direction overlap. Say. When the sweet spot S is the center, the sweet spot S is the center surrounded by a circle with a radius of 8 mm, for example, and a rib member is extended in an X shape, a cross shape, or a radial shape, as will be described later. In this case, an area surrounded by a circle having a radius of 8 mm, for example, can be set as the central area with the intersection (intersection on the extension line when not actually intersecting) as the center. The peripheral area is an area excluding the central area C. The first peripheral area, the second peripheral area, and the face member 14 and the head main body 10a are sequentially arranged on the outer peripheral side of the central area C so as to surround the central area C. And a third peripheral region that is a junction region. These peripheral regions may be partitioned by dividing the top region 12a, the leading edge 12b, the toe side and heel side edges 12c, 12d surrounding the face portion 12 and the central region C into approximately three equal parts. The rib members 30 and 32 have a height protruding from the back surface of the face portion 12 into the internal space N in each region, and a width, shape, surface shape, and the like along a direction orthogonal to the height according to the installation purpose. Can also be changed.

  The lateral rib member 30 of the present embodiment extends from the central region C to the outermost third peripheral region, and its end reaches the toe side and heel side edges 12c and 12d, and the toe heel of the face portion 12 Suppresses bending in the toe-heel direction across the entire direction. Alternatively, it may be extended only to the area of the ball striking surface (for example, the area where the score line 13 is formed), or at least one end of the side exceeds the toe side or heel side edges 12c, 12d. It is also possible to extend to 20 or 22. When extending only to the hitting ball area, the ball initial velocity is stabilized against hitting blur in the toe / heel direction, and when extending to the side portions 20 and 22, soft against hitting blur in the toe / heel direction. An effect of providing a shot feeling can be obtained.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the rib members 30 and 32 pass through the central region C of the face portion 12 including the respective central positions C in the crown / sole direction and the toe / heel direction, and extend to the peripheral region. , 32 can be exerted on a wide range of the face portion 12, and the characteristics of the rib members 30, 32 and the face portion 12 can be further utilized, and the golf club 10 having excellent performance and quality can be formed. .

  Further, the longitudinal rib members 32 extending from the lateral rib members 30 toward the sole portion 18 are disposed on both sides of the sweet spot S at the central portion in the toe / heel direction, and suppress the bending of the crown / sole direction at this portion. . These vertical rib members 32 extend from the central region to the outermost third peripheral region in the same manner as the horizontal rib member 30, and the lower end reaches the leading edge 12b. By integrally coupling with the lateral rib member 30, the function of the longitudinal rib member 32 can be improved. Alternatively, the vertical rib member 32 can be separated from the horizontal rib member 30, and a required rib function can be applied to each required portion. Further, on the sole portion 18 side of the vertical rib member 32, it may be terminated at a portion above the leading edge 12 b, or it may be continued to the inner surface of the sole portion 18. When the vertical rib 32 is terminated at a position above the leading edge 12b, the ball launch angle when the ball is hit below the face can be stabilized, and when extending to the inner surface of the sole portion 18, It is possible to soften the shot feeling when hitting the ball under the face.

  The horizontal rib member 30 and the vertical rib member 32 are integrally fixed through the slot holes 34 and 36 of the face portion 12, and the front end portion reaches the hitting surface of the face portion 12. The horizontal rib member 30 and the vertical rib member 32 penetrate the groove holes 34 and 36, respectively, so that even if the protruding amount or height protruding from the back surface of the face portion 12 into the internal space N is low, the groove holes 34, By arranging the rib members 30 and 32 in 36, the function of the ribs can be efficiently exhibited as a whole, and the adjustment effect by the rib members 30 and 32 can be enhanced.

  The front ends of the rib members 30 and 32 fixed through the slots 34 and 36 reach the hitting surface of the face portion 12 because the rib members 30 and 32 themselves reach the front surface of the face portion 12. It is not limited to the case where a continuous surface is formed that is exposed from the surface of the face portion 12 but also forms an integrated structure similar to this, and a built-up layer or surface treatment in a welding process to be described later. The case where the layer is formed in the slots 34 and 36 is also included.

  In this way, the front ends of the rib members 30 and 32 may be exposed to the surface of the face portion 12 through the slot holes 34 and 36, in addition to the portion continuous over the entire length, may be a part thereof, A plurality of parts may be exposed in a continuous state. By selecting the formation position or range of the slots 34 and 36 to which the rib members 30 and 32 are fixed, it is possible to efficiently adjust the sound and resilience of a required portion.

  As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 5, the lateral rib member 30 of the present embodiment includes a fixing portion 30 a fixed in the slot 34, a protruding portion 30 b that protrudes from the back surface of the face portion 12 into the internal space, A rear portion 30c formed wider than the protruding portion 30b is provided at the rear end of the protruding portion 30b. The fixing portion 30a is fixed to the face portion 12 as described later, and the front end is connected to the face portion 12 from the slot 34. Exposed on the surface. The protrusion 30b is formed such that the front width W1 adjacent to the fixing portion 30a is larger than the rear width W2 (W1 <W2), has a substantially T-shaped cross-sectional shape, and is fixed to the face member 12. Then, an H-shaped shape is formed together with the face member 12. As a result, the lateral rib member 30 can move according to the movement of the face portion 12, and at the same time, can effectively control deformation and vibration of the face portion 12 with a wide rear portion. In particular, since the protruding portion 30b is integral with the fixing portion 30a fixed in the slot 34, the adjustment effect by the lateral rib member 30 can be further improved together with the wide rear portion. Further, since the wide rear portion moves the center of gravity of the face portion including the rib to the back side, a high hitting ball is possible.

  The lateral rib member 30 has a flat plate-like structure in which the front portion of the protruding portion 30b and the fixing portion 30a form a flat plate-like structure, and is disposed substantially parallel to the golf ball striking direction or the reference plane B. You may arrange | position so that it may become perpendicular | vertical to the back surface. When arranged along the reference plane B, there is an advantage that the lower side resilience is higher, and when arranged perpendicular to the back surface of the face portion 12, the difference in trajectory with respect to upper and lower hitting blur is reduced. There are advantages.

  The illustrated protrusion 30b has a substantially T-shaped cross-sectional shape in which the width W2 of the rear portion is formed to be about 1.5 to 3.5 times the width W1 of the front portion over the entire length along the toe-heel direction. Although the rigidity is increased, such a substantially T-shaped cross-sectional shape may be formed only in a part thereof, such as a central portion sandwiched between the two vertical rib members 32 and 32, for example. Further, the height of the protruding portion 30b can be changed depending on the position. For example, if necessary, such as changing the vibration characteristics, the rear width W2 may be 3.5 times or more the front width W1, or 1.5 times or less. Furthermore, the width of the rear part may be equal to or less than the width of the front part (W2 ≦ W1).

  On the other hand, the vertical rib member 32 is formed with a constant protruding height along the extending direction along the crown / sole direction, and the width of the protruding portion is formed uniformly over the height direction. Similarly to 30, the height may be changed at least partially along the extending direction, and the width between the front part and the rear part may be changed.

  6 to 8 show a method of fixing the rib members 30 and 32 in the manufacturing process of the club head 10 as described above. In addition, since the horizontal rib member 30 and the vertical rib member 32 can be fixed by the same method, the horizontal rib member 30 is demonstrated in the following description.

  First, as shown in FIG. 6, for example, a rib setting region required for the face member 14 formed by pressing or forging such as titanium alloy or iron alloy so as to have a predetermined cup shape is formed. The rib setting area is machined (including laser cutting) to form the slot 34. The slot 34 may be provided in advance in a plate-like material for manufacturing the face member 14a. In that case, it is preferable to improve accuracy by using it together in machining. The slot 34 penetrates the face portion 12 and communicates the internal space N to the outside. In the illustrated embodiment, it is formed in one continuous linear shape extending in the toe-heel direction, similar to the slot 48 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, but as described above, if necessary For example, short slots can be continued in dotted lines. In any case, the face member 14 can be machined to accurately form the rib setting region.

  The slot is preferably formed within the range of the integrally structured face member so that the shape of the integrally structured face member can be maintained without dividing the integrally structured face member. Thereby, it is easy to maintain the shape of the face portion. Moreover, when forming a some slot on the same extension line, forming in the same groove width is preferable. In this case, workability is improved and quality can be stabilized.

  The fixing portion 30a of the lateral rib member 30 is inserted into the groove hole 34 formed in this manner, and the front end is disposed in a state of slightly protruding outward from the groove hole 34. At this time, the peripheral wall of the slot 34 curved along the toe-heel direction supports the lateral rib member 30 at a plurality of points along the face-back direction, so that the lateral rib member 30 is, for example, from the back surface of the face portion 12. It is held in a vertical state. As described above, the rib member 50 is held in the slot 48, so that the rib member 50 is accurately held in a required posture without using a special jig or using an extremely simple jig. Thus, the manufacturing process can be simplified, and a club head with excellent accuracy can be manufactured.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7, the lateral rib member 30 is welded to the face member 14. Although an appropriate method can be used for welding, it is preferable to perform welding from both the front surface (ball striking surface) side and the back surface side of the face member 14 by, for example, TIG welding, plasma welding, or laser welding. In this case, it is preferable to make the strength (hardness) of the welded portion M on the front surface side higher than the welded portion m on the backside, and when it is difficult to provide such a difference, the welded portion M is more than the welded portion m. Further, by forming it in a wide range, it is possible to improve durability against deformation and vibration due to repeated impacts at the time of hitting.

  In this welding process, a cladding material such as a welding rod is filled between the face member 14 and the rib member 30, or, as indicated by reference numeral d, each of the rib member 30 and the face member 14 is filled. By forming the mixing portion in a state where a part thereof is melted and mixed with each other, vibration transmission can be improved even if the rib member 30 is formed of a material different from that of the face member 14. Such a mixing part d preferably has a range D on the front surface side of the face member 14 larger than that on the back surface side. By integrally fixing the rib member 30 and the face member 14 by welding as described above, it is possible to integrally couple via a weld overlay or a melted portion of both the rib member and the face portion. It is possible to improve the strength and durability, and to form a golf club with excellent performance and quality utilizing the features of the rib member and the face portion. Further, it is preferable to build up at the corner between the back surface of the face portion and the rib member.

  After the welding is completed, as shown in FIG. 8, the tip of the fixed portion 30 a of the lateral rib member 30 and the build-up M are polished to be continuous with the outer surface of the face member 14. The end face is exposed from the slot 34. The groove 34 is completely filled with the fixing portion 30a of the lateral rib member 30 and the molten metal, and the strength of the portion where the rib installation region, that is, the groove 34 is formed is improved.

  Similarly to the horizontal rib member 30, the vertical rib member 32 is fixed to the face member 14 by inserting a fixing portion into the slot 36, welding, and then polishing.

  According to the club head 10 thus formed, the rib members 30 and 32 are formed of a material different from that of the face member 14 of the face portion 12, and the face portion is interposed through the slots 34 and 36 formed in the face portion 12. The golf club fixed to 12 can efficiently exhibit the characteristics of the rib members 30 and 32, and can optimize vibration and rebound characteristics upon hitting. Therefore, it is possible to provide the golf club 10 with excellent performance and quality by utilizing the characteristics of the rib members 30 and 32 and the face portion 12.

  Similarly, the golf club 10 in which the protruding portion 30b disposed in the internal space N of the rib member 30 is formed in a shape having a larger width on the rear side than the front portion can similarly exhibit the characteristics of the rib member 30 efficiently. The golf club 10 having excellent performance and quality can be provided by utilizing the respective characteristics of the rib member 30 and the face portion 12 by optimizing the vibration and resilience at the time of hitting the ball. Further, in addition to the above-described rigidity effect, the center of gravity of the face including the rib can be set to the rear position, and the effect of increasing the hit ball can be obtained. Further, the face can be reduced in weight, and the sweet area can be expanded (large moment of inertia) in addition to the high hit ball.

  The slot 34 to which the rib member 30 is fixed is formed as a bottomed hole opened only on the back surface side of the face member 14 as shown in FIG. 9, or when no hole is provided as shown in FIG. It is also possible to omit a part of the entire rib area (full length). In either case, the rib member 30 is integrally fixed to the face member 14 through a welded portion m formed from the back side of the face member 14. Thereby, productivity can be made high, ensuring a required intensity balance. In addition, since the number of through portions can be reduced, deformation during manufacturing can be suppressed.

  In addition to the substantially T-shaped cross-sectional shape as described above, the rib member 30 may be formed, for example, in a tapered shape or a substantially L-shaped shape as shown in FIG. Instead of forming a flat shape, it can also be formed in an arc shape. Also in this case, when fixed to the face member 14, as with the above-described rib member having a substantially T-shaped cross-sectional shape, the face portion 12 moves along the movement of the face portion 12 and at the same time the wide rear portion. Can effectively control the deformation and vibration. Stress concentration is eliminated and strength is improved.

  Further, similarly to the longitudinal rib member 32, the rear width W2 may be formed equal to the front width W1, and further, it may be formed in a tapered shape in the opposite direction so that W1> W2. As described above, when the rear width W2 is formed to be equal to or smaller than the front width W1, the protruding height of the protruding portion 30b (the height from the back surface of the face member 14) is changed, so that the characteristics of the rib member can be improved. Can be adjusted.

  By forming the through hole 31 as shown in FIG. 12 in such a protruding portion 30b, the rib member 30 can be reduced in weight, and the rib function is enhanced while having a small weight ratio with respect to the face portion 12. Therefore, it is possible to form a golf club having excellent performance and quality utilizing the characteristics of the rib member 30 and the face portion 12.

  The number of such through holes 31 is not limited to one, and it is preferable to form a plurality of through holes 31 along the extending direction of the rib member 30 in terms of weight reduction, and the shape is not limited to a round shape or an oval shape. Further, it can be formed in various shapes such as a polygonal shape such as a triangular shape or a quadrangular shape. A rubber material, a resin, a metal (particularly one having vibration damping properties), or a vibration-proof material formed by combining them can be disposed in these through holes 31. By doing so, the vibration isolating material is provided on the rib portion that strongly affects the rigidity and vibration characteristics of the face portion, so that the hitting feel and hitting sound can be adjusted very effectively.

  13 to 15 show other arrangement examples of such rib members 30 and 32.

  In the arrangement example of FIG. 13, the lateral rib member 30 extends from the central region C toward the toe side and the heel side to the first peripheral region, and the vertical rib member 32 is the central portion in the toe-heel direction from the central region C. It extends to the third peripheral region that reaches the leading edge 12b.

  By disposing the rib members 30 and 32 in this manner, it is possible to increase the resilience above the center of the face, and at the same time, it is possible to suppress a decrease in resilience on the toe side and the heel side.

  In the arrangement example of FIG. 14, the lateral rib member 30 and the longitudinal rib member 32 intersect in a cross shape in the central region C, and the lateral rib member 30 is longer than the lateral rib member of FIG. 13 and extends to the second peripheral region. The vertical rib member 32 extends from the central region to the second peripheral region on the crown portion 16 side and the sole portion 18 side.

  With such an arrangement of the rib members 30 and 32, it is possible to suppress a reduction in resilience of “upward toe side”, “downward toe side”, “upward heel side”, and “downward heel side” with respect to the center of the face. It becomes.

  In the arrangement example of FIG. 15, the horizontal rib member 30 and the vertical rib member 32 intersect each other in an X shape in the central region C and extend to the third peripheral region, respectively.

  Such an arrangement of the rib members 30 and 32 has an effect of softening the hit feeling when the hit points are simultaneously shaken in the horizontal direction (toe / heel direction) and the vertical direction (crown / sole direction) by the rib effect. It is done.

  The horizontal rib member 30 and the vertical rib member 32 in these arrangement examples can also be formed in various cross-sectional shapes, and therefore various combinations are possible for the widths of the front and rear portions of the horizontal rib member 30. is there.

1 is an overall view of a golf club provided with a golf club head according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The top view seen from the crown part side of the club head of FIG. The front view seen from the face part side of the club head of FIG. Sectional drawing which follows the IV-IV line of FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 4. Explanatory drawing of the state which attached the rib member to the face member. Explanatory drawing of the state which welded the rib member to the face member. Sectional drawing of the state which grind | polished the surface of the face member of FIG. Explanatory drawing by the modification of the state which attached the rib member to the face member. Explanatory drawing by the other modification of the state which attached the rib member to the face member. Sectional drawing similar to FIG. 8 of the state which attached the rib member by a modification to the face member. Sectional drawing similar to FIG. 8 of the state which attached the rib member by another modification to the face member. Explanatory drawing which has arrange | positioned the rib member in T shape. Explanatory drawing which has arrange | positioned the rib member in the cross shape. Explanatory drawing which has arrange | positioned the rib member in X shape.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Club head, 12 ... Face part, 30 ... Rib member, 30b ... Projection part, 34 ... Groove hole, N ... Internal space.

Claims (5)

A hollow structure metal in which an outer shell is formed by a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, a side portion on the toe side and a heel side, and a back portion on the rear side, and an inner space is formed inside the outer shell. A golf club comprising a club head made of
A groove hole penetrating from the front surface to the back surface is formed in the face portion, and a rib member is formed with a material different from that of the face portion. A golf club characterized in that a front end of the rib member is extended into the slot until reaching a front surface of the face portion, and the rib member is fixed to the face portion through the slot. A hollow structure metal in which an outer shell is formed by a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, a side portion on the toe side and a heel side, and a back portion on the rear side, and an inner space is formed inside the outer shell. A golf club comprising a club head made of
A rib member having a protruding portion protruding into the internal space from the back surface of the face portion toward the rear is formed integrally with the face portion using a material different from the face portion, and is disposed in the internal space of the rib member. The projecting portion is formed in a shape having a larger width on the rear side than the front portion.   3. The rib member according to claim 1, wherein the rib member passes through a central region of the face portion including respective central positions in the crown / sole direction and the toe / heel direction, and extends to a peripheral region surrounding the central region. Golf club.   The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the rib member is integrally fixed to the face portion by welding.   5. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the rib member has a through hole in a protruding portion disposed in the internal space.

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