US20030162608A1

US20030162608A1 - Structure of a golf club head

Info

Publication number: US20030162608A1
Application number: US10/079,884
Authority: US
Inventors: Wen-Hsiang Chen
Original assignee: CHIN SHANG INDUSTRIAL Co Ltd
Current assignee: CHIN SHANG INDUSTRIAL Co Ltd
Priority date: 2002-02-22
Filing date: 2002-02-22
Publication date: 2003-08-28

Abstract

An improved structure of a golf club head is disclosed. The golf club head comprises a bottom housing made from a metallic material, a housing cap made from a complex material. The top section and the impact face are made from complex material and a metallic material is adhered onto the impact face (with increasing hardness) such that there is elasticity, when the club head impacts a ball, to better control the ball. The bottom or the lateral side of the club head is provided with an air inlet for fixing a heavy block so as to adjust the weigh center of the club head to improve performance of impacting a golf ball.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a golf club head, and in particular, to a golf club head having a bottom section made from a metallic material and a bottom housing having a hollow impact face, and the top section and the impact face being made from a complex material.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

Taiwanese Utility Model application no. 84205250 entitled “Metallic housing body and fibrous cap for a golf club” discloses a metallic housing seat and a

fibrous cap

2, as shown in FIG. 1. The housing seat 1 includes an impact face 11, a bottom section 12, a rear section 13 and a front edge 14 and the housing cap 2 includes a head section 2 and a neck section 22, and a receiving hole 23 at the neck section 22 for the connection with the shaft of the golf club, as shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 shows the structure of a golf club head disclosed in Taiwan Patent Application 89110593, which comprises a metallic body 3, a top cover section 4. The front end of the body 3 is an impact face 31 having one side extended to form a rod seat 32. The rear side of the impact face 31 is a notch 33. The bottom section 34 of the body 3 is provided with a screw hole 35 and the screw hole 35 is mounted with a filling block 36. The top cap section 4 is corresponding to filling block 36. The top cap section 4 is corresponding to the notch 33, one lateral side is mounted with a mounting hole 41 for mounting with a heavy block 42. FIG. 3 shows the method of manufacturing a golf club head disclosed in Taiwan Patent Application No. 90101576. The drawbacks of the conventional club head are that the excessive hardness of the impact is a waste of material and the cost of manufacturing is increasing, and the sweet spot of impact face of the conventional club head cannot be enlarged. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved structure of a golf club head which mitigates the above-drawbacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a golf club head having a bottom section made from a metallic material and a bottom housing having a hollow impact face, and the top section and the impact face being made from a complex material.

The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1,2 and [0008] 3 are conventional club head disclosed in Taiwan application nos. 84205250, 89110593 and 90101576.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. [0009]
FIG. 5 is a side view of FIG. 4. [0010]
FIG. 6 is an exploded view of another preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. [0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. [0012]
Referring to FIG. 4, the club head comprises a [0013] bottom housing 7 and a housing cap 8 made of complex material to form a club head. The bottom housing 7 includes a bottom section 71, a hollow impact face 72 and a rod head 73. The center of the impact face 72 is hollow, and the bottom section 71 (or the side) is provided with an air inlet 74. The housing cap 3 is made from polycarbonate fiber or glass fiber complex material. As shown in FIG. 5, complex material impregnated cloth covers the rear side of the hollow impact face 72 of the bottom housing 7 and fills the hollow space to form an impact face 81, and the upper space of the bottom housing 7 is formed into a top section 82 and is then inserted into the mold. Air is pumped via the air inlet 74 so that the cloth is firmly closed to the inner wall of the mold. At the same time, a heating process is applied so that the cloth within the mold is set to form the bottom section 71 of the metallic material 7, the hollow impact face 72, the neck 73 combined with the impact face 81, and the top section 82.
Next, as the [0014] impact face 31 is a complex material with a lower strength, the impact face 81 is processed to remove the resin thereon so that the surface becomes a rough surface. Arc spray process provides a layer of higher hardness metallic material media onto the impact face 81, and the media is then electroplated with an abrasive-resistant layer. The surface of the impact face 81 is also coated with a metallic-abrasive-resistant layer, and the bottom 71 or the side is provided with the air-inlet 74 mounted with a heavy block 75. Finally, the semi-furnished product is undergone a process to form into a club head.
As the material for the bottom section, the [0015] hollow impact face 72 and the rod neck 73 is a metallic material, the coated layer (abrasion-resistant) is thin and the weight of the head will not be increased. As a result, the weight of the head will be reduced and the area of the club head can be enlarged so as to provide a wider impact face. When the impact face is enlarged, the sweet spot of impact is enlarged and it can provide a more effective impact. As the impact face 81 is a material coated electroplated with a high abrasive-resistant layer, therefore the impact face 81 of the club head has a better elasticity such that when the impact face 81 impacts with a ball, the ball will temporarily stay at the impact face which has a better control of the golf ball. Besides, the coefficient of elasticity of the impact face 81 is higher, the ball can fly further when it impacts with the ball. The air inlet 74 is provided with a heavy block 75, therefore the weight center of the head will be reduced and the swinging of club will be smooth.
Referring to FIG. 6, the [0016] bottom housing 7 is a metallic material and comprises a bottom section 71, a hollow impact face 72 and the rod head 73, and a housing cap 8. The top portion 82 is cast into an impact face 76. The cast impact face 76 is welded onto the hollow section of the impact face 72 and the heavy block 75 is mounted at the air-inlet 74 of the bottom section 71 (or the side), after that a furnishing process is performed until a final club head is obtained.
In accordance with the present invention, as the [0017] impact face 76 is cast, the entire impact face 76 and the thickness of individual parts can be adjusted according to requirement and the turning center of the impact face 76 can be adjusted, the turning center and the weight center of the impact face 76 are located on the same point so that the sweet spot of the impact face is enlarged. In addition, the club head will not turn in the course of hitting a ball. Therefore, when hitting a ball at a horizontal face, the direction of the ball can be easily controlled. The bottom housing 7 and the impact face 76 are formed separately and therefore they can be made from different metallic material. In accordance with the present invention, the bottom housing 7 can be formed from metallic material of cheaper cost and the impact face 76 is cast from a metallic material of higher cost. In view of the above, the cost of the club head can be reduced.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above. [0018]
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. [0019]

Claims

I claim:

1. A structure of a golf club head comprising a bottom housing made from a metallic material, a housing cap made from a complex material wherein the bottom housing includes a bottom section, a hollow impact face and a rod neck portion, and the bottom section is provided with an air inlet and the housing cap includes the top portion, characterized in that the hollow section of the impact face is made from a prepregnated cloth made from a complex material, forming into an impact face, and the surface of the impact face is coated with a layer of high hardness, metallic material with abrasive resistant layer.

2. A structure of a golf club head comprising a bottom housing made from a metallic material, a housing cap made from a complex material wherein the bottom housing includes a bottom section, a hollow impact face and a rod neck portion, and the bottom section is provided with an air inlet and the housing cap includes the top portion, characterized in that the hollow section of the impact face of the bottom housing is mounted with a cast metal forming an impact face.

3. The improved structure of a golf club head of claim 1, wherein the air inlet at the bottom section (or side) of the bottom housing is screwed with a heavy block.

4. The improved structure of a golf club head of claim 2, the metal cast impact face can be adjusted wholly or partially based on the requirements.

5. The improved structure of a golf club head of claim 2, wherein the impact face and the bottom housing are of different metallic materials.