Golf club and method of producing the same

• US 20040082401A1
• Filed: 06/05/2003
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: K.K. Endo Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: K.K. Endo Seisakusho
• Inventors: Takeda, Hitoshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,793,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/305
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• 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 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A hollow iron clubhead having a low center of gravity and enabling free selection of a material for the clubface can be readily produced by press working. The hollow iron clubhead mainly comprises a clubface member, a front body member and a rear body member. A blank for forming the clubface member, a blank for forming the front body member and a blank for forming the rear body member are prepared by blanking. The clubface blank and the front body blank are integrally welded together and shaped by hot drawing to form the front body member. The rear body blank is shaped by hot drawing to form the rear body member. The front body member and the rear body member are integrally joined together by welding.

Claims

1. A golf club having a hollow iron clubhead with a hollow therein, said golf club comprising:

a clubface member having a striking face for striking a golf ball;

a front body member integrally welded to said clubface member to constitute a front body portion of said hollow iron clubhead, said front body member having a first hosel portion for forming a tubular hosel communicating with said hollow; and

a rear body member integrally welded to said front body member to constitute a rear body portion of said hollow iron clubhead, said rear body member having a second hosel portion for forming said tubular hosel in combination with said first hosel portion.

2. A golf club according to claim 1, wherein said first hosel portion and said second hosel portion are half hosel portions, respectively, each having a shape formed by cutting a cylinder along a plane containing a center axis thereof, said half hosel portions being welded together to form said hosel for securing one end of a golf clubshaft.

3. A golf club according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said clubface member is positioned in a through-hole formed in said front body member and welded to said front body member.

4. A golf club according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a weight member is secured to a bottom of said rear body member by welding.

5. A golf club according to claim 3, wherein said clubface member is different in constituent material from said front body member.

6. A golf club according to claim 3, wherein a cylindrical member for securing one end of a golf clubshaft is joined to said hosel by welding.

8. A method of producing a golf club according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

preparing a clubface blank for forming said clubface member by blanking;

preparing a front body blank for forming said front body member by blanking;

integrally joining said clubface blank and said front body blank together by welding;

drawing said front body blank and clubface blank integrally joined together to form said front body member;

preparing a rear body blank for forming said rear body member by blanking;

drawing said rear body blank to form said rear body member; and

integrally joining said front body member and said rear body member together by welding.

7. A method of producing a golf club having a hollow iron clubhead with a hollow therein, said method comprising the steps of:

cutting a sheet material to form a clubface member having a striking face for striking a golf ball;

subjecting a sheet material to press working to form a front body member that is to be integrally welded to said clubface member to constitute a front body portion of said hollow iron clubhead;

integrally welding together said clubface member and said front body member;

subjecting a sheet material to press working to form a rear body member that is to be integrally welded to said front body member to constitute a rear body portion of said hollow iron clubhead; and

integrally welding together said front body member, which has been integrally welded with said clubface member, and said rear body member to form said hollow iron clubhead.

9. A method of producing a golf club according to claim 7 or 8, wherein a through-hole is formed in said front body blank by punching, and said clubface member is positioned in said through-hole and welded to said front body member.

10. A method of producing a golf club according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said drawing performed on said clubface blank, said front body blank and said rear body blank is hot working in which a material is drawn under heating to not less than a recrystallization temperature of the material.

11. A method of producing a golf club according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said front body blank and said rear body blank have respective half hosel portions for forming in combination a hosel for securing one end of a golf clubshaft, said half hosel portions each having a shape formed by cutting a cylinder along a plane containing a center axis thereof.

12. A method of producing a golf club according to claim 7 or 8, wherein a cylindrical member for securing one end of a golf clubshaft is joined to the hosel by welding.