Golf club head

Abstract

To provide a golf club head which can improve a repulsion performance.SOLUTION: A golf club head 1 includes a face plate 100 and a head body 200. The face plate 100 includes a plate front face 101, a plate rear face which is a face opposite to the plate front face, and a plate side face. The plate rear face includes an outer peripheral edge 104. The head body 200 includes: an opening 201 for receiving the face plate 100; and a receiving face 202 formed along a peripheral edge of the opening 201 and supporting the outer peripheral edge of the plate rear face 102 from a rear side. The receiving face 202 is formed discontinuously which is partially cut off such that the outer peripheral edge includes a non-supporting region 106 which is not directly supported by the head body 200. The plate side face 103f corresponding to the non-supporting region 106 is not supported by the head body 200. The face plate 100 is fixed to the head body 200 by a plastic deformation part in which the head body 200 is plastically deformed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 below describes a golf club head. This golf club head includes a head body and a face plate fixed to the head body. A portion of the rear surface of the face plate is configured so as not to come into contact with the receiving surface of the head body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6484540 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The golf club head of Patent Document 1 has excellent repulsion performance, but in recent years, there has been a demand for further improvement in the repulsion performance of golf club heads.

[0005] The present invention has been devised in view of the above circumstances, and has as its main object to provide a golf club head that can further improve repulsion performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is a golf club head comprising a face plate and a head body, wherein the face plate comprises a plate front surface forming at least a part of a face, a plate rear surface which is the opposite surface thereof, and a face side surface extending between them, the plate rear surface including an outer peripheral edge portion, the head body comprising an opening for receiving the face plate, and a receiving surface formed along the periphery of the opening and supporting the outer peripheral edge portion of the plate rear surface from behind, the receiving surface being formed in a partially interrupted and discontinuous manner, such that the outer peripheral edge portion includes a non-supported region that is not directly supported by the head body, the plate side surface corresponding to the non-supported region is not supported by the head body, and the face plate is fixed to the head body by a plastically deformed portion that plastically deforms the head body.

[0007] In another aspect of the present invention, the non-supported area may be formed on the lower side of the face plate and extend to the outer surface of the sole.

[0008] In another aspect of the present invention, the plastically deforming portion of the head body may cover at least a portion of the front surface of the face plate.

[0009] In another aspect of the present invention, the difference between the maximum thickness and the minimum thickness of the face plate may be 2.0 mm or less.

[0010] In another aspect of the present invention, the non-supported region may extend in a toe-heel direction so as to pass through a face center and cross a vertical plane perpendicular to the face.

[0011] In another aspect of the present invention, the unsupported region can include a toe-side unsupported region and a heel-side unsupported region, and the receiving surface can include a central receiving surface formed between the toe-side unsupported region and the heel-side unsupported region.

[0012] In another aspect of the present invention, the central receiving surface may extend in a toe-heel direction so as to pass through a face center and cross a vertical plane perpendicular to the face.

[0013] In another aspect of the present invention, a gap having a distance in a direction perpendicular to the face may be formed between the non-supported region and the head body.

[0014] In another aspect of the present invention, the distance of the gap may be constant in the toe-heel direction.

[0015] In another aspect of the present invention, the distance of the gap may vary in the toe-heel direction, and the minimum point where the distance of the gap is smallest may be located between the toe side end and the heel side end of the non-support area.

[0016] In another aspect of the present invention, when hitting a ball, the face plate and the head body may come into contact at the narrowest part of the gap.

[0017] In another aspect of the present invention, the distance of the minimum part of the gap may be 1.0 mm or less.

[0018] In another aspect of the present invention, a filler member may be disposed in at least a part of the gap.

[0019] In another aspect of the present invention, the filling member may be disposed over the entire range of the non-supported region in the toe-heel direction.

[0020] In another aspect of the present invention, the filling member may be disposed in only a portion of the non-supported region in the toe-heel direction.

[0021] In another aspect of the present invention, the Young's modulus of the filling member may be smaller than the Young's modulus of the face plate and the head body.

[0022] In another aspect of the present invention, the specific gravity of the filling member may be greater than the specific gravity of the face plate and the head body.

[0023] In other aspects of the present invention, the golf club head may be a wood, hybrid, or iron type. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] By adopting the above-described configuration, the golf club head of the present invention can further improve the repulsion performance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of the golf club head of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-II in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the golf club head of the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the upper part of FIG. 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an exploded front view of the golf club head of the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the lower part of FIG. 3. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a golf club head showing a modified example of the receiving surface. [Figure 11] 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 1, showing a modified example of the gap. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a golf club head according to another embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a golf club head according to another embodiment. [Figure 14]10(A) and 10(B) are front views of the head main body showing examples of the filling member. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a golf club head according to another embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a golf club head according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. It should be understood that the drawings include representations that are different in scale from the actual structure in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention. Furthermore, when there are multiple embodiments, the same or common elements are designated by the same reference numerals throughout the specification, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0027] Fig. 1 is a front view of a golf club head (hereinafter simply referred to as "head") 1 of this embodiment, and Figs. 2 to 4 are cross-sectional views taken along lines II-II, III-III, and IV-IV in Fig. 1, respectively. Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the head 1.

[0028] [Reference condition] In FIG. 1, the head 1 is placed in a reference state. In this specification, the "reference state" of the head 1 refers to a state in which the head 1 is placed on a horizontal plane HP at a specified lie angle α (FIG. 1) and loft angle β (FIG. 2). In this reference state, the head 1 is maintained at the lie angle α and the loft angle β with the shaft axis center line CL of the head 1 arranged in a reference vertical plane (not shown) perpendicular to the horizontal plane HP. In addition, the "shaft axis center line CL" is defined by the axial center line of the shaft insertion hole 5a of the hosel 5 of the head 1. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the head 1 is described as being in the reference state.

[0029] [Head Direction] In this specification, in the reference state of the head 1, the direction x perpendicular to the reference vertical plane is defined as the front-to-back direction of the head. With respect to the front-to-back direction of the head, the side of the face 2 is defined as the front side, and the opposite side is defined as the rear side. Furthermore, the direction y parallel to both the reference vertical plane and the horizontal plane HP is defined as the toe-heel direction. Furthermore, the direction z perpendicular to the horizontal plane HP is defined as the up-down direction of the head.

[0030] [Basic head structure] 1 to 5, the head 1 of this embodiment includes a face 2, a sole 3, an upper part 4, a hosel 5, a toe 6, a heel 7, and a back wall 8. The head 1 of this embodiment is configured as an iron-type head, more specifically, as a cavity-back iron-type head. In other embodiments, the head 1 may be formed as a wood-type or hybrid-type head.

[0031] The face 2 is a striking surface that strikes a ball. Although not shown, the face 2 may have a plurality of face grooves extending in the toe-heel direction. The face 2 of this embodiment provides a striking surface consisting of a single plane, excluding the face grooves.

[0032] The sole 3 is a portion that extends from the face 2 to the rear of the head so as to form the bottom surface of the head.

[0033] The upper part 4 is a portion that extends rearward from the face 2 to form the upper surface of the head. The upper part 4 is customarily sometimes called a top or a crown.

[0034] The hosel 5 is provided on the heel 7 side of the face 2. The hosel 5 of this embodiment is formed in a cylindrical shape having a shaft insertion hole 5a into which a golf club shaft (not shown) is attached.

[0035] The head 1 includes a face plate 100 and a head body 200 .

[0036] [Faceplate] The face plate 100 is, for example, plate-shaped and includes a plate front surface 101 that forms at least a part of the face 2, a plate rear surface 102 that is the opposite surface thereof, and a plate side surface 103 that extends therebetween.

[0037] The size and shape of the plate front surface 101 of the face plate 100 are determined appropriately to provide a sufficiently large hitting area. The face plate 100 of this embodiment constitutes 50% or more of the area of ​​the face 2. Furthermore, the face plate 100 of this embodiment includes a portion that extends to the sole 3 so as to constitute part of the leading edge Le in order to expand the high-rebound area toward the sole 3.

[0038] The plate rear surface 102 includes an outer peripheral edge portion 104 extending annularly along its outer periphery, and a central portion 105 surrounded by the outer peripheral edge portion 104 .

[0039] Fig. 6 shows an enlarged view of the upper part of Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 6, in this embodiment, the thickness t1 of the outer peripheral edge portion 104 of the faceplate 100 is formed to be slightly larger than the thickness t2 of the center portion 105 of the faceplate 100. In other embodiments, the thickness t1 of the outer peripheral edge portion 104 may be the same as the thickness t2 of the center portion 105.

[0040] The face plate 100 is formed of, for example, a metal material. The metal material is not particularly limited, but in consideration of resilience, durability, etc., stainless steel, maraging steel, titanium alloy, etc. are used. The face plate 100 of this embodiment is formed of a titanium alloy. The titanium alloy is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include α titanium, β titanium, and α+β titanium.

[0041] [Head body] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the head body 200 includes, for example, a sole 3, an upper part 4, a hosel 5, a toe 6, and a heel 7. The head body 200 of this embodiment is formed by integrating these parts. The head body 200 is formed, for example, from a metal material. There are no particular limitations on the metal material, but in consideration of strength, for example, stainless steel, soft iron, etc. are used. The head body 200 of this embodiment is formed from stainless steel.

[0042] 5, the head body 200 includes an opening 201 for receiving the face plate 100, and a receiving surface 202 formed along the periphery of the opening 201. For ease of understanding, the receiving surface 202 is colored in FIG.

[0043] 5 and 6, the opening 201 of the head body 200 has, for example, an opening surface 203 extending from the face 2 toward the rear of the head. This opening surface 203 is a surface facing the plate side surface 103 of the face plate 100. The size, shape, etc. of the opening 201 may be determined appropriately to receive the face plate 100.

[0044] The receiving surface 202 supports the outer peripheral edge portion 104 of the plate rear surface 102 of the face plate 100 from behind. The receiving surface 202 of this embodiment is a surface that extends in a stepped manner from the opening surface 203 toward the inside of the head. In this embodiment, the receiving surface 202 extends parallel to the face 2.

[0045] 7 is an exploded front view of the head 1 of this embodiment, showing the head body 200 on the upper side and the face plate 100 on the lower side, separated from each other. These are aligned in the toe-heel direction. For ease of understanding, the receiving surface 202 is also lightly colored in FIG. 7.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 7 , the receiving surface 202 of this embodiment extends from the toe 6 side through the upper part 4 side to the heel 7 side. Meanwhile, the receiving surface 202 is formed discontinuously and partially interrupted around the opening 201. The receiving surface 202 of this embodiment has an interrupted portion on the sole 3 side. This interrupted portion forms a concave surface 204 located further rearward of the head than the receiving surface 202. This concave surface 204 does not contact the outer peripheral edge portion 104 of the plate rear surface 102 of the face plate 100.

[0047] Faceplate unsupported area Parts (in this embodiment, the toe 6 side, the upper part 4 side, and the heel 7 side) of the outer peripheral edge 104 of the face plate 100 are supported by the receiving surface 202. In FIG. 7, for ease of understanding, the parts of the face plate 100 that are directly supported by the head body 200 (i.e., the parts that are supported by the receiving surface 202) are colored.

[0048] Meanwhile, a part of the outer peripheral edge 104 of the face plate 100 includes an unsupported region 106 that is not directly supported by the head body 200. A face-side surface 103f corresponding to this unsupported region 106 is not supported by the head body 200. The face-side surface 103f corresponding to the unsupported region 106 refers to the face-side surface 103 that extends annularly and is continuous with the unsupported region 106. Therefore, in FIG. 7, the face-side surface 103f corresponding to the unsupported region 106 coincides with the range indicated by the unsupported region 106.

[0049] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Fig. 1, and Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the lower part of Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, a first gap 300 is formed between the non-support region 106 of this embodiment and the head main body 200.

[0050] [Operation of this embodiment] In the head 1 of this embodiment, the central portion 105 of the face plate 100, which is not directly supported by the head body 200, is configured to bend easily when hitting a ball. In addition, the outer peripheral edge portion 104 of the face plate 100 has an unsupported region 106 that is not directly supported by the head body 200, and this unsupported region 106 is also configured to bend easily. Furthermore, since the face side surface 103f corresponding to this unsupported region 106 is also not supported by the head body 200, the unsupported region 106 of the face 2 is even more likely to bend. Therefore, the head 1 of this embodiment can further improve the resilience performance. In a preferred embodiment, it is desirable that the face side surface 103f is not supported by the head body 200, even indirectly.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 8 , in this embodiment, the non-supported region 106 extends to the outer surface of the sole 3 (the face side surface 103f forms part of the outer surface of the sole 3). Therefore, the head 1 of this embodiment can extend high resilience performance further downward on the sole 3 side of the face 2. This type of embodiment is particularly suitable for iron-type heads in which the ball is frequently hit on the sole 3 side of the face 2. Below, an embodiment in which the non-supported region 106 is formed on the sole 3 side will be described, but in other embodiments, the non-supported region 106 may be configured to extend to the toe 6 and / or upper part 4, which are other outer surfaces of the head (not shown).

[0052] [Fixing the faceplate] In the head 1 of this embodiment, the face plate 100 is fixed to the head body 200 by crimping. One possible method for fixing the face plate 100 to the head body 200 is welding. However, in the case of welding, the heat generated during welding may change the metal structure of the face plate 100, which may result in a decrease in repulsion performance. On the other hand, when the face plate 100 is fixed to the head body 200 by crimping, the thermal effects described above can be avoided, and as a result, a decrease in the repulsion performance of the head 1 can be suppressed.

[0053] FIG. 6 shows an example in which the face plate 100 is fixed to the head body 200 by crimping. As shown in FIG. 6, a recess 103a extending along the plate side surface 103 is formed in the front portion of the plate side surface 103 of the face plate 100. A surface 101a of the recess 103a facing the face side constitutes a part of the plate front surface 101. Meanwhile, the head body 200 has a plastically deformed portion 205 that is plastically deformed so as to cover the recess 103a of the face plate 100 (i.e., so as to cover the surface 101a that is at least a part of the plate front surface 101). After the face plate 100 is attached to the opening 201, this plastically deformed portion 205 is crushed by a press or the like to fill the recess 103a. As a result, the face plate 100 is fixed to the head body 200 by the plastically deformed portion 205.

[0054] [Faceplate material] In this embodiment, the face plate 100 is formed of a titanium alloy having a lower specific gravity than the head body 200. This configuration helps to provide a deep center of gravity for the head, since the weight of the face plate 100 located at the front of the head can be reduced. In addition, since the periphery of the face plate 100 is made up of the head body 200 having a relatively high specific gravity, it helps to provide the head 1 with a large moment of inertia in the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the face plate 100 is formed of a titanium alloy having a smaller Young's modulus than the head body 200. This makes the face plate 100 more flexible, which helps to further improve the repulsion performance.

[0056] On the other hand, a combination of metal materials such as titanium alloy and stainless steel cannot form a welded joint strong enough for practical use as a golf club head. Therefore, in order to provide a head 1 with a large moment of inertia or even better resilience performance without compromising durability, it is desirable to fix the face plate 100 and the head body 200 by the above-mentioned crimping.

[0057] Faceplate Thickness The thickness of face plate 100 (thickness in a direction perpendicular to face 2, the same applies hereinafter) is not particularly limited. To further improve the repulsion performance, the maximum thickness of face plate 100 is preferably 4.0 mm or less, more preferably 3.8 mm or less, even more preferably 3.5 mm or less, and particularly preferably 3.3 mm or less. In this embodiment, the maximum thickness of face plate 100 is the thickness t1 of outer peripheral edge portion 104, which is 3.3 mm.

[0058] In order to prevent deterioration of durability, the minimum thickness of the face plate 100 is preferably 1.6 mm or more, more preferably 1.8 mm or more, even more preferably 2.0 mm or more, and particularly preferably 2.2 mm or more. In this embodiment, the minimum thickness of the face plate 100 is the thickness t2 of the center portion 105, which is set to 2.2 mm.

[0059] In the face plate 100, the difference between the maximum thickness and the minimum thickness is preferably 2.0 mm or less, more preferably 1.8 mm or less, even more preferably 1.6 mm or less, and particularly preferably 1.4 mm or less. In this embodiment, the difference between the maximum thickness and the minimum thickness of the face plate 100 is 1.1 mm. By making the thickness of the face plate 100 nearly uniform, the bending rigidity of the face plate 100 is also made uniform, making the entire face plate more flexible. Therefore, such a face plate 100 is more flexible than a face plate having a folded portion at the rear of the head, and ultimately, the repulsion performance of the head 1 can be further improved.

[0060] Alternatively, the faceplate 100 may be formed with a constant thickness, in which case the maximum and minimum thicknesses of the faceplate 100 are the same.

[0061] [Example 1 of unsupported area] 7, the non-support region 106 extends in the toe-heel direction so as to pass through the face center FC and intersect with a vertical plane V1 that is perpendicular to the face 2. Such a head 1 can improve the resilience performance over a wide range on the toe side and heel side of the sole 3 side of the face 2, centered on the vertical plane V1.

[0062] In this specification, the face center FC is defined as the middle position of the length L of the face plate 100 in the toe-heel direction, in the vertical direction.

[0063] In order to improve the resilience performance over a wider range in the toe-heel direction, the length L1 of the non-support area 106 in the toe-heel direction is preferably 50% or more, more preferably 55% or more, and even more preferably 60% or more of the length L of the face plate 100 in the toe-heel direction.

[0064] In order to prevent a decrease in the bonding strength between the face plate 100 and the head body 200, the length L1 in the toe-heel direction of the non-support area 106 is preferably 90% or less, more preferably 80% or less, and even more preferably 70% or less of the length L of the face plate in the toe-heel direction.

[0065] [Example 2 of unsupported area] FIG. 10 is an exploded front view of the head 1 showing another example of the non-support region 106. The head body 200 is shown separately on the upper side, and the face plate 100 is shown separately on the lower side. These are aligned in the toe-heel direction. For ease of understanding, the receiving surface 202 is lightly colored in FIG. 10. Similarly, the portion of the face plate 100 that is directly supported by the head body 200 (i.e., the portion that is supported by the receiving surface 202) is colored.

[0066] In this example, the unsupported region 106 includes a toe-side unsupported region 106a and a heel-side unsupported region 106b that are spaced apart from each other, while the receiving surface 202 includes a central receiving surface 202a formed between the toe-side unsupported region 106a and the heel-side unsupported region 106b.

[0067] Generally, the repulsion performance of the face 2, even on the sole side, tends to be greatest near the face center FC and gradually decrease from there toward the toe 6 and heel 7 sides. In this example, on the sole 3 side of the face 2, the repulsion near the face center FC can be suppressed while the repulsion on the toe 6 and heel 7 sides of the face 2 can be made relatively high. Therefore, in this example, the repulsion coefficient of the face 2 in the toe-heel direction can be leveled out, and the high-repulsion area can be further expanded in the toe-heel direction.

[0068] [Example of a gap] 8, the distance W of the gap 300 in the direction perpendicular to the face 2 is constant in the toe-heel direction. In this example, the distance W of the gap 300 is set so that the non-support region 106 of the face plate 100 does not come into contact with the head body 200 even when the face plate 100 is bent upon hitting a ball. The distance W of the gap 300 is desirably, for example, 1.0 mm or more, more preferably 1.3 mm or more, and even more preferably 1.5 mm or more.

[0069] Fig. 11 shows another example of the gap 300. Fig. 1 shows a cross section corresponding to the position of line VIII-VIII in Fig. 1. The example in Fig. 11 differs from the example in Fig. 8 in that the distance W of the gap 300 is different in the toe-heel direction.

[0070] A minimum portion 302 where the distance W of the gap 300 is smallest is located between the toe side end 106c and the heel side end 106d of the unsupported region 106. In this example, the distance W of the gap 300 decreases continuously from the toe side end 106c and the heel side end 106d of the unsupported region 106 toward the center, but it may also change in a stepwise manner.

[0071] In a desirable embodiment, the distance W of the minimum portion 302 is adjusted so that, when hitting a ball, the face plate 100 comes into contact with the head body 200. The distance W of such minimum portion 302 is, for example, less than 1.0 mm, and preferably less than 0.5 mm.

[0072] In such a head 1, deformation of the face plate 100 upon hitting a ball causes a part of the non-support region 106 to come into contact with the head body 200, thereby suppressing excessive deformation of the face plate 100. Such an embodiment is desirable in that it allows adjustment of the repulsion performance of the head 1.

[0073] [Filling material] 12 and 13 show an exploded perspective view and a cross-sectional view (cross-section corresponding to line III-III in FIG. 1) of the head 1 of another embodiment. This embodiment differs from the previous embodiment in that a filler member 400 is disposed in at least a part of the gap 300.

[0074] 12, the filler member 400 of this embodiment is in contact with both the face plate 100 and the head body 200 (specifically, the concave surface 204). Therefore, the filler member 400 can adjust the deflection of the face plate 100 when hitting a ball, and thus adjust the resilience performance of the head 1. The filler member 400 can be fixed in the gap 300 by various methods, such as with an adhesive, a screw, or by press-fitting.

[0075] The filler member 400 can adjust the repulsion performance of the head 1 by changing the contact area and / or contact position with the face plate 100. For example, the repulsion performance of the head 1 can be reduced by increasing the contact area between the filler member 400 and the face plate 100. For example, as shown in FIG. 13 , the head up-down dimension of the flexible region A of the face plate 100 that is not supported by the head main body 200 can be adjusted by changing the height h of the filler member 400 along the face 2.

[0076] Furthermore, by contacting the filler member 400 with a position on the face 2 where the resilience is high, the resilience at that contact position can be locally reduced. In Fig. 14(A), the filler member 400 is disposed over the entire range of the non-supported region 106 in the toe-heel direction. On the other hand, Fig. 14(B) shows an embodiment in which the filler member 400 is disposed only in a portion (for example, the center) of the non-supported region 106 in the toe-heel direction.

[0077] 15, the filler member 400 may be in contact only with the head main body 200 (specifically, the concave surface 204) and may be in non-contact with the non-support region 106 via a gap s. In this case, the gap s between the filler member 400 and the face plate 100 is set so that the filler member 400 comes into contact with the non-support region 106 of the face plate 100 when hitting a ball. With this type of head 1, the repulsion performance of the head 1 can be adjusted.

[0078] As described above, the shape, size, etc. of the filler member 400 may be determined as appropriate depending on the purpose of adjusting the resilience performance. In a preferred embodiment, multiple types of filler members 400 with different contact areas and / or contact positions with the face plate 100 are prepared in advance, and one of the multiple filler members 400 is placed in the gap 300 depending on the resilience performance required of the head or the needs of the golfer.

[0079] The Young's modulus of the filler member 400 is preferably smaller than that of the face plate 100 and the head body 200. In this case, the hitting feel can be improved without impairing the resilience performance. Such a filler member 400 is preferably made of an elastomer such as rubber, or a resin. The filler member 400 may also be made of a metal material with a small Young's modulus, such as aluminum or its alloy, or magnesium or its alloy.

[0080] The specific gravity of the filling member 400 is desirably greater than the specific gravity of the face plate 100 and the head body 200. This embodiment increases the weight on the sole 3 side, which in turn helps to provide a low center of gravity of the head.

[0081] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the Young's modulus of the filling member 400 is smaller than that of the face plate 100 and the head body 200 , and the specific gravity of the filling member 400 is greater than that of the face plate 100 and the head body 200 .

[0082] Furthermore, the filling member 400 may be made by compounding a high specific gravity metal material with an elastomer or resin.

[0083] In a preferred embodiment, a method for manufacturing the head 1 includes the steps of fixing the face plate 100 and the head body 200 together, preparing multiple types of filler members 400 with different contact areas and / or contact positions with the face plate 100, selecting one from the multiple filler members 400 depending on the repulsion performance required of the head or the needs of the golfer, and fitting the selected filler member 400 into the gap 300.

[0084] Fig. 16 shows yet another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 16, the head body 200 differs from the previous embodiment in that it has an extension 201. The extension 201 is formed to face the plate side surface 103f corresponding to the non-support region 106 of the face plate 100. As a result, the plate side surface 103f does not form the outer surface of the sole 3. Furthermore, the extension 201 is disposed with a second gap 301 in the vertical direction between it and the plate side surface 103f so as not to support the plate side surface 103f.

[0085] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above specific disclosure, and can be implemented in various modified forms within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1 head 2 faces 3 Sole 6 Tou 7 Heel 100 faceplates 101 Plate front 102 Plate rear 104 outer edge 106 Unsupported area 106a Toe side unsupported area 106b Heel side unsupported area 200 Head body 201 Opening 202 Receiving surface 202a Central receiving surface 205 Plastically deformed part 300 gap 302 Minimum gap 400 Filler material

Claims

1. An iron-type golf club head, The head includes a face plate and a head body. The face plate includes a plate front surface that forms at least a portion of the face, a plate rear surface that is the opposite surface thereof, and a plate side surface that extends therebetween; the plate rear surface includes a peripheral edge; the head body includes an opening for receiving the face plate, and a receiving surface formed along a peripheral edge of the opening and supporting the outer peripheral edge of the rear surface of the plate from behind; the opening has an opening surface extending from the face toward the rear of the head, the receiving surface is formed to be discontinuous and partially interrupted, so that the outer circumferential edge portion includes a non-supported region that is not directly supported by the head body, the non-support area is formed only on the lower side of the face plate, extends to the outer surface of the sole, and passes through the face center; the plate side surface corresponding to the non-supported region is not indirectly supported by the head body and constitutes the outline of the golf club head; the plate side surface not corresponding to the non-supported region is directly supported by the opening surface of the head body, the face plate is fixed to the head body by a plastic deformation portion formed by plastically deforming the head body, A gap having a distance in a direction perpendicular to the face is formed between the non-support region and the head body. Golf club head.

2. 2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the plastically deformable portion of the head body covers at least a portion of the front surface of the face plate.

3. 3. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the difference between the maximum thickness and the minimum thickness of the face plate is 2.0 mm or less.

4. 4. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the non-support area extends in a toe-heel direction across a vertical plane perpendicular to the face.

5. the non-supported region includes a toe-side non-supported region and a heel-side non-supported region, 4. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the receiving surface includes a central receiving surface formed between the toe-side non-supporting region and the heel-side non-supporting region.

6. 6. The golf club head according to claim 5, wherein the central receiving surface extends in a toe-heel direction so as to pass through the face center and intersect a vertical plane perpendicular to the face.

7. A golf club head as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the distance of the gap is constant in the toe-heel direction.

8. The distance of the gap varies in the toe-heel direction, 7. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the minimum portion of the gap, where the distance is smallest, is located between the toe end and the heel end of the non-support area.

9. A golf club head as described in claim 8, wherein, when hitting a ball, the face plate and the head body come into contact at the smallest part of the gap.

10. A golf club head as described in claim 8 or 9, wherein the distance of the smallest part of the gap is 1.0 mm or less.

11. A golf club head as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a filler member is arranged in a portion of the gap.

12. A golf club head as described in claim 11, wherein the filling member is arranged over the entire range of the non-support area in the toe-heel direction.

13. A golf club head as described in claim 11, wherein the filling member is arranged only in a portion of the non-support area in the toe-heel direction.

14. A golf club head as described in any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the Young's modulus of the filling member is smaller than the Young's modulus of the face plate and the head body.

15. A golf club head as described in any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the specific gravity of the filling member is greater than the specific gravity of the face plate and the head body.

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