Golf club head

• US 20040078955A1
• Filed: 10/24/2003
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsunaga, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 6,880,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/527.5
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/003 Anneal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49988 Metal casting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49989 Followed by cutting or removing material

Abstract

A golf club head has a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, a side portion and a hosel portion. Each portion is made of titanium or a titanium alloy. The side portion is formed integrally entirely from its toe side to its back side and its heel side. The side portion and the hosel portion are cast integrally. The face portion, the crown portion and the sole portion are molded separately from one another. The face portion, the crown portion, the sole portion and the side portion are welded integrally so as to form a golf club head. The Young'"'"'s modulus of the crown portion is lower than any Young'"'"'s modulus of the face portion, the sole portion, the side portion and the hosel portion.

Claims

1. A hollow golf club head made of metal comprising:

a face portion;

a sole portion;

a side portion; and

a crown portion,

wherein a metal material forming the crown portion has a lowest Young'"'"'s modulus.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein at least the crown portion is press-molded separately from other portions and joined to the other portions.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the crown portion has thickness in a range of from 0.5 mm to 1.2 mm.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1,

wherein the metal forming the golf club head includes at least one of titanium and titanium alloy;

wherein the crown portion has a Young'"'"'s modulus not higher than 10,500 kgf/mm²; and

wherein the sole portion has a Young'"'"'s modulus not lower than 11,000 kgf/mm².

5. The golf club head according to claim 1,

wherein difference between Young'"'"'s modulus of the crown portion and that of the sole portion is in a range of from 1,000 kgf/mm² to 3,000 kgf/mm²

6. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a rolled direction of the metal material forming the crown portion has an angle at in a range of 80°

to 100°

with respect to the face portion.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the face portion has height in a range of from 45 mm to 100 mm.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein weight of the golf club head is in a range of from 165 g to 205 g.

9. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a metal material forming the sole portion has the highest Young'"'"'s modulus.

10. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a rib is formed on the sole portion from a face side thereof toward a back side thereof.

11. A hollow golf club head made of metal comprising:

a face portion;

a sole portion;

a side portion; and

a crown portion, which is not subjected to heat treatment,

wherein the portions other than the crown portion are welded and are subjected to heat treatment, and then the portions and the crown portion are welded.

12. The golf club head according to claim 11, wherein each of face, sole, side, and crown portions is press-molded.

13. The golf club head according to claim 11, further comprising a hosel portion,

wherein the face, sole, side, and crown portions are formed from a titanium alloy plate by press-molding;

wherein the hosel portion is formed by punching a titanium alloy stick.

14. The golf club head according to claim 11, further comprising a hosel portion,

wherein the sole, side, and hosel portions are integrally formed by casting.

15. The golf club head according to claim 11, wherein at least the crown portion is made of β

type titanium alloy.

16. A method for manufacturing A hollow golf club head made of metal including a face portion, a sole portion, a side portion, and a crown portion, the method comprising the steps of:

welding the portions other than the crown portion;

heat-treating the portions; and

welding the portions and the crown portion, which is not subjected to a heat treatment.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of press-molding each of face, sole, side, and crown portions.

18. The method according to claim 16, in which the golf club head further including a hosel portion, the method further comprising the steps of:

press-molding a titanium alloy to form the face, sole, side, and crown portions; and

punching a titanium alloy stick to form the hosel portion.

19. The method according to claim 16, in which the golf club further including a hosel portion, the method further comprising the steps of integrally casting the sole, side, and hosel portions.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein at least the crown portion is made of β

type titanium alloy.