Golf club head manufacturing method

Abstract

To provide a method for manufacturing a golf club head that makes it easy to adjust the characteristics of the golf club head. [Solution] This golf club head manufacturing method is a method for manufacturing a golf club head S100 having a head body 10 with a face portion 11, a crown portion 12, and a sole portion 13, and includes the steps of preparing a clad material 20 in which a first layer 21 made of a first metal material and a second layer 22 made of a second metal material different from the first metal material are laminated, cutting the second layer 22 while leaving some of the material making up the second layer 22, and fixing the cut clad material 20 to the head body 10 so as to close the opening 10h.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, golf club heads in which a part of the crown or sole is formed from a clad material are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-80060 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional configuration, a clad material shaped to fit the opening in the main body of the head is fixed to the head body, so when adjusting the characteristics of the golf club head, the size of the opening needs to be changed, which creates the problem of being time-consuming to manufacture a golf club head with the desired characteristics.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has as its object to provide a method of manufacturing a golf club head that allows easy adjustment of the characteristics of the golf club head. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One form of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a golf club head, which includes a head body having a face portion, a crown portion, and a sole portion, and includes the steps of: preparing a clad material in which a first layer made of a first metal material and a second layer made of a second metal material different from the first metal material are laminated; cutting the second layer while leaving some of the material that makes up the second layer; and fixing the cut clad material to the head body so as to close an opening formed in the head body.

[0007] The above method may further include a step in which the clad material before processing is in a flat plate shape, and the flat plate-shaped clad material that has been cut is pressed to curve at least the first layer.

[0008] The step of fixing the clad material to the head body may include fixing an outer edge of the first layer to a member forming the head body by welding.

[0009] The step of cutting the second layer may include cutting the second layer so that after cutting, only the first layer remains around the periphery of the material of the second layer.

[0010] The step of fixing the clad material to the head body may include screwing the first layer to the head body in the region where the second layer has been removed in the cutting process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The present invention has the effect of providing a method for manufacturing a golf club head that allows easy adjustment of the characteristics of the golf club head. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of the golf club head. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the golf club head. [Figure 3]3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2 in the up-down direction. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the clad material as viewed from the second layer side. [Figure 5] 1A to 1C are diagrams for explaining a method for manufacturing a golf club head. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a modified embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing how the clad material is fixed to the head body by screws. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a front view of a golf club head. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the golf club head. Fig. 2(a) shows a state in which a clad material has been attached, and Fig. 2(b) shows a state before the clad material has been attached. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the AA cutting line in Fig. 2.

[0014] Each figure shows the golf club head S100 in a reference state. The "reference state" refers to a state in which the golf club head S100 is placed on a horizontal plane with a lie angle and a loft angle set for the head. In this specification, unless otherwise specified regarding the posture of the head, the golf club head S100 is considered to be in this reference state.

[0015] (Golf club head S100 configuration) The golf club head S100 is a wood-type golf club head, and includes a head body 10 and a neck member 30, as shown in FIG.

[0016] One of the features of the configuration of this embodiment is that a clad material 20 (details below) is provided on the head body 10, and a second layer 22 of this clad material 20 is machined to adjust the characteristics of the clad material 20, and thereby adjust the characteristics of the entire golf club head S100. With this configuration, the characteristics of the golf club head S100 can be changed without changing the size of the opening in the head body 10, which makes it easier to adjust the characteristics.

[0017] (Head body 10) The head body 10 is hollow and includes a face portion 11, a crown portion 12, a sole portion 13, a side portion 14, and a hosel portion 15, as shown in FIG.

[0018] A shaft (not shown) is connected to the neck member 30. The neck member 30 is, for example, a metal sleeve. The neck member 30 is fixed to the head body 10 by a fixing screw.

[0019] Although the head body 10 in this embodiment has side portions 14, the side portions 14 may not be present depending on the shape of the head body 10. The side portions 14 are not an essential component of the present invention.

[0020] The head body 10 may be made of any material, but one example is a metal material. The head body 10 may be made of, for example, a titanium-based material containing titanium as its main component. Titanium-based materials are preferred from the viewpoint of the balance between strength and light weight. "Containing titanium as its main component" means that the titanium component accounts for 50% by mass or more.

[0021] As an example, the head body 10 is integrally formed from a single material. The head body 10 may also be formed by joining multiple members together. When the clad material 20 is fixed to the head body 10 by a method other than welding, the head body 10 does not necessarily have to be made of a metal material. For example, it may be made of a carbon fiber material such as carbon.

[0022] The face portion 11 is provided on the front surface of the golf club head S100. The face portion 11 is a portion where the face surface that hits the ball is formed.

[0023] The crown portion 12 is a portion that forms the top surface of the golf club head S100. The side portion 14 is a portion that connects the crown portion 12 and the sole portion 13. The side portion 14 extends so as to form the side surface of the head main body 10. The hosel portion 15 is a portion to which the neck member 30 is fixed.

[0024] The sole portion 13 is a portion that forms the underside of the golf club head S100. The sole portion 13 is formed in a smoothly curved shape and is connected to the side portion 14. As shown in FIG. 2(b), an opening 10h is formed in the sole portion 13.

[0025] A fixing portion 10a is formed on the periphery of the opening 10h. The fixing portion 10a is not an essential component of the present invention. The fixing portion 10a is a portion to which the clad material 20 is fixed. The fixing portion 10a is a part of the head main body 10. The fixing portion 10a is a stepped portion in which the thickness of the member of the head main body 10 is partially thinned. The fixing portion 10a extends along the periphery of the opening 10h. The width of the fixing portion 10a is, for example, 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less.

[0026] (Clad material 20) The clad material 20 is a member in which different metals are laminated together. The clad material 20 may have a laminated structure of three or more layers, but in this example, it has two layers. As shown in Figure 3, the clad material 20 has a first layer 21 and a second layer 22.

[0027] The first layer 21 is a member fixed to the head body 10. The first layer 21 may be made of any material that can form a clad material. The material (first metal material) of the first layer 21 is, for example, an iron-based alloy (e.g., stainless steel), a titanium alloy, pure titanium, an aluminum alloy, pure aluminum, a magnesium alloy, pure magnesium, or a copper alloy. In this example, the first layer 21 is, for example, a titanium alloy or pure titanium. The first layer 21 is, for example, fixed to the head body 10 by welding. The first layer 21 is made of a material that can be welded to the head body 10.

[0028] A fixing portion 21a is formed on the periphery of the first layer 21. The fixing portion 21a is not an essential component of the present invention. The fixing portion 21a has a shape complementary to the fixing portion 10a of the head main body 10. The fixing portion 21a is a stepped portion formed by partially thinning the thickness of the material of the first layer 21. The width of the fixing portion 21a is, for example, 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less. As an example, the fixing portion 21a is fixed to the fixing portion 10a of the head main body 10 by welding.

[0029] In the present invention, the method for welding the first layer 21 to the head body 10 is not limited to a specific method. The first layer 21 may be welded to the head body 10 by, for example, butt welding. In this case, the fixing portion 10a of the head body 10 and the fixing portion 21a of the first layer 21 may not be formed.

[0030] As a specific example, the first layer 21 may be made of pure titanium or a titanium-based alloy, and the first layer 21 may be welded to the sole portion of the head body 10 made of stainless steel.

[0031] The second layer 22 is a second metal material different from the first metal material of the first layer 21. The material of the second layer 22 may be any material that can be bonded to the first layer 21 to form a clad material. Examples of the material of the second layer 22 include an iron-based alloy (e.g., stainless steel), a titanium alloy, pure titanium, an aluminum alloy, pure aluminum, a magnesium alloy, pure magnesium, and a copper alloy. The material of the second layer 22 may be a material having a higher specific gravity than the material of the first layer 21, or a material having a lower specific gravity than the material of the first layer 21.

[0032] The material and shape of the second layer 22 affect the position of the center of gravity of the head body 10. In consideration of such a function of the second layer 22, it is preferable that the second layer 22 be made of a material with a higher specific gravity than the material of the first layer 21. This is because a material with a higher specific gravity makes it easier to adjust the position of the center of gravity of the head body 10.

[0033] No adhesive or the like is interposed between the first layer 21 and the second layer 22. The first layer 21 and the second layer 22 are directly bonded to each other. The first layer 21 and the second layer 22 are bonded to each other by a method such as rolling or explosive bonding.

[0034] (Shape of second layer 22) 4 is a plan view of the clad material viewed from the second layer side. The second layer 22 may have any contour shape. The contour shape of the second layer 22 is appropriately designed taking into consideration, for example, the position and characteristics of the center of gravity required for the head body 10 and the material (specific gravity and physical properties) of the second layer 22.

[0035] The second layer 22 is formed by cutting the second layer 22 (described in detail later) while leaving a portion of the material that constitutes the second layer 22. The second layer 22 is cut in such a manner that the first layer 21 remains in a region that is closer to the outer periphery of the second layer 22 in a plan view of the clad material 20, as shown in Fig. 4. Note that the fixing portion 21a is not shown in Fig. 4.

[0036] (Manufacturing method) 5 is a diagram illustrating a method for manufacturing a golf club head. The method for manufacturing a golf club head according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of preparing a clad material, cutting the second layer, pressing the clad material, and fixing the clad material.

[0037] In the step of preparing a clad material, a clad material 20 is prepared as shown in FIG. 5(a). The clad material 20 is the clad material before cutting. In the clad material 20, a first layer 21 and a second layer 22 are stacked and bonded to each other. The contour shape of the first layer 21 and the contour shape of the second layer 22 are the same. The contour shape refers to the contour shape of the clad material 20 in a plan view seen in the thickness direction. One example of the contour shape of the clad material 20 is a rectangle.

[0038] In the step of cutting the second layer 22, as shown in Fig. 5(b), the second layer 22 is cut while leaving some of the material that constitutes the second layer 22. One example of the cutting process is lathe cutting. Specifically, the cutting process is CNC lathe cutting.

[0039] The second layer 22 may be cut after the contour shape of the quadrangular clad material 20 is processed into a shape corresponding to the opening 10h of the head body 10, or the second layer 22 may be cut before the contour shape of the quadrangular clad material 20 is processed into a shape corresponding to the opening 10h of the head body 10.

[0040] In the step of pressing the clad material, the clad material 20 is pressed. As shown in Fig. 5(c), the pressed clad material 20 is bent so that the first layer 21 forms the desired outer shape of the head body 10. In this example, the first layer 21 and the second layer 22 are bent.

[0041] As described above, the clad material 20 is pressed to produce the clad material 20 that is fixed to the opening 10h.

[0042] The fixing portion 21a (see FIG. 3) may be formed in a process before or after the press working. In the press working of FIG. 5(c), if bending of the clad material 20 and forming of the fixing portion 21a can be performed simultaneously, bending of the clad material 20 and forming of the fixing portion 21a may be performed simultaneously.

[0043] In the present invention, only the first layer 21 may be curved without curving the second layer 22. This process is effective when the area where the second layer 22 is formed is relatively small.

[0044] In the process of fixing the clad material 20, the clad material 20 produced as described above is fixed to the head body 10. In the process of fixing the clad material 20, as an example, fixing portion 21a on the periphery of the first layer 21 and fixing portion 10a which is part of the member forming the head body 10 are fixed by welding.

[0045] Through the above series of steps, the golf club head S100 in which the clad material 20 is fixed to the sole portion 13 is manufactured.

[0046] (Effects of the golf club head manufacturing method according to this embodiment) According to the golf club head manufacturing method of this embodiment, a portion of the second layer 22 is removed by cutting, leaving a component of the second layer 22 with a predetermined contour shape in a predetermined position. Meanwhile, the first layer 21 is formed into a contour shape corresponding to the opening 10h of the head body 10.

[0047] According to this manufacturing method, the characteristics of the head body 10 can be changed by changing the position and shape of the second layer 22 after cutting processing, so compared to a method in which the clad material itself is fixed to the head body, there is no need to change the size of the opening, and it is easier to adjust the characteristics of the golf club head.

[0048] Furthermore, according to the manufacturing method of this embodiment in which the flat clad material 20 is cut and then pressed, the cutting process can be easily performed.

[0049] Furthermore, according to the manufacturing method of this embodiment, in which the outer edge of the first layer 21 is fixed to the member forming the head body 10 by welding, the fixing can be performed more firmly than by fixing by adhesive, for example. Furthermore, the clad material 20 will not come off the head body 10 due to deterioration of the adhesive.

[0050] Furthermore, according to the manufacturing method of this embodiment in which the second layer 22 is cut so that the peripheral portion of the material of the second layer 22 after cutting is only the first layer 21, the portion fixed to the head body 10 is only the first layer 21, and therefore, compared to a method in which, for example, a laminate of the first layer 21 and the second layer 22 is welded to the head body 10 in some areas and only the first layer 21 is welded to the head body 10 in other areas, the effect of making it easier to perform the process of fixing the clad material 20 to the head body 10 is obtained.

[0051] (Variation) Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a modified embodiment of the present invention. Although Fig. 6 shows only the cross section of the clad material, the configuration of the golf club head other than the clad material is, for example, the same as the above embodiment.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 6(a), a through hole 20h may be formed in the clad material. The through hole 20h, for example, penetrates the first layer 21 and the second layer 22 in the thickness direction. The through hole 20h is, for example, a screw hole into which a screw is screwed. A plurality of through holes 20h may be formed. The through hole 20h may also be a hole without a threaded portion formed on the inner periphery.

[0053] When a screw is inserted into the through hole 20h, the head of the screw may or may not protrude from the outer surface of the first layer 21. In the latter case, for example, a countersunk portion into which the head of the screw can fit may be formed at the entrance of the through hole 20h.

[0054] The through hole 20h is a hole that penetrates the first layer 21 and the second layer 22, but one or more through holes that penetrate only the first layer 21 may also be formed. The one or more through holes that penetrate only the first layer 21 may be holes through which, for example, fixing screws for fixing the clad material to the head body are passed. In this case, the clad material does not need to be welded to the head body.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 6(b), the second layer 22 may have a thick portion 22a and a thin portion 22b. The thick portion 22a is a portion having the thickness of the second layer 22 of the clad member before cutting. The thin portion 22b is a portion of the region of the second layer 22 that has been processed so that the thickness of the second layer 22 is thinner than before processing. The thin portion 22b is formed by, for example, cutting. Specifically, the thin portion 22b is a portion of the second layer 22 that has been cut, leaving a member of a predetermined thickness.

[0056] In this way, the second layer 22 has a shape including a plurality of regions with different thicknesses, which makes it possible to adjust the weight balance and deformation characteristics of the clad material.

[0057] 7A and 7B are diagrams showing how a clad material is fixed to a head body by screws. In the example of Fig. 7A, the clad material 20 is fixed to the head body 10 by screws Sw. The screws Sw are passed through through holes in the first layer 21 of the clad material 20 from which the second layer 22 has been removed. The number of screws Sw is arbitrary, but in this example, multiple screws Sw are used.

[0058] Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, the first layer 21 in the area where the second layer 22 was removed in the cutting process may be screwed to the head body 10. When screwing is used instead of welding, it becomes possible to replace the clad material 20 with another one, or to further process the clad material 20 and reattach the clad material 20 with modified properties, thereby enabling the characteristics of the golf club head to be flexibly adjusted according to the user's preferences.

[0059] The opening 10h is formed in a shape that corresponds to the contour shape of the second layer 22. "A corresponding shape" means that the second layer 22 is shaped to fit snugly into the opening 10h, and refers to the case where the width of the gap between the outer edge of the second layer 22 and the inner edge of the opening 10h is, for example, 3 mm or less. In one example, the width may be 1 mm or less.

[0060] This configuration has the advantage that the clad material 20 is positioned in a predetermined position, making it easier to fasten the screws Sw. Furthermore, when the contour shape of the second layer 22 does not have rotational symmetry, for example, this configuration allows the clad material 20 to be positioned in a desired orientation, thereby preventing the clad material 20 from being attached in an incorrect orientation.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 7(b), the opening 10h may be formed to be sufficiently large relative to the contour shape of the second layer 22. Whether to use the configuration shown in Fig. 7(a) or the configuration shown in Fig. 7(b) may be determined appropriately taking into consideration the material of the head body 10, the center of gravity balance of the golf club head S100, the ball-hitting characteristics required of the golf club head S100, etc.

[0062] The screw Sw may be substituted with another fastener such as a fixing pin. An adhesive may also be used for fastening. As shown in FIG. 6(b), the second layer 22 may include portions of different thicknesses, and the relatively thin portion 22b (the portion where the first layer 21 and the thin portion 22b overlap) may be fastened to the head body 10. Fasteners such as screws may be used for fastening. It is also possible to remove the thin portion 22b from the periphery of the thin portion 22b, leaving only the first layer 21 around the periphery of the clad material, as shown in FIG. 6(b). In this case, for example, the portion that remains as only the first layer 21 is fastened to the head body 10.

[0063] The thickness of the clad material (the thickness of the thickest part where the first layer 21 and the second layer 22 are laminated) may be thicker than the thickness of the head body 10. By using such a relatively thick clad material, the degree of freedom in adjusting the center of gravity and the characteristics is improved.

[0064] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, all or part of the device can be configured by functionally or physically distributing or integrating in any unit. Furthermore, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effects of the new embodiments resulting from the combination also have the effects of the original embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 10 Head body 10a Fixed part 10h opening 11 Face 12 Crown part 13 Sole 14 Side section 15 Hosel 20 Clad Material 20h through hole 21 1st layer 21a Fixed part 22 2nd layer 30 Neck member S100 Golf Club Head Sw screw

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a golf club head having a head body having a face portion, a crown portion, and a sole portion, comprising: A step of preparing a clad material in which a first layer made of a first metal material and a second layer made of a second metal material different from the first metal material are laminated; a step of cutting the second layer while leaving a portion of the material constituting the second layer; a step of fixing the machined clad material to the head body so as to close an opening formed in the head body; and the second metal material has a specific gravity greater than that of the first metal material, the step of cutting the second layer includes cutting the second layer so that a peripheral portion of the material of the second layer after cutting is only the first layer; the step of fixing the clad material to the head body includes welding the first layer to the head body while the first layer of the clad material is on the outside of the head body and while the member of the second layer is separated from the member of the head body. A method for manufacturing a golf club head.

2. The clad material before processing is flat, The method further includes a step of pressing the cut flat clad material to curve at least the first layer.

2. The method for manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1.

3. The step of fixing the clad material to the head body includes: and fixing the outer edge of the first layer and a member forming the head body by welding.

3. The method for manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1.

4. In the process of fixing the clad material to the head body, the first layer is welded to the head body by butt welding without forming a stepped portion at the outer edge of the first layer where the thickness of the material of one layer is partially thinned.

3. The method for manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1.

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