Golf club head

Abstract

To provide a golf club head capable of reducing the weight of a face portion of the golf club head and improving the degree of freedom in designing the center of gravity of the golf club head. [Solution] This golf club head S100 comprises a head body 10 in which a face portion 11, a crown portion 12 and a sole portion 13 are integrally molded from carbon fiber reinforced resin, and a titanium face member 20 fixed to the face portion 11 from the front side of the face portion 11 so as to cover at least a portion of the face portion 11, and the titanium face member 20 is laminated on the face portion 11.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, a golf club head is known that has a configuration in which a face member is attached to a head body that includes a face, a crown, and a sole (see Patent Document 1). The face member is made of titanium and is attached to the head body so as to close the opening of the head body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-18352 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In conventional designs, the face is made of titanium alone, so in order to give the face the desired repulsion characteristics and strength, the weight of the face must be large, which can reduce the freedom of designing the center of gravity of the golf club head.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a golf club head that can reduce the weight of the face portion of the golf club head and improve the degree of freedom in designing the center of gravity of the golf club head. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A golf club head according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a head body in which a face portion, a crown portion, and a sole portion are integrally molded from carbon fiber reinforced resin, and a titanium face member fixed to the face portion from the front side of the face portion so as to cover at least a portion of the face portion, and the titanium face member is laminated on the face portion.

[0007] The titanium face member may be fixed to the face portion in a state where, when the golf club head is viewed from the front side, at least one of a region of the face portion that is closer to the heel than the titanium face member and a region of the face portion that is closer to the toe than the titanium face member is exposed.

[0008] The titanium face member may be fixed to the face portion by adhesive, and the face portion may have a plurality of through holes, each of which has a contour shape without corners and a maximum length within the hole of 5 mm or less.

[0009] The area of ​​the face portion that is covered by the titanium face member may include a through hole forming area in which the multiple through holes are formed, and an opening forming area that is at least one of an area on the heel side of the through hole forming area and an area on the toe side of the through hole forming area, in which an opening larger than the through hole is formed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a golf club head that can reduce the weight of the face portion of the golf club head and improve the degree of freedom in designing the center of gravity of the golf club head. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a golf club head. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing how the face member is attached to the head body. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing modified examples in which the left and right face portions are not covered. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a modified example in which a through hole is formed in the face portion. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration in which an opening is provided in addition to a plurality of through holes. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration in which a head main body is provided by a plurality of members. [Figure 8] 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views showing specific configuration examples of the neck member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a golf club head. Fig. 1(a) is a plan view of the golf club head, and Fig. 1(b) is a front view of the golf club head. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the AA cutting line in Fig. 1(a). Fig. 3 is a diagram showing how a face member is attached to a head body.

[0013] 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. Unless otherwise specified in this specification, the golf club head S100 is assumed to be in this reference state.

[0014] (Golf club head S100 configuration) The golf club head S100 is a wood-type head, and includes a head body 10, a titanium face member 20, and a neck member 30, as shown in FIGS.

[0015] The head body 10 is hollow. The head body 10 has a face portion 11, a crown portion 12, a sole portion 13, a side portion 14, and a hosel portion 15. Note that the side portion 14 is not an essential component of the present invention. Depending on the shape of the head body 10, a portion corresponding to the side portion 14 may not exist.

[0016] The head body 10 is made of carbon fiber reinforced resin (carbon). The head body 10 is a single member in which a face portion 11, a crown portion 12, a sole portion 13, a side portion 14, and a hosel portion 15 are integrally molded. The head body 10 is molded, for example, by a 3D printer using the FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) method or the FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) method, which is capable of molding carbon fiber reinforced resin. The head body 10 may also be manufactured by a device other than a 3D printer. The head body 10 may or may not have an opening in a portion thereof, but in this example, it has no opening.

[0017] The face portion 11 is provided on the front side of the golf club head S100. The face portion 11 is the portion to which the titanium face member 20 is attached. As an example, the face portion 11 is a curved surface with a constant or substantially constant thickness (for example, the difference in dimension between the thinnest part and the thickest part is within 20% of the dimension of the thickest part). The thickness of the face portion 11 is, for example, 1.0 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less.

[0018] The crown portion 12 is a portion that forms the upper surface of the head body 10. 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 body 10. The hosel portion 15 is a portion to which the neck member 30 is fixed.

[0019] The neck member 30 is a cylindrical member made of metal. The neck member 30 connects the shaft to the head body 10. The neck member 30 is, for example, a metal sleeve. This metal sleeve is fixed to the hosel portion 15 by, for example, a fixing screw.

[0020] (Titanium face member 20) The titanium face member 20 is made of titanium or a titanium alloy. A titanium alloy is an alloy whose main component is titanium. In this example, as shown in FIG. 1(b), the titanium face member 20 has a shape that entirely covers the face portion 11 of the head main body 10 when the golf club head S100 is viewed from the front. The titanium face member 20 is a member that is fixed to the head main body 10. The titanium face member 20 is fixed to the face portion 11 from the front side of the face portion 11. The titanium face member 20 is arranged in a manner that allows it to be stacked on the face portion 11.

[0021] The titanium face member 20 includes, for example, a face surface portion 21 and a peripheral portion 22. The face surface portion 21 forms the face surface of the golf club head S100. The face surface portion 21 is formed in a curved shape that fits along the face portion 11. The face surface portion 21 is laminated on the face portion 11. Specifically, the face surface portion 21 is laminated in a state of intimate contact with the face portion 11.

[0022] The peripheral portion 22 is a portion located on the periphery of the face portion 21. The peripheral portion 22 extends in a direction intersecting the face portion 21. In this example, the peripheral portion 22 is in the shape of a frame that surrounds the entire periphery of the face portion 11.

[0023] The titanium face member 20 is, for example, produced by bending a single plate-shaped member by press working.

[0024] The titanium face member 20 may be a plate-shaped member formed only of the portion corresponding to the face surface portion 21, but by forming it into a three-dimensional shape including the face surface portion 21 and the peripheral portion 22 as in this embodiment, the rigidity of the titanium face member 20 is ensured.

[0025] On the other hand, when titanium face member 20 is configured from a plate-like member formed only of the portion corresponding to face surface portion 21, there is an advantage in that it is easy to manufacture titanium face member 20. In addition, in the case of this configuration, since the configuration of titanium face member 20 is simple, there is an advantage in that it is easy to adjust the characteristics of the face portion at the time of impact, which is configured by stacking titanium face member 20 on face portion 11.

[0026] The titanium face member 20 is fixed to the face portion 11, for example, by adhesive. The surface of the titanium face member 20 facing the face portion 11 is fixed to the outer surface of the face portion 11 by adhesive. The adhesive may be applied to the entire surface of the face portion 11, or may be applied to only a portion of the surface. The thickness of the titanium face member 20 is, for example, 0.2 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less. As an example, the thickness of the titanium face member 20 is thinner than the thickness of the face portion 11. As a specific example, the thickness of the titanium face member 20 is approximately 0.2 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less, and the thickness of the face portion 11 is approximately 1.6 mm or more and 2.5 mm or less.

[0027] (Effects of the S100 golf club head) In the golf club head S100 described above, the titanium face member 20 is laminated on the face portion 11 of the head main body 10, and the face portion of the golf club head S100 has a laminated structure of titanium and carbon. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which a large opening is formed in the face portion 11 and the titanium face member 20 is arranged to close the opening, the face portion can be made lighter, which in turn provides the effect of improving the degree of freedom in designing the center of gravity of the golf club head. In addition, the laminated structure of titanium and carbon also provides the effect of making it easier to adjust the feel on impact.

[0028] (Modified example of not covering the left and right face parts) Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a modified example in which the left and right face portions are not covered. As can be seen from Fig. 1(a) and Fig. 1(b), the face portion of a wood-type golf club head generally has a larger curvature and a more complex shape as it approaches the toe side or the heel side.

[0029] When machining the titanium face member 20 to fit such a portion with a large curvature or a complex shape, the work becomes time-consuming.

[0030] The golf club head S101 in Fig. 4 includes a head main body 10 and a titanium face member 120. The golf club head S101 has basically the same configuration as the above-described embodiment, except that the shape of the titanium face member 120 is different from that of the above-described embodiment.

[0031] The titanium face member 120 has a shape such that both the left and right sides of the titanium face member 20 (a portion on the toe side and a portion on the heel side) are cut off. The material of the titanium face member 120 is the same as that of the above-described embodiment. Specifically, when the golf club head S101 is viewed from the front side, the titanium face member 120 is fixed to the face portion 11 in a state in which a region 11a of the face portion 11 that is closer to the heel than the titanium face member 120 and a region 11b of the face portion 11 that is closer to the toe than the titanium face member 120 are exposed. In this example, the regions 11a and 11b are exposed, but a configuration in which only one of them is exposed may also be employed. The width of the region 11a and / or the region 11b is preferably 15% or less or 10% or less of the overall length (maximum length) in the left-right direction of the golf club head S100, for example, from the viewpoint of ensuring a sufficiently large face surface.

[0032] According to the configuration of Figure 4, there is no need to process titanium face member 120 into a shape that covers areas 11a and 11b, which are areas with large curvatures or complex shapes, so the shape of titanium face member 120 is simplified and the effort required for processing is reduced.

[0033] (Modification example in which a through hole is formed in the face portion) 5 is a diagram showing a modified example in which a through hole is formed in the face portion. In a configuration in which titanium face member 120 is bonded to face portion 11 of head main body 10, the material of face portion 11 is different from the material of titanium face member 120, and therefore, in face portion 11 without a through hole formed therein, stress at the time of impact may cause face portion 11 to be broken or damaged.

[0034] Therefore, in the golf club head S102 of FIG. 5, a plurality of through holes 11h are formed in the face portion 11 (reference numerals are only attached to some of the through holes). The through holes 11h have a contour shape without corners. In this example, the through holes 11h are circular. By having the through holes 11h in such a shape, stress concentration is alleviated.

[0035] The rigidity of the face portion 11 having the plurality of through holes 11h formed therein depends on the number and size of the through holes 11h. However, if the size of the through holes 11h is too large, the rigidity of the through holes 11h will decrease. Therefore, in one embodiment, it is preferable that the maximum length of the through holes 11h (diameter in the case of a circle) is 5 mm or less. As a specific example, the maximum length of the through holes 11h is 3 mm or less.

[0036] A titanium face member 120 is adhered with an adhesive to the face portion 11 in which the through holes 11h are formed. Although the titanium face member 120 is exemplified here, the titanium face member 20 shown in FIG. 1 may also be used.

[0037] 5, in a configuration in which the titanium face member 120 is bonded to the face portion 11 having the through-holes 11h formed therein, the through-holes 11h also function as escape holes for the adhesive (holes into which excess adhesive can enter). With this configuration, the adhesive is prevented from spilling out from the boundary between the head main body 10 and the titanium face member 20.

[0038] Furthermore, since the adhesive hardens while remaining in through holes 11h, an anchor effect is achieved, which better fixes titanium face member 120. In view of this function of through holes 11h, in one embodiment, it is preferable that the minimum length of through holes 11h be 1 mm or more so that the adhesive can easily enter the holes.

[0039] In the configuration of FIG. 5, the amount of deformation of the face portion upon impact is thought to be greater in the peripheral portion than in the center of the face surface. Therefore, the through-holes 11h described above are preferably provided in the peripheral portion of the face portion (e.g., one or more of the four corners). The "peripheral portion" refers to the four corners of nine sections defined by dividing the area covered by the titanium face member 120 into three sections in the vertical and toe-heel directions as shown in FIG. 5 when viewed from the front of the head. In one configuration of this embodiment, the through-holes 11h are provided in one or more of these peripheral portions. "Dividing into three sections in the vertical and toe-heel directions" refers to dividing each side of a rectangle circumscribing the area covered by the titanium face member 120 (for example, having the same shape as the outer shape of the titanium face member 120).

[0040] The through holes 11h may be formed to have different sizes. For example, the maximum length (diameter if circular) of the through holes 11h in the peripheral portion may be longer than the maximum length (diameter if circular) of the through holes 11h in the central portion.

[0041] (Configuration in which openings are provided in addition to a plurality of through holes) Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration in which an opening is provided in addition to a plurality of through holes. In the golf club head S103 of Fig. 6, the area of ​​the face portion 11 of the head main body 10 that is covered with the titanium face member 20 includes a through-hole formation area Sa and an opening formation area Sb.

[0042] The through-hole formation region Sa is a region in which a plurality of through-holes 11h are formed. The opening formation region Sb is a region in which openings P1 are formed. The width (the length in the left-right direction in the figure) of the through-hole formation region Sa is preferably 50% or more of the maximum length of the head body 10 in the toe-heel direction, and in one embodiment, preferably 60% or 70% or more. The opening formation region Sb is formed in a region on the heel side of the through-hole formation region Sa and in a region on the toe side. The openings P1 are formed larger than the through-holes 11h. The area of ​​one opening P1 is, for example, 5 times or more or 10 times or more the area of ​​one through-hole 11h (note that the area refers to the area of ​​the hole calculated based on the outline shape of the hole in a front view).

[0043] By providing such an opening P1 on the toe side and / or heel side of the face of the carbon head body, the face member is more likely to deform in the area where the opening P1 is provided. Typically, the outer periphery of the face is a part that undergoes significant changes in shape and is therefore highly rigid. When the ball hits such a so-called hard part on a mishit, energy is lost, causing unnecessary spin on the ball and making the directionality of the ball unstable. In contrast, when the opening P1 is present as in this embodiment, the face member is more likely to deform, and the directionality of the ball is relatively stable even on a mishit.

[0044] Furthermore, the sound produced when hitting the ball is not the characteristic sound of carbon, but a metallic impact sound, making it possible to achieve a pleasant impact sound. This is because, with a configuration provided with opening P1, the metal face member is expected to resonate in the area of ​​opening P1. Furthermore, the excess weight saved by opening P1 can be appropriately positioned in the desired position of the head, improving the degree of freedom in center of gravity design. For example, weight can be shifted to a position behind the sole or a position that achieves a lower center of gravity, making it possible to achieve a good weight balance for the entire head.

[0045] In this way, by configuring the head body 10 so that a large opening P1 is formed in the opening formation area Sb that is not set as the part where the ball hits while the through-hole formation area Sa is maintained, the degree of freedom in designing the head body 10 is further improved, or the ease of manufacturing the head body 10 is improved, and the head body 10 can be adapted to golf club heads S103 with a variety of performances.

[0046] (Head body is made up of multiple members) Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration in which the head body is made up of multiple members. In the embodiment of Fig. 1, an example is shown in which the entire head body 10 is made of carbon, but the present invention is not limited to this. The head body 10 of Fig. 7 has a first member which is carbon and a second member which is another material.

[0047] Specifically, the face portion 11, a portion of the crown portion 12, a portion of the sole portion 13, and the hosel portion 15 are made of a single carbon member. The head rear member 18 is made of a material other than carbon. The present invention is also applicable to such a configuration.

[0048] (Specific configuration example of neck member 30) 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a specific example of the configuration of the neck member. When the head main body is made of carbon (particularly when the hosel portion 15 is made of carbon), it is expected that the strength of the hosel portion 15 that receives the sleeve that constitutes the neck member 30 will be insufficient. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, a configuration may be adopted in which the sleeve is screwed in by a bolt B via a reinforcing cylindrical member 37.

[0049] The reinforcing tube member 37 has a tubular shape that receives the sleeve of the neck member 30 inside. The reinforcing tube member 37 is made of, for example, a metal material. The material of the reinforcing tube member 37 is, for example, stainless steel or titanium. By providing such a reinforcing tube member 37, it is possible to reinforce the members near the hole of the hosel portion 15. The reinforcing tube member 37 may be fixed to the hosel portion 15 by, for example, adhesive bonding. The neck member 30 is replaceably connected to the reinforcing tube member 37.

[0050] The present invention has been described above using embodiments, but 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 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]

[0051] 10 Head body 11 Face 11a area 11b area 11h Through hole 12 Crown part 13 Sole 14 Side section 15 Hosel 18 Rear head member 20 Titanium face material 21 Face 22 Periphery 30 Neck member 37 Reinforcing tube member 120 Titanium face material P1 opening S100 Golf Club Head S101 Golf Club Head S102 Golf Club Head S103 Golf Club Head Sa Through-hole formation area Sb opening formation area

Claims

1. a head body in which a face portion, a crown portion, and a sole portion are integrally molded from carbon fiber reinforced resin; a titanium face member fixed to the face portion from a front side of the face portion so as to cover at least a portion of the face portion; Equipped with the titanium face member is laminated on the face portion and fixed to the face portion with an adhesive; the face portion has a plurality of through holes, each of which has a contour shape without corners and a maximum length within the hole, which is a length in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the through holes penetrate the face portion, of 5 mm or less, and the through holes are not blocked by screws when the titanium face member is fixed to the face portion, and the adhesive can enter the through holes; The area of ​​the face portion covered by the titanium face member is a through-hole formation region in which the plurality of through-holes are formed; an opening formation region in which an opening larger than the through hole is formed, the opening formation region being at least one of a region on the heel side of the through hole formation region and a region on the toe side of the through hole formation region, Golf club head.

2. The adhesive is hardened in a state where it has entered the through-hole. The golf club head according to claim 1 .

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