Method for manufacturing a golf club face

• US 20040083596A1
• Filed: 11/04/2002
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Beach, Todd P., Willett, Kraig A., Hoffman, Joseph H., Kraus, Stephen A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,904,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/557
• 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 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49995 Shaping one-piece blank by removing material

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a face plate for a golf club head is presented to provide face having substantial thickness variation for enhanced performance. The method includes the steps of providing a rolled sheet of metal material having an initial thickness and forming a blank having a prescribed outer shape from the material. The method also includes machining a second side of the blank such that the resulting face plate has a variable thickness. The machining is such that the plate has a first thickness less than or equal to the initial thickness, a second thickness less than the first thickness and a third thickness less than the second thickness. The machining is performed over a substantial portion of the surface area of the second side. Either a CNC lathe or milling machine may be used; however, for an axisymmetric face thickness a CNC lathe is preferred and for an asymmetric face thickness a CNC end mill is preferred. The club head may be a wood-type or iron, and titanium or steel alloys may be used.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a face plate for a golf club head, comprising:

providing a rolled sheet of metal material having an initial thickness;

forming a blank having a prescribed outer shape from the material, the blank having first and second sides; and

machining the second side such that the resulting face plate has a first thickness less than or equal to the initial thickness, a second thickness less than the first thickness and a third thickness less than the second thickness;

wherein machining is performed over a substantial portion of the surface area of the second side.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the machining is performed over at least 60% of the surface area of the second side.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising machining the second side such that the resulting face plate has a fourth thickness, the fourth thickness less than the first, second and third thicknesses.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising forming a web transition region between the first and second thicknesses.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising forming a continuously variable transition region between the first and second thicknesses.

6. A method for manufacturing a face plate for a golf club head, comprising:

providing a rolled sheet material having an initial thickness, the material having a density of at least 4 g/cc;

forming a blank having a prescribed outer shape from the material; and

machining a second side of the blank such that the resulting face plate has

a first thickness less than the initial thickness,

a second thickness at substantially a center of the face plate, the second thickness less than the first thickness, and

a third thickness at least at toe and heel zones of the face plate, the third thickness less than the second thickness;

wherein the machining is performed over a substantial area of the second side.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the machining is performed by a lathe and the resulting face plate has an axisymmetric thickness variation.

8. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the machining step includes forming transition regions between regions of first and second thicknesses and between regions first and third thicknesses.

9. A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising machining a bulge and a roll on a first side.

10. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the machining step is performed with a milling machine, wherein the resulting face plate has a thickness variation that is asymmetric about an axis in a heel to toe direction and has a zone of the first thickness oriented vertically.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the machining step includes forming webbed transition regions, a radius of the webs matching a profiled cutter of the milling machine.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the machining step includes forming the toe and heal zones of the third thickness in three or less passes of the profiled cutter.

13. A method as defined in claim 12, further comprising providing three or less profiled cutters, wherein the total number of actions performed by the milling machine is eight or less.

14. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the vertical zone of the first thickness extends horizontally at least partially in heel and toe directions.

15. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the second thickness is machined to be at least 0.5 mm less than the first thickness and the third thickness is machined to be at least 1.0 mm less than the first thickness.

16. A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising the step of forming a bulge and roll before the step of the machining the second side.

17. A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising the step of forming a bulge and roll after the step of the machining the second side.

18. A method for manufacturing a face plate for a golf club head, comprising:

providing a rolled sheet of titanium alloy material having an initial thickness;

forming a blank having a prescribed outer shape from the material;

affixing the blank to a CNC machine; and

machining a second side of the blank such that the resulting face plate has

a first thickness less than the initial thickness,

a second thickness at substantially a center of the face plate, the second thickness less than the first thickness, and

a third thickness at least at toe and heel zones of the face plate, the third thickness less than the second thickness;

wherein the machining is performed over a substantial area of the second side.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the machining is performed over at least 70% of the surface area.

20. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the machining removes at least 15% of the material from the blank.