US20070049403A1

US20070049403A1 - Golf club head

Info

Publication number: US20070049403A1
Application number: US11/321,438
Authority: US
Inventors: Ming-Hsien Chen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-08-26
Filing date: 2005-12-29
Publication date: 2007-03-01
Also published as: TWI286945B; JP2007061590A; TW200708322A

Abstract

A golf club head includes: a head body having a front face and a recess formed in the front face; a striking member fitted in the recess and having a striking plate flush with the front face, a composite layer, and a first adhesive layer for adhering the striking plate to the composite layer; and a second adhesive layer to adhere the composite layer of the striking member to the head body.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application No. 094129288, filed on Aug. 26, 2005.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a golf club head, more particularly to a golf club head with an improved rebound capability.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional golf club head includes a head body 1 and a composite portion 2. The head body 1 is formed integrally by molding, and includes a striking portion 101 and a receiving space 102. The composite portion 2 is filled in the receiving space 102.
Since the striking portion 101 is integrated with the remainder of the head body 1, and since the composite portion 2 is filled in the receiving space 102, rather than being formed as a part of the striking portion 101, the resilient property of the composite portion 2 cannot be effectively imparted to the striking portion 101 when the striking portion 101 strikes a golf ball. Therefore, the rebound capability of the conventional golf club head is inferior.
Referring to FIG. 2, another conventional golf club head includes a head body 3, a striking plate 5 connected to the head body 3 by welding so as to define a receiving space 302, and a composite portion 4 filled into the receiving space 302. The head body 3 is made of metal, and has a front face 301. The striking plate 5 is made of metal, and has a striking face 501 flush with the front face 301 of the main body 3.
Since the striking plate 5 is made of metal, and since the composite portion 4 is filled in the receiving space 302, rather than being formed as a part of the striking plate 5, this prior art also encounters the same drawback as that of the prior art shown in FIG. 1.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a golf club head which possesses improved rebound capability.
Accordingly, the golf club head of this invention includes: a head body having a front face and a recess formed in the front face; a striking member fitted in the recess and having a striking plate flush with the front face, a composite layer, and a first adhesive layer for adhering the striking plate to the composite layer; and a second adhesive layer to adhere the composite layer of the striking member to the head body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional golf club head;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of another conventional golf club head;
FIG. 3 is an exploded sectional view of the preferred embodiment of a golf club head according to this invention;
FIG. 4 is an assembled sectional view of the preferred embodiment; and
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a process for making the preferred embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the preferred embodiment of a golf club head according to this invention is shown to include a head body 10, a striking member 20, and a second adhesive layer 30. The head body 10 is made of metal by lost wax casting or by forging, and has a front face 11 and a recess 12 formed in the front face 11. The recess 12 is defined by a bottom face 121 and a side face 122 extending between the bottom face 121 and the front face 11.
The striking member 20 is fitted in the recess 12 of the head body 10, and has a profile corresponding to the recess 12. The striking member 20 includes a striking plate 21 flush with the front face 11 of the head body 10, a composite layer 22 proximate to the bottom face 121 of the recess 12, and a first adhesive layer 23 disposed between the striking plate 21 and the composite layer 22 for adhering the striking plate 21 to the composite layer 22. The striking plate 21 is made of titanium, stainless steel, and the like, and has a striking face 211 flush with the front face 11 of the head body 10, an adhering face 212 proximate to the composite layer 22, and a side face 213 extending between the striking face 211 and the adhering face 212 and corresponding to the side face 122 of the recess 12. The striking face 211 of the striking plate 21 is formed with a plurality of grooves 214. In this embodiment, the composite layer 22 is made by hot pressing a blend including a fiber and an epoxy resin. The fiber suitable for this invention is, for example, a carbon fiber, a glass fiber, a Kevlar fiber, and the like. The composite layer 22 has a first face 221 proximate to the bottom face 121 of the recess 12, and a second face 222 opposite to the first face 221. The first adhesive layer 23 includes a web 231 and an adhesive, such as epoxy resin, applied on the web 231.
The second adhesive layer 30 is made of an epoxy resin, and is applied on the bottom face 121 of the recess 12 to adhere the composite layer 22 of the striking member 20 onto the bottom face 121 of the head body 10.
Since the striking member 20 is composed of the striking plate 21 and the composite layer 22 adhered to each other by the first adhesive layer 23, an improved rebound capability can be obtained by the golf club head of this invention upon impact with a golf ball.
Referring to FIG. 5, the golf club head of this invention can be made by a process including the steps of:
a) preparing the head body 10 by lost wax casting or by forging;
b) preparing the striking member 20 by adhering the striking plate 21 to the composite layer 22 using the first adhesive layer 23;
c) polishing the striking plate 21 and the composite layer 22 of the striking member 20 so as to planarize the striking plate 21 and the composite layer 22 and to make the striking member 20 flush with the front face 11 of the head body 10;
d) applying the second adhesive layer 30 on the bottom face 121 of the recess 12 of the head body 10, and adhering the composite layer 22 of the striking member 20 to the head body 10; and
e) forming the striking plate 21 of the striking member 20 with the grooves 214.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a head body including a front face and a recess that is formed in said front face;

a striking member fitted in said recess, and including a striking plate flush with said front face, a composite layer, and a first adhesive layer for adhering said striking plate to said composite layer; and

a second adhesive layer to adhere said composite layer of said striking member to said head body.

2. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first adhesive layer includes a web and an adhesive applied on said web.

3. The golf club head as claimed in claim 2, wherein said adhesive includes an epoxy resin.

4. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second adhesive layer includes an epoxy resin.

5. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said composite layer is made by hot pressing a blend including a fiber and an epoxy resin.

6. The golf club head as claimed in claim 5, wherein said fiber is selected from a group consisting of a carbon fiber, a glass fiber, and a Kevlar fiber.