JPH1133147A - Head for golf club - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable the firm bonding of a face plate with a head body by forcing the former into the latter and enhance the presentable appearance of the joint part with outstanding forcing fabrication properties. SOLUTION: This head is structured of a head body 3 with a face F in which a fitting cavity 2 is formed and a face plate 4 which is forced into the fitting cavity 2. In addition, a projecting part 6 which protrudes to an opposite side is formed on at least, part of either of the inner peripheral face 2a of the fitting cavity 2 or the outer peripheral face 4a of the face plate 4. On the other hand, a recessed part 7 into which the projecting part 6 is fitted by the forcing of the face plate 4 is formed on the other. Besides, when forcing the face part 4, an inclined face part 9 which tilts in a direction in which the forcing action is guided, is formed on the head body 3 with which the face plate 4 comes into contact or the contact part T of the face part 4.

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 head plate which is press-fitted with a face plate into a head body to obtain a firm connection, and which is excellent in press-fitting workability and can enhance the appearance of the connection portion.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the use of titanium and titanium alloys having a light weight and high mechanical strength for a face plate and the use of a metal having a higher specific gravity than titanium for a head body have led to a hybrid head having a head. A method of increasing the moment of inertia around the center of gravity is being adopted. Such a golf club head includes a face plate,
After separately forming the head main bodies, the two members are integrally manufactured by welding, press fitting, or the like.

For example, JP-A-6-182006 discloses that
As a method of joining the face body and the head body made of different materials, a face part is formed by plastically deforming a concave portion at one of joints between the face body and the head body and a convex portion engaging with the concave portion at the other. It is proposed to keep out of the way.

Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-337222 discloses that
As shown in FIG. 17, as a method of connecting the face body a made of different materials and the head body b, the peripheral surface of the window hole c formed in the head body b is formed into an inverted tapered shape g such that the rear portion becomes deeper. It is proposed to press-fit a face body a having an acute-angled end f to be formed and fitted therein.

[0005]

However, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-182006, since the face body or a part of the head main body is plastically deformed, non-uniform processing strain during plastic deformation processing remains in the head. It is not preferable because there is a problem that the commercial value as a club head is impaired, especially when the hitting surface of the face has a processing strain. Further, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 5-337222, the sharp end f of the face body a is inclined in a direction that prevents press-fitting, so that smooth press-fitting is difficult, and the sharp end f is formed by press-fitting, for example. The portion f is liable to be brittlely fractured or plastically deformed, and it is difficult to obtain a satisfactory bonding strength, for example, a gap is formed at a bonding surface between the two, and the aesthetic appearance of the bonded portion tends to be impaired.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above problems, and provides a strong connection by press-fitting a face plate into a head main body, and has excellent press-in workability and an excellent appearance of a connection portion. It is an object of the present invention to provide a golf club head that can be enhanced.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a head body having a fitting space formed on a face surface, and a face plate press-fitted into the fitting space. And at least one and at least a part of the inner peripheral surface of the fitting space or the outer peripheral surface of the face plate is provided with a convex portion protruding toward the other party, and the convex portion is pressed into the other by press-fitting the face plate. A golf club head characterized in that a concave portion to be fitted is formed and an inclined surface portion inclined in a direction for guiding the press-fitting is formed in a contacting portion of the head main body or the face plate when the face plate is press-fitted. is there.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the golf club head according to the first aspect, the inclined surface is formed on a surface on a press-fit side of the convex portion.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the head body or face plate in which the concave portion is formed, the inclined surface portion comes into contact with the press-fit side surface of the convex portion during the press-fitting. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the golf club head is formed in a portion.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the inclined surface portion has a cross-sectional contour formed by a straight line, a curved line including an arc gradually increasing outward, or a combination of a straight line and a curved line. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein:
2. The golf club head according to item 1.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Golf club head of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “head”) 1
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the head body 3 includes a head body 3 having a fitting space 2 formed on a face surface F, and a face plate 4 which is press-fitted into the fitting space 2. The embodiment exemplifies a so-called iron club head.
Note that the head body 3 is exemplified by one in which a neck portion 5 for mounting a shaft (not shown) is integrally formed.

In this embodiment, the head body 3
The illustrated fitting cavity 2 has a bottom formed by an inner peripheral surface 2a and a bottom surface 2b closing the inner peripheral surface, and does not reach the back surface B of the head main body 3. The head body 3 is made of, for example, stainless steel in this embodiment as a metal material having a large specific gravity. However, beryllium copper or the like is desirably used, and may be manufactured by casting, forging, or the like.

The face plate 4 has a shape substantially conforming to the contour of the face surface F of the head body 3 and a shape pressed into the fitting space 2 of the head body 3. In this example, the face plate 4 is made of a plate material having a thickness of, for example, 2 to 5 mm, and is manufactured by casting, forging, or the like using a metal material having a specific gravity smaller than that of the head body 3, for example, titanium or a titanium alloy. For example.

As described above, by using different materials for the head body 3 and the face plate 4 and employing a metal material having a specific gravity smaller than that of the head body 3 for the face plate 4, the weight of the head 1 can be reduced. Can be distributed to the periphery. As a result, the moment of inertia around the center of gravity of the head 1 is increased, and a preferable head 1 is obtained in that a wide sweet area is obtained.

In the present invention, at least one and at least a part of the inner peripheral surface 2a of the fitting cavity 2 of the head body 3 or the outer peripheral surface 4a of the face plate 4 has a convex portion 6 protruding toward the other side. And the other face plate 4
Press-fitting to form a concave portion 7 into which the convex portion 6 fits. FIG. 3 shows an example of such a case, in which an outer peripheral surface 4 a of the face plate 4 is provided with a convex portion 6 protruding toward the inner peripheral surface 2 a of the fitting cavity 2. Inner peripheral surface 2a
FIG. 1 shows a concave portion 7 into which the convex portion 6 is fitted by press-fitting the face plate 4.

By providing the convex portion 6 and the concave portion 7 which are fitted to each other by such press-fitting, in this embodiment, at the time of press-fitting, the convex portion 6 is elastically deformed and fits into the concave portion 7. After the fitting is completed, the convex portion 6 can be restored to its original shape, so that it can be processed so as not to cause processing distortion. As a result, a strong connection between the head body 3 and the face plate 4 and a retaining function can be obtained. Further, the convex portion 6 and the concave portion 7 are provided on at least a part of the inner peripheral surface 2a of the fitting space 2 or the outer peripheral surface 4a of the face plate 4, and all of the inner peripheral surface 2a and the outer peripheral surface 4a are provided. Although it may be formed on the circumference, for example, it is provided on the upper side and the lower side of the inner peripheral surface 2a (outer peripheral surface 4a), or on the left side and the right side of the face surface, respectively, to firmly prevent the face plate 4 from coming off from the head main body 3. It is preferable that the present embodiment is provided in the left and right sides α and β as shown in FIG. It is preferable to use the elastic deformation of the head body 3 or the elastic deformation of both the face plate 4 and the head body 3 when press-fitting the face plate.

Further, in the present invention, when the face plate 4 is press-fitted, an inclined surface portion 9 inclined to guide the press-fitting is formed in the head body 3 or the contact portion T of the face plate 4 which comes into contact. . By providing such an inclined surface portion 9, the face plate 4 is smoothly guided to the fitting space 2, so that the pressing force required for the press-fitting can be reduced, and the press-fitting workability is improved, and the production of the head 1 is further improved. As a result, the deformation and swelling of the joined portion can be suppressed. Therefore, in a state where the face plate 4 and the head main body 3 are connected as shown in FIG. 4, the appearance of the connection portion J can be improved. The face surfaces F of the head body 3 and the face plate 4 are aligned by press-fitting.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the inclined surface portion 9 is formed on the surface 6a on the press-fit side of the convex portion 6. Here, the "press-fit guide The “direction to perform” means an inclination at which the face plate 4 easily advances into the press-fitting space when the face plate 4 is pressed into the head main body 3.

In the inclined surface portion 9 formed on the press-fit side surface 6a of the convex portion 6, the inclined length d1 of the inclined surface portion 9 is set to the same value as the convex length of the convex portion 6, that is, 2 mm in this example. Further, the area S1 cut by the inclined surface portion 9 of the convex portion 6
And the ratio (S1 / d1) to the inclination length d1 is 0.3
It is desirable to be 5 or more. If this ratio (S1 / d1) is small, the height h1 of the inclined surface portion 9 becomes relatively small and the inclination of the inclined surface portion 9 becomes gentle, so that the above-described press-fit workability tends to decrease. Therefore, the ratio (S1 / d1) is preferably set to 0.45 or more, more preferably 0.60 or more.

On the other hand, if the ratio (S1 / d1) is too large, the inclination height h1 tends to be relatively large, and the press-in workability is improved, but from the viewpoint of securing the rigidity of the convex portion 6, etc. Since the thickness of the convex portion 6 is large and the thickness of the face plate 4 is undesirably increased, the ratio (S1 / d1) is 1.2.
It is desirable that it be 0.85 or less, more preferably.

Therefore, the ratio (S1 / d1) is 0.3
It is preferably in the range of 5 to 1.2, preferably in the range of 0.45 to 1.2, more preferably in the range of 0.6 to 1.2, and still more preferably in the range of 0.6 to 0.85. .

It is preferable that the cross-sectional contour of the inclined surface portion 9 is formed by a straight line 9S as shown in FIG. In this case, the inclination angle θ1 is 2 due to the balance between the press-fit workability and the thickness of the face plate 4.
It is desirable that the angle be 0 to 50 degrees, more preferably 30 to 50 degrees, and still more preferably 30 to 40 degrees.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the inclined surface portion 9 has a curved line 9 including an arc gradually increasing outward.
C, or a straight line 9S and a curve 9 as shown in FIG.
It is also possible to form in combination with C. All of these are directed to the outside of the inclined surface portion 9 as shown
When the axes are set, when Xm> Xn, the inclination angles θm and θn at the respective positions of Xm and Xn
Is preferably set to satisfy θm ≧ θn. Conversely, FIG.
6 includes a horizontal portion V in the cross-sectional contour ring.
In the case of (B), since the inclination is gradually reduced (θm <θn), improvement in press-fit workability cannot be expected in any case, which is not preferable.

7 (A) and 7 (B) show another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the inclined surface portion 9 has a press-fit side surface 6a of the convex portion 6 of the face plate 4 and a concave portion. In the head body 3 on which the protrusion 7 is formed, the press-fit side surface 6a of the convex portion 6 comes into contact with the contact portion T at the time of press-fitting.
a and 9b are shown. In such an embodiment, when the face plate 4 is press-fitted into the head main body 3, the press-fitting of the face plate 4 becomes smoother, the press-fitting can be performed with a small pressing force, and the convex portion 6 and the concave portion 7 are firmly connected. In addition to obtaining a good fit, the appearance of the connecting portion J can be made more beautiful.

In the inclined surface portion 9b, the inclination length d2 of the inclined surface portion 9 and the area S
The preferred ranges of the ratio (S2 / d2) to 2, the shape of the cross-sectional contour of the inclined surface portion 9, the inclination angle θ2, and the like are based on the same reason (S1 / d1) and the inclination angle θ1 for the same reason.
Such a rule can be adopted as it is.

In the above embodiment, the convex portion 6 is formed on the face plate 4 and the concave portion 7 is formed on the fitting space 2. However, as shown in FIG. 7
The convex portion 6 may be formed in the fitting space 2, and further, the concave portion 7 may be provided following the convex portion 6 in the circumferential direction.

In the above-described embodiment, the fitting space 2 is illustrated as having a bottom. However, the fitting space 2 can be formed in a through hole shape reaching the back surface B. Further, the head body 3 and the face plate 4 Both may be made of the same metal. Further, when the inclined surface 9 is formed in the contact portion T, the inclined surface 9 may be subjected to a decoration process or the like. It goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to a metal head for a wood club. In addition, one example of the embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.
Is shown in

[0028]

EXAMPLE A 5 mm-thick face plate 4 having the dimensions shown in FIG. 16 was trial manufactured using titanium, and the pressing force when the face of the face plate was pressed vertically into the head body was measured. Then, an average value of N = 5 was calculated, and evaluation was performed using an index with Comparative Example 1 being 100. The smaller the numerical value, the smaller the pressing force and the better the press-fit workability. In FIG. 16, a concave portion or a convex portion is formed in a region indicated by α and β, and the shape and dimensions are shown in Table 1 and FIGS.
(The dimensional unit in the figure is mm). Note that the convex portion 6 and the concave portion 7 have the same contour shape as each other.

Next, at the boundary portion between the face plate and the head body of the face surface of the golf club head press-fitted in the above test, it was visually checked for deformation, swelling and the like. O for those with visible deformation and no swelling, × for those with visible deformation and swelling
Was evaluated. Table 1 shows the test results.

[0030]

[Table 1]

As a result of the test, it can be confirmed that the golf club head of the embodiment can be press-fitted with a smaller pressing force as compared with the comparative example, and that the pressing force can be reduced. It was confirmed that prevention and aesthetic appearance could be improved. In each of the above embodiments, the inner peripheral surface of the fitting space coincides with the outer peripheral surface of the face plate. However, the face plate may be configured to be tightened in an elastic region.

[0032]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the face plate is pressed into the head body to obtain a strong connection, and the head body or the contact portion of the face plate which comes into contact when the face plate is pressed. By forming the inclined surface portion inclined in the direction to guide the press-fitting, the press pressing force required for the press-fitting can be reduced and smoothly performed. Can improve the beauty of the connecting portion. Further, even a metal material having a small degree of elastic deformation such as a metal material which is easily plastically deformed or a brittle material can be easily press-fitted and a strong connection can be realized.

The inclined surface portion may be formed on the press-fit side surface of the convex portion as in the second aspect of the present invention, or the convex portion may be formed on the head body or the face plate where the concave portion is formed by the press-fitting. It can be formed in the contact part where the press-fit side surface comes into contact, and it has a high degree of freedom of processing and is easy, and when it is provided on both the face plate and the head body, it is extremely press-fit And the appearance of the joined portion is beautiful.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the cross-sectional contour of the inclined surface portion is formed by a straight line, a curved line including an arc gradually increasing outward, or a combination of a straight line and a curved line. This helps to improve the aesthetics of the joints for a smoother press fit.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a golf club head.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a golf club head.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a face plate before coupling and a fitting space of a head main body, showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view (corresponding to the AA cross section in FIG. 1) showing the connection state.

FIGS. 5A to 5C are diagrams showing cross-sectional contours of an inclined surface portion.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrams showing inclined cross-sectional profile edges.

FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view of a fitting space between a face plate and a head main body according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view showing the connection state (A- in FIG. 1). A).

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a face plate and a fitting space of a head main body of a comparative example.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a face plate of the embodiment and a fitting space of the head main body.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a face plate of the embodiment and a fitting space of the head main body.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a face plate of the embodiment and a fitting space of the head main body.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a face plate of the embodiment and a fitting space of the head main body.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view showing a face plate of the embodiment and a fitting space of the head main body.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view showing a face plate of the embodiment and a fitting space of the head main body.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing a face plate of the embodiment and a fitting space of the head main body.

FIG. 16 is a front view of the face plate of the embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a sectional view of a conventional golf club head.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 2 fitting space 3 head body 4 face plate 5 golf club head 6 convex portion 7 concave portion 9 inclined surface portion T contact portion

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A head body having a fitting space formed on a face surface, and a face plate press-fitted into the fitting space, and an inner peripheral surface of the fitting cavity or an outer peripheral surface of the face plate. At least one and at least a part of the face plate is provided with a convex portion protruding toward the other party, and the other is formed with a concave portion into which the convex portion is fitted by press-fitting the face plate. A head for a golf club, wherein an inclined surface portion inclined in a direction for guiding press-fitting is formed in a contact portion of a head body or a face plate to be pressed. 2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein said inclined surface portion is formed on a surface on a press-fit side of said convex portion. 3. The head body or the face plate in which the concave portion is formed, wherein the inclined surface portion is formed in a contact portion with which the surface on the press-in side of the convex portion comes into contact during the press-fitting. The golf club head according to claim 1 or 2, wherein 4. The inclined surface portion has a cross-sectional profile formed by a straight line, a curved line including a circular arc gradually increasing outward, or a combination of a straight line and a curved line. 4. The golf club head according to any one of items 1 to 3.