Golf club faceplate and golf club with this faceplate

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of sports equipment, and one of its objectives is to provide a faceplate for a golf club. The faceplate of this invention has a certain thickness, and both sides of the faceplate in the thickness direction are provided as a face surface and a support surface, respectively, with a plurality of grooves provided on the support surface. When a golf ball is struck using a club equipped with the faceplate of this invention, the impact force received by the faceplate is quickly transmitted to the support surface by the groove structure and diffused around the support surface, improving the force receiving and transmission performance of the faceplate and avoiding the problem of localized fracture due to uneven force receiving. Furthermore, this invention manufactures the faceplate of this invention using an amorphous alloy, a high-entropy alloy, or a titanium alloy, thereby engaging with the groove structure on the support surface to give the faceplate good impact elasticity while also making it less prone to fracture. Another objective of this invention is to provide a golf club equipped with the above-mentioned faceplate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of sports equipment, and more specifically, to a face plate of a golf club and a golf club with the face plate.

Background Art

[0002] Improvements to conventional golf clubs mainly focus on the head part. For example, in order to improve the degrees of freedom related to the center of gravity of the head and the moment of inertia during hitting, the weight of a part of the head body in the club head, especially the weight of the head part close to the face plate, is reduced to change the center of gravity of the club head and the moment of inertia during swinging. However, as the volume of the head gradually increases, the thinning design of the club head weakens the structural strength of the head (especially the top), so the weight reduction design for the ball head has now faced a bottleneck. In contrast, some people optimize the face plate provided on the club head. However, the conventional technology basically only considers improving the face surface of the panel, and generally improves the effect when contacting the golf ball by adding a groove structure, such as improving the frictional force, improving the ball holding performance, increasing the area of the sweet spot of hitting, etc. In this process, various composite materials with excellent elasticity (such as titanium alloys) are also applied to the face plate, especially to the driver that attaches the most importance to the kinetic energy conversion efficiency. However, while the elasticity is improved, there is generally a defect that the brittleness is relatively large, which has a great impact on the durability of the face plate.

[0003] In contrast, it is necessary to consider improving the face plate of the golf club to optimize the force-receiving conduction path during hitting and improve its durability.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] This invention aims to overcome at least one of the defects of the prior art described above, and one of its objectives is to provide a golf club faceplate that solves the problem of faceplates being prone to breakage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this invention is a face plate for a golf club, wherein the face plate has a certain thickness, and both sides of the face plate in the thickness direction are provided as a face surface and a support surface, respectively, and a plurality of grooves are provided on the support surface.

[0006] In this design, the end face inside the groove receives the face surface of the face plate, and the opening of the groove is located on the support surface of the face plate. When a golf ball is struck using a club equipped with the face plate of this design, the impact force received by the face plate from the sphere is quickly transmitted to the support surface by the groove structure and diffused around the support surface. This improves the force transmission performance of the face plate and avoids the problem of localized fracture due to uneven force absorption. Furthermore, by providing grooves, the amount of material used for the face plate is further reduced, saving manufacturing costs. More importantly, it reduces the weight of the face plate, contributing to the optimization of the club head's center of gravity and moment of inertia during the swing.

[0007] Furthermore, the faceplate is an amorphous alloy plate, a high-entropy alloy plate, or a titanium alloy plate.

[0008] In this solution, amorphous alloy plates, high-entropy alloy plates, and titanium alloy plates all possess excellent mechanical properties, exhibiting very high plasticity during compression and bending, and combining high strength and high fracture toughness. When used as a faceplate for a golf club, amorphous alloy plates, high-entropy alloy plates, or titanium alloy plates have excellent elasticity, significantly improving the efficiency of kinetic energy conversion during ball impact. When combined with the grooved structure described above, this provides excellent impact performance while maintaining a certain level of structural strength, thereby improving the service life.

[0009] Furthermore, the groove is U-shaped or substantially U-shaped, and its opening faces the support surface.

[0010] The side of the U-shaped groove facing the face has an arc-shaped surface, which can accelerate the guidance of the impact force generated when the face plate hits the ball to the support surface.

[0011] Furthermore, the portion of the substantially U-shaped groove facing the face surface has an R-chamfer structure.

[0012] The R-chamfer structure ensures that the length of the path between the portion of the U-shaped groove that contacts the face and the opening toward the support surface is the same in each direction. This allows for high uniformity in the impact force when the face plate strikes the ball, as it is guided toward the support surface.

[0013] Furthermore, the opening of the U-shaped groove or substantially U-shaped groove has a support surface and a receiving segment, and the receiving segment is an arc segment.

[0014] Preferably, the arc segment is curved outward from the face surface towards the support surface.

[0015] The arc segment design of this solution rapidly diffuses the impact force transmitted to the opening of the U-shaped groove around the support surface, ultimately guiding it to the club or other device on which the faceplate is mounted.

[0016] Furthermore, the groove has a hemispherical shape with its opening facing the support surface.

[0017] When a golf ball is struck by swinging a club equipped with this design, the impact force is transmitted inward from the front of the face, receives the impact force at the hemispherical apex, and then is transmitted to the support surface. Because the length of the arc-shaped transmission path between the spherical apex and the support surface is the same, the impact force is transmitted uniformly to each part of the face plate, resulting in uniform force distribution across the entire face plate, avoiding the phenomenon of excessive force being received at a localized area, and contributing to extending the service life.

[0018] Selectively, the radius of the hemispherical / R chamfer or arc segment is 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm.

[0019] When setting the size, the faceplate can achieve excellent force transmission and reduce the complexity of the manufacturing process.

[0020] Preferably, the grooves are uniformly arranged on the support surface.

[0021] This solution ensures that the impact energy received by the faceplate when it strikes the ball is uniformly transmitted to the area around the faceplate. Some of the impact energy is absorbed by the deformation of the faceplate, while other impact energy is transmitted to the head on which the faceplate is mounted. This ensures that the force is evenly distributed across all parts of the faceplate, thereby avoiding localized damage and fracture due to uneven force distribution and improving the durability of the faceplate.

[0022] Preferably, the grooves are densely distributed on the support surface.

[0023] The densely distributed grooves reduce the spacing between adjacent grooves, allowing for higher energy transfer efficiency on the support surface.

[0024] Furthermore, the support surface gradually protrudes from the periphery towards the center, forming a convex surface.

[0025] This solution can obtain better support strength when the face plate is supported and provided on a golf club head that fits due to the convex structure.

[0026] Furthermore, a connecting portion is provided around the support surface, and the face plate is provided on the golf club via the connecting portion.

[0027] Preferably, the connecting portion is provided around the support surface.

[0028] This solution can increase the contact area between the support portion and the golf club body, thereby improving the support strength when the face plate is provided on the golf club body.

[0029] Preferably, the connecting portion and the support surface are integrally formed.

[0030] This solution can reduce the complexity of the face plate processing, reduce costs, and also improve the support strength.

[0031] Furthermore, the thickness of the face plate is 2.0 mm to 7.0 mm.

[0032] The size of this solution can give the face plate a lightweight structure while ensuring a certain structural strength, so that the golf club with the face plate provided thereon can obtain an excellent hitting effect and also have the durability of the face plate.

[0033] Another object of the present invention is to provide a golf club having the face plate of the above golf club.

[0034] Compared to conventional technology, the beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: By creating grooves on the support surface, the efficiency of transmitting the impact force received by the faceplate when it strikes a ball is improved, the uniformity of force reception across the entire faceplate is improved, contributing to obtaining a good hitting effect and extending the lifespan of the faceplate. Furthermore, by making the receiving segments on the support surface where the grooves are provided arc segments, the efficiency of transmitting the impact force transmitted to the support plate to the surrounding area of ​​the support plate is accelerated. Additionally, by using amorphous alloy plates, high-entropy alloy plates, or titanium alloy plates as the faceplate for the grooves, the elasticity of the faceplate is improved, thereby obtaining a better kinetic energy conversion rate when hitting the ball, and ensuring high performance in combination with the groove structure without sacrificing the lifespan of the faceplate. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0035] [Figure 1] This is a structural diagram of the faceplate of Example 1. [Figure 2] This is the first structural diagram of the support surface in Example 1. [Figure 3] This is the second structural diagram of the support surface in Example 1. [Figure 4] This is a local structural diagram of the golf club in Example 2. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of the club head of the golf club in Example 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0036] The drawings of this invention are for illustrative purposes only and should not be understood as limitations on the invention. Some components in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced in order to better illustrate the following embodiments, and they do not represent the actual size of the product. Those skilled in the art will understand that some known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the drawings.

[0037] Example 1 As shown in Figures 1-3, this embodiment provides a face plate 2 for a golf club. The face plate 2 has a certain thickness, and both sides of the face plate 2 in the thickness direction are provided as a face surface 21 and a support surface 22, respectively, with a plurality of grooves 23 provided on the support surface 22. When specifically implemented, in order to give the face plate 2 a lightweight structure while ensuring a certain structural strength, the thickness of the face plate 2 may be set to 2.0 mm to 7.0 mm. Furthermore, structures such as grooves and protrusions may be provided on the face surface 21 of the face plate 2, which are used to improve the contact performance between the face surface 21 and the ball during impact, for example, by improving frictional force and ball retention performance, thereby providing greater controllability and stability to the shot.

[0038] When applied, the inner end face of the groove 23 receives the face surface 21 of the face plate 2, and the opening of the groove 23 is located on the support surface 22 of the face plate 2. When a golf ball is struck using a club equipped with the face plate 2 of this embodiment, the impact force received by the face plate 2 from the sphere is quickly transmitted to the support surface 22 by the groove 23 structure and can be diffused around the support surface 22. This improves the force transmission performance of the face plate 2 and avoids the problem of localized fracture due to uneven force reception. Furthermore, by providing the groove 23, the amount of material used in the face plate 2 is further reduced, saving manufacturing costs. More importantly, it reduces the weight of the face plate 2, contributing to the optimization of the center of gravity and moment of inertia during the swing of the club head, thereby obtaining a better ball-hitting effect.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, the grooves 23 are uniformly arranged on the support surface 22, and during use, the impact energy received by the faceplate 2 when it hits the ball is uniformly transmitted around the faceplate 2. Some of the impact energy is absorbed by the deformation of the faceplate 2, and other impact energy is transmitted to the head on which the faceplate 2 is mounted. This ensures that the force is evenly distributed at each point of the faceplate 2, thereby avoiding localized damage and fracture due to uneven force distribution, and improving the durability of the faceplate 2.

[0040] In a more preferred embodiment, the grooves 23 are densely distributed on the support surface 22, and when in use, the densely distributed grooves 23 can reduce the spacing between adjacent grooves 23, thereby providing the support surface 22 with higher energy transfer efficiency, and further reducing the amount of material used in the faceplate 2, thereby reducing its weight and improving the ball-hitting effect.

[0041] In order to improve the ball-hitting performance of the faceplate 2, the faceplate 2 in this embodiment may be an amorphous alloy plate, a high-entropy alloy plate, or a titanium alloy plate.

[0042] Amorphous alloys are manufactured by ultra-rapid solidification, and during solidification, there is no time for the atoms to regularly arrange and crystallize. The resulting solid alloy has a long-range disordered structure, and the molecules (or atoms, ions) that make up the material do not exhibit spatially regular periodicity, and there are no crystal grains or grain boundaries in the alloy. In terms of mechanical properties, amorphous alloys have extremely high strength and hardness and a relatively low elastic modulus. Metallic glass has a relatively small elongation rate under tension and exhibits very high plasticity under compression and bending. Therefore, it has both high strength and good toughness, and faceplate 2 can absorb the impact energy received when hitting the ball well, improving durability.

[0043] High-entropy alloys generally consist of five elements, with each element accounting for 5% to 35% of the atomic percentage. In a broader sense, alloys containing four or more elements and three or more main elements can generally be called high-entropy alloys. Mechanically, high-entropy alloys generally exhibit high fracture toughness, so a faceplate 2 made from one can effectively absorb the impact energy received during ball impact, thereby improving durability.

[0044] Titanium alloy sheets possess high strength and low density, as well as high mechanical properties, excellent toughness and corrosion resistance, making them suitable for use as faceplates 2.

[0045] To make it clear, amorphous alloy plates, high-entropy alloy plates, or titanium alloy plates all possess excellent mechanical properties, exhibiting very high plasticity during compression and bending, and combining high strength and high fracture toughness. When used in the faceplate 2 of a golf club, they have superior elasticity, significantly improving the efficiency of kinetic energy conversion during ball impact. When combined with the grooved structure 23 described above, they provide excellent impact performance while maintaining a certain level of structural strength, thereby improving the service life.

[0046] In some preferred embodiments, the groove is U-shaped or substantially U-shaped, with the opening facing the support surface. When applied, the side of the U-shaped groove facing the face surface has an arc-shaped surface, which can accelerate the guidance of the impact force generated when the face plate 2 strikes the ball to the support surface.

[0047] In a more preferred embodiment, the portion of the substantially U-shaped groove facing the face surface has an R-chamfer structure. The R-chamfer structure ensures that the length of the path in each direction between the portion of the U-shaped groove that contacts the face surface and the opening toward the support surface is the same, thereby allowing for high uniformity at each point when the impact force is guided to the support surface when the face plate 2 strikes the ball. At the same time, the R-chamfer structure can further provide good support to the face surface.

[0048] Here, as shown in Figure 1, the opening of the U-shaped groove or a substantially U-shaped groove has a support surface and a receiving segment 24, the receiving segment 24 being an arc segment, the arc segment curving outward from the face surface 21 toward the support surface 22, and during use, the arc segment structure quickly diffuses the impact force transmitted to the opening of the U-shaped groove around the support surface and ultimately guides it to the club or other device on which the face plate 2 is provided.

[0049] In some embodiments, the groove 23 may be provided in a hemispherical shape.

[0050] When a golf ball is struck by swinging a club equipped with the faceplate 2 of this embodiment, the impact force is transmitted inward from the front of the face surface 21, first passing through the hemispherical apex. Since the length of the arc-shaped conduction path between the hemispherical apex and the support surface 22 is the same, the impact force is transmitted to the support surface 22 after the hemispherical apex is impacted. This process results in uniform transmission of the impact force at each point of the faceplate 2, ensuring uniform force distribution across the entire faceplate 2, avoiding the phenomenon of localized excessive force, and contributing to an improved service life.

[0051] When implemented, the radius of the hemispherical, R-chamfered, or arc-shaped segment is 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm. By setting this size, the faceplate 2 can achieve a superior force transmission effect.

[0052] As shown in Figure 1, the support surface 22 gradually protrudes from the periphery towards the center, forming a convex surface. This convex structure provides better support strength when the face plate 2 is supported and mounted on the golf club head to which it fits.

[0053] Furthermore, a connecting portion 25 is provided around the support surface 22, and when in use, the head of the golf club generally has a cavity back structure for fitting the face plate 2, and the face plate 2 is provided in the cavity back structure via the connecting portion 25. When specifically implemented, in order to improve the contact area between the support portion and the golf club body, the connecting portion 25 is provided around the support surface 22, thereby improving the support strength when the face plate 2 is provided on the golf club body. In addition, in order to reduce the complexity of processing, in a preferred embodiment, the connecting portion 25 and the support surface 22 are integrally molded, further improving the support strength.

[0054] Example 2 As shown in Figures 4-5, this embodiment provides a golf club 1 having a face plate 2 as described in Embodiment 1. Here, the golf club 1 includes a connected club shaft 4 and a club head 3, and a cavity back 31 that fits the face plate 2 is opened in the club head 3, and the face plate 2 is provided in the cavity back 31. When specifically implemented, there is a support portion 32 around the inside of the cavity back 31, and when the face plate 2 is provided in the cavity back 31, the connecting portion 25 of the face plate 2 is supported by the support portion 32 of the cavity back 31 to form a stable support for the face plate 2. Furthermore, in order to ensure the connection strength when the face plate 2 is provided on the club head 3, it may be specifically implemented by welding, using adhesive, or by providing a connecting member between the face plate 2 and the club head 3.

[0055] When used, the golf club 1 is swung to hit a golf ball, and the face surface 21 of the face plate 2 receives the impact force of the golf ball and transmits it to the support surface 22. During the transmission process, the impact force is absorbed by the R-chamfering or hemispherical structure of the groove 23 toward the face surface 21, and then uniformly diffused to the support surface 22. Furthermore, it is rapidly diffused around the support surface 22 via the arc-shaped receiving segment 24 between the groove 23 and the support surface 22. Finally, some of the impact force is deformed and absorbed by the face plate 2 itself, and other parts of the impact force are efficiently transmitted to the club head 3 structure of the golf club 1 on which the face plate 2 is provided. The face plate 2 of this invention can optimize the transmission path of impact force, and at the same time, the specially designed groove 23 provides good support to the face plate 2, reduces the amount of wear material on the face plate 2, reduces its weight, and thereby optimizes the ball-hitting effect of the golf club 1. Furthermore, the faceplate 2 of this invention uses an amorphous alloy plate, a high-entropy alloy plate, or a titanium alloy plate with excellent performance, thereby reducing the weight of the faceplate 2 and simultaneously improving its elasticity. Combined with the groove structure 23 described above, this significantly improves the striking performance of the golf club 1 equipped with the faceplate 2 of this invention.

[0056] Clearly, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely illustrative examples to clearly illustrate the technical concept of the present invention and do not limit the specific embodiments of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the claims of the present invention should all be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] Golf club 1, face plate 2, face surface 21, support surface 22, groove 23, receiving segment 24, connecting part 25, club head 3, cavity back 31, support part 32, club shaft 4.

Claims

1. A face plate for a golf club, wherein the face plate has a certain thickness, and both sides of the face plate in the thickness direction are provided as a face surface and a support surface, respectively, and a plurality of grooves are provided on the support surface.

2. The face plate of a golf club according to claim 1, characterized in that the face plate is an amorphous alloy plate, a high-entropy alloy plate, or a titanium alloy plate.

3. The face plate of a golf club according to claim 1, characterized in that the groove is U-shaped or substantially U-shaped, and the opening faces the support surface.

4. The face plate of a golf club according to claim 3, characterized in that the portion of the substantially U-shaped groove facing the face surface has an R-chamfer structure, and / or the opening of the U-shaped groove or substantially U-shaped groove has a support surface and a receiving segment, the receiving segment being an arc segment.

5. The face plate of a golf club according to claim 1, characterized in that the support surface gradually protrudes from the periphery toward the center to form a convex surface.

6. The face plate of a golf club according to claim 1, characterized in that the groove has a hemispherical shape with its opening facing the support surface.

7. The face plate of a golf club according to claim 4, characterized in that the radius of the hemispherical / R-chamfered or arc segment is 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm.

8. The face plate for a golf club according to claim 1, characterized in that a connecting portion is provided around the support surface, and the face plate is provided on the golf club via the connecting portion.

9. The face plate of a golf club according to claim 1, characterized in that the thickness of the face plate is 2.0 mm to 7.0 mm.

10. A golf club characterized by having a face plate of the golf club described in claim 1.

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