Golf club head

Abstract

To provide a golf club head capable of enhancing carry performance when a ball is hit.SOLUTION: A golf club head S100 comprises: a head body 10 in which a face part 11, a crown part 12 and a sole part 13 are integrally molded from a carbon fiber-reinforced resin; and a sole plate 20 which is formed from a material higher in density than the carbon fiber-reinforced resin and which is fixed to the sole part 13 so as to close an opening 10h formed in the sole part 13.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a golf club head. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a golf club head having a structure in which a face, a crown, and a sole are integrally molded is known (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-296216 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, the use of carbon fiber reinforced resin as a material for golf club heads has been proposed. However, when carbon fiber reinforced resin is used in a one-piece molded head as in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that it is difficult to improve the flight distance performance of the golf club head when hitting the ball because the carbon fiber reinforced resin is lightweight.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and has an object to provide a golf club head that can improve the flight distance performance when hitting a ball. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A golf club head according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a head body having a face portion, a crown portion and a sole portion integrally molded from carbon fiber reinforced resin, and a sole plate formed from a material having a higher density than the carbon fiber reinforced resin and fixed to the sole portion so as to close an opening formed in the sole portion.

[0007] The sole plate may be provided on the rear side of the head body a predetermined distance from the front end position of the face portion, and the predetermined distance may be greater than or equal to 10% and less than or equal to 70% of the front-to-rear length of the head body.

[0008] The sole plate may be provided on the rear side of the head body at a predetermined distance from the position of the foremost end of the face portion, and the predetermined distance may be 10 mm or more.

[0009] The sole plate may be fixed to the sole portion by adhesive. The sole plate may be fixed to the sole portion by a fastener with a seal member interposed between the sole plate and the sole portion. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a golf club head that can improve the flight distance performance when hitting a ball. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of the golf club head. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the golf club head. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a sole plate and a head body. [Figure 4] 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2, showing how the sole plate is attached to the head body. [Diagram 5] 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2, showing a state in which the sole plate is attached to the head body. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing another example of a golf club head; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a front view of a golf club head. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the golf club head. Fig. 3 is a view showing a sole plate and a head body. Fig. 3(a) is a view of the sole plate, and Fig. 3(b) is a bottom view of the head body. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the AA cutting line in Fig. 2, showing the state in which the sole plate is attached to the head body. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the AA cutting line in Fig. 2, showing the state in which the sole plate is attached to the head body.

[0013] Each drawing shows the golf club head S100 in a reference state. The "reference state" refers to a state in which the golf club head S100 is placed on a horizontal plane with a lie angle and a loft angle set for the head. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the golf club head S100 is assumed to be in this reference state.

[0014] "Distance d11" in Fig. 3(b) is the distance between the face and back of the golf club head S100 on a vertical projection plane. "Distance d12" is the distance between the heel and toe of the golf club head S100. In the golf club head S100 of this embodiment, since the end of the heel does not have a clearly distinguishable shape, the position 0.875 inches (22.23 mm) above the horizontal plane on which the golf club head S100 is placed is regarded as the end of the heel, as per the provisions of the Japan Golf Association's Equipment Rules.

[0015] (Configuration of the golf club head S100) The golf club head S100 is a wood-type head, and includes a head body 10, a sole plate 20, and a neck member 30, as shown in FIGS.

[0016] One of the features of the golf club head S100 of this embodiment is that the head body 10 is integrally molded from carbon fiber reinforced resin (carbon resin), and a metal sole plate 20 is attached to the head body 10 so as to close an opening 10h formed in a part of the head body 10. According to this configuration, the combination of the head body 10 made of lightweight carbon fiber reinforced resin and the metal sole plate 20 can lower the center of gravity of the golf club head S100, thereby improving the flight distance performance of the ball when hit.

[0017] The head body 10 is hollow inside and has a face portion 11, a crown portion 12, a sole portion 13, a side portion 14, and a hosel portion 15. Note that, although the head body 10 in this embodiment has the side portion 14, depending on the shape of the head body 10, there may be no portion corresponding to the side portion 14, and therefore the side portion 14 is not an essential component of the present invention.

[0018] The head body 10 is made of carbon fiber reinforced resin. The head body 10 is a single member in which a face portion 11, a crown portion 12, a sole portion 13, a side portion 14, and a hosel portion 15 are integrally molded. The head body 10 is molded, for example, by a 3D printer using a fused deposition modeling (FDM) method or a fused filament fabrication (FFF) method that is capable of molding carbon fiber reinforced resin.

[0019] The face portion 11 is a portion where a face surface for hitting a ball is formed, and is provided on the front surface of the golf club head S100. The face portion 11 is formed with a plurality of groove-like face lines extending in the toe-heel direction, for example.

[0020] The crown portion 12 is a portion that forms the upper surface of the golf club head S100. The side portion 14 is a portion that connects the crown portion 12 and the sole portion 13, and extends so as to form the side surface of the head body 10. The hosel portion 15 is a portion to which the neck member 30 is fixed.

[0021] The neck member 30 is a cylindrical member made of metal, and is a structural part to which a shaft (not shown) is connected. The neck member 30 is fixed to the head body 10 by, for example, integral molding. Specifically, with the neck member 30 placed in a predetermined position in advance, carbon fiber reinforced resin is laminated using a 3D printer to form the head body 10 in which the neck member 30 is fixed to the hosel portion 15. The neck member 30 may also be attached to the head body 10 afterwards. Specifically, a metal sleeve may be removably fixed to the head body 10 by a fixing screw.

[0022] The sole portion 13 is a portion that forms a part of the sole of the golf club head S100. The sole portion 13 is connected to the side portion 14 via a smoothly curved surface. As shown in Fig. 3(b), an opening 10h is formed in the sole portion 13. A fixing portion 13a is formed on the periphery of the opening 10h.

[0023] The fixing portion 13a is a portion to which the sole plate 20 is fixed. The fixing portion 13a is a part of the sole portion 13, and is an annular curved surface extending along the peripheral portion of the opening 10h. As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, the fixing portion 13a is provided so as to form a stepped portion recessed to a predetermined depth from the lower surface of the sole portion 13. The width of the fixing portion 13a is, for example, 1 mm or more and 10 mm or less. The stepped peripheral portion 20a on the upper surface of the sole plate 20 is adhered to the fixing portion 13a by, for example, an adhesive.

[0024] (Sole plate 20) The sole plate 20 is made of a material having a higher density than carbon fiber reinforced resin, specifically, a metal such as stainless steel or titanium. As shown in Fig. 3, in this example, the sole plate 20 has a contour shape substantially identical to the contour shape of the fixing part 13a surrounding the opening 10h. The sole plate 20, together with the sole part 13 of the head body 10, constitutes the sole of the golf club head S100.

[0025] The sole plate 20 is formed to a size that occupies 15% or more of the area of ​​the golf club head S100 in a vertical projection plane (see Figs. 2 and 3), for example. The distance d21 (see Fig. 3(a)) in the front-rear direction of the sole plate 20 is 8% or more of the distance d11 of the head body 10, for example. The distance d22 in the toe-heel direction of the sole plate 20 is 10% or more of the distance d12 of the head body 10. The outer shape of the opening 10h is slightly smaller than the outer shape of the sole plate 20. The dimensions of the opening 10h may be, for example, 80% or more and 95% or less of the above-mentioned distances d21 and d22 for the sole plate 20.

[0026] The sole plate 20 may have a lower surface located higher than the lower surface of the sole portion 13 of the head body 10 when fixed to the sole portion 13, or may have a lower surface that is continuously connected to the lower surface of the sole portion 13 without forming a step between the lower surface of the sole portion 13 of the head body 10. In another embodiment, the sole plate 20 may have a lower surface that protrudes higher than the lower surface of the sole portion 13 of the head body 10.

[0027] Incidentally, when the entire golf club head is made as a one-piece molded product of carbon fiber reinforced resin, the mass of the head becomes light because the density of carbon fiber reinforced resin is low. In order to adjust the mass of the head, it is conceivable to adjust the mass by providing a weight or the like at any position of the head, but for example, a configuration in which a weight is provided at the crown portion raises the center of gravity of the head. Also, a configuration in which only a screw weight is provided on the sole side of the head results in a point-like weight, which may worsen the weight balance of the entire golf club head S100.

[0028] Therefore, in the golf club head S100 of this embodiment, the sole plate 20, which is a heavy object, is disposed on the sole side of the golf club head S100. With this configuration, the head body 10 can be made of a molded product of carbon fiber reinforced resin, while the center of gravity of the golf club head S100 as a whole can be lowered. Therefore, the center of gravity of the golf club head S100 is lowered, and the ball flight distance performance of the golf club head S100 is improved.

[0029] In addition, the sole plate 20 is provided in a size that occupies a relatively wide range with respect to the bottom surface of the head body 10, so that the effect of lowering the center of gravity by the sole plate 20 can be sufficiently produced, and the weight balance of the golf club head S100 is also good. In addition, a configuration in which the sole plate 20 is attached to a part of the head body 10 that is an integrally molded product in which the opening 10h is not formed is also conceivable, but in this configuration, carbon fiber reinforced resin and a metal material (one example) are laminated. In such a configuration in which different materials are laminated, damage to the members is likely to occur in the laminated portion due to differences in the deformation modes of each member when hitting a ball. Therefore, as in this embodiment, it is preferable that the sole plate 20 is provided so as to cover the opening 10h.

[0030] Regarding the detailed structure of the sole plate 20, as shown in FIG. 5, the sole plate 20 is preferably provided at a position slightly away from the face portion 11 rearward. Specifically, the sole plate 20 is provided on the rear side of the golf club head S100 with a distance d3 from the foremost end position of the face portion 11. The "foremost end position of the face portion 11" refers to the foremost end position of the face portion 11 in the reference state of the golf club head S100. The distance d3 is, for example, 10 mm or more, and preferably 15 mm or more. In terms of the shape of the golf club head S100, the distance d3 is preferably 10% or more of the distance d11. Moreover, the distance d3 is preferably 70% or less of the distance d11, and more preferably 50% or less of the distance d11.

[0031] If the front end of the sole plate 20 is close to the face portion 11 and the distance d3 of the sole portion 13 is too short, there is a risk that the sole portion 13 between the face portion 11 and the sole plate 20 will crack or break when the ball is hit. If the distance d3 is 10 mm or more or 10% or more of the distance d11, the occurrence of such cracks or breakage in the sole portion 13 can be suppressed.

[0032] A long distance d3 means that the sole plate 20 is positioned toward the rear end of the golf club head S100, and when the sole plate 20 is positioned toward the rear end, the effect of lowering the center of gravity of the golf club head S100 by the sole plate 20 decreases. Therefore, it is preferable that the distance d3 is 70% or less of the distance d11, and this makes it possible to effectively lower the center of gravity of the golf club head S100.

[0033] (Effects of the S100 Golf Club Head) As described above, in the golf club head S100, the combination of the head body 10 formed from carbon fiber reinforced resin and the sole plate 20 fixed to the sole portion 13 of the head body 10 allows the center of gravity of the golf club head S100 to be lowered, thereby improving the ball flight distance performance of the golf club head S100.

[0034] <Modification> In the above-described embodiment, no weight member is provided on the sole plate 20, but one or more weight members that are replaceably fixed to adjust the center of gravity position of the golf club head S100 may be provided on the sole plate 20. The weight member may be, for example, a screw weight.

[0035] Although the sole plate 20 in FIG. 4 has a peripheral edge 20a, the sole plate does not necessarily have to have such a peripheral edge 20a.

[0036] The sole plate 20 may have an engagement portion that enters the inside of the head body 10 from the opening 10h and mechanically engages with the inside of the sole portion 13. However, if sufficient strength can be obtained by fixing with an adhesive as described above, such a structural portion can be omitted. Also, for example, the overlapping portion of the sole plate 20 and the sole portion 13 may be mechanically fixed with a fastener such as a screw.

[0037] When the sole plate 20 is fixed to the sole portion by a fastener such as a screw, The sole plate 20 may be fixed with a seal member such as a packing interposed between the sole portion 13 (for example, the fixed portion 13a) and the sole plate 20. This ensures airtightness and watertightness of the golf club head S100. The sole plate 20 and the packing may be provided replaceable, but are not limited to this.

[0038] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing another example of a golf club head. As in the above embodiment, the golf club head S101 in Fig. 6 has a sole plate 20 provided on the sole of the head body 10. A recess 16 is provided near the hosel portion 15, and a fixing screw for fixing a metal sleeve is provided in this recess. The golf club head S101 may be configured so that the fixing screw can be removed and the metal sleeve can be replaced with any metal sleeve of the user's choice.

[0039] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, all or part of the device can be configured by distributing or integrating functionally or physically in any unit. In addition, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effect of the new embodiment resulting from the combination combines the effect of the original embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 10 Head body 11 Face section 12 Crown section 13 Sole 13a Fixed part 14 Side section 15 Hosel part 16 Recess 20 Soleplate 20a Periphery 30 Neck member S100, S101 golf club head

Claims

1. a head body having a face portion, a crown portion and a sole portion integrally molded from carbon fiber reinforced resin; A sole plate is made of a material having a higher density than the carbon fiber reinforced resin and is fixed to the sole portion so as to close an opening formed in the sole portion; Equipped with Golf club head.

2. The sole plate is the face portion is provided at a rear side of the head body at a predetermined distance from the front end of the face portion, the predetermined distance is 10% or more and 70% or less of the length of the head body in the front-rear direction; The golf club head of claim 1 .

3. The sole plate is the face portion is provided at a rear side of the head body at a predetermined distance from the front end of the face portion, The predetermined distance is 10 mm or more. The golf club head of claim 1 .

4. The sole plate is fixed to the sole portion by adhesion.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1.

5. The sole plate is fixed to the sole portion by a fixing device with a seal member interposed between the sole plate and the sole portion.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1.

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