JP2011206243A - Golf club - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a golf club which improves repulsion and stabilizes a hitting angle in a well balanced manner, is excellent in swing balance, and is easy to swing.SOLUTION: For the golf club, a metallic club head 10 in a hollow structure is mounted on the distal end of a shaft 6. A sole part 18 includes: a sole front part 18a provided with a thin part that is thinner than a face part 12 and extends along the face part; and a sole member 28 formed by the material of larger specific gravity than the sole front part and disposed on the rear side of the sole front part. Respective heights of the position of the centroid G of a head and the position of a sweet spot S when the sole part 18 is grounded are set to be ≤13 mm and ≤23 mm, and a centroid angle k between a vertical line g vertical to the axis 6a of the shaft passing through the centroid of the head and the face part 12 is formed to be 26 degrees or larger.

Description

  The present invention relates to a golf club, and more particularly to a golf club having a hollow metal club head.

  In general, when a golf ball is hit with a sweet spot of a club head, the longest flight distance can be obtained, but the area of the sweet area including this sweet spot is small. For this reason, a hollow golf club head has been developed that can extend the flight distance of the ball even when the ball hit point position deviates from the sweet spot.

  Among such golf club heads, there is one in which the thickness of the sole portion is formed thinner at the front portion closer to the face portion than at the portion forming the rear weight portion (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In this club head, the front part of the sole part, that is, the part close to the face part is thinned, so that the lower part of the face part is easily bent, and the sweet area as in the case where the ball is hit at the lower part of the face part. Even when the ball is hit at a position shifted downward from the distance, the flight distance can be extended by the improved resilience. Further, by arranging the weight member at the front position of the sole portion, the sweet spot position can be lowered and the ball launch angle can be increased.

JP 2009-82291 A

  However, if the weight member is brought close to the face portion in order to lower the sweet spot position, the area of the thin-walled portion is narrowed, the flexibility and resilience are lowered, and the variation is increased. On the contrary, if it is going to enlarge the area | region of a thin thickness part, a weight member must be arrange | positioned behind a sole part, As a result, a sweet spot position becomes high. For this reason, the launch angle of the ball is lowered and the flight distance is reduced.

  Furthermore, if the position of the center of gravity is set low in order to lower the sweet spot position, it becomes difficult for a general player to hold the ball during swing, the ball muscles are likely to be in the slicing direction, and the flying distance is reduced and the hitting direction is not uniform. Arise.

  The present invention has been made based on such circumstances, and provides a golf club that is excellent in swing balance and easy to swing while improving the resilience and stabilizing the launch angle in a well-balanced manner. Objective.

  In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, an outer shell is formed by a face portion having a striking surface, a crown portion, a sole portion, a side portion on a toe side and a heel side, and a back portion on the rear portion, A golf club in which a hollow metal club head having an internal space formed in an outer shell is attached to the tip of a shaft, wherein the sole portion is thinner than the face portion and extends along the face portion. A sole front portion having a thin and thick portion, and a sole member formed of a material having a larger specific gravity than the front portion of the sole and disposed on the rear side of the front portion of the sole, and when the sole portion is grounded The heights of the center of gravity of the head and the position of the sweet spot are set to 13 mm or less and 23 mm or less, respectively, and between the vertical line passing through the center of gravity of the head and perpendicular to the axis of the shaft and the face portion. Golf club where the heart angle is formed in the more than 26 degrees is provided.

  It is preferable that the sole front part on the face side of the shaft reference surface is made of a material having a specific gravity smaller than that of the sole member with reference to the shaft arrangement surface including the shaft axis and parallel to the surface of the face portion.

  The length of the sole member in the toe / heel direction is preferably longer than the length of the hitting surface in the toe / heel direction.

  Further, the sole member may extend beyond the sole portion to the side portion on the toe side or the heel side and terminate on the sole side with respect to the ridge line portion between the side portion and the crown portion.

  The sole member may have a length in the face-back direction that is longer than a length in the toe-heel direction of the hitting surface.

  The sole member preferably has a weight part on at least one of the back side and the toe side.

  A high specific gravity member having a larger specific gravity than the sole member may be disposed on the sole portion or the back portion.

  According to the golf club of the present invention, the impact acting on the face part at the time of hitting the ball can be received by the thin and thick part of the front part of the sole and the sole member and converted into the repulsive force, and the resilience at the time of hitting can be improved and stabilized. At the same time, by reducing the height of each of the center of gravity and sweet spot and increasing the center of gravity angle, a golf club with improved flight distance, stabilized directionality, and excellent swing operability is formed. can do.

  If the front part of the sole on the face side of the shaft reference plane is made of a material having a specific gravity smaller than that of the sole member, with reference to the shaft arrangement surface that includes the shaft axis and is parallel to the face surface, In addition to improving and stabilizing the resilience of the golf ball, it is possible to efficiently increase the center of gravity angle, to improve the flight distance, to stabilize the directionality, and to form a golf club excellent in swing operability. .

  When the length of the sole member with high specific gravity is longer than the length of the hitting surface of the face part in the toe / heel direction, the moment of inertia can be relatively increased even if the hitting ball position varies. Moreover, the center-of-gravity angle can be increased efficiently, thereby making it possible to form a golf club with improved flight distance, stable directionality, and excellent swing operability.

  When the sole member extends beyond the sole portion to the side portion on the toe side or the heel side and terminates on the sole side with respect to the ridge line portion between the side portion and the crown portion, the moment of inertia is more efficiently generated. The center-of-gravity angle can be increased, and it is possible to form a golf club with improved flight distance, stabilized directionality, and excellent swing operability.

  When the sole member is formed to have a length in the face / back direction that is longer than the toe / heel direction length of the ball striking surface, the center of gravity angle can be increased more reliably, improving flight distance and improving directionality. A golf club having excellent stability and swing operability can be formed.

  When the sole member has a weight portion on at least one of the back side and the toe side, the center of gravity angle can be increased more efficiently, and the flight distance can be improved and the directionality can be stabilized. A golf club with excellent operability can be formed.

  When a high specific gravity member with a larger specific gravity than the sole member is placed on the sole part or the back part, the center of gravity angle is increased more efficiently, improving flight distance, stabilizing directionality, and swinging operability. An excellent golf club can be formed.

The front view which looked at the club head of the golf club by the embodiment of the present invention from the face side. The top view of the club head of the golf club shown in FIG. The rear view seen from the back side of the club head of FIG. The bottom view seen from the sole side of the club head of FIG. The side view seen from the heel side of the club head of FIG. The side view seen from the toe side of the club head of FIG. Sectional drawing which follows the VII-VII line of FIG. The elements on larger scale of FIG. Sectional drawing which follows the IX-IX line of FIG. Sectional drawing similar to FIG. 7 of the club head by other embodiment. FIG. 11 is a bottom view of a club head according to a modification of FIG. 10. The front view of the club head by other embodiment. The top view of the club head of FIG.

  1 to 9 show a golf club 8 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, similar parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the golf club 8 of the present embodiment is defined with respect to a reference horizontal plane B such as the ground on which a ball is placed at the tip of a shaft 6 formed into a tubular structure with, for example, a fiber reinforced resin or a metal material. The club head 10 is attached with the lie angle α and the loft angle β (FIG. 6) set, and a grip (not shown) formed of a soft or soft material such as natural rubber or synthetic rubber is attached to the base end. Here, the lie angle α is a mounting angle of the shaft axis 6a with respect to a sole portion or a reference horizontal plane B, which will be described later, and the loft angle is between the vertical plane V orthogonal to the reference horizontal plane B and the front surface of the face portion 12. Is an angle. A center-of-gravity angle k, which will be described later, is an angle between a perpendicular line g extending perpendicularly to the shaft axis 9 a from the center of gravity G of the head and the face portion 12. The center-of-gravity angle k is vertical to the horizontal reference plane B when the club head 10 is suspended while the shaft 6 is horizontally supported in a rotation-free state by, for example, a fourteen center-of-gravity angle measuring device (FG104RM). It can be measured from an angle formed between a perpendicular line g extending in the direction and passing through the center of gravity G of the club head and a tangent line f of the face portion 12 of the club head.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the metal club head 10 has a hollow structure in which a hitting surface 14 is formed on a face portion 12 arranged in the front portion, and from a top line 12 a and a leading edge 12 b of the face portion 12. Each has a crown portion 16 and a sole portion 18 extending on the back side. Between the crown portion 16 and the sole portion 18, the toe side side portion 20 and the heel side side portion 22 from the toe side side line 12 c and the heel side side line 12 d of the face portion 12 are the peripheral edges of the crown portion 16. It extends to the back side while curving along the part and continues to the back part 24 (FIG. 4).

  In this way, the club head 10 substantially forms an outer shell with the face portion 12, the crown portion 16, the sole portion 18, the toe side and heel side portions 20 and 22, and the back portion 24 at the rear. The inner space N divided into two is formed in a wood type closed by the outer shell structure.

  Such a club head 10 has a volume of about 380 to 460 cc in the case of a driver, about 80 to 230 cc in the case of fairway wood (utility wood), and a weight of about 180 to 260 g. The height of the crown portion in the vertical direction from the reference horizontal plane B is 40 to 60 mm for the driver on the back side, 6 to 20 mm for the fairway wood, 25 to 60 mm for the driver on the toe side and the heel side, and 10 for the fairway wood. ~ 30 mm. The face portion 12 is formed to have a height of about 40 to 60 mm in the case of a driver and about 26 to 40 mm in the case of fairway wood, and has a dimension along the toe / heel direction of about 70 to 120 mm.

  The lie angle α is 50 to 65 degrees, the loft angle β is 8 to 30 degrees, and the center of gravity angle k is about 5 to 40 degrees.

  In this embodiment, the hosel part 26 protrudes from the heel side of the crown part 16 as a shaft fastening part. The hosel portion 26 has an inner hole portion 26a whose central axis extends in the direction of forming the above-described lie angle α, and the tip end portion of the shaft 6 is inserted from an end portion opened outward of the inner hole portion 26a. The shaft 6 can be fixed to the club head 10 by being fixed to the inner hole portion 26a with an adhesive or the like.

  The hosel portion 26 may be formed so as to protrude from the crown portion 16, or a cylindrical member that forms the shaft fastening portion without protruding from the crown portion 16 may be formed as an internal space N that is a hollow portion. (FIG. 7) It arrange | positions in the inside and the inner-hole part 26a may be opened outside on the crown part 16 side.

  The toe side portion 20 and the heel side portion 22 of the club head 10 have large dimensions in the crown / sole direction, that is, in the vertical direction when the sole portion 18 is grounded to the reference horizontal plane on the face portion 12 side, and gradually It moves to the back part 24, reducing a direction dimension. The side portions 20 and 22 form a smooth curved surface that continuously extends from the face portion 12 to the back portion 24 along the peripheral portion of the crown portion 16 while being curved in the vertical direction. The term “continuously extending” refers to a state where there are no ridges or corners that can be recognized visually.

  An upper ridge line portion 21 formed between the side portions 20 and 22 and the crown portion 16 extends from the toe side line 12c to the heel side via the back portion 24, and the heel side portion 22 forms the hosel portion 26. (See FIG. 5). Further, the lower ridge line portion 23 formed between the side portions 20, 22 and the sole portion 18 is continuous with the leading edge 12b on the toe side and the heel side, or at a position very close to the leading edge 12b ( For example, it is absorbed by the face portion 12 in the curved surface including the leading edge 12b.

  The top line (upper end of the face surface) 12a between the face part 12 and the crown part 16 can be specified by the ridge line part between them, but from the curvature radius of the surface part that forms most of the face part 12 You may specify by the site | part which becomes small. The same applies to the leading edge (lower end of the face surface) 12b and the side lines 12c and 12d. Similarly, the ridge lines 21 and 23 formed on the upper and lower sides of the side portions 20 and 22 can be specified by a portion smaller than the curvature radius of the surface portion forming the side portions 20 and 22 and the back portion 24. . In the present specification, the ridge line portion is not only expressed by a single curve such as the ridge line portion 21, but also the ridge line portion 23 shown between the two curves 23 a and 23 b in FIG. 4. Obviously, the width or roundness of

  In the club head 10 having such a hollow structure, the central portion of the face portion 12 is slightly bulged outwardly, and a bulge (toe and heel direction which is the right and left direction when viewed from the face portion side) and a roll ( A curved surface is formed by combining both curved surfaces of the crown and the sole (the vertical direction when viewed from the face side), and this front surface forms a ball striking surface 14 for hitting a golf ball. A number of score lines (not shown) extending in the toe-heel direction are formed on the hitting surface 14 by a suitable means such as a shallow groove in a substantially horizontal direction. As shown in FIG. A sweet spot S, which is a point extending through the center of gravity G (FIG. 7) of the club head 10 and extending perpendicularly to the hitting surface 14 of the face portion 12, is located at a position close to the center position M (centroid).

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 9, the club head 10 of the present embodiment has a face part 12, a crown part 16, a toe side part 20, a heel side part 22, and a back part 24. The head main body 10a has a sole front portion 18a extending along the toe-heel direction and an opening 19 formed at a rear portion of the sole front portion 18a. It is formed.

  The sole front portion 18a is integrated with the head main body 10a and moves to the face portion 12 via the leading edge 12b. The opening 19 of the present embodiment is parallel to the vertical plane V (FIG. 6) and is a shaft reference plane R (FIG. 4) spaced rearwardly within a shaft arrangement plane including the shaft axis 6a or within a distance of 15 mm or less. ) And reaches the above-described ridge line portion 23.

  The sole front portion 18a disposed from the face of the shaft reference plane R is shown by a straight dotted line at the rear end portion in FIGS. 4 and 5, and protrudes forward along the leading edge 12b, for example. It can be formed in an appropriate shape such as a curved shape or a curved shape protruding rearward. The shaft reference surface R is preferably formed within a range of ± 5 mm from the shaft axis 6a. Moreover, when separating back, it is preferable to arrange | position to the distance r (FIG. 4) within 15 mm, and may exist in the same surface as a shaft arrangement | positioning surface.

  A sole member 28 having an outer peripheral portion fixed thereto is disposed along the inner peripheral portion of the opening 19 formed in the head main body 10a at a rear portion of the sole front portion 18a. The sole member 28 is disposed on the sole rear portion 18b. The sole portion 18 is formed together with the sole front portion 18a. The fixing between the outer peripheral portion of the sole member 28 and the inner peripheral portion of the opening 19 can be performed by an appropriate fixing means such as welding, brazing, or adhesive. The sole member 28 closes the opening 19 of the head main body 10a and is firmly integrated with the head main body, whereby an outer shell structure composed of the head main body 10a and the sole member 28 is completed.

  The head main body 10a may be integrally formed of the same material as a whole using, for example, titanium, titanium alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, fiber reinforced resin, or the like having a lighter specific gravity than the material forming the sole member 28. Good. The head body 10a is not limited to a single material, and may be formed using a plurality of materials such as a material having a partially heavy specific gravity. Further, the face portion 12 also includes the center position M, and is formed of a plurality of materials, such as the ball striking surface 14 illustrated between the chain lines 14a and 14b on the toe side and the heel side, with a material different from the peripheral portion. You can also Such a hitting surface 14 is 80 to 120 mm (in the case of a driver), 60 to 108 mm (in the case of a fairway wood), 40 to 100 mm (in the case of a utility), for example, along the toe-heel direction according to each golf club. ) Is preferably formed within a range of about.

  On the back surface of the face portion 12, that is, the surface on the inner space N side, for example, a groove opening on the inner space N side is formed or thinned along the top line 12a and the leading edge 12b. You may form the peripheral part 11 made thinner than the part. Thereby, the face part 12 can be easily bent along the peripheral part 11 (refer FIG. 7).

  On the other hand, the sole member 28 forming the sole rear portion 18b is preferably formed of a heavy material having a specific gravity larger than that of the sole front portion 18a of the head body 10a. The sole member 28 may be formed of, for example, stainless steel, and is not limited to this, and a material having a high specific gravity such as a BS material (nickel, zirconium), a copper material, or a tungsten alloy can be used. When it is not necessary to use such a material having a high specific gravity, the head main body 10a and the sole member 28 can be formed of the same material.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the sole front portion 18a of the head main body 10a includes a thin-walled portion 30 that extends from the rear end side of the peripheral edge portion 11 to the rear side of the face-side peripheral edge portion 11, and the thin-walled thickness. The protruding portion 32 protruding into the internal space N from the rear end of the portion 30 is integrally formed of the same material. The sole front portion 18a is a part of the head main body 10a. Even when the head main body 10a is formed of a plurality of materials, the thin-walled portion 30 and the protrusion 32 of the sole front portion 18a are made of the same material. It is formed with. Thereby, the integrity of the thin thick portion 30 and the protruding portion 32 is ensured.

  The thin-walled portion 30 is a minimum thickness of the face portion 12, that is, a portion excluding a score line partially formed on the face portion 12, a groove-shaped peripheral portion 11, etc., for example, a leading edge that is an adjacent portion of the face portion 12. The thickness t is thinner than the thickness of the portion adjacent to 12b or the peripheral portion 11, and the thickness t is, for example, 0.6 to 2.4 mm, and preferably about 0.8 to 1.6 mm. Is preferred. Further, the protruding portion 32 has a height direction dimension h protruding from the inner surface of the sole portion, that is, the thin thickness portion 30 into the internal space N, and a width direction size w from the rear end to the rear end of the thin thickness portion 30. Each dimension is formed to be 2.5 times or 3 times or more, at least twice the thickness t of the thin-walled portion 30.

  Note that the rear end of the thin and thick portion 30 can be specified by a distance from the lower end of the inner surface of the face portion 12, for example, and can be specified by a distance d from the leading edge 12b as shown in FIG. Good. When the distance d from the leading edge 12b is specified, the distance d can be formed in a range of 2.0 to 16 mm, preferably 3.0 to 8.0 mm.

  Thus, the sole portion 18 is thinner than the face portion 12 and extends along the face portion 12, and the ridge portion protruding into the internal space N from the rear end of the thin thickness portion 30. 32 and a sole front portion 18a integrally formed of the same material, and a sole member 28 fixed to the rear end of the ridge portion 32 and forming the sole portion together with the sole front portion. The height direction of the sole portion 18 protruding from the inner surface of the thin portion 30 into the internal space N and the width direction from the rear end of the thin portion 30 to the rear end to which the sole member 28 is fixed are shown. However, since it has a size at least twice the thickness t of the thin-walled portion 30, the impact acting on the face portion 12 at the time of hitting the ball is received by the thin-walled portion 30 and the protrusion 32 of the sole front portion 18a. Less energy loss. Less susceptible to the thickness and shape change of the sole rear 18b in the rear than the projecting portion 32, even when the variations in the hitting position, it is possible to efficiently secure a stable resilience.

  Further, the protrusion 32 prevents the impact from acting locally on the fixing portion with the sole member 28, thereby preventing the fixing portion between the sole front portion 18a and the sole member 28 from being damaged. Improvement and stabilization can be achieved.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the protrusion 32 has a lower height h (FIG. 8) from the inner surface of the sole front portion 18 a in order from the central area in the toe-heel direction to the end, It is formed in a staircase structure comprising a high central ridge portion 32a, intermediate ridge portions 32b having intermediate heights arranged on both sides, and the lowest side ridge portion 32c. The central protrusion 32a has the highest height h and is formed to have a dimension larger than the maximum thickness T, including a partial thick portion that affects the resilience of the face portion 12. For example, it is preferably formed to 4 to 10 mm. The height h of the side protrusion 32c is, for example, 2.0 to 7.0 mm, and is formed to be at least twice the thickness t of the thin portion 30. The intermediate protrusion 32b It is preferable to form in the height of 3.0-10 mm. Further, the wall thickness t may be changed as appropriate.

  The central protrusion 32a is disposed at a substantially central position of the ball striking surface 14 including the sweet spot S, and is formed to be about 1/3 to 1/2 of the length of the thin portion 30 in the toe / heel direction. . Moreover, the intermediate | middle protrusion part 32b and the side side protrusion part 32c are each formed in about 1/3 of the toe-heel direction length of the thin thickness part 30. FIG. Thus, by changing the height h of the protrusion 32 so as to gradually decrease along the toe-heel direction, stable rebound of the club head 10 is ensured and strength is improved and stabilized. Can be achieved in a balanced manner.

  In the present embodiment, the side protrusion 32c is formed to have a length that the outer end reaches the side parts 20 and 22, but if necessary, the center part in the toe-heel direction is the center. It can be made shorter than the length of the thin-walled thick portion 30 in the toe-heel direction, and may be formed only in part. Moreover, the whole may be formed continuously along the toe-heel direction, or may be formed at intervals.

  When the protrusion 32, that is, the side protrusion 32c reaches the side parts 20 and 22, does the outer end bend upward from the horizontal surface of the sole part 18 that contacts the reference horizontal plane B? Or the state which extends to the part which forms an angle with respect to the reference | standard horizontal surface B, and when the club head 10 is earth | grounded on the reference | standard horizontal surface B, it means the state separated from this reference | standard horizontal surface B upwards. Therefore, either the case where it terminates without exceeding the ridge line part 23 or the case where it extends beyond the ridge line part 21 may be used.

  A portion where the thin thickness portion 30 of the sole front portion 18a has a thickness t smaller than the minimum thickness of the face portion, and the protrusion 32 has a height dimension, that is, a height h larger than the maximum thickness of the face portion. Even if it extends in the toe-heel direction over a length of 50% or more of the toe-heel direction of the thin-walled thick part without being formed along the entire length of the thin-walled thick part 30 Good. In this case, even when the hitting ball position is deviated from the center position of the face portion 12, it is less affected by the sole member 28 disposed on the sole rear portion 18b, and the club head 10 is stably repelled. Can be ensured, and strength can be improved and stabilized.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the widthwise dimension w from the rear end to the rear end face 34 of the thin-walled portion 30, which is the width along the face-back direction, that is, the front-rear direction, of the protrusion 32 is the height as described above. Although it is formed to have the same dimension as h, it is not always necessary to form the width dimension w in the same size throughout the length of the protrusion 32, and it can be changed along the length direction. May be. Also in this case, improvement in strength of the club head 10 and stabilization of the CT value and resilience can be achieved in a balanced manner. The CT value is a standard for determining rule conformity regarding the rebound characteristics of the face, and refers to the head characteristic time (Characteristic Time) obtained from the contact time at the time of collision in the “Pendulum Test”.

  The rear end surface 34 of the protruding portion 32 is disposed in a direction orthogonal to the inner surface or outer surface of the sole portion 18, and the side portions 20 and 22 and the back portion 24 that form the above-described opening 19 together with the rear end surface. A flange-like protrusion 36 protrudes toward the internal space N from the inner peripheral portion on the side. The protruding amount of the protruding portion 36 protruding from the inner surface of the outer shell into the internal space N is formed larger than the thickness of the sole member 28, and the surface on the sole side defines the outer peripheral portion of the opening 19. Further, the sole member 28 whose outer peripheral portion is fixed to the opening 19 is formed with a flange-like protrusion 38 along the outer peripheral portion, and the head is interposed via the fixing surface between these protrusions 36 and 38. It is fixed to the flange-like portion 36 of the main body 10a. The height of the protrusion 38 protruding from the inner surface of the sole member 28 is preferably lower than the protrusion amount of the protrusion 36 of the head body 10a.

  In particular, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the fixed edge 38 a disposed at the front end of the sole member 28 of the protrusion 38 has a height direction dimension larger than the thickness of the rear portion of the protrusion 32. Therefore, when the outer surface of the sole member 28 is arranged in the same plane on the outer surface of the sole front portion 18a, the dimension in the height direction of the front end fixing surface of the fixing edge 38a is The height dimension of the rear end surface 34 of the protrusion 32 is formed large. As a result, the fixing material, for example, a brazing material, which has entered between the rear end surface 34 of the protrusion 32 and the front end fixing surface of the sole member 28 reaches the thin-walled portion 30 beyond the protrusion 32. To prevent. It is possible to prevent a decrease in the resilience performance and variations in the sole front portion 18a due to a change in rigidity of the thin-thick portion 30 of the sole front portion 18a, and to stabilize the strength of the club head 10.

  The ridge 32 is located on the shaft reference surface R (FIG. 4) separated from the position of the axis 6a of the shaft 6 to which the club head 10 is attached or a distance within 15 mm from the axis 6a. It is preferable to dispose from the face portion 12 of the reference plane R. In this case, the rebound of the club head 10 can be improved and stabilized, and the position of the center of gravity G, that is, the height from the reference horizontal plane B and the relative positional relationship in the internal space N can be adjusted, and the flight distance can be adjusted. Improvement and stabilization of directionality can be achieved.

  Further, in particular, when the fixing portion where the protruding portion 32 and the fixing edge portion 38 of the sole member 28 are fixed by brazing, for example, extends from the sole portion 18 to the side portions 20 and 22 on the toe side and the heel side. In addition, it is possible to prevent a drop in the resilience performance and the occurrence of variations over a wide range, and even when the hitting position varies from the center position, it is possible to prevent the impact from strongly affecting the fixing portion and to stabilize the strength. .

  In particular, when the head main body 10a formed of, for example, a titanium material and the sole member 28 formed of a stainless steel material are formed with a fixing portion by brazing between opposing fixing surfaces of the protrusions 36, 38 formed of different materials. In addition, it is possible to prevent damage to the brazed portion, which is low in strength with respect to the head main body 10a and the sole member 28.

  The sole portion 18 formed by the sole front portion 18a and the sole rear portion 18b can have an appropriate shape. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 in the toe-heel direction about the center plane C (FIG. 3) extending in the face-back direction connecting the face side and the back side, that is, in the front-rear direction, perpendicular to the reference horizontal plane B and the hitting surface. It has a symmetric shape.

  That is, the sole portion 18 has a face side portion 40 extending in the toe-heel direction along the leading edge 12b on the back side of the leading edge 12b of the face portion 12, and an intermediate portion of the face side portion 40 in the toe-heel direction. A sole central portion 42 that continuously extends from the face side portion 40 to the back side, and flat portions 44 and 46 that are recessed on the inner space N side on the toe side and the heel side of the sole central portion 42. It is formed in a different shape. The sole center portion 42 does not extend to the back portion 24, and the flat portions 44 and 46 continue on the back side of the sole center portion 42. Further, the face side portion 40 has a mountain-shaped rear side in which an intermediate portion in the toe / heel direction protrudes toward the back side from a portion adjacent to the sole central portion 42 on the toe side and the heel side of the sole central portion 42. It has extension parts 40a and 40b.

  The face side portion 40 and the sole center portion 42 protrude downward most in the sole portion 18 and are formed to have a thicker structure than the average thickness of other portions, thereby forming a substantially T-shaped continuous surface. . These low-side face side portion 40 and sole center portion 42 are connected to high-level flat portions 54 and 56 via steeply inclined portions 48. The average thickness refers to an average value of measured values measured at three or more points in the same region, for example.

  The thickness of the substantially T-shaped portion formed by the face side portion 40 and the sole center portion 42 is, for example, 1.0 to 5.0 mm, and the thickness of the flat portions 44 and 46 is set to the substantially T-shaped portion. By setting the thickness to be thinner, for example, 0.6 to 2.0 mm, the position of the center of gravity G can be lowered, and the weight can be distributed in a balanced manner in the left and right and front and rear directions. The center of gravity G is preferably disposed so as to overlap the face side portion 40, and the shaft reference surface R is preferably disposed on the face side portion 40. In this case, it is preferable that the joint portion between the sole front portion 18a and the sole member 28 is located in the face side portion 40, and the gravity center angle k is formed to be about 20 to 35 degrees.

  Further, by forming the sole portion 18 on a portion adjacent to the leading edge 12b, that is, on the back side of the sole front portion 18a, with a sole member 28 made of a high specific gravity material having a specific gravity larger than that of the head body 10a, It is possible to prevent the position of the center of gravity G from being increased due to the difference in specific gravity due to the flat portions 44 and 46 recessed on the inner space N side, and the position of the center of gravity G can be disposed at a low position and a deep position on the back side. .

  The high specific gravity material preferably has a specific gravity of 6 or more, and may be stainless steel, tungsten alloy, brass, copper, or the like. On the other hand, the low specific gravity material used for the head body (face, crown) preferably has a specific gravity of less than 6, for example, metals such as titanium, titanium alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, magnesium, fiber reinforced resin, It may be a composite material such as fiber reinforced metal. In particular, when the sole member 28 is formed of such a high specific gravity material, the head main body 10a, in particular, the sole front portion 18a within 7 mm to 30 mm from the leading edge 12b to the back side may be formed of a low specific gravity material. preferable. Thereby, even if the face side portion 40 is formed in a thick structure together with the sole center portion 42, the position of the center of gravity G can be arranged at a deep position on the back side from the face portion 12. In addition, the impact acting on the fixing portion such as brazing or welding between the head main body 10a and the sole member 28 can be reduced, and the strength can be stabilized.

  When using the reference plane R as a reference, the sole portion 18 is preferably made of a material having a specific gravity smaller (lighter) than the position of the reference plane R on the face side than on the rear side.

  Further, the center of gravity angle k can be further increased by using a material that is smaller (lighter) than the average specific gravity of the central portion of the face portion 12 or the entire face portion on the face side from the position of the sole front portion or the sole reference surface R. Is possible. For example, a high strength titanium alloy may be used for the face portion, and a material having a small specific gravity may be used from the face portion to the front portion of the sole.

  FIG. 10 shows a club head 10A according to another embodiment. The embodiment or modification described below is basically the same as the above-described embodiment, and therefore, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts, and the detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The club head 10A shown in FIG. 10 is particularly capable of performing a swing operation by increasing the center of gravity angle k (FIG. 2) while keeping the height of the center of gravity G and sweet spot S from the reference horizontal plane B low. It forms an easy golf club.

  In the club head 10 </ b> A of this embodiment, a protruding portion 29 is protruded from the inner surface of the sole member 28 into the internal space N. Such protrusions 29 may be provided at a plurality of locations, and the weight distribution can be further optimized by concentrating the weight at a necessary location and thinning the other portions. These projecting portions 29 are formed in an integral structure in which a part of the sole member 28 is thickened. For example, the projecting portions 29 are made of a material having a higher specific gravity than the sole member 28 and are formed as separate members. The specific gravity member can be integrated with the sole member 28.

  As shown in FIG. 10, in the case of being arranged on the back side of the ridge portion 32 of the face front portion 18a, it is arranged on the back side of the fixed edge portion 38a (FIG. 8), and between the ridge portions 32, for example, It is preferable to form a gap of about 0 to 2.0 mm. In this case, even if it protrudes to the inner space N side than the fixing edge portion 38a, it is possible to prevent the fixing material from flowing to the thin-walled portion 30 side beyond the ridge portion 32.

  FIG. 11 shows a weight part in which such protrusions 29 are arranged in a grid-like region. In the illustrated embodiment, the face side portion 40 is provided with weight portions 29a and 29b formed by the protruding portions by being distributed on the toe side and the heel side from the protruding portion 38 of the sole member 28 (FIG. 10) to the rear extension portions 40a and 40b. In the center part 42 of the sole, a weight part 29c by a protruding part is arranged on the back side. Thereby, the moment of inertia in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction can be increased, and the position of the center of gravity G can be lowered. Furthermore, the position of the sweet spot S can be set to a low position by arranging the position of the center of gravity G at a required position along the front and rear.

  The protruding portion 29 is not limited to the sole member 28, and may be disposed at a required portion of the head main body 10a. When the protrusion 29 is formed of a member separate from the sole member 28, the sole member 28 is made of a material having a high specific gravity and a material having a low specific gravity (for example, a material having the same specific gravity as the head body 10a or a material having a lighter specific gravity). They can also be formed together. When a plurality of materials are combined, they can be fixed by any method such as casting, welding, and adhesion.

  The head main body 10a is preferably formed of a material having a specific gravity lower than that of the sole member 28 in all of the face front portion 18a, but most of the sole front portion 18a (for example, 50% or more) has a specific gravity as described above. As long as it is made of a light material. On the other hand, the sole member 28 is preferably formed of a material having a specific gravity that is 1.3 times, preferably 1.5 times or more larger than the front portion of the sole. Thereby, the specific gravity of the sole front portion 18a on the face side from the shaft reference surface R can be made smaller (lighter) than the specific gravity of the sole member 28. In this case, the resilience at the time of hitting is improved and stabilized. At the same time, it is possible to efficiently increase the angle of the center of gravity, and it is possible to form a golf club with improved flight distance, stabilized directionality, and excellent swing operability.

  Such a club head 10A includes a center of gravity G and a sweet spot S, and a fairway wood having a height of 20 mm to 40 mm from the upper end of the face 12 in the plane perpendicular to the reference horizontal plane B, that is, the top line 12a from the reference horizontal plane B. In the case where it is formed, the height of the center of gravity G is set to a range of 10 to 12 mm which is preferably 13 mm or less from the reference horizontal plane B by the combination of the sole front portion 18a and the sole rear portion 18b, and the sweet spot S Can be set within a range of 18 to 21 mm, preferably 23 mm or less from the reference horizontal plane. The center-of-gravity angle k is preferably 30 degrees or more, and preferably at least 26 degrees or as large as possible, but may be 36 degrees or less.

  A golf club having such a club head 10A can receive an impact acting on the face portion 12 at the time of hitting the ball by the thin and thick portion 30 and the sole member 28 of the sole front portion 18a and convert it into a repulsive force. By increasing the center of gravity G and the sweet spot S, and increasing the center of gravity angle k, the head can be easily returned and slices are less likely to occur. By increasing the angle, it is possible to form a golf club with improved flight distance, stabilized directionality, and excellent swing operability.

  Further, the length of the sole member 28 in the toe-heel direction or the length of the opening 19 in the front-rear direction is set to the length of the face portion 12, particularly the toe-heel direction of the hitting surface 14 (between the chain lines 14 a and 14 b shown in FIG. When the ball is formed longer than the distance), the moment of inertia can be relatively increased even if the hit ball positions vary, and the center of gravity angle k can be increased efficiently, thereby making it easier to return the head and launch. By increasing the angle, it is possible to form a golf club with improved flight distance, stabilized directionality, and excellent swing operability.

  The sole member 28 may extend beyond the sole portion 18 to the side portions 20 and 22 on the toe side or the heel side. In this case, the side end portion of the sole member 28 is between the ridge line portion 23 between the sole portion 18 and the side portions 20 and 22 and the ridge line portion 21 between the side portions 20 and 22 and the crown portion 16. The moment of inertia and the center of gravity angle can be increased more efficiently, and a golf club with improved flight distance, stable directionality, and excellent swing operability can be formed.

  Further, the sole member 28 may be formed so that the length in the face-back direction, that is, the front-rear direction is longer than the length of the hitting surface 14 in the toe-heel direction. In this case, the center-of-gravity angle is more reliably increased. Thus, it is possible to form a golf club with improved flight distance, stabilized directionality, and excellent swing operability.

  In the case where the sole portion 28 material is formed with the weight portions 29a and 29b by the protruding portion 29 on at least one of the back side and the toe side, the center-of-gravity angle can be increased more efficiently, and the flying distance can be further increased. It is possible to form a golf club excellent in improvement, stabilization of directionality, and swing operability.

  When a high specific gravity member having a specific gravity larger than that of the sole member 28 is disposed on the sole portion 18 or the back portion 24, the center-of-gravity angle is increased more efficiently, the flight distance is improved, the directionality is stabilized, and the swing A golf club with excellent operability can be formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the club heads 10, 10 </ b> A have a crown portion 16 that also extends in the front-rear direction through the center position M of the hitting surface and perpendicular to the reference horizontal plane B and the hitting surface. It has a substantially symmetrical shape in the toe-heel direction with respect to the plane C (FIG. 3).

  The crown portion 16 is formed with a crown front portion 50 extending in the toe-heel direction along the top line 12a on the back side of the top line 12a adjacent to the face portion 12, and the crown front portion is intermediate in the toe-heel direction. A crown central portion 52 extends from the crown front portion 50 to the back portion 24 at the site. Planar portions 54 and 56 are respectively provided in the inner space N side on the toe side and the heel side of the crown central portion 52, and the lower planar portions 54 and 56 are positioned higher via the inclined portions 58 and 60. The crown front portion 50 and the crown central portion 52 are connected to each other. Thereby, the crown front part 50 and the crown center part 52 form a substantially T-shape in plan view from the crown part 16 side, and the smooth curved surface in which the intermediate part in the toe-heel direction protrudes upward. Form.

  The width along the front-rear direction of the crown front portion 50 can be formed so as to be narrow on the center side passing through the center position M and gradually increase as the distance from the crown center portion 52 increases to the toe side and heel side. In addition, the dimension of the crown central portion 52 in the toe-heel direction is formed so as to gradually narrow toward the back side.

  The flat portions 54 and 56 recessed on the toe side and the heel side of the crown central portion 52 are formed in a flat flat shape, and the back side is opened outward, and the crown front portion 50 and the central portion 52 of the crown transition to the side portions 20 and 22 through the ridge portion 21 that continues smoothly. The planar portions 34 and 36 are not only formed in a flat plane, but may be formed in a gentle convex surface or concave surface, or may be a curved surface that is a combination of a convex surface, a concave surface, and a flat surface.

  The planar portions 54 and 56 are connected to the crown front portion 50 through the front inclined portions 58a and 60a, and are connected to the crown central portion 52 through the middle inclined portions 58b and 60b. The front inclined portion 58a and the middle inclined portion 58b form a smoothly curved inclined portion 58 that extends continuously from each other. Similarly, the front inclined portion 60a and the middle inclined portion 60b are continuous with each other. Thus, a smoothly curved inclined portion 60 extending is formed. The inclined surfaces 50 and 60 increase the structural strength of the three-dimensional crown portion 16 that forms a step in the vertical direction. Further, these inclined portions 58 and 60 form valley lines with the planar portions 54 and 56. These valley lines are preferably formed with a rounded concave surface in order to prevent stress concentration, similarly to the ridge line portions 21 and 23.

  As shown in FIGS. 7, 9 and 12, ribs 62 extending in the front-rear direction are formed on the inner surface of the crown front portion 50 of the club heads 10 and 10A, and the inner surface of the crown central portion 52 is formed in the toe-heel direction. Ribs 64 are formed, and ribs 66 are also formed on the inner surfaces of the planar portions 54 and 56. These ribs can reinforce the thin-walled crown portion 16 and reduce the center of gravity.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 13, when the crown central portion 52 continuously extends from the crown front portion 50 to the back side, a rib 62 extending continuously from the crown front portion 50 to the crown middle portion 52 can be provided. Thus, the strength in the front-rear direction from the crown front portion 50 to the crown middle portion 52 can be improved.

  The inner surfaces of the inclined portions 58 and 60 are smooth surfaces having no ribs, or protrusions (not shown) having at least one of a height and a sectional area smaller than those of the ribs 62, 64, 66 and 68. You may form in the surface which arranged.

  By forming the ribs 62, 64, 66, 68 in this way, deformation resistance according to the influence of the impact force at the time of hitting the ball can be imparted to the crown portion 16, and together with the sole portion 18, Energy can be efficiently transmitted to the face portion 12. In addition, a comfortable hitting sound can be generated by not forming ribs such as those provided in the crown front part 50 and the planar parts 54 and 56 in the inclined parts 58 and 60.

  Further, the crown middle portion 52 can be omitted. In this case, the crown front portion 50 is connected to the planar portions 54 and 56 via the inclined portions 58 and 60, and these planar portions 54. , 56 form one continuous smooth surface. In this case, there is an advantage that the user can feel comfortable.

  In any case, a part of the rib 62 formed on the crown front portion 50 may reach the face portion 12 as shown in FIG. In this case, there is an advantage that adjustment of face strength, hit feeling, CT value, and hitting sound can be performed.

  Further, it is preferable that a part of the ribs 66 and 68 provided on the planar portions 54 and 56 reach the back portion 24 or the side portions 20 and 22. As a result, the required strength can be maintained even when the planar portions 54 and 56 are thinned, and the center of gravity can be lowered.

  By forming the planar portions 54 and 56 of the crown portion 16 and the inclined portions 58 and 60 connecting the planar portions to the crown front portion on the back side relative to the position of the reference plane R described above, The rear side may be heavy, and adjustment by wall thickness is also possible. Also in this case, the barycentric angle can be increased.

  As mentioned above, although various embodiment of this invention was described, the above-mentioned description is an illustration and it is clear that various changes or deformation | transformation are possible.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Club head, 12 ... Face part, 16 ... Crown part, 18 ... Sole front part, 20, 22 ... Side part, 24 ... Back part, 28 ... Sole member, 30 ... Thin-thick part, 32 ... Projection part, N: Internal space.

Claims (7)

A hollow structure in which an outer shell is formed by a face portion having a hitting surface, a crown portion, a sole portion, a side portion on the toe side and a heel side, and a back portion on the rear portion, and an inner space is formed in the outer shell. A golf club with a metal club head attached to the tip of the shaft,
The sole portion is formed of a sole front portion having a thin thickness portion thinner than the face portion and extending along the face portion, and a material having a specific gravity larger than that of the sole front portion. A sole member disposed on the side,
The height of the center of gravity position and the sweet spot position of the head when the sole portion is grounded is set to 13 mm or less and 23 mm or less,
A golf club characterized in that a center of gravity angle between a vertical line perpendicular to the axis of the shaft and a face portion passes through the center of gravity of the head and is 26 degrees or more.   The sole front portion on the face side from the shaft reference surface is formed of a material having a specific gravity smaller than that of the sole member with reference to a shaft arrangement surface including the axis of the shaft and parallel to the surface of the face portion. The golf club according to claim 1.   3. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein a length of the sole member in a toe-heel direction is longer than a length of the hitting surface in a toe-heel direction.   The sole member extends beyond the sole portion to a side portion on a toe side or a heel side, and terminates on the sole side with respect to a ridge line portion between the side portion and the crown portion. The golf club according to any one of the above.   5. The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the sole member has a length in a face-back direction that is longer than a length in a toe-heel direction of the hitting surface.   The golf club according to claim 1, wherein the sole member has a weight portion on at least one of a back side and a toe side.   The golf club according to claim 1, wherein a high specific gravity member having a specific gravity greater than that of the sole member is disposed in the sole portion or the back portion.

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