JP3107767B2 - 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 a structure in which a separate face plate is fitted to a penetrating type iron head body and a method of manufacturing the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, golf club heads have generally been made entirely of a single material such as wood, metal, synthetic resin and the like. However, recently, it is more popular to make the head body material and the face plate material from different materials, since the degree of freedom in designing the head is increased, and further, the flying distance is increased by using the material.

When the head body material and the face plate material are made of different materials, there is a need for a method that allows the face plate not to be easily detached from the head body even after long-term use, and that can be easily fitted. I was As such a method, at present, a method of screwing the face plate to the head main body, a method of bonding, a method of welding as in JP-A-5-212139, and a plastic deformation as in JP-A-6-182006 are used. Press-fitting, or a method in which a face plate is set in a mold and then the head body is cast, as in JP-A-8-182781.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention uses the fitting method by welding among the above-mentioned methods, but aims to improve the following disadvantages of the conventional welding. . In other words, welding involves applying heat to the metal to be welded, but when heat is applied to the metal, the intrinsic properties of the metal itself may change. Quenching,
Processing methods such as annealing make use of such properties.

Accordingly, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 5-21 as shown in FIG.
In the welding method of No. 2139, when a separate face plate 11 is welded to the iron head body 12, the welding position 1
The properties of the metals near 4 will change. The purpose of using a metal different from the iron head body 12 for the face plate 11 is to improve the performance as compared with the case of using the same type of metal. Often, the intended performance was not achieved.

In addition, since heat is hardly applied to the vicinity of the center of the face plate 11 far from the welding position 14, the original properties of the metal are maintained. Under such circumstances, the properties of the metal change between the vicinity of the center of the face plate and the vicinity of the end of the face plate that has undergone thermal change due to welding, resulting in a golf club having a different hitting feel depending on the hitting position when hitting. There was also a disadvantage.

In order to improve the above-mentioned drawbacks, after welding the iron head body and the face plate, a post-treatment is performed by applying heat uniformly to the entire head.
Although it is possible to make the head with the desired uniform performance,
Performing such a process increases the number of processing steps and is troublesome, and also increases the manufacturing cost.

Further, when welding, the gap between the objects to be welded is very finely adjusted in the welding process. More specifically, with reference to FIG. 4, the welding position 14 between the iron head main body 12 and the separate face plate 11 has poor heat conduction during welding if there is no gap at all, and the two materials do not melt sufficiently. , Welding is not performed sufficiently. On the other hand, even if the gap at the welding position 14 between the iron head body 12 and the separate face plate 11 is too wide, heat conduction during welding is also poor, and the two materials do not melt sufficiently and welding is sufficiently performed. Absent.

Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the gap at the welding position 14 between the iron head main body 12 and the separate face plate 11 to maintain an optimum constant gap for efficient welding. In the manufacturing method of the iron head body and the face plate, it is extremely difficult to accurately manufacture each product so as to keep the gap between the long welding positions 14 constant. As a result, the welding between the iron head body and the face plate is difficult. The gap could not be kept constant.

In addition, the face plate 11 cannot be welded, such as a ceramic material, or cannot be made of a material unsuitable for welding.
There is also a disadvantage that the material is limited to a material that can be welded to the iron head body 12.

Further, since the welding surface after welding becomes uneven,
In particular, when a welding surface appears on the face surface as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-212139, it is necessary to perform post-processing such as grinding and polishing to obtain a clean and smooth surface with good appearance. Therefore, in order to minimize the trouble of post-processing such as shaving and polishing, it is preferable that the range of welding is as small as possible.

In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks caused by the conventional welding, the face plate itself can be fitted to the iron head body without welding without applying heat to the face plate itself. It is assumed that. Also, make the welding area as small as possible,
It is intended to reduce the labor of post-processing such as shaving and polishing after welding. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a golf club head and a method of manufacturing the golf club head in which the face plate is not easily detached from the head main body even after long-term use, and the fitting can be easily performed.

[0013]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an iron golf club head having a structure in which a separate face plate is mounted on a penetrating type iron head body. A golf club head comprising components, and fitting the iron head body and the face plate by welding the two or more components after fitting the separate face plate.

A second aspect of the present invention is the golf club head according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the iron head main body is composed of two to four parts.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect, the peripheral edge of the face plate is concave or convex, and the peripheral edge of the concave portion of the iron head body for receiving the face plate is the face. The golf club head has a convex or concave shape that matches the concave or convex shape of the plate periphery.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an iron golf club head having a structure in which a separate face plate is mounted on a penetration type iron head main body, wherein the annular iron head main body is composed of two or more parts. A method of manufacturing a golf club head in which the iron head body and the face plate are fitted by welding the two or more parts after fitting a separate face plate.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is the method of manufacturing a golf club head according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, wherein the iron head main body is composed of two or more and up to four parts.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth or fifth aspect, the peripheral edge of the face plate is concave or convex, and the peripheral edge of the concave portion of the iron head body that receives the face plate is the face. This is a method of manufacturing a golf club head having a convex or concave shape that matches the concave or convex shape of the plate periphery.

[0019]

FIG. 1 shows an example of an iron golf club head embodying the present invention, showing a state before a face plate 2 is fitted to an iron head body 1. The iron head body 1 is a penetration type iron head having a penetration portion 7 from the face 5 to the back side. In other words, it has an annular shape that returns from the toe portion 1a to the toe portion 1a through the top portion 1b, the heel portion 1c, and the sole portion 1d.

In FIG. 1, the iron head main body 1 manufactured in a ring shape is composed of two main body parts 9 and an upper part 8. More specifically, the weld joint 6 is formed at the approximate center of the toe 1a and at the boundary between the top 1b and the heel 1c. Which position is to be designed as the welded joint 6 is, for example,
It is determined in consideration of the ease of fitting the separate face plate 2 to the recess 3 of the head body 1.

The iron head main body 1 is provided with a concave portion 3 for receiving a separate face plate 2. After the face plate 2 is fitted into the body-side part 9 of the iron head body 1, the upper part 8 is welded at the welding joint portion 6 so that the iron head body 1 and the face plate 2 are fitted together. The head is completed.

As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, the peripheral edge 4 of the face plate 2 is fitted with a dovetail shape which is wider than the face surface 5 toward the center of the iron head body 1 and is fitted. 2 has a shape that does not easily come off the iron head main body 1 even after long-term use.

As shown in FIG. 2, the fitting of the peripheral portion 4 of the face plate 2 with the peripheral edge of the concave portion 3 of the iron head body 1 can be performed as shown in FIGS. In addition to the shapes shown in FIGS. 3A to 3E, the fitting is not limited to the fitting as long as the face plate 2 has a shape that does not easily come off the iron head main body 1 even after long-term use.

The irregularities shown in FIG. 2 and FIGS. 3A to 3E are usually provided continuously, but as shown in FIG.
The iron head body 1 and the face plate 2 can be provided alternately. Further, although not shown, the unevenness as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A to 3E is for preventing the face plate 2 from coming off from the head main body 1, so that only two directions, up and down or left and right, and three directions of the head are provided. Only in the
Other portions may be formed substantially perpendicular to the face surface 5.

In any of the above-mentioned fittings, the present invention can prevent a plastic deformation by a simple dovetail structure as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 6-182006, but can prevent a detachment by a complicated uneven structure. The fit is even stronger. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the plastically deformed portion from being loosened by use for a long time and the face plate 2 from coming off the iron head body 1.

Although not shown, the iron head body 1 may be composed of three or more parts. Since the iron head has a substantially trapezoidal shape, it is appropriate that the welded joint 6 has up to four locations corresponding to the corners. Therefore, it is appropriate to divide the part into up to four parts. If the part is divided into five or more parts, there is no merit in that it only increases the time and labor for welding.

Further, as the material of the divided parts, different materials can be used instead of the same material. In this way, the sweet spot and the position of the center of gravity can be finely adjusted by changing the material of the divided parts.
For example, if the sole portion 1d is divided and a metal having a higher specific gravity than other components is used as the component, the center of gravity can be lowered. If the toe portion 1a is divided and a metal having a higher specific gravity than other components is used as a component, a sweet spot closer to the toe portion can be obtained. Of course, if the iron head body 1 is divided into three or more,
Each can be a different material.

The parts constituting the iron head main body 1 are separately manufactured by forging, casting, etc., and an appropriate portion of the annularly manufactured iron head main body 1 is cut and divided, and the face plate 2 is fitted. After that, the iron head body 1 and the face plate 2 can be fitted together by welding the divided parts.

In the present invention, it is easy to fit the face plate 2 into the iron head body 1. After the face plate 2 is fitted, the weld joint 6 may be welded while adjusting the welding gap of the divided iron head body 1. Further, since the number of the welded joints 6 is two to four, the welding distance is still short in this range, and the welding surface does not come out on the face surface as in JP-A-5-212139. Post-welding post-processing such as shaving and polishing can be reduced.

The heat of welding is applied only to the iron head body 1 and the face plate 2 is not heated to such a degree that the metal properties of the face plate 2 change.
The metal properties of the face plate 2 do not change, and the shot feeling does not change. In addition, since the welded portion cools after welding, the iron head body 1 contracts, so that the face plate 2 is firmly fitted to the iron head body 1.

In the present invention, it is the iron head body 1 that is welded, and the iron head body 12 and the face plate 11 are not welded as in JP-A-5-212139. There is no need to consider weldability. Therefore, it is possible to use a material that cannot be welded, such as a ceramic or an amorphous alloy, as the material of the face plate 2, and the range of materials that can be used for the face plate is expanded.

The material of the iron head body 1 is iron, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, which can be easily welded.
Copper, magnesium or alloys thereof are suitable, and as a material of the face plate 2, aluminum, titanium, amorphous alloy, ceramic, aluminum alloy, titanium alloy, FRM aluminum alloy or the like is suitable.

[0033]

According to the present invention, since the iron head main body 1 is welded, heat due to welding is hardly applied to the face plate 2 and the metal properties of the face plate 2 do not change, so that the shot feeling changes. Disappears. In addition, the welding gap can be adjusted during welding, and the welding range is small and not the face surface, so that post-processing such as shaving and polishing after welding can be reduced. Furthermore, when the heated welded part is contracted by cooling, the iron head main body 1 is also contracted, and the face plate 2 fitted in the recess 3 is firmly fitted.

The fitting of the face plate 2 to the iron head main body 1 is not only extremely easy, but also the peripheral portion 4 of the face plate 2 can be made uneven in various shapes as shown in FIG. Thus, a structure that does not easily come off from the iron head main body 1 can be obtained. If the iron head body 1 divided into two or more pieces is made of a different material, the position of the center of gravity and the position of the sweet spot can be adjusted. Further, since only the iron head main body 1 is welded, it is not necessary to consider the compatibility of welding with the face plate 2, so that the range of materials that can be used as the face plate 2 is widened and the degree of freedom in design is increased.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an example of an iron golf club head embodying the present invention, in which a face plate 2 is attached to an iron head main body 1;
It is a perspective view before fitting to.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the iron golf club head of FIG. 1 in a fitted state.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged explanatory view of a main part showing a method of fitting a face plate and a head body.

FIG. 4 is an example of an iron golf club head manufactured by a conventional welding method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Iron head main body 1a Toe part 1b Top part 1c Heel part 1d Sole part 2 Face plate 3 Concave part 4 Peripheral part 5 Face surface 6 Welding joint part 7 Penetration part 8 Upper part 9 Body side part 11 Face plate 12 Iron head body 14 Welding position

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. An iron golf club head having a structure in which a separate face plate is mounted on a penetrating type iron head body, wherein the annular iron head body is composed of two or more parts, and the separate face plate is provided. A golf club head in which the iron head main body and the face plate are fitted by joining the two or more parts by welding after fitting. 2. An iron head body comprising at least two
The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the golf club head is composed of a number of parts. 3. The peripheral edge of the face plate is concave or convex, and the concave edge of the iron head body for receiving the face plate has a convex or concave shape that matches the concave or convex shape of the peripheral edge of the face plate. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein: 4. An iron golf club head having a structure in which a separate face plate is mounted on a through-type iron head body, wherein the annular iron head body is formed of two or more parts, and the separate face plate is provided. And a method of manufacturing a golf club head in which the iron head body and the face plate are fitted by joining the two or more parts by welding. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of the iron head bodies is two or more.
5. The method for manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 4, wherein the golf club head is made up of a number of parts. 6. A peripheral edge of the face plate is concave or convex, and a peripheral edge of a concave portion of the iron head body for receiving the face plate is a convex or concave shape matching the concave or convex shape of the peripheral edge of the face plate. The method of manufacturing a golf club head according to any one of claims 4 to 5, wherein