Wood-type golf club head

Abstract

The present invention provides a wood-type golf club head capable of suppressing an increase in weight of a club head body and improving a hitting sound. A wood-type golf club head (1) according to one aspect of the present invention includes a hollow club head body (10) having a face portion (2) and a sole portion (3) extending from a lower edge of the face portion (2) in a heel-to-toe direction, and a rib (7) extending in a face-to-heel direction and curved in a toe-to-heel direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to wood-type golf club heads. Background Technology

[0002] For wood-type golf clubheads with a hollow clubhead body, a good sound on impact is expected.

[0003] In this wood-type golf club head, ribs are provided on the club head body to improve the impact sound (see Patent Document 1).

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-24649 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The technical problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] Patent document 1 describes how multiple straight ribs can be arranged in an interlaced manner along the easily deformable direction of the club bottom to improve the sound of the ball hitting.

[0009] However, as described in Patent Document 1, if multiple straight ribs are used, the clubhead body becomes correspondingly heavier with respect to the number of ribs. In other words, according to the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the improvement in impact sound and the reduction in the weight of the clubhead body are inversely related. As a result, even if the impact sound is improved according to the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the weight distribution of the clubhead body is constrained.

[0010] This invention is based on the following situation, and the object of this invention is to provide a wood-type golf club head that can suppress the increase in weight of the club head body and improve the sound of the ball hitting.

[0011] Technical solutions for solving technical problems

[0012] One aspect of the present invention provides a wood-type golf club head with a hollow club head body having a face and a club bottom extending from the lower edge of the face towards the back of the club. The inner surface of the club head body is provided with ribs that extend in the face-back direction and curve in a manner that protrudes towards the toe-back direction.

[0013] Preferably, in a top view of the clubhead body arranged in a horizontal plane with a specified base angle and loft angle, the average radius of curvature of the outer edge of the toe-back side of the clubhead body is 50 mm or more and 70 mm or less, and the average radius of curvature of the ribs is 30 mm or more and 600 mm or less.

[0014] Preferably, the rod head body has multiple antinodes for natural vibrations below 3500Hz based on modal analysis, and the rib is arranged with two or more of the antinodes.

[0015] Preferably, there are multiple antinodes at the bottom of the rod that provide inherent vibrations below 3500 Hz based on modal analysis, and the rib is arranged with two or more of the antinodes.

[0016] Preferably, the rib passes through a region in which the acceleration ratio relative to the vibration peak position based on the modal analysis is 0.8 or higher in the antinode of the inherent vibration.

[0017] Preferably, the rib passes through the antinode with the lowest frequency among the multiple inherent vibrations.

[0018] Preferably, the rib is formed by three or more antinodes of the inherent vibration.

[0019] Preferably, the end of the rib is located at a node of the natural vibration.

[0020] It should be noted that in this invention, "face-back direction" refers to the front-back direction (perpendicular to the vertical plane including the shaft's central axis) when the clubhead body is positioned on a horizontal plane with a specified (inherent) sole angle and loft angle. "Toe-heel direction" refers to the horizontal direction orthogonal to the face-back direction when the clubhead body is positioned on a horizontal plane with a specified sole angle and loft angle. "Average radius of curvature of the ribs" refers to the average of the radii of curvature at the center of each region when the ribs are divided into five equal parts along their length. "Average radius of curvature of the outer edge of the toe-back side of the clubhead body" refers to the average of the radii of curvature at the center of each region when the outer edge of the clubhead side and back side is divided into five equal parts based on the clubhead body's center of gravity, with the clubhead body positioned on a horizontal plane with a specified sole angle and loft angle. However, if the outer edge has irregularities, the average radius of curvature of the outer edge refers to the value measured as if the outer edge did not have such irregularities.

[0021] Furthermore, in this invention, "modal analysis" refers to analysis performed through simulation, and the finite element method can be used as an example of such analysis method. "Antinodes of natural vibration" and "nodes of natural vibration" refer to "antinodes" and "nodes" in the state without ribs.

[0022] The effects of the invention

[0023] One embodiment of the present invention provides a driver-type golf club head that, by bending the ribs, can easily and reliably improve the stiffness of the club head body. In particular, by extending the ribs in the face-back direction and bending them in a manner that protrudes towards the toe-back direction, this driver-type golf club head can easily suppress the decrease in the natural frequency of the club head body. As a result, for this driver-type golf club head, the increase in the weight of the club head body can be suppressed and the impact sound improved by reducing the number of ribs provided for improving the impact sound. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic top view of a wood-type golf club head according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic front view of a wood-type golf club head.

[0026] Figure 3 It refers to the interior of the clubhead body of a wood-type golf club. Figure 1 The corresponding schematic top view.

[0027] Figure 4 It means Figure 3 A cross-sectional view along line IV-IV showing the configuration of the front end of the ribs in a wood-type golf club head.

[0028] Figure 5 It means Figure 3 A V-V line sectional view of the rear end configuration of the ribs in a wood-type golf club head.

[0029] Figure 6 Represented by contour lines Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the vibration mode (first-order vibration mode) of a wood-type golf club head.

[0030] Figure 7 It is represented by contour lines. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the vibration mode (second-order vibration mode) of a wood-type golf club head.

[0031] Figure 8 It means Figure 1 In the wood-type golf club head Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the relationship between the contour lines and the rib configuration.

[0032] Figure 9 It means Figure 1 In the wood-type golf club head Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing the relationship between the contour lines and the rib configuration.

[0033] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0034] 1. Wood-type golf club head;

[0035] 2 poles face;

[0036] 2a clubface;

[0037] 3-bar bottom;

[0038] 4 crowns;

[0039] 5. Side of the pole;

[0040] 6. Shaft mounting section;

[0041] 7 ribs;

[0042] 7a front-end;

[0043] 7b backend;

[0044] 10 club head body;

[0045] 11. Outer edge;

[0046] 12. Wall section. Detailed Implementation

[0047] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, for the numerical values ​​described in this specification, only one of the described upper and lower limits can be used, or the upper and lower limits can be arbitrarily combined. All possible numerical ranges are described in this specification as preferred ranges.

[0048] <Wooden Golf Club Head>

[0049] Figures 1 to 3 The wood-type golf club head 1 has a hollow clubhead body 10. The clubhead body 10 includes: a face 2; a sole 3 extending from the lower edge of the face 2 toward the back of the club; and a crown 4 extending from the upper edge of the face 2 toward the back of the club. The face 2 has a face 2a on its front surface. The face 2a constitutes the striking face of the wood-type golf club head 1. Furthermore, the clubhead body 10 has: a side portion extending from a pair of left and right side edges of the face 2 toward the back of the club and positioned between the sole 3 and the crown 4; and a shaft mounting portion 6 on which the shaft is mounted. This wood-type golf club head 1 can be used, for example, as a driver, hybrid, or fairway wood. Preferably, this wood-type golf club head 1 is used as a driver.

[0050] The material of the clubhead body 10 is not particularly limited, and metals and alloys with titanium, stainless steel, martensitic steel, aluminum, magnesium, etc. as the main components can be cited. Furthermore, fiber-reinforced resins such as carbon fiber reinforced resin (CFRP) and glass fiber reinforced resin (GFRP) can be used as the material of the clubhead body 10.

[0051] (rib)

[0052] like Figure 3 As shown, the driver-type golf club head 1 has a rib 7 on the inner surface of the clubhead body 10, extending along the face-back direction and curving towards the toe-back direction. The rib 7 is provided on the inner surface of the clubhead body 10 to improve the impact sound. This driver-type golf club head 1 has only one rib 7 for improving the impact sound. That is, the driver-type golf club head 1 is configured to improve the impact sound through a single rib 7. The rib 7 is, for example, made of metal.

[0053] As previously described, the rib 7 extends in the face-back direction and curves in a manner that protrudes towards the toe-back direction. More specifically, in the clubhead body 10, the front end 7a of the rib 7 is positioned on the face side and toe side, and the rear end 7b of the rib 7 is positioned on the back side and heel side. In this configuration, the rib 7 curves in a manner that protrudes towards the toe-back direction. The curvature of the rib 7 can vary in the length direction. However, as for the shape of the rib 7, an arc shape with a constant radius of curvature is preferred. By making the rib 7 arc-shaped, the rigidity of the clubhead body 10 can be appropriately improved, and the impact sound can be easily reduced.

[0054] like Figure 4 As shown, the front end 7a of the preferred rib 7 is preferably separated from the face 2 at the rear of the face 2. By separating the front end 7a of the rib 7 from the face 2, the flexibility of the face 2 can be adequately ensured, and the impact sound of this wood-type golf club head 1 can be improved. On the other hand, as... Figure 5 As shown, the rear end 7b of the preferred rib 7 reaches the inner surface of the heel-back side of the clubhead body 10 (the inner surface constituting the outer shell of the clubhead body 10). By having the rear end 7b of the rib 7 reach the inner surface of the clubhead body 10, the stiffness of the clubhead body 10 can be easily improved by the rib 7. It should be noted that if the end (front end 7a or rear end 7b) of the rib 7 does not reach the inner surface of the clubhead body 10, it is preferable to connect it to other components such as a wall portion 12 (e.g., a rib provided from a viewpoint other than improving the impact sound) provided within the clubhead body 10. By constructing it in this way, the stiffness of the clubhead body 10 can be more reliably improved by the rib 7.

[0055] The impact sound is improved by increasing the rigidity of the clubhead body 10 through the rib 7. The rib 7 protrudes, for example, in a direction perpendicular to the inner surface of the clubhead body 10. As a cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the length direction of the rib 7, it is preferably rectangular with a greater height than its thickness (width). As for the thickness of the rib 7, it can be, for example, 0.3 mm or more and 2 mm or less. As for the height of the rib 7, it can be, for example, 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less.

[0056] In a top view of the clubhead body 10 positioned on a horizontal plane with a specified sole angle and loft angle, the average radius of curvature of the outer edge 11 of the toe-back side of the clubhead body 10 is preferably 50 mm or more and 70 mm or less. Furthermore, in this top view, the lower limit of the average radius of curvature of the ribs 7 is preferably 30 mm, more preferably 60 mm. Additionally, in this top view, the upper limit of the average radius of curvature of the ribs 7 is preferably 600 mm, more preferably 300 mm, and even more preferably 120 mm. For this wood-type golf clubhead 1, by ensuring that the average radius of curvature of the outer edge 11 and the average radius of curvature of the ribs 7 are within such ranges, the ribs 7 can be easily positioned to accommodate the antinodes of multiple inherent vibrations below 3500 Hz in the clubhead body 10.

[0057] In a top view of the clubhead body 10 positioned on a horizontal plane with a specified sole angle and loft angle, the absolute value of the difference between the average radius of curvature of the outer edge 11 of the toe-back side of the clubhead body 10 and the average radius of curvature of the ribs 7 is preferably 500 mm or less, more preferably 300 mm or less, further preferably 100 mm or less, and particularly preferably 50 mm or less. If the absolute value exceeds the upper limit, it becomes difficult to easily and reliably position the ribs 7 using antinodes of multiple inherent vibrations below 3500 Hz in the clubhead body 10.

[0058] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, in the rod head body 10, there are multiple antinodes of natural vibration below 3500Hz based on modal analysis (hereinafter, the antinodes of natural vibration below 3500Hz based on modal analysis will also be referred to as "antinodes" or "antinodes of natural vibration"). Figure 6 and Figure 7 The multiple antinodes at the bottom of rod 3 are represented by contour lines. Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the diagram, the regions surrounded by contour lines correspond to the antinodes of natural vibrations. Figure 6 Its natural vibration is a first-order vibration mode with a natural frequency of 2880Hz. Figure 7 The natural vibration is a second-order vibration mode with a natural frequency of 3240 Hz. Figure 6 and Figure 7Within this, there exist multiple antinodes of natural vibrations. Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the middle, multiple antinodes are formed along the toe-heel direction of the bottom 3 of the rod.

[0059] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the rib 7 is arranged with two or more antinodes. More specifically, the rib 7 is disposed on the inner surface of the sole 3 and is arranged with two or more antinodes formed in the sole 3. According to the inventors' understanding, by suppressing vibrations below 3500Hz based on modal analysis, the bass reduction of the impact sound can be suppressed, thereby improving the impact sound. This wood-type golf club head 1 can easily improve the impact sound by arranging the rib 7, which curves in a manner protruding towards the toe-back direction, with two or more antinodes. In particular, since antinodes with low inherent frequencies are easily formed in the sole 3, the improvement effect on the impact sound can be easily and reliably improved by arranging the rib 7 in the sole 3.

[0060] The preferred rib 7 passes through the antinode with the lowest frequency among multiple antinodes of natural vibrations. In other words, the preferred rib 7 passes through the antinode of the first vibration mode, and more preferably through the antinode with the largest peak value (acceleration relative to the direction perpendicular to the measured portion, hereinafter also referred to as "acceleration in the Z-axis direction") among the antinodes of the first vibration mode. By configuring the rib 7 in this way, the wood-type golf club head 1 can suppress the bass reduction of the impact sound, thereby easily and reliably improving the impact sound.

[0061] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, rib 7 can pass through both the antinodes of the first-order vibration mode and the antinodes of the second-order vibration mode. Preferably, rib 7 passes through the antinode of the first-order vibration mode with the largest peak value (acceleration in the Z-axis direction) and the antinode of the second-order vibration mode with the largest peak value (acceleration in the Z-axis direction). By configuring rib 7 in this way, the wood-type golf club head 1 can easily and reliably improve the impact sound.

[0062] Preferably, the rib 7 passes through three or more antinodes of natural vibration. In other words, the rib 7 preferably extends in the face-back direction with a curvature passing through three or more antinodes of natural vibration and bends in a manner that protrudes towards the toe-back direction. By configuring the rib 7 in this way, the golf club head 1 of this wood type can suppress the bass reduction of the impact sound, thereby easily and reliably improving the impact sound. Furthermore, by having a single rib 7 pass through three or more antinodes of natural vibration, the number of ribs used to improve the impact sound can be reduced, thus easily suppressing the increase in weight of the club head body 10.

[0063] Preferably, the ends of the rib 7 (i.e., at least one of the front end 7a and the rear end 7b of the rib 7) are located at the nodes of the inherent vibration. In other words, preferably at least one of the front end 7a and the rear end 7b of the rib 7 is fixed to other components at the nodes of the inherent vibration. Furthermore, preferably both the front end 7a and the rear end 7b of the rib 7 are fixed to other components at the nodes of the inherent vibration. According to this structure, the rib 7 can be easily and selectively configured at necessary locations while improving the impact sound. As a result, it is possible to further suppress the increase in weight of the clubhead body 10 while improving the impact sound.

[0064] Preferably, the rib 7 is arranged in a region where the acceleration ratio (acceleration ratio in the Z-axis direction) relative to the peak position of the vibration based on the modal analysis in the antinodes of the inherent vibration is 0.8 or higher. Furthermore, 0.9 is more preferably a lower limit for this acceleration ratio. Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the diagram, the innermost region of the contour line represents the area where the acceleration ratio is 0.8 or higher. By arranging the rib 7 in this way, the golf club head 1 of this wood type can suppress the bass response of the impact sound, thereby more easily and reliably improving the impact sound. It should be noted that, more preferably, the rib 7 passes through the region where the acceleration ratio is above the lower limit in two or more antinodes of the natural vibrations, and even more preferably, it passes through the region where the acceleration ratio is above the lower limit in three or more antinodes of the natural vibrations.

[0065] <Advantages>

[0066] This driver-type golf club head 1, by bending the ribs 7, can easily and reliably improve the stiffness of the clubhead body 10. In particular, by extending the ribs 7 in the face-back direction and bending them in a way that protrudes towards the toe-back direction, the driver-type golf club head 1 can easily suppress the reduction of the natural frequency of the clubhead body 10. As a result, by reducing the number of ribs used to improve the impact sound, the driver-type golf club head 1 can suppress the increase in weight of the clubhead body 10, thereby improving the impact sound.

[0067] [Other Implementation Methods]

[0068] The foregoing embodiments do not limit the structure of the present invention. Therefore, any omissions, substitutions, or additions to the constituent elements of the foregoing embodiments based on the description in this specification and common technical knowledge should be interpreted as falling within the scope of the present invention.

[0069] In the foregoing embodiment, a structure in which the ribs are provided on the inner surface of the bottom of the rod has been described. However, the configuration of the aforementioned ribs is not limited to the bottom of the rod. For example, the aforementioned ribs may also be provided at the crown.

[0070] As described in the aforementioned embodiments, it is most preferred that the number of ribs used to improve the impact sound is one. However, for this type of golf club head, as long as a rib is provided on the inner surface of the club head body that extends in the face-back direction and curves in a manner that protrudes towards the toe-back direction, the provision of ribs other than this rib is not excluded.

[0071] Preferably, the aforementioned ribs are configured to suppress vibrations below 3500 Hz based on modal analysis. From this perspective, it is desirable for the aforementioned ribs to be positioned such that they pass through multiple antinodes below 3500 Hz based on modal analysis. However, in this driver-type golf club head, even if the aforementioned ribs pass through only one antinode or not strictly through multiple antinodes, it is foreseeable that the effect of suppressing weight increase and improving the impact sound can be achieved.

[0072] The positions of the antinodes and nodes of the aforementioned inherent vibration in the aforementioned rod head body are not limited to the configuration described in the aforementioned embodiments.

[0073] Industrial applicability

[0074] As described above, the wood-type golf club head of one embodiment of the present invention is suitable for suppressing the increase in weight of the club head body and improving the sound of the ball hitting.

Claims

1. A type of wood golf club head, characterized in that, The clubhead has a hollow body, which includes a face and a base extending from the lower edge of the face towards the back of the club. The inner surface of the clubhead body is provided with ribs that extend in the face-back direction and curve toward the toe-back direction. In a top view of the clubhead body positioned on a horizontal plane with a specified base angle and loft angle, the average radius of curvature of the outer edge of the toe-back side of the clubhead body is 50 mm or more and 70 mm or less, and the average radius of curvature of the ribs is 30 mm or more and 600 mm or less.

2. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein, The rod head body contains multiple antinodes of natural vibrations below 3500Hz based on modal analysis. The ribs are arranged with two or more antinodes.

3. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 1, wherein, At the bottom of the rod, there are multiple antinodes of natural vibrations below 3500 Hz, based on modal analysis. The ribs are arranged with two or more antinodes.

4. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 2, wherein, The rib passes through a region in which the acceleration ratio relative to the vibration peak position based on the modal analysis is greater than 0.8 in the antinode of the inherent vibration.

5. The wood-type golf club head according to claim 3, wherein, The rib passes through a region in which the acceleration ratio relative to the vibration peak position based on the modal analysis is greater than 0.8 in the antinode of the inherent vibration.

6. The wood-type golf club head according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein, The rib passes through the antinode with the lowest frequency among the multiple inherent vibrations.

7. The wood-type golf club head according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein, The rib is formed by three or more antinodes of the inherent vibration.

8. The wood-type golf club head according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein, The ends of the ribs are located at the nodes of the natural vibration.

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