Golf club positioning device and golf club assembly system

Abstract

To provide a golf club positioning device capable of accurately directing an identification part of a shaft to a first position with respect to a golf club head, and to provide a golf club assembly system.SOLUTION: A golf club positioning device 1 is used for directing an identification part 131 of a shaft 102 to a predetermined first position c1 around a shaft axial center line P1 when a golf club 100 is assembled. The golf club positioning device includes: a head holding unit 2 for holding a golf club head 101 of a temporary assembly 110; a shaft rotating unit 3 for holding the shaft 102 of the temporary assembly 110 and rotating the shaft 102 around the shaft axis center line c1; a detecting unit 4 for detecting the position of the identifying unit 131; and a control unit 5 for driving the shaft rotating unit 3 so that the identifying unit 131 faces the first position P1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a golf club positioning device and a golf club assembly system. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 describes a method for assembling a golf club in which the shaft and the club head are fixed in a predetermined orientation determined by the position of the shaft seam. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-49987 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The surface of a golf club shaft is provided with an identification portion, which may include a pattern such as a design and / or a mark such as a product model number or brand name. Conventionally, when assembling a golf club, an operator attaches the shaft to the golf club head so that the identification portion faces a predetermined position relative to the golf club head. However, this procedure requires skilled techniques, and it is difficult to accurately position the identification portion relative to the golf club head.

[0005] The present invention was devised in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and its main objective is to provide a golf club positioning device and a golf club assembly system that can accurately orient the identification portion of the shaft to a first position relative to the golf club head. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is a positioning device for orienting the identification portion of the shaft to a predetermined first position about the center line of the shaft axis relative to the golf club head in a reference state when assembling a golf club including a golf club head having a hosel portion with an insertion hole and a shaft having an identification portion and attached to the insertion hole, the golf club positioning device including: a head holding portion for holding the golf club head of a temporary assembly in which the golf club head and the shaft are temporarily attached in the reference state; a shaft rotating portion for holding the shaft of the temporary assembly and rotating the shaft about the center line of the shaft axis; a detection portion for detecting the position of the identification portion of the shaft of the temporary assembly; and a control portion for driving the shaft rotating portion so that the identification portion is oriented to the first position relative to the golf club head based on the position of the identification portion detected by the detection portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] By employing the above-described configuration, the golf club positioning device of the present invention can accurately orient the identification portion of the shaft to the first position relative to the golf club head without requiring skilled techniques. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a positioning device showing an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the positioning device of FIG. [Figure 3] 1A is an exploded perspective view of a golf club, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA. [Figure 4] This is a conceptual diagram to explain the toe-heel direction. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a hosel portion. [Figure 6] 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1, and FIG. 6B is an enlarged view of FIG. 6A. [Figure 7]FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 1, and FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. [Figure 9] 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a side view of the vicinity of the lower holding portion. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the assembly system. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a side view of the assembly system. [Figure 12] 12(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line FF in FIG. 11, and FIG. 12(B) is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 12(A). [Figure 13] 13A is a cross-sectional view taken along line GG in FIG. 11, and FIG. 13B is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 13A. [Figure 14] 1A is a flowchart of the assembly method, and FIG. 1B is a flowchart of the shaft positioning step. [Figure 15] (A) is one embodiment of the positioning of the club and the shaft, and (B) is another embodiment of the positioning of the club and the shaft. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a front view of a positioning device according to another embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a side view of a positioning device according to another embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a partial perspective view of a positioning device according to another embodiment. [Figure 19] 10A is a flowchart of an assembly method according to another embodiment, and FIG. 10B is a flowchart of the shaft positioning step of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings include exaggerated representations and representations that differ from the dimensional ratios of the actual structure to facilitate understanding of the present invention. Furthermore, when there are multiple embodiments, the same or common elements are designated by the same reference numerals throughout the specification, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a front view of a golf club positioning device (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as the "positioning device") 1 showing one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the positioning device 1. The positioning device 1 of the present invention is used when assembling a golf club 100 (shown in FIG. 2). More specifically, the positioning device 1 is a device for positioning a golf club head (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as the "head") 101 and a shaft 102 at predetermined positions. FIGS. 1 and 2 show the positioning device 1 and a temporary assembly 110 of the golf club 100 attached to the positioning device 1.

[0011] The temporary assembly 110 refers to a temporary attachment of the head 101 and the shaft 102. In this specification, the temporary attachment refers to a state in which the head 101 and the shaft 102 are bonded with an adhesive and the adhesive is not yet hardened. In this specification, the temporary assembly 110 refers to a first temporary assembly 111 before the head 101 and the shaft 102 are positioned, and a second temporary assembly 112 (shown in FIG. 11 ) after the head 101 and the shaft 102 are positioned by the positioning device 1. In this type of temporary assembly 110, there is a risk that the shaft 102 may become misaligned relative to the head 101. In addition, a ferrule 103, which will be described later, is attached to the temporary assembly 110 of this embodiment.

[0012] Fig. 3(A) is an exploded perspective view of a golf club 100. Fig. 3(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 3(A). As shown in Fig. 3, the golf club 100 includes a head 101, a shaft 102, a ferrule 103, and a grip (not shown). The grip is attached to the end (other end 102b) of the shaft 102 opposite the head 101 in the shaft axial direction.

[0013] The head 101 is configured as, for example, an iron-type golf club head. The head 101 is, for example, entirely made of one type of metal material, but may be made of multiple types of metal. In other embodiments, the head 101 may be configured as a wood-type, utility-type, or putter-type.

[0014] The head 101 includes a hosel portion 121 having an insertion hole 122 for inserting the shaft 102. The head 101 also includes a face portion 123, a top portion 124, and a sole portion 125. The face portion 123 is formed on the front side of the head 101 and constitutes a striking surface that strikes a ball. The top portion 124 extends from the face portion 123 toward the rear of the head to form the top surface of the head. The sole portion 125 extends from the face portion 123 toward the rear of the head to form the bottom surface of the head. The head 101 also includes, between the top portion 124 and the sole portion 125, a toe 126 located on the opposite side of the hosel portion 121 and a heel 127 located on the hosel portion 121 side.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the toe-heel direction f1 of the head 101. As shown in FIG. 4, first, with the head 101 placed on a horizontal plane HP at the lie angle and loft angle determined for the golf club 100, a vertical plane VP that is perpendicular to the horizontal plane HP and includes the shaft axis center line c1 of the head 101 is determined. Then, the direction of the intersection line NL between this vertical plane VP and the horizontal plane HP is defined as the toe-heel direction f1. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the toe-heel direction f1 and parallel to the horizontal plane HP is defined as the head front-to-back direction f2. The lie angle and loft angle are indicated, for example, in a product catalog or the like.

[0016] 3, the shaft 102 includes an identification portion 131 that includes a pattern such as a design and / or a mark such as a product model number or brand name. The shaft 102 has, around the shaft axial center line c1, an identification region R1 in which the identification portion 131 is provided, and a non-identification region R2 in which the identification portion 131 is not provided. The midpoint of the identification region R1 around the shaft axial center line c1 is defined by the symbol re.

[0017] The head 101 is attached to one end 102a of the shaft 102. The grip is attached to the other end 102b of the shaft 102. When the shaft 102 is attached to the head 101, the shaft axial center line c1 of the shaft 102 coincides with the axial center line c2 of the insertion hole 122. In this specification, the direction along the shaft axial center line c1 is defined as the shaft axial direction. Furthermore, the direction along the axial center line c2 of the insertion hole 122 is defined as the axial direction of the hosel portion 121 (also referred to as the hosel axial direction).

[0018] 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the hosel portion 121 of the golf club 100. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the ferrule 103 is a substantially cylindrical component having a hole through which the shaft 102 passes. The ferrule 103 of this embodiment includes a ferrule body 103A that extends upward from the hosel portion 121 in a tapered shape, and a socket portion 103B that extends downward from the ferrule body 103A. The socket portion 103B is held between the hosel portion 121 and the shaft 102. The ferrule 103 may be made of, for example, a resin material or a metal material.

[0019] When one end 102a of the shaft 102 comes into contact with the bottom 122a of the insertion hole 122, the ferrule body 103A of the ferrule 103 comes into contact with the tip 121a of the hosel portion 121. On the other hand, when one end 102a of the shaft 102 comes into contact with the bottom 122a of the insertion hole 122, the ferrule body 103A of the ferrule 103 comes into contact with the tip 121a of the hosel portion 121. This state is known as ferrule floating.

[0020] The golf club 100 can be divided into two types: a front-strap type (shown in FIG. 15(A)) and a back-strap type (shown in FIG. 15(B)). A front-strap type refers to a state in which the head 101 and the shaft 102 are positioned so that the identification area R1 can be seen when the golfer holds the golf club 100 (i.e., when addressing the ball). A back-strap type refers to a state in which the head 101 and the shaft 102 are positioned so that the non-identification area R2 can be seen when the golfer addresses the ball.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the positioning device 1 includes a head holding unit 2, a shaft rotating unit 3, a detecting unit 4, and a control unit 5. The head holding unit 2 has a function of holding the head 101 of the temporary assembly 110 in a reference state A. The shaft rotating unit 3 has a function of holding the shaft 102 of the temporary assembly 110 and rotating the shaft 102 about the shaft axial center line c1. The detecting unit 4 has a function of detecting the position of the identification portion 131 (shown in FIG. 3) of the shaft 102 of the temporary assembly 110. The control unit 5 has a function of driving the shaft rotating unit 3.

[0022] The reference state A refers to a state in which the axial center line c2 of the insertion hole 122 of the head 101 is vertical, and the tip 121a of the hosel portion 121 is located above the sole portion 125 (shown in FIG. 3). In the reference state A, the head 101 of the temporary assembly 110 is located below the shaft 102, and the shaft axial direction is vertical.

[0023] The positioning device 1 also includes a rectangular frame 6. The frame 6 includes, for example, a plurality of vertical frame portions 6A extending vertically from the floor surface and a plurality of horizontal frame portions 6B connecting two vertical frame portions 6A. For convenience, in this specification, in FIG. 1, the vertical direction (vertical direction) is defined as the Z-axis direction, the horizontal direction as the X-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the Z-axis direction and the X-axis direction as the Y-axis direction. The XY plane is a horizontal plane.

[0024] The head holding unit 2 includes a clamp unit (first clamp unit) 11 and a head rotation tool 12. The first clamp unit 11 has a function of clamping a hosel unit 121 of the head 101. The head rotation tool 12 has a function of rotating the head 101 around the hosel unit 121 (shown in FIG. 3).

[0025] The first clamp portion 11 grips the hosel portion 121 in a direction perpendicular to the hosel axis direction. The first clamp portion 11 includes a pair of upper clamp portions 11A and a pair of lower clamp portions 11B located closer to the sole portion 125 (below) than each of the upper clamp portions 11A. FIG. 6(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1 (a plan view of the vicinity of the pair of upper clamp portions 11A). FIG. 6(B) is an enlarged view of FIG. 6(A). As shown in FIG. 6, each upper clamp portion 11A has a V-shaped cross-sectional groove 13A that abuts against the hosel portion 121 in a cross section perpendicular to the hosel axis direction (parallel to the XY plane) when gripping the hosel portion 121. Such an upper clamp portion 11A provides two contact points between the groove 13A and the hosel portion 121, thereby suppressing misalignment of the hosel portion 121 in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction. Each upper clamp portion 11A is fixed to, for example, a first actuator 14A that allows movement in the X-axis direction and a second actuator 14B that allows movement in the Y-axis direction. The first actuator 14A moves each upper clamp portion 11A in the X-axis direction so as to move toward and away from the hosel portion 121. Well-known actuators such as an electric cylinder or an electric slider are used as the first actuator 14A and the second actuator 14B.

[0026] 7A is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 1 (a plan view of the vicinity of a pair of lower clamping portions 11B). FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of FIG. 7A. As shown in FIG. 7, each lower clamping portion 11B has a V-shaped cross-sectional groove 13B formed therein that abuts against the hosel portion 121 in a cross section (parallel to the XY plane) perpendicular to the hosel axial direction when the hosel portion 121 is gripped. Since the groove 13B and the hosel portion 121 contact each other at two points in this type of lower clamping portion 11B, misalignment of the hosel portion 121 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is suppressed. The groove 13B of the lower clamping portion 11B has a depth d and a width w that are relatively smaller than those of the groove 13A of the upper clamping portion 11A. This type of lower clamping portion 11B can more effectively suppress misalignment of the hosel portion 121 in the X-axis direction than the upper clamping portion 11A. Conversely, the upper clamp portion 11A, which has a relatively large depth d and width w, can more effectively prevent the hosel portion 121 from shifting in the Y-axis direction than the lower clamp portion 11B. The first clamp portion 11 of this embodiment has the upper clamp portion 11A and the lower clamp portion 11B, thereby more effectively preventing the hosel portion 121 from moving in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The lower clamp portion 11B is fixed to, for example, a third actuator 15A that allows movement in the X-axis direction and a fourth actuator 15B that allows movement in the Y-axis direction, similar to the upper clamp portion 11A. Each upper clamp portion 11A and each lower clamp portion 11B is supported by, for example, one support piece 18 (shown in FIG. 1).

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the head rotation device 12 includes, for example, a first contact portion 16 that can contact the head 101 held by the first clamp portion 11, and a fifth actuator 17 that moves the first contact portion 16 in the X-axis direction. When the fifth actuator 17 moves the first contact portion 16 in the X-axis direction, the head 101 held by the first clamp portion 11 can rotate about the axial center line c2. In this embodiment, the head 101 rotates about the axial center line c2 when the first contact portion 16 contacts the face portion 123. In this embodiment, the first contact portion 16 is formed in a plate shape. As the fifth actuator 17, for example, a well-known device such as an electric cylinder or an electric slider is used.

[0028] The shaft rotating section 3 includes a shaft holding section 20 that holds the shaft 102 and a rotation mechanism 21 that rotates the shaft 102 held by the shaft holding section 20.

[0029] The shaft holding portion 20 grips the shaft 102 in a direction perpendicular to the shaft axial direction. The shaft holding portion 20 includes, for example, an upper holding portion 20A that holds the other end 102b side of the shaft 102, and a lower holding portion 20B that holds the side of the head 101 closer to the upper holding portion 20A. The lower holding portion 20B is located, for example, above the first clamp portion 11.

[0030] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 1 and is a schematic diagram illustrating the upper holding unit 20A. As shown in FIG. 8, the upper holding unit 20A includes a pair of clamps (second clamps) 22 that grip the shaft 102 from both sides of the shaft axial center line c1. Each second clamp 22 has a V-shaped cross-sectional groove 23 that contacts the shaft 102 in a cross section perpendicular to the shaft axial direction when the shaft 102 is gripped. The groove 23 includes a first side 23A that can contact the shaft 102 and a second side 23B that is shorter than the first side 23A. The second side 23B has a bent portion 23C that can contact the shaft 102. Such bent portion 23C can increase the pressing force on the shaft 102. The upper holding unit 20A also includes a sixth actuator 24 that moves each second clamp 22 toward or away from the shaft 102. As the sixth actuator 24, for example, a well-known device such as an electric cylinder or an electric slider is adopted.

[0031] FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view taken along line E-E in FIG. 1 (a plan view of the lower holding unit 20B). As shown in FIG. 9A, the lower holding unit 20B includes a pair of clamps (third clamps) 27 that grip the shaft 102 from both sides of the shaft axis center line c1. Each third clamp 27 has a V-shaped groove 28 that abuts against the shaft 102 in a cross section (parallel to the XY plane) perpendicular to the shaft axis direction when gripping the shaft 102. Such a third clamp 27 has two contact points between the groove 28 and the shaft 102. Each third clamp 27 of the lower holding unit 20B is attached to an actuator 29. The actuator 29 includes, for example, a seventh actuator 29A that allows movement in the X-axis direction and an eighth actuator 29B that allows movement in the Y-axis direction. Well-known actuators such as an electric cylinder or an electric slider are used as the seventh actuator 29A and the eighth actuator 29B. The grooves 28 of each third clamping portion 27 have, for example, the same depth d and width w (shown in FIG. 7) as the grooves 13B of the lower clamping portion 11B.

[0032] 9(B) is a side view of the vicinity of the lower holding unit 20B. As shown in FIG. 9(B), the lower holding unit 20B is supported by a support piece 30. The support piece 30 is, for example, a plate-like body extending in the X-axis direction. The support piece 30 is movable in the Z-axis direction by, for example, an actuator (not shown). The support piece 30 is provided with an auxiliary part 31 that assists in holding the shaft 102 of the temporary assembly 110 to the shaft holding unit 20. The auxiliary part 31 is formed of a small piece extending in the Y-axis direction. By abutting the tip 31e of the auxiliary part 31 against the shaft 102, it is possible to assist in positioning the shaft 102 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction within the positioning device 1.

[0033] 1 and 2, the rotation mechanism 21 can rotate, for example, the upper holding unit 20A and the shaft 102 held by the upper holding unit 20A as a unit around the shaft axis center line c1. A rotary-type turntable, an index-type turntable, or a direct-drive turntable is suitable as this rotation mechanism 21. In this embodiment, the upper holding unit 20A and the rotation mechanism 21 are attached to a support piece 34 extending in the X-axis direction. The support piece 34 is movable in the Z-axis direction, for example, by an actuator (not shown). This allows the upper holding unit 20A and the rotation mechanism 21 to hold and rotate shafts 102 of different lengths.

[0034] The detection unit 4 includes a camera 35 capable of capturing an image of the identification section 131. The camera 35 can transmit captured image data to the control unit 5. The camera 35 can transmit image data capable of distinguishing between the identification region R1 and the non-identification region R2 to the control unit 5. The detection unit 4 further includes a lighting device 36 that illuminates the shaft 102 and a moving device 37 that moves the camera 35 and the lighting device 36. It is desirable that the lighting device 36 provide the shaft 102 with a sufficient amount of light for capturing an image of the identification section 131. The moving device 37 can move the camera 35 and the lighting device 36 to optimal positions for capturing an image of the identification section 131. The moving device 37 moves the camera 35 and the lighting device 36 in, for example, the Z-axis direction. The moving device 37 may be, for example, an electric slider or an electric cylinder.

[0035] The positioning device 1 further includes a shaft pressing unit 7 and a shaft positioning tool 9. The shaft pressing unit 7 has a function of pressing the shaft 102 in the shaft axial direction against the head 101 held by the head holding unit 2. The shaft positioning tool 9 has a function of confirming that the shaft axial direction of the shaft 102 of the temporary assembly 110 has been attached to the shaft holding unit 20 in a predetermined direction (vertical direction).

[0036] As shown in FIG. 9(B), in this embodiment, the shaft pressing unit 7 allows the shaft 102 held by the lower holding unit 20B to move in the Z-axis direction together with the lower holding unit 20B. Even if a ferrule floats in the temporary assembly 110, the shaft pressing unit 7 can relatively move the shaft 102 downward in the Z-axis direction with respect to the head 101, so that one end 102a of the shaft 102 abuts against the bottom 122a (shown in FIG. 5) of the insertion hole 122. This eliminates the ferrule floating. In this embodiment, the shaft pressing unit 7 is fixed to the support piece 30, and is therefore movable in the Z-axis direction together with the lower holding unit 20B and the auxiliary unit 31. The shaft pressing unit 7 is preferably, for example, an electric cylinder or an electric slider.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 2, the shaft positioning tool 9 is composed of, for example, a line laser including a laser light source and an optical lens. The line laser is preferably capable of irradiating the shaft 102 with laser light over 50% or more of the length of the shaft 102, and more preferably, is capable of irradiating the shaft 102 with laser light over 100% of the length of the shaft 102. The laser light emitted by the line laser indicates the Z-axis direction on the shaft 102, making it easy to confirm the shaft axis direction of the shaft 102. For convenience, the shaft positioning tool 9 has been omitted from Fig. 1.

[0038] The control unit 5 has the function of controlling, for example, the head holding unit 2, the shaft rotating unit 3, and the detection unit 4. The control unit 5 may be configured by a computer equipped with a storage unit such as a CPU, a memory, or a hard disk. The control unit 5 may also be configured by a hardware circuit, such as a programmable logic controller, capable of implementing some or all of the functions of the control unit 5. In this embodiment, the control unit 5 further controls the shaft pressing unit 7 and the shaft positioning tool 9. It is preferable that the control unit 5 applies a pressing force to the first clamp unit 11 that prevents rotation of the head 101 around the hosel axis in response to rotation of the shaft 102 around the shaft axis center line c1 by the rotation mechanism 21. It is also preferable that the control unit 5 applies a pressing force to the lower holding unit 20B that enables rotation of the shaft 102 around the shaft axis center line c1 by the rotation mechanism 21. Furthermore, it is preferable that the control unit 5 controls the entire golf club assembly system T, which will be described later.

[0039] Fig. 10 is a plan view of a golf club assembling system (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "assembly system") T that includes the positioning device 1 of this embodiment. Fig. 11 is a side view of the assembly system T. As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the assembly system T includes the positioning device 1 and a transport device 70 that removes a temporary assembly (second temporary assembly 112) from the positioning device 1 and transports it to a predetermined adhesive curing location 90.

[0040] The transfer device 70 includes a holding portion 71 for holding the second temporary assembly 112 and an arm portion 72 for moving the holding portion 71.

[0041] The holding portion 71 includes a first holding portion 73 for holding the shaft 102 of the second temporary assembly 112, and a second holding portion 74 for holding the hosel portion 121 of the head 101. The holding portion 71 also includes a plate-shaped support portion 71A for supporting the first holding portion 73 and the second holding portion 74.

[0042] FIG. 12(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along line FF in FIG. 11. FIG. 12(B) is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 12(A). FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the second holding portion 74, viewed in a direction perpendicular to the hosel axis direction, with the head 101 held by the second holding portion 74. As shown in FIG. 12, the second holding portion 74 includes, for example, a pair of clamps (fourth clamps) 75 for gripping the hosel portion 121 from both sides in a direction perpendicular to the toe-heel direction f1 of the head 101 (the head front-rear direction f2). Each fourth clamp 75 of the second holding portion 74 is attached to a lower actuator 78. The lower actuator 78, for example, moves the fourth clamp 75 toward or away from the hosel portion 121. In this embodiment, the lower actuator 78 moves the fourth clamp 75 in the head front-rear direction f2. A well-known actuator, such as an electric cylinder or an electric slider, may be used as the lower actuator 78. The second holding portion 74 may include an actuator 79 that moves the fourth clamp portion 75 in the toe-heel direction f1. For convenience, in this specification, in FIG. 12, the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) is the Z-axis direction, the lateral direction is the Xa-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the Z-axis direction and the Xa-axis direction is the Ya-axis direction. The XaYa plane is a horizontal plane. In this embodiment, the toe-heel direction f1 is parallel to the Ya-axis direction. The head front-rear direction f2 is parallel to the Xa-axis direction.

[0043] Each of the fourth clamp portions 75 has a groove 76 with a V-shaped cross section formed therein in a cross section perpendicular to the hosel axial direction when the hosel portion 121 is gripped. The groove 76 and the hosel portion 121 contact each other at two points in the fourth clamp portion 75.

[0044] The contact point Px between the groove 76 and the hosel portion 121 is located at an angle θ1 of less than 45 degrees with respect to a toe-heel direction line x1 passing through the axial center line c2 of the insertion hole 122 of the hosel portion 121. Such a fourth clamp portion 75 can firmly grip the hosel portion 121. The angle θ1 is preferably, for example, 10 to 45 degrees. The toe-heel direction line x1 is a line parallel to the toe-heel direction f1.

[0045] FIG. 13(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along line GG in FIG. 11. FIG. 13(B) is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 13(A). FIG. 13 is a schematic view of the first holding portion 73, viewed in a direction perpendicular to the shaft axial direction, with the shaft 102 held by the first holding portion 73. As shown in FIG. 13, the first holding portion 73 includes a pair of clamps (fifth clamps) 81 for gripping the shaft 102 from both sides in the head front-rear direction f2 of the head 101. Each fifth clamp 81 of the first holding portion 73 is attached to an upper actuator 82. The upper actuator 82, for example, moves the fifth clamp 81 toward or away from the shaft 102. In this embodiment, the upper actuator 82 moves the fifth clamp 81 in the head front-rear direction f2. A well-known actuator, such as an electric cylinder or an electric slider, is used as the upper actuator 82. The first holding portion 73 may include an actuator 87 that moves the fifth clamp portion 81 in the toe-heel direction f1.

[0046] Each of the fifth clamping portions 81 has a groove 86 with a V-shaped cross section formed therein in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft 102 when the shaft 102 is gripped. The fifth clamping portion 81 has two contact points between the groove 86 and the shaft 102.

[0047] The contact point Py between the groove 86 and the shaft 102 is located at an angle θ2 greater than 45 degrees with respect to a toe-heel direction line x1 passing through the shaft axial center line c1 of the shaft 102. Such a fifth clamp portion 81 can apply an appropriate pressing force to the shaft 102 and prevent damage to the shaft 102. The angle θ2 is preferably, for example, 15 to 55 degrees. The angle θ2 is set to be greater than the angle θ1.

[0048] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the arm unit 72 can move the holding unit 71 in three dimensions. The arm unit 72 is configured as, for example, a six-axis vertical articulated single arm with six movable units. In this embodiment, the arm unit 72 is formed with a known structure. The arm unit 72 holds the holding unit 71 at its tip. In Figure 10, the range of movement of the arm unit 72 is indicated by a two-dot chain line.

[0049] In this embodiment, the adhesive curing location 90 includes a plurality of curing holders 91 that hold the second temporary assemblies 112 received from the transport device 70. Each curing holder 91 is attached to a rotating table base 92. The second temporary assemblies 112 positioned by the positioning device 1 are sequentially delivered to the curing holders 91 and rotated on the table base 92 until the adhesive cures.

[0050] Next, a method for assembling a golf club using such an assembly system T will be described. FIG. 14(A) is a flowchart of the assembly method. As shown in FIG. 14(A), first, a temporary assembly 110 (first temporary assembly 111) is prepared (preparation step S1). The first temporary assembly 111 includes a head 101, a shaft 102, and a ferrule 103. The head 101 and shaft 102 of the temporary assembly 110 are in a temporarily attached state. At this time, the head holding unit 2 and the shaft rotating unit 3 are each placed in a position suitable for gripping the shaft 102 and the hosel portion 121 by the control unit 5. Furthermore, the detection unit 4 is placed in a position suitable for detecting the identification region R1 according to the length of the shaft 102 and the shape and size of the head 101 by the control unit 5. Note that the grip is not attached to the shaft 102.

[0051] Next, the first temporary assembly 111 is attached to the head holding portion 2 and the shaft rotating portion 3 of the positioning device 1 (attaching step S2). At this time, as shown in Fig. 1, the face portion 123 of the head 101 is disposed so as to face the first contact portion 16. In the attaching step S2, for example, the toe 126 is disposed forward of the heel 127.

[0052] At this time, the upper clamp portion 11A and the lower clamp portion 11B of the first clamp portion 11 each grip the hosel portion 121, and the second clamp portions 22 and the third clamp portions 27 each grip the shaft 102. The pressing forces (forces for gripping the golf club 100) of the first clamp portion 11 to the third clamp portion 27 are each controlled by the control unit 5. The sole portion 125 of the head 101 is disposed in a non-contact state with the positioning device 1.

[0053] Next, the head 101 is positioned at a predetermined position by the head rotation device 12 (head positioning step S3). The control unit 5 drives the fifth actuator 17 of the head rotation device 12. As a result, the first abutment portion 16 moves in the X-axis direction and abuts against the face portion 123 of the head 101, thereby rotating the head 101 held by the first clamp unit 11 around the axial center line c2. The head 101 is then positioned at a predetermined position. For example, the head 101 is positioned so that a toe-heel direction line x1 (shown in FIG. 15 ) passing through the axial center line c2 is parallel to the Y-axis direction. At this time, the first clamp unit 11 holds the hosel portion 121 with a pressing force sufficient to allow rotation of the head 101, and the shaft pressing unit 7 presses the shaft 102 in the axial direction (downward in the Z-axis direction) under the control of the control unit 5. This eliminates ferrule floating. At this time, it may be confirmed by the shaft positioning tool 9 that the shaft axial direction of the shaft 102 is parallel to the vertical direction.

[0054] Next, the shaft 102 is positioned relative to the head 101 at a first position P1 (shown in FIG. 15) around the shaft axial center line c1 (shaft positioning step S4). FIG. 14(B) is a flowchart of the shaft positioning step S4. As shown in FIG. 14(B), first, the control unit 5 causes the camera 35 of the detection unit 4 to capture an image of the vicinity of the identification portion 131 of the shaft 102 (detection step S41). The camera 35 then transmits the image data to the control unit 5. Upon receiving the image data, the control unit 5 causes the rotation mechanism 21 to rotate the shaft 102 around the shaft axial center line c1, and position the identification portion 131 (midpoint re) of the shaft 102 relative to the head 101 so that it faces the first position P1 (rotation step S42).

[0055] Next, the control unit 5 again controls the camera 35 of the detection unit 4 to capture an image of the vicinity of the identification portion 131 of the shaft 102 (re-detection step S43). The camera 35 transmits the captured image data to the control unit 5. Based on the captured image data, the control unit 5 determines whether the identification portion 131 of the shaft 102 is facing the first position P1 with respect to the head 101. Therefore, the positioning device 1 of the present invention can position the head 101 and the shaft 102 with high precision. In this way, the first temporary assembly 111 becomes the second temporary assembly 112. Note that in this shaft positioning step S4, the first clamp unit 11 grips the hosel portion 121 with a pressing force that does not cause the head 101 to rotate around the axial center line c2.

[0056] FIG. 15(A) is a diagram showing an embodiment in which the head 101 and the shaft 102 are positioned. As shown in FIG. 15(A), the positioning in this embodiment (first position P1) is such that the midpoint re of the identification region R1 is located on a toe-heel direction line x1 passing through the shaft axis center line c1 and on the toe side of the shaft axis center line c1. This golf club 100 is referred to as the front-stitched golf club. FIG. 15(B) is a diagram showing another embodiment in which the head 101 and the shaft 102 are positioned. As shown in FIG. 15(B), the positioning in this embodiment (first position P1) is such that the midpoint re of the identification region R1 is located on a toe-heel direction line x1 passing through the shaft axis center line c1 and on the heel side of the shaft axis center line c1. This golf club 100 is referred to as the back-stitched golf club.

[0057] Next, the transport device 70 transports the second temporary assembly 112 to the adhesive curing location 90 (transfer step S5). First, the second holding unit 74 of the transport device 70 grips the hosel portion 121. Next, the first clamp unit 11 releases its grip on the hosel portion 121 of the head 101. Then, the shaft pressing unit 7 presses the shaft 102 downward in the Z-axis direction in the shaft axial direction via the lower holding unit 20B. This further suppresses ferrule floating. At this time, the pressing force of the second holding unit 74 (the force that grips the hosel portion 121) is set to a level that prevents the hosel portion 121 from moving relative to the shaft 102. Then, the first holding unit 73 holds the shaft 102 of the second temporary assembly 112, and the head holding unit 2 and shaft rotating unit 3 of the positioning device 1 release the second temporary assembly 112. Then, the second temporary assembly 112 is transported to the adhesive curing location 90.

[0058] Fig. 16 is a front view of a positioning device 1 of another embodiment. Fig. 17 is a side view of a positioning device 1 of another embodiment. As shown in Figs. 16 and 17, a temporary assembly 110 having a wood-type head 101 is attached to the positioning device 1 of this embodiment.

[0059] FIG. 18 is a partial perspective view of a positioning device 1 according to another embodiment. As shown in FIG. 18, the positioning device 1 according to this embodiment includes a first pressing unit 8. Generally, the head 101 of the temporary assembly 110 held by the first clamp unit 11 has a misalignment in the XY plane between the center of gravity of the head and the shaft axis center line c1. This causes the head 101 to deform so that the toe side approaches the shaft axis center line c1, a phenomenon known as "toe side sagging." Note that the toe side sagging occurs more significantly in a wood-type head 101 than in an iron-type head 101. The first pressing unit 8 is configured to eliminate the toe side sagging.

[0060] Specifically, the first pressing unit 8 includes a second contact unit 40 that can contact the head 101, and a moving unit 41 that applies a pressing force to the second contact unit 40 to move it. The moving unit 41 in this embodiment can move the second contact unit 40 in the Y-axis direction. The moving unit 41 can contact the second contact unit 40 against the heel 127 to press it toward the toe. The moving unit 41 may be, for example, an electric cylinder or an electric slider. As a result, the moving unit 41 is fixed to, for example, the vertical frame unit 6A. The second contact unit 40 is formed as a rectangular body made of, for example, fiber-reinforced resin. The first pressing unit 8 is disposed, for example, below the lower clamp unit 11B.

[0061] Fig. 19(A) is a flowchart of an assembly method of another embodiment. Fig. 19(B) is a flowchart of the shaft positioning step of (A). As shown in Fig. 19, the assembly method of this embodiment further includes a toe sag elimination step Sa and a shaft confirmation step Sb. The toe sag elimination step Sa is performed, for example, after the head positioning step S3. The shaft confirmation step Sb is performed, for example, after the toe sag elimination step Sa.

[0062] In the toe sagging elimination step Sa, the control unit 5 drives the moving unit 41 of the first pressing unit 8 to press the second contact unit 40 against the heel 127 of the head 101. This presses the heel 127 toward the toe side, eliminating the sagging on the toe side of the head 101. Therefore, the entire shaft 102 becomes parallel to the Z direction, and the head 101 is brought into the reference state A.

[0063] In the shaft confirmation step Sb, for example, the control unit 5 drives the line laser of the shaft positioning tool 9 to irradiate the laser onto the shaft 102. In this embodiment, the irradiated laser is made parallel to the Z-axis direction, thereby confirming that the shaft axis direction is parallel to the Z-axis direction. This makes it possible to confirm that the head 101 is in the reference state A.

[0064] In another embodiment of the assembly method, the mounting step S2 is as follows. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, it is desirable that the shaft 102 be attached so that the shaft radial line xt passing through the midpoint re and the shaft axial center line c1 is parallel to the Y-axis direction. "Parallel" means that the angle θ3 between the shaft radial line xt and the Y-axis direction is within 15 degrees. The midpoint re may be positioned closer to either the heel 127 or the toe 126 with respect to the shaft axial center line c1. This reduces the time required to position the shaft 102. Note that abutting the shaft 102 against the tip 31e of the auxiliary portion 31 can assist in positioning the shaft 102 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions.

[0065] Although a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment and can be modified and implemented in various ways.

[0066] [Note] The present invention includes the following aspects.

[0067] [Invention 1] 1. A positioning device for assembling a golf club including a golf club head having a hosel portion with an insertion hole and a shaft having an identification portion and attached to the insertion hole, the positioning device being configured to orient the identification portion of the shaft to a predetermined first position around a shaft axis center line with respect to the golf club head in a reference state, the positioning device comprising: a head holding portion for holding the golf club head of a temporary assembly in which the golf club head and the shaft are temporarily attached in the reference state; a shaft rotating unit that holds the shaft of the temporary assembly and rotates the shaft about the shaft axis center line; a detection unit for detecting the position of the identification unit of the shaft of the temporary assembly; a control unit that drives the shaft rotating unit based on the position of the identification unit detected by the detection unit so that the identification unit faces the first position with respect to the golf club head, Golf club positioning device. [Invention 2] The golf club positioning device according to aspect 1, wherein the detection unit includes a camera capable of capturing an image of the identification unit. [Invention 3] 3. The golf club positioning device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a shaft pressing portion for pressing the shaft in the shaft axial direction against the golf club head held by the head holding portion. [Invention 4] 4. The golf club positioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the head holding portion includes a clamp portion that clamps a hosel portion of the golf club head. [Invention 5] A golf club positioning device according to the present invention 4, including a first pressing portion for pressing the heel of the golf club head toward the toe side so as to suppress sagging of the toe side of the golf club head held by the clamp portion. [Invention 6] A golf club positioning device according to the present invention 4 or 5, including a head rotation tool for rotating the golf club head held by the clamp portion around the hosel portion so as to align the golf club head with the reference state. [Invention 7] The golf club positioning device according to the present invention includes a transport device for removing the temporary assembly from the positioning device and transporting it to a predetermined adhesive curing location. Golf club assembly system. [Invention 8] A golf club assembly system as described in Invention 7, wherein the transport device includes a first holding portion for holding the shaft of the temporary assembly and a second holding portion for holding the hosel portion of the golf club head. [Invention 9] the second holding portion includes a pair of clamp portions for holding the hosel portion from both sides in a direction perpendicular to the toe-heel direction of the golf club head, Each of the pair of clamp portions has a V-shaped cross-sectional groove formed therein in a cross section perpendicular to an axial direction of the hosel portion when the hosel portion is gripped, the V-shaped cross-sectional groove coming into contact with the hosel portion, A golf club assembly system as described in present invention 8, wherein the contact point between the groove and the hosel portion is located at an angle of less than 45 degrees with respect to a toe-heel direction line passing through the axial center line of the insertion hole of the hosel portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1 Positioning device 2 Head holder 3 Shaft rotating part 4. Detection unit 5. Control section 100 golf clubs 101 Golf Club Head 102 Shaft 110 Temporary assembly 131 Identification unit c1 Shaft axis center line P1 First position

Claims

1. 1. A positioning device for assembling a golf club including a golf club head having a hosel portion with an insertion hole and a shaft having an identification portion and attached to the insertion hole, the positioning device being configured to orient the identification portion of the shaft to a predetermined first position around a shaft axis center line with respect to the golf club head in a reference state, the positioning device comprising: a head holding portion for holding the golf club head of a temporary assembly in which the golf club head and the shaft are temporarily attached in the reference state; a shaft rotating unit that holds the shaft of the temporary assembly and rotates the shaft about the shaft axis center line; a detection unit for detecting the position of the identification unit of the shaft of the temporary assembly; a control unit that drives the shaft rotating unit based on the position of the identification unit detected by the detection unit so that the identification unit faces the first position with respect to the golf club head, Golf club positioning device.

2. The golf club positioning device according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit includes a camera capable of capturing an image of the identification unit.

3. 2. The golf club positioning device according to claim 1, further comprising a shaft pressing portion for pressing the shaft in a shaft axial direction against the golf club head held by the head holding portion.

4. 2. The golf club positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the head holding portion includes a clamp portion that clamps a hosel portion of the golf club head.

5. 5. The golf club positioning device according to claim 4, further comprising a first pressing portion for pressing a heel of the golf club head toward a toe side so as to suppress sagging of the toe side of the golf club head held by the clamp portion.

6. 5. The golf club positioning device according to claim 4, further comprising a head rotation tool for rotating the golf club head held by the clamp portion around the hosel portion so as to align the golf club head held by the clamp portion with the reference state.

7. a golf club positioning device according to claim 1; and a transport device for removing the temporary assembly from the positioning device and transporting it to a predetermined adhesive curing location, Golf club assembly system.

8. 8. The golf club assembly system according to claim 7, wherein the transport device includes a first holding portion for holding the shaft of the temporary assembly, and a second holding portion for holding the hosel portion of the golf club head.

9. the second holding portion includes a pair of clamp portions for gripping the hosel portion from both sides in a direction perpendicular to the toe-heel direction of the golf club head, each of the pair of clamp portions has a V-shaped cross-sectional groove formed therein in a cross section perpendicular to an axial direction of the hosel portion when the hosel portion is gripped, the V-shaped cross-sectional groove coming into contact with the hosel portion; 9. The golf club assembly system according to claim 8, wherein a contact point between the groove and the hosel portion is positioned at an angle of less than 45 degrees with respect to a toe-heel direction line passing through an axial center line of the insertion hole of the hosel portion.

Images