Alloy for manufacturing golf club head, method for manufacturing golf club head, and angle adjustment method for golf club head

Abstract

To provide an alloy for manufacturing a golf club head intended to address a problem that conventional golf club heads are difficult to adjust in angle.SOLUTION: The present invention includes an alloy for manufacturing a golf club head, containing 0.3 to 0.6 wt.% carbon, 0.4 to 1 wt.% silicon, 0.4 to 1.1 wt.% manganese, 0.4 to 2 wt.% nickel, 0.6 to 1.5 wt.% chromium, 0.1 to 0.5 wt.% molybdenum, and iron as the balance, and a method for manufacturing a golf club head using the alloy for manufacturing a golf club head and a method for adjusting an angle of the golf club head, whereby a golf club head manufactured from the alloy for manufacturing a golf club head exhibits excellent angle adjustability.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an alloy for use in manufacturing golf club heads, and more particularly to an alloy for use in manufacturing golf club heads that are easy to adjust the angle of. [Background technology]

[0002] Steel is widely used as a material for forming golf club heads because it has excellent strength, corrosion resistance, and heat resistance. However, golf club heads made from conventional steel materials place too much emphasis on the strength of the entire golf club head, neglecting the toughness of the golf club head. As a result, the torque resistance value of the golf club head against the shaft increases, making adjustment difficult and making it difficult to adjust to suit the hitting needs of each user. On the other hand, if the hardness of the golf club head is reduced in an attempt to increase toughness in order to make it easier to adjust the angle, the problem of insufficient strength arises. In view of the above, there is still a need for improvement in conventional steel materials for manufacturing golf club heads. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] China Public Notice No. 103243274 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an alloy for manufacturing golf club heads that allows for easy angle adjustment and allows for the manufacturing of golf club heads having good strength.

[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a golf club head that can produce a golf club head that has an excellent elongation rate and is therefore easy to adjust the angle of.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for adjusting the angle of a golf club head that has an appropriate hardness and is therefore easy to adjust. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] Directional terms or terms similar thereto used throughout the specification of the present invention, such as "front," "rear," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "inside," "outside," and "side," refer to directions in the accompanying drawings. Each direction or term similar thereto is intended merely to aid in the explanation and understanding of each embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. Throughout the specification of the present invention, the use of numerals such as "one" or "one piece" in reference to parts or components is for convenience and gives the ordinary meaning to the scope of the present invention, and should be interpreted as one or at least one in the present invention, and the concept of one also includes the case of plural, unless clearly indicated otherwise.

[0008] In the entire specification of the present invention, the terms "connection," "combination," "assembly," and similar terms include those in which the components can be separated without being destroyed even after being connected, and those in which the components cannot be separated after being connected, which can be selected by a person skilled in the art according to the materials of the components to be connected or the requirements of the assembly.

[0009] The alloy for manufacturing a golf club head according to the present invention is characterized by containing 0.3 to 0.6 weight percent carbon, 0.4 to 1 weight percent silicon, 0.4 to 1.1 weight percent manganese, 0.4 to 2 weight percent nickel, 0.6 to 1.5 weight percent chromium, 0.1 to 0.5 weight percent molybdenum, and the balance being iron.

[0010] The method for manufacturing a golf club head according to the present invention is characterized by comprising the steps of: producing a semi-finished golf club head using the above-mentioned alloy for manufacturing a golf club head; and sequentially subjecting the semi-finished golf club head to a quenching treatment at 860-900°C for 30-120 minutes and a tempering treatment at 230-250°C for 30-120 minutes.

[0011] The method for adjusting the angle of a golf club head according to the present invention comprises manufacturing a golf club head using the above-described alloy for manufacturing golf club heads, the golf club head having a hitting portion and a hosel portion, and a connection portion between the hitting portion and the hosel portion, heating the hosel portion at 730 to 770°C for 110 to 150 seconds to make the hardness of the hosel portion lower than the hardness of the hitting portion, and bending the hosel portion relative to the hitting portion to adjust the angle.

[0012] As a result, the alloy for manufacturing golf club heads of the present invention has a specific composition ratio, which allows the golf club heads manufactured using the alloy for manufacturing golf club heads to have excellent mechanical properties and elongation, and also allows the golf club heads to have appropriate hardness after angle adjustment heat treatment, thereby achieving the effect that the golf club heads manufactured using the alloy have excellent angle adjustment properties.

[0013] The semi-finished golf club head product after tempering is characterized by having a tensile strength of 240 to 270 ksi, a yield strength of 190 to 220 ksi, an elongation rate of 3 to 8%, and a hardness of 48 to 54 HRC. As a result, the golf club head manufactured using the alloy for manufacturing a golf club head of the present invention has good tensile strength, yield strength and hardness.

[0014] The hosel portion is heated at 730 to 770°C for 110 to 150 seconds, and the hardness of the connection portion is lower than the hardness of the hitting portion and higher than the hardness of the hosel portion. This provides the golf club head with an appropriate hardness, which makes it easy to adjust the angle.

[0015] Furthermore, after the hosel portion is heated at 730 to 770°C for 110 to 150 seconds, the hardness of the hitting portion is 510 to 600 HV, the hardness of the connecting portion is 350 to 450 HV, and the hardness of the hosel portion is 250 to 330 HV. This provides the golf club head with an appropriate hardness, which makes it easy to adjust the angle.

[0016] The hitting portion is the area extending 20 mm horizontally from the center line of the face of the golf club head toward the hosel portion to the toe portion of the golf club head, the hosel portion is the area extending 32 mm from the end face of the opening of the hosel portion toward the connecting portion, and the connecting portion is the area extending 15 mm horizontally from the edge of the hitting portion toward the hosel portion. This provides the golf club head with an appropriate hardness, which makes it easy to adjust the angle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a golf club head made from an alloy of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0018] In order to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more comprehensible, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the following embodiments and drawings. Furthermore, parts marked with the same reference numerals in different drawings are considered to be the same and their explanations will be omitted.

[0019] An example of an alloy for manufacturing a golf club head according to the present invention includes carbon (C), silicon (Si), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), and the balance iron (Fe). Thus, the alloy for manufacturing the golf club head can be formed as a steel alloy.

[0020] Specifically, the alloy for manufacturing golf club heads may contain 0.3 to 0.6 weight percent carbon, 0.4 to 1 weight percent silicon, 0.4 to 1.1 weight percent manganese, 0.4 to 2 weight percent nickel, 0.6 to 1.5 weight percent chromium, 0.1 to 0.5 weight percent molybdenum, and the balance being iron. Furthermore, the alloy for manufacturing a golf club head in this embodiment may contain phosphorus (P) of 0.04% by weight or less but not 0% by weight, sulfur (S) of 0.03% by weight or less but not 0% by weight, and copper (Cu) of 0.3% by weight or less but not 0% by weight.

[0021] Specifically, carbon and manganese stabilize the formation of austenite structure in the alloy, and molybdenum improves corrosion resistance, so the alloy for manufacturing golf club heads can have excellent strength by containing relatively high contents of carbon, manganese, and molybdenum. Silicon increases the oxidation resistance of the alloy for manufacturing the golf club head, and can prevent the alloy for manufacturing the golf club head from corroding. Although the addition of silicon is beneficial for improving yield strength, it has a negative effect on elongation. Therefore, the alloy for manufacturing golf club heads in this embodiment contains 0.4 to 1% by weight of silicon, and thus can achieve both excellent yield strength and elongation with a relatively small amount of silicon. Furthermore, nickel can have an effect on the crystal structure of the steel. In detail, the alloy for manufacturing golf club heads contains 0.4 to 2 weight percent nickel, which can improve the brittleness of the alloy for manufacturing golf club heads and prevent embrittlement during tempering treatment, allowing the alloy for manufacturing golf club heads to have excellent strength and toughness. Furthermore, the addition of chromium allows the alloy steel to have excellent corrosion resistance and rust resistance.

[0022] The alloy for manufacturing golf club heads of the present invention can be used to manufacture golf club heads. For example, the alloy for manufacturing golf club heads can be pressed into a plurality of ingots, which can then be melted to form alloy rods, which can then be forged to form golf club heads. Alternatively, multiple ingots can be melted and cast to form golf club heads, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0023] In order to prove that the composition of the alloy for manufacturing a golf club head of the present invention can provide good strength, the mechanical properties of the alloy steel of the first embodiment (group 1) and the alloy steel of the second embodiment (group 2) of the present invention shown in Table 1 were measured after heat treatment. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0024] [Table 1]

[0025] [Table 2]

[0026] As can be seen from the above test results, golf club heads manufactured using the alloy for manufacturing golf club heads of the present invention can have a tensile strength of 240 to 270 ksi, a yield strength of 190 to 220 ksi, an elongation of 3 to 8%, and a hardness of 48 to 54 HRC. This allows the golf club head to have good mechanical properties and good elongation, making it easy to adjust the angle. Furthermore, good elongation means excellent ductility, and the golf club head can have relatively low brittleness. It should be noted that compared with the tempering treatment at 250°C, the tempering treatment at 230°C can effectively improve the elongation rate of the golf club head. That is, the golf club head has excellent plasticity, and further has excellent adjustability and lower brittleness. Furthermore, impact tests were conducted on the face of a golf club head manufactured using the alloy for manufacturing a golf club head of the first embodiment and the face of a golf club head manufactured using the alloy for manufacturing a golf club head of the second embodiment. As a result, neither the first nor the second embodiment showed any cracks even after undergoing at least 6,000 impacts. That is, a golf club head manufactured using the alloy for manufacturing a golf club head of the present invention can have good strength.

[0027] Furthermore, the golf club heads manufactured from the first and second groups of alloy steels were subjected to angle adjustment heat treatment, and then the angle adjustment ability of each golf club head was measured. In detail, the angle adjustment heat treatment may be a process of heating the hosel portion of each golf club head for 110 to 150 seconds by high-frequency heating at 730 to 770°C, thereby reducing the hardness of the hosel portion of the golf club head and making it easier to adjust the angle of the golf club head. The results are shown in Table 3. As can be seen from Table 3, both the golf club heads manufactured using the composition ratios of Groups 1 and 2 had low torque values ​​and good maximum adjustment angles, indicating that golf club heads manufactured using the alloy for manufacturing golf club heads of the present invention can have excellent adjustment angle.

[0028] [Table 3]

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the hardness of the golf club head H manufactured using the alloy for manufacturing a golf club head of the present invention after the angle adjustment heat treatment was further measured. More specifically, the golf club head H has a hitting portion H1 and a hosel portion H2, and a connection portion H3 between the hitting portion H1 and the hosel portion H2. The crown, sole, toe and face of the golf club head H may be located at a hitting portion H1. The heel of the golf club head H is located at the connection part H3. Furthermore, the hitting portion H1 may be the area extending from a point 20 mm horizontally from the center line O of the face of the golf club head H toward the hosel portion H2 to the toe portion of the golf club head H, and preferably, the area extending from a point 20 mm horizontally from the center line O toward the hosel portion H2 to a point 50 mm horizontally from the center line O toward the toe portion. The hosel portion H2 may be a region extending from the end face of the opening of the hosel portion H2 to a point extending 32 mm toward the connecting portion H3. The connection portion H3 may be a region extending 15 mm horizontally from the edge of the hitting portion H1 toward the hosel portion H2. Measurements showed that the average hardness of the hitting portion H1 was 510 to 600 HV, the average hardness of the hosel portion H2 was 250 to 330 HV, and the average hardness of the connecting portion H3 was 350 to 450 HV.

[0030] Furthermore, the hardness of each portion of the golf club head H was measured. For example, there may be five measurement points H1a, H1b, H1c, H1d, and H1e on the face of the hitting portion H1, and these five measurement points H1a, H1b, H1c, H1d, and H1e may be arranged in a row at equal intervals on the center line O. The hardness (HV) of the five measurement points H1a, H1b, H1c, H1d, and H1e is 572, 588, 580, 576, and 584, respectively. In addition, the connection portion H3 has five measurement points H3a, H3b, H3c, H3d, and H3e, and the five measurement points H3a, H3b, H3c, H3d, and H3e of the connection portion H3 can be aligned in a row at the connection portion H3, and the distance to the center line O of the striking portion H1 is 28 mm. The hardness (HV) of the five measurement points H3a, H3b, H3c, H3d, and H3e are 470, 486, 473, 474, and 468, respectively. In addition, the hosel portion H2 has a first radial depth D1 and a second radial depth D2 in a radial cross section extending from the outer peripheral surface of the hosel portion H2 toward the center of the hosel portion H2, the first radial depth D1 being 2 mm and the second radial depth D2 being 4 mm. At the first radial depth D1, there are four equally spaced measurement points H2a, H2b, H2c, and H2d, and the hardness (HV) of the four measurement points H2a, H2b, H2c, and H2d is 281.1, 298.5, 301.5, and 295.5, respectively. At the second radial depth D2, there are four equally spaced measurement points H2e, H2f, H2g, and H2h, and the hardness (HV) of the four measurement points H2e, H2f, H2g, and H2h are 288.1, 289.6, 306.2, and 281.1, respectively. Therefore, as can be seen from the above measurement results, the golf club head H that underwent the angle adjustment heat treatment has the relatively lowest hardness in the hosel portion H2, the relatively highest hardness in the hitting portion H1, and the hardness of the connecting portion H3 is higher than the hardness of the hosel portion H2 and lower than the hardness of the hitting portion H1. It was shown that the golf club head manufactured using the alloy for manufacturing a golf club head of the present invention has an appropriate hardness in the hosel portion H2 after the angle adjustment heat treatment, making it easy to adjust the angle.

[0031] As described above, the alloy for manufacturing golf club heads of the present invention has a specific composition ratio, which allows the golf club heads manufactured using the alloy for manufacturing golf club heads to have excellent mechanical properties and elongation, and also allows the golf club heads to have appropriate hardness after angle adjustment heat treatment, thereby achieving the effect that the golf club heads manufactured using the alloy have excellent angle adjustment properties.

[0032] Although the present invention has been disclosed with the above examples, they are not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications to the above embodiments will still fall within the scope of the present invention, provided they do not deviate from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention includes all modifications that fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] H··· Golf club head H1... Striking section H2··· Hosel part H3...Connection part H1a to H1e, H2a to H2h, H3a to H3e... Measurement points O... Chuo Line D1: First radial depth D2...Second radial depth

Claims

1. 1. An alloy for manufacturing a golf club head, comprising: 0.3 to 0.6 weight percent carbon; 0.4 to 1 weight percent silicon; 0.4 to 1.1 weight percent manganese; 0.4 to 2 weight percent nickel; 0.6 to 1.5 weight percent chromium; 0.1 to 0.5 weight percent molybdenum; and the balance being iron.

2. 10. A method for manufacturing a golf club head, comprising: manufacturing a semi-finished golf club head using the alloy for manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1; and sequentially subjecting the semi-finished golf club head to a quenching treatment at 860 to 900°C for 30 to 120 minutes and a tempering treatment at 230 to 250°C for 30 to 120 minutes.

3. 3. The method for manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 2, wherein the golf club head semi-finished product after the tempering treatment has a tensile strength of 240 to 270 ksi, a yield strength of 190 to 220 ksi, an elongation percentage of 3 to 8%, and a hardness of 48 to 54 HRC.

4. A golf club head is manufactured using the alloy for manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1, the golf club head having a hitting portion and a hosel portion, and a connection portion between the hitting portion and the hosel portion; A method for adjusting an angle of a golf club head, comprising heating the hosel portion at 730 to 770°C for 110 to 150 seconds to make the hardness of the hosel portion lower than the hardness of the hitting portion, and bending the hosel portion relative to the hitting portion to adjust the angle.

5. 5. The golf club head adjusting method according to claim 4, wherein after the hosel portion is heated at 730 to 770°C for 110 to 150 seconds, the hardness of the connection portion is lower than the hardness of the hitting portion and higher than the hardness of the hosel portion.

6. After heating the hosel portion at 730 to 770°C for 110 to 150 seconds, the hardness of the hitting portion is 510 to 600 HV; The hardness of the connection portion is 350 to 450 HV, 5. The method for adjusting the angle of a golf club head according to claim 4, wherein the hardness of the hosel portion is 250 to 330 HV.

7. the hitting portion is a region extending from a point 20 mm horizontally from the center line of the face of the golf club head toward the hosel portion to a toe portion of the golf club head, the hosel portion is a region extending from an end face of the opening of the hosel portion to a point extending 32 mm toward the connection portion, 7. The method for adjusting the angle of a golf club head according to claim 6, wherein the connecting portion is a region extending 15 mm horizontally from an edge of the hitting portion toward the hosel portion.

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