Golf Club Head

Abstract

To provide a golf club head for promoting an increase in a launch angle when hitting a golf ball.SOLUTION: A hollow golf club head having a face part, a crown part, a sole part, a side part, and a hosel part includes a first metal member forming the face part and at least part of the crown part, and a second metal member forming the sole part, the side part, and the hosel part, the second metal member joined to the first metal member. The first metal member is a forged member having at least one groove part while the second metal member is a forged member having at least one reinforcement rib.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Techniques have been proposed for manufacturing hollow golf club heads by joining multiple parts. Patent Document 1 proposes a golf club head in which a part having a face part, a hosel part, and a crown part is joined to a part having a sole part and a side part. Patent Document 2 proposes a golf club head in which a part having a face part and a crown part is joined to a part having a sole part, a hosel part, and a side part. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-205054 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 4000797 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Casting is widely used as a method for manufacturing golf club head parts. While casting has the advantage of allowing a high degree of freedom in part shape, it is disadvantageous in terms of homogenization and thinning. When hitting a golf ball, a larger launch angle of the ball can be expected to increase the flight distance. In order to increase the launch angle, it is advantageous if the upper part of the face and the crown are easily flexible when hit. To make the upper part of the face and the crown easily flexible, homogenization and thinning are required. When the face and crown are molded by casting, it is disadvantageous in terms of homogenization and thinning.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a golf club head that facilitates an increased launch angle when striking a golf ball. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, A hollow golf club head having a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, a side portion and a hosel portion, a first metal member forming the face portion and at least a part of the crown portion; a second metal member that forms the sole portion, the side portion, and the hosel portion, and to which the first metal member is joined; the first metal member is a forged member having at least one groove; the second metal component is a cast component having at least one reinforcing rib; The at least one reinforcing rib is A groove is formed on the inner surface of the boundary between the sole portion and the face portion. First Reinforcement rib and, A second reinforcing rib is formed on an inner surface of a boundary between the side portion and the crown portion on the back side; a third reinforcing rib extending continuously between the side portion on the toe side and the side portion on the heel side, and extending between the side portions; Including, A golf club head is provided. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a golf club head that promotes an increase in the launch angle when striking a golf ball. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a golf club head according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of the golf club head of FIG. 1; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the golf club head of FIG. 1 . [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the golf club head of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the golf club head of FIG. 1. [Figure 6]3A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B is a diagram showing the relationship between the contour line and the joint line of the golf club head. [Figure 7] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing other configuration examples of the reinforcing rib. [Figure 8] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing other configuration examples of the reinforcing rib. [Figure 9] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing other configuration examples of the reinforcing rib. [Figure 10] 1 is a bottom view of a golf club head showing an example of a restraining structure for a face portion. [Figure 11] Cross-sectional view of line BB in Figure 10. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more features among the multiple features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf club head 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the golf club head 1 (viewed from the crown portion 12 side), and FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the golf club head 1 (viewed from the sole portion 13 side).

[0011] The golf club head 1 is a hollow body, and its peripheral walls form a face portion 11, a crown portion 12, a sole portion 13, and a side portion 14. The surface (front) of the face portion 11 forms the face surface (striking surface). A bulge and a roll can be formed on the face surface. The crown portion 12 forms the top of the golf club head 1. The sole portion 13 forms the bottom of the golf club head 1. The side portion 14 forms the portion between the sole portion 13 and the crown portion 12. The golf club head 1 also has a hosel portion 15 to which a shaft is attached.

[0012] In each figure, arrow D1 indicates the face-back direction, F indicates the face side, and B indicates the back side. Arrow D2 indicates the toe-heel direction, T indicates the toe side, and H indicates the heel side. The face-back direction is, for example, the flight line direction (the target direction of the hit ball). The toe-heel direction is, for example, the direction connecting the toe side end and the heel side end of the sole portion 14, and is approximately at a right angle to the flight line direction.

[0013] The golf club head 1 is a golf club head for a driver. However, the present invention is also applicable to hollow golf club heads including fairway woods and the like other than drivers.

[0014] Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 6(A). FIG. 6(A) is a cross-sectional view of the crown portion 12 along the line AA in FIG. 2. The crown portion 12 has grooves 21 and 22 formed as thin-walled portions thinner than the surrounding area. Both the grooves 21 and 22 extend in a direction intersecting the D1 direction, and in the present embodiment, they extend in the D2 direction. By forming the grooves 21 and 22, the crown portion 12 is easily bent in the D1 direction upon impact. This makes it easier for the upper part of the face portion 11 to bend toward the back side upon impact, and the launch angle of the ball can be increased. The effect of increasing the launch angle can be obtained with one groove 21 or groove 22. However, by forming a plurality of grooves 21 and 22 as in the present embodiment, the effect of increasing the launch angle can be further obtained.

[0015] In this embodiment, the groove portion 21 is formed on the outer surface of the crown portion 12, and the groove portion 22 is formed on the inner surface of the crown portion 12. The groove portion 21 also contributes to improving the design of the golf club head 1. The groove portion 22 is not visible from the outside of the golf club head 1, and can also appeal to the golfer the existence of a hidden function. Note that the groove portion 21 and the groove portion 22 may both be formed on the outer surface of the crown portion 12, or both may be formed on the inner surface of the crown portion 12.

[0016] Groove portion 21 and groove portion 22 are formed on the back side of groove portion 21 when viewed in the D1 direction. Groove portion 21 is formed close to face portion 11, which can improve the ease of bending near the boundary between face portion 11 and crown portion 12. Also, by forming groove portion 21 close to face portion 11, groove portion 21 is more likely to be included in the golfer's field of vision when the golfer addresses the ball, making it easier for the golfer to expect the bending effect of groove portion 21. Groove portion 22 is formed on the back side, which can make the crown portion 12 easier to bend overall.

[0017] The edge of the groove 21 on the face 11 side is a straight edge extending parallel to the face 11. When a golfer addresses the ball, the groove 21 serves as an index to easily point the face 11 toward the target. The groove 21 is wider at both ends in the D2 direction than at the center. The toe and heel sides of the face 11 are more likely to flex toward the back than the center, so a more consistent flight distance performance can be obtained regardless of the position of the impact point on the face 11.

[0018] The grooves 22 extend in a strip shape with the same width in the D2 direction in the center of the crown portion 12 in the D1 direction. This allows the center of the crown portion 12 in the D1 direction to bend more uniformly in the D1 direction upon impact. The grooves 22 may be formed across the crown portion 12 in the D2 direction.

[0019] The thickness of the crown portion 12 is, for example, within a range of 0.3 to 0.8 mm, particularly within a range of 0.3 to 0.6 mm, in terms of easiness of bending. The depth of the grooves 21 and 22 is, for example, 1 / 2 to 1 / 6 of the thickness of the crown portion 12.

[0020] The golf club head 1 of this embodiment is manufactured by joining a plurality of members. Figures 4 and 5 are exploded perspective views of the golf club head 1. The golf club head 1 is manufactured by joining a metal member 2 and a metal member 3. In this embodiment, the joining method is welding. Examples of the metal materials of the metal members 2 and 3 include titanium-based metals (e.g., titanium alloy 6Al-4V-Ti, etc.), iron-based metals, stainless steel, aluminum alloys, and copper alloys such as beryllium copper. The metal members 2 and 3 may be made of the same metal material or different metal materials.

[0021] The metal member 2 is a member that forms the face portion 11 and the crown portion 12, and also has grooves 21 and 22 formed in the crown portion 12. The grooves 21 and 22 may be formed when the metal member 2 is forged, or the grooves 21 and 22 may be formed by machining or laser processing after forming a forged member without the grooves 21 and 22.

[0022] In this embodiment, the metal member 2 forms the entire crown portion 12 except for the periphery of the hosel portion 15. However, the metal member 2 may form a part of the crown portion 12. In this case, the part of the crown portion 12 on the face portion 11 side may be formed by the metal member 2.

[0023] The metal member 3 is a member that forms the sole portion 13, the side portion 14, and the hosel portion 15. In this embodiment, the metal member 3 has a reinforcing rib 31 and a reinforcing rib 32 on its inner surface. The reinforcing rib 31 is formed on the sole portion 13, and in particular, is formed at the boundary between the sole portion 13 and the face portion 11 so as to straddle them. The reinforcing rib 31 makes it easier to restrain the lower portion of the face portion 11, and as a result, it is possible to make the upper portion of the face portion 11 more easily flex when hitting while ensuring the rigidity of the face portion 11.

[0024] The reinforcing rib 32 is formed on the side portion 14 on the back side, and in particular is formed so as to straddle the boundary between the side portion 14 and the crown portion 12. The reinforcing rib 32 makes it easier to restrain the portion of the crown portion 12 on the back side, and as a result, the crown portion 12 can be easily deflected toward the back side when hit.

[0025] The metal member 3 also has a reinforcing rib 41 on its inner surface, spanning between the toe-side side portion 14 and the heel-side side portion 14. The reinforcing rib 41 improves the rigidity of the golf club head 1 in the D2 direction. A device 16 is attached to the hosel portion 15 of the metal member 3 for replacing the shaft and adjusting the orientation of the golf club head 1 relative to the shaft.

[0026] In this embodiment, the metal member 2 is formed as one part by forging a metal plate as a raw material, and the metal member 3 is integrally molded as one part by casting. Forging is more advantageous than casting in terms of homogenizing the parts and reducing their thickness. On the other hand, casting has the advantage of allowing a higher degree of freedom in part shape than forging.

[0027] By using the metal member 2 as a forged member, the crown portion 12 can be formed thinner and more uniformly. In addition, since the metal member 2 has the crown portion 12 and the face portion 11, there is no welded joint at the boundary between them. If there is a joint, the rigidity increases locally and the bending performance at the time of impact decreases. In this embodiment, a moderate weld is provided at the boundary between the crown portion 12 and the face portion 11. N By using a casting material for the metal member 3, a complex shape can be achieved, and the reinforcing ribs 31, 32, 41 and the design shape of the outer surface of the sole portion 13 can be integrally molded.

[0028] Since the metal member 2 forms almost the entire area of ​​the crown portion 12, when the metal member 2 and the metal member 3 are joined, the joining line extends to the boundary between the crown portion 12 and the side portion 14. Since the joint increases the rigidity locally, the crown portion 12 has a property that the rigidity is high at its periphery and low inside the periphery. As a result, the crown portion 12 is more likely to bend when struck.

[0029] FIG. 6(B) is a diagram showing the relationship between the contour line L1 in a plan view of the golf club head 1 and the joint line L2 between the metal member 2 and the metal member 3. The plan view of the golf club head 1 is a plan view when the golf club head 1 is placed on a horizontal plane according to the specified lie angle and the specified loft angle. The contour line L1 is shown by a solid line, and the hosel part 15 is excluded. The joint line L2 is shown by a dashed line. In the case of this embodiment, the joint line L2 is a continuous single joint line, and follows the contour line L1 except for the periphery of the hosel part 15. The higher the proportion of the joint line L2 along the contour line L1, the more the joint is located on the envelope of the face part 11 and the crown part 12, and the more the joint is not present inside the envelope. In other words, the joint improves the rigidity on the envelope of the face part 11 and the crown part 12, and the rigidity decreases inside. As a result, the upper part of the face portion 11 and the crown portion 12 are easily bent toward the back side when hitting, and the launch angle of the ball can be increased. The joining line L2 may be, for example, along 70% or more of the contour line, and preferably along 90% or more of the contour line.

[0030] Second Embodiment Other configuration examples can be adopted for the reinforcing ribs 31, 32, 41 of the metal member 3. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing another configuration example of the sole portion 13 formed by the metal member 3 (the hosel portion 15 and the like are omitted), showing an example in which a plurality of reinforcing ribs 33 are formed in a lattice pattern on the inner surface of the sole portion 13. This can improve the rigidity of the sole portion 13.

[0031] The reinforcing ribs may be formed on the outer surface of the metal member 3. Fig. 8 shows one example. In the illustrated example, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 34 are formed in a row in the direction D2 at the end of the sole portion 13 on the face portion 11 side, which is formed from the metal member 3. The reinforcing ribs 34 increase the degree of restraint of the lower portion of the face portion 11, making it easier for the upper portion of the face portion 11 to flex when impacted.

[0032] 9 also shows an example in which reinforcing ribs 35 are formed on the outer surface of the metal member 3. In the illustrated example, a plurality of ribs 35 extending in the D1 direction are formed in the D2 direction on the outer surface of the sole portion 13 formed from the metal member 3. The reinforcing ribs 35 improve the rigidity of the sole portion 13 in the D1 direction and increase the degree of restraint of the lower portion of the face portion 11, making it easier for the upper portion of the face portion 11 to flex when impacted.

[0033] <Third embodiment> Another member may be provided to restrain the lower part of the face portion 11. Fig. 10 is a bottom view of the golf club head 1 in this embodiment, and Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 10. A recess 13a is provided in the sole portion 13, and a wall portion of the recess 13a is an attachment portion for the abutment member 4.

[0034] The contact member 4 is a shaft-shaped member that comes into contact with the back surface (inner surface) 11a of the face portion 11. 4 The part of the back surface 11a that the abuts against is the lower part of the face part 11, particularly below the face center. Because the abutting member 4 abuts against the lower part (sole part 14 side) of the face part 11, deformation of the lower part of the face part 14 is restricted more than that of the upper part. This contributes to increasing the launch angle of the ball when hitting. The face center can be specified, for example, by an impact point template used when measuring the CT value of the face part.

[0035] The abutting member 4 includes a non-metallic tip portion 41 that abuts against the back surface 11a of the face portion 11, a metallic screw shaft 42 that is fixed to the screw hole 13b of the recess 13a, and a metallic head portion 40. Examples of non-metallic materials that form the tip portion 41 include resin, rubber, FRP, etc. Examples of metallic materials that form the head portion 40 and the screw shaft 42 include aluminum, magnesium, titanium, iron, tungsten, etc. The abutting member 4 can adjust the degree of abutment (degree of pressure) against the back surface 11a by the amount of screwing of the screw shaft 42 into the screw hole 13b. Note that the fixing structure of the abutting member 4 is not limited to a screw structure, and may be other fixing structures such as press-fitting, bonding, welding, and crimping.

[0036] Although the embodiment of the invention has been described above, the invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1 golf club head, 2 metal member, 3 metal member, 21 groove, 22 groove, 31 reinforcing rib, 32 reinforcing rib

Claims

1. A hollow golf club head having a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, a side portion and a hosel portion, a first metal member forming the face portion and at least a part of the crown portion; a second metal member that forms the sole portion, the side portion, and the hosel portion, and to which the first metal member is joined; the first metal member is a forged member having at least one groove; the second metal component is a cast component having at least one reinforcing rib; The at least one reinforcing rib is A first reinforcing rib formed on an inner surface of a boundary between the sole portion and the face portion; A second reinforcing rib is formed on an inner surface of a boundary between the side portion and the crown portion on the back side; A third reinforcing rib is provided between the side portion on the toe side and the side portion on the heel side by continuously extending therebetween. A golf club head comprising:

2. 2. The golf club head of claim 1, The first metal member forms the entire crown portion except for a portion surrounding the hosel portion. A golf club head comprising:

3. 3. The golf club head according to claim 2, The first metal member and the second metal member are joined by a single continuous joining line. A golf club head comprising:

4. 3. The golf club head according to claim 2, a joint line between the first metal member and the second metal member extends along a contour line of the golf club head in a range of 70% or more of the contour line excluding the hosel portion in a plan view of the golf club head; A golf club head comprising:

5. 2. The golf club head of claim 1, The at least one groove portion is A first groove portion; A second groove portion formed on the back side in the face-back direction relative to the first groove portion. A golf club head comprising:

6. 6. The golf club head according to claim 5, The first groove is formed in an outer surface of the crown portion, The second groove portion is formed on the inner surface of the crown portion. A golf club head comprising:

7. 2. The golf club head of claim 1, The thickness of the crown portion is within a range of 0.3 mm to 0.6 mm. A golf club head comprising:

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