JP2992239B2 - Surface modified golf club head and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a golf club head having an improved club face, and more particularly, to a golf club head which can easily increase the ball's flight distance and stabilize its directionality in a golf game. The present invention relates to a golf club head having an excellent distance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, golf clubs are roughly divided into a grip portion, a shaft portion, and a club head portion. In this golf club, various improvements have been made to a grip portion, a shaft portion, and a club head portion in order to extend the flight distance of the ball and stabilize the directionality. Of these, the golf club head is divided into a club face surface and a back surface and other toe, sole, and heel portions. In particular, the club face surface plays the most important role in stabilizing the flight distance and direction of the ball. Is responsible for. For this reason, various improvements have been made to the shape and material of the golf club head.

[0003] Of the conventional techniques, golf club head materials have been proposed as typical ones which are proposed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Sho 61-21569 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Sho 59-69.
No. 084, JP-A-60-13073 and JP-A-60-99275. Other typical methods proposed for treating the surface of metal products and the surface of tools are disclosed in JP-A-55-77474, JP-A-59-227365, and JP-A-62-62365.
No. 278224.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Among the prior art relating to the improvement of a golf club head, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 61-21569.
The publication discloses that a wood portion of a wood club head is covered with a hard coating to protect the wood portion and improve the rigidity of the club head. However, the golf club head disclosed in this publication is not an improvement of the club face surface, and therefore has a problem in that it is not expected to improve repulsion with the ball and thus increase the flight distance.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-69084 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-99275, a sprayed layer in which ceramics and metal are mixed is provided on a club face surface of an iron club head, and a ball is formed when hitting a ball. To improve the coefficient of friction with the tire. The club face surface disclosed in the publication, on the other hand, causes a decrease in repulsion force in response to an increase in the coefficient of friction, a thick film layer because of the thermal sprayed layer, and a poor balance due to an increase in weight is likely to occur. There is a problem that cracks easily occur sometimes due to a difference in thermal expansion, resulting in a defective product. In addition, for some competitors, the rotational direction is excessively applied to the ball, so that the directionality is rather unstable. .

Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-13073 discloses that a coating of a nitride or carbide of TiN or TiC is applied to the surface of a metal portion of a golf club head which comes into contact with turf or earth and sand by CVD, followed by induction hardening. Is disclosed. The golf club head disclosed in the publication has a coating by a CVD method for consideration of friction and wear caused by contact with turf or earth and sand.
There is a problem that the coating is easily peeled off on the club face surface where the impact of the ball is directly hit.

In addition, JP-A-55-77474, JP-A-59-227365, and JP-A-62-162, as prior art relating to surface treatment methods for metal products and tools.
JP-278224A discloses that shot peening is applied to the surface of a metal product or a tool to increase the hardness of the surface, or heat treatment is performed by increasing the surface temperature to a transformation point. The methods disclosed in these publications have a problem that a special device is required, a long processing time is required, or the processing is difficult.

The present invention has solved the above-mentioned problems. Specifically, the present invention has a greater repulsive force between the ball and the club head, a better flight distance, and a better ball. It is an object of the present invention to provide a surface-modified golf club head which can easily stabilize the direction without giving an extra rotation force.

[0009]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present inventors are studying a material for a golf club head which has an excellent flight distance of the ball and stabilizes the directionality without giving an extra rotation force. However, the material of the golf club head itself should be hard and increase the repulsion force and make the coefficient of friction appropriate.However, hard materials generally have poor toughness, and in some cases, may break during competition. Further, it has been found that, depending on the material, there is a problem that the weight is too large. In addition, it has been found that such a problem can be solved by embedding a hard granular material and / or lump having a large repulsive force on a club face surface of the golf club head which imparts a repulsive force to a ball of a golf club head. As a result, the present invention has been completed.

That is, in the golf club head of the present invention, a granular and / or massive hard material having an average diameter of 50 μm or less is fixed to at least the metal club face of the golf club head. The face surface has a half width at half maximum width determined from the peak of the maximum intensity of X-ray diffraction in the crystal structure of the main component constituting the golf club head as compared with a surface on which the hard material is not fixed. 0.2 to 5.0 times.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The material of the golf club head itself in the golf club head of the present invention, in other words, the material of the golf club head excluding the granular and / or massive hard material adhered to the surface is conventionally known. Any material may be used as long as it is used more specifically. For example, a stainless steel alloy, a titanium alloy (representative example: an alloy close to pure Ti, Ti-
Al-V alloy), aluminum alloy (representative example: duralumin), copper alloy (representative example: brass), magnesium alloy (representative example: Magnox), and other metal golf club heads or carbon containing carbon fiber Golf club heads can be mentioned.

In this golf club head, the material of the club face may be a metal represented by the above-mentioned metal golf club head or other metals or alloys, and a repulsive force is applied to at least the ball of the club face. Granular and / or adhered to the club face surface to be applied
Alternatively, the solid hard material is not problematic as long as it is a material having a higher hardness than the material of the club face, and the effects of the present invention can be exerted. For example, 4a, 5a, 6 in the periodic table
The main component is at least one selected from the group a elements, carbides, nitrides, oxides of Al, B, and Si, and their mutual solid solutions, diamond, hard carbon, high-pressure phase boron nitride, and hard boron nitride. Substances can be mentioned.

[0013] The granular and / or massive hard material is
TiC, ZrC, HfC, VC, NbC, TaC, W
C, Mo ₂ C, Cr ₃ C ₂ , B ₄ C, SiC, TiN, Ta
N, CrN, cBN, AlN, Si ₃ N ₄ , ZrO ₂ , N
bO ₂ , Al ₂ O ₃ , TiCN, (Ti, W) C, (T
(i, Ta, W) C, (Ti, Ta, Nb, W) C, when composed of at least one hard compound having a stoichiometric composition or a non-stoichiometric composition, or at least one of the hard compounds. Is preferably 70% by weight or more and the remaining metal and / or alloy metal material, because the production is easy and the surface roughness of the club face is excellent.

Among these granular and / or massive hard materials, carbides, nitrides, and the like of metal elements belonging to groups 4a, 5a, and 6a of the periodic table, which are components of a conventionally used hard metal or cermet, are used. Particularly preferred is a hard compound comprising at least one of these mutual solid solutions, or a composite material comprising the hard compound in an amount of 70% by weight or more and the remaining metal material mainly composed of Fe group metal. It is preferable that the hard material is composed of a hard compound mainly containing tungsten carbide and a metal substance mainly containing Co and / or Ni. If the size of the granular and / or massive hard material exceeds 50 μm, the surface roughness of the club face surface increases, and the directionality of the ball tends to become unstable. The thickness is set to 50 μm or less, since it is easy to peel and drop from the substrate.

[0015] The granular and / or massive hard material is
It is sufficient that the ball is fixed so that the ball does not peel off or fall off when a repulsive force is applied to the ball by the club face surface.
It is preferable that the layer is buried at a depth of 0 μm or less because peeling and falling off hardly occur. The embedding at this time means, for example, when one hard object is entirely buried inside the club face surface, a part of one hard object, for example, 1
At least 30% by volume of the hard object may be buried inside the club face surface, and in particular, if at least 50% by volume of one hard object is buried inside the club face surface, peeling or falling off may occur. Is difficult to occur, and it is preferable because stress is applied to the club face surface and plastic strain is increased.

It is sufficient that the hard material is fixed to the club face surface, and it is preferable that the hard material is fixed to the impact area portion of the club face surface which directly contacts the ball. When the area ratio of the hard object to the entire face surface is 10 area% or more, it is preferable because it has an effect of increasing the repulsive force on the ball and extending the flight distance of the ball.

The club face to which such a hard material is fixed has a half-value width determined from the maximum peak of X-ray diffraction in the crystal structure of the main component constituting the golf club head. In contrast to the surface that is not
When the ratio is 2 to 5.0 times, the effect of increasing the repulsive force to the ball and the effect of extending the flight distance of the ball are excellent, which is preferable. This is specifically exemplified in the case of a golf club head made of a Ti alloy, and the half-width obtained from the maximum peak of X-ray diffraction on the crystal plane of Ti or the Ti alloy as a main component is harder than that of a hard material. The club face of the golf club head according to the present invention, to which the hard material is fixed, is 1.2 to 5.0 times as large as the non-fixed surface.

Although the golf club head of the present invention can be applied to a wood club head, an iron club head and a putter, a wood club head, particularly a metal wood head, is required to effectively exert a repulsive force and a coefficient of friction on a ball. Preferably it is a club head.

In order to produce the golf club head of the present invention, a powder and / or a sintered alloy is formed on the surface of a conventionally used golf club head by using a pressing force, an impact force, or injection. It can be obtained in such a manner that a hard substance of a microspherical substance is fixed. It is also preferable to fix the golf club head while heating the golf club head to a temperature at which the golf club head is not transformed, since the fixation of the hard material becomes easy. In particular, it is preferable to use the following production method of the present invention because it is very simple.

That is, in the method of manufacturing a golf club head according to the present invention, a shot peening treatment is performed on at least a metal club face of a golf club head using a hard material made of a fine spherical material made of powder and / or a sintered alloy. And fixing a part of the hard material to the metal club face surface. The hard material used in the golf club head manufacturing method of the present invention is preferably made of a material having a higher hardness than the club face, and is particularly preferably made of a cemented carbide having an average diameter of 20 to 500 μm. In such a case, it is preferable that the hard material is firmly fixed to the club face. What is important in the shot peening process is that the shot material is pulverized on the metal club face and a part thereof is buried as a hard material in the metal club face.

[0021]

According to the golf club head of the present invention, the hard material fixed to the club face has the function of increasing the hardness of the club face, and in particular, the hard material is embedded in the club face. Thus, the action of adding stress on the club face surface and the effect of increasing plastic strain have been achieved, and the shape of the hard object has lost the directionality due to polishing, etc., without impairing the surface roughness of the club face surface, This serves to make the club face uniform. In addition, the method of manufacturing a golf club head of the present invention has an effect that a hard object is fixed to a club face surface by shot peening so that the hard object is easily embedded in the club face surface. .

[0022]

EXAMPLE A cemented carbide using a wood club head made of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy and having a binder phase having a composition of about 4 wt% Co and a hard phase mainly composed of tungsten carbide remaining. Using the hard material of the spherical sintered cemented carbide shown in FIG. 1 as a shot material, a shot peening treatment was performed on the club face surface of this club head under the conditions of the shot pressure shown in Table 1 to obtain the product 1 of the present invention. ~ 4. The shot peening at this time is performed with a coverage of 20
Treated at 0%.

For comparison, a comparative example 1 was made of a wood club head having the same material as the above-described inventive products 1 to 4 without being subjected to the shot peening treatment. In addition, among the above-described present invention products 1 to 4, shot peening was performed in the same manner except that the material of the projecting material was steel, the shape was spherical, the shape of which was also described in Table 1, and the projection pressure was the condition, which was also described in Table 1. Thus, comparative products 2 and 3 were obtained. Further, among Comparative Examples 2 and 3, a shot peening treatment was performed in the same manner as in Comparative Example 4 except that the material of the blasting material was an abrasive of SiC and the shape thereof was a powder described in Table 1.

Each of the club face surfaces of the products 1 to 4 of the present invention and the comparative products 1 to 4 obtained as described above was 200
Vickers hardness under g load, one hard object (WC)
Is embedded, the average volume% (measured in cross section), the area ratio (%) of the hard material (WC) to the entire club face surface, the size of the hard material (WC), and the Cu-Kα ray (40 kv, 30 mA) X-ray diffraction according to
The full width at half maximum of the (011) crystal plane, which is the maximum peak of (α), was calculated and expressed as a ratio with respect to Comparative Product 1. Each of them is also shown in Table 1. (However, all of these physical properties were measured from samples treated under the same conditions using test pieces of the same material having a shape of 10 × 20 × 5 (mm). The comparative product 4 was an abrasive. ), The unevenness of the club face surface was large, and almost no SiC was fixed.)

On the other hand, the actual club face was provided with shafts on the products 1 to 4 of the present invention and the comparative products 1 to 4, and a ball was hit by a golf hitting test machine. Test hit test: No. 1 wood (driver), loft angle: 10.5
Degree (the angle between the line perpendicular to the ground and the club face), lie angle: 55 degrees (the angle between the ground and the shaft), and the head speed were 40 m / sec.
In this test hit test, the ball was hit 10 times, and the flight distance of the ball and the rate of increase of the flight distance (the ratio when the comparative product was set to 100) were measured. In addition, the products 1 to 4 of the present invention had less variation in the directionality of the ball to the left and right in the rolling (run) direction after the ball dropped than the comparative products 2 to 4.

[0026]

[Table 1]

[0027]

According to the golf club head of the present invention, the resilience of the ball is increased and the friction against the ball is suppressed due to the increased stress on the club face surface and the plastic strain caused by the hard object and the hard object. As a result, the flight distance of the ball increases,
This has the effect of stabilizing the directionality and has the effect of increasing the wear resistance and damage resistance. In addition, the method of manufacturing a golf club head of the present invention is excellent in adhesion and durability without hard objects being easily embedded in the club face surface and without causing surface roughness on the club face surface. This has the effect.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-58-173570 (JP, A) JP-A-57-145451 (JP, U) Special table 1-503760 (JP, A) (58) Survey Field (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) A63B 53/04

Claims (12)

(57) [Claims] 1. A golf club head in which a granular and / or massive hard material having an average diameter of 50 μm or less is fixed to at least a metal club face surface of the golf club head. The half-width obtained from the peak of the maximum intensity of the X-ray diffraction in the crystal structure of the main component constituting the main component is 1.2 to 5.0 times that of the surface on which the hard material is not fixed. A surface-modified golf club head, comprising: 2. The surface-modified golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the golf club head is a metal wood club head. 3. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the golf club head comprises a Ti alloy,
3. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the golf club head is made of a stainless alloy or an aluminum alloy. 4. The surface-modified golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the hard material is made of a material having a hardness higher than that of the metal club face. 5. The hard material is selected from 4a, 5a, and 4a of the periodic table.
A hard compound composed of one or more of carbides and nitrides of a Group 6a metal element and a mutual solid solution thereof, or a hard substance comprising 70% by weight or more of the hard compound and a metal substance mainly composed of an Fe group metal. The surface-modified golf club head according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the head is made of a composite material. 6. The metal member according to claim 1, wherein said hard member is buried at a depth of 50 μm or less from the surface of said metal club face surface toward the inside. Surface modified golf club head. 7. The hard object according to claim 1, wherein at least 50% by volume of one shape of the hard object is embedded from the surface of the metal club face to the inside. 7. The surface-modified golf club head according to 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. 8. The metal club face, wherein the ratio of the area occupied by the hard material is 10% by area or more of the entire metal club face.
The surface-modified golf club head according to 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7. 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the hard material comprises a hard compound containing tungsten carbide as a main component and a metal material containing Co and / or Ni as a main component.
9. The surface-modified golf club head according to 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8. 10. A shot peening treatment is performed on at least a metal club face of a golf club head using a hard material made of a cemented carbide having a mean diameter of 20 to 500 μm made of powder and / or a sintered alloy. A method of manufacturing a surface-modified golf club head, wherein a part of the hard material is embedded in the metal club face. 11. The method for manufacturing a surface-modified golf club head according to claim 10, wherein the hard material is made of a material having a higher hardness than the metal club face. 12. The hard material has an average diameter of 20 to 500.
The method for producing a surface-modified golf club head according to claim 10, wherein the cemented carbide is a cemented carbide sintered to μm.