Golf club head having a lightweight face insert and method of manufacturing it

• US 20040235584A1
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Ie, Citra A., Beach, Todd P., Flukers, Jabaarr A., Chao, Bing-Ling, Vincent, Benoit
• Granted Patent: US 7,267,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/342
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• 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 53/0425 the face insert comprising two or more different materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1062 Prior to assembly

Abstract

A golf club head having a composite face insert attached to a metallic body is provided. The club head preferably has a volume of at least 200 cc and provides superior durability and club performance. The face insert includes prepreg plies having a fiber areal weight (FAW) of less than 100 g/m². The face insert preferably has a thickness less than 4 mm and a mass at least 10 grams less than an insert of equivalent volume formed of the metallic material of the body of the club head. A metallic cap with a peripheral rim is also provided to protect the ends of the composite material of the face insert. Related methods of manufacturing and alternative materials are disclosed. The resin content of the prepreg plies can be controlled through management of the timing and environment in which the resultant prepreg plies are cured and soaked.

Claims

1. A golf club head, comprising:

a body defining a front opening; and

a face insert comprising prepreg plies having a fiber areal weight (FAW) of less than 100 g/m², the face insert attached at and closing the front opening of the body;

wherein the face insert'"'"'s total thickness is within a range of about 1 mm to about 8 mm.

2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the face insert comprises a cap formed of a material with a density less than 5 g/cc, the cap covering a front surface of the prepreg plies and comprising a peripheral rim.

3. A golf club head having a volume of at least 200 cc, comprising:

a body having a crown, a skirt, and a sole, the body defining a front opening; and

a face insert having at least a portion comprising prepreg plies having a fiber areal weight (FAW) of less than 100 g/m², the face insert closing the front opening of the body;

wherein the face insert'"'"'s total thickness is within a range of about 1 mm to about 8 mm, the golf club head having a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.79.

4. A golf club head as defined in claim 3, wherein:

the prepreg plies include carbon fiber reinforcement having a FAW of about 70 g/m²; and

the face insert'"'"'s total thickness is within a range of about 3 mm to about 4 mm.

5. A golf club head as defined in claim 3, wherein the prepreg plies have a FAW of less than 70 g/m².

6. A golf club head as defined in claim 5, wherein:

the prepreg plies include carbon fiber reinforcement having a FAW of about 50 g/m²; and

the face insert'"'"'s total thickness is within a range of about 2.5 mm to about 4 mm.

7. A golf club head as defined in claim 5, wherein the body is at least partly formed of a metallic material and the mass of the face insert is at least 10 grams less than an equivalent volume of the metallic material of the body.

8. A golf club head as defined in claim 3, wherein the face insert comprises a metallic cap adhesively attached to the prepreg plies.

9. A golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the thickness of the prepreg plies is about 3.5 mm or less and the metallic cap'"'"'s thickness is about 0.5 mm or less.

10. A golf club head as defined in claim 3, further comprising a layer of textured film co-cured with the prepreg plies, the layer of textured film thereby forming a front surface of the face insert.

11. A golf club head as defined in claim 10, wherein the layer of textured film comprises nylon fabric.

12. A golf club head having a volume of at least 200 cc, comprising:

a body having a crown, a skirt, and a sole, the body defining a front opening having an annular ledge; and

a face insert comprising;

a region formed of non-metallic material, and

a cap attached to a front surface of the non-metallic region, the cap comprising a peripheral rim having one or more segments extending around a periphery of the non-metallic region;

wherein the face insert is disposed on the annular ledge at the front opening of the body, the golf club head having a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.79.

13. A golf club head as defined in claim 12, wherein a bonding gap of no greater than 0.2 mm is maintained between the non-metallic region and the cap.

14. A golf club head as defined in claim 12, wherein the cap comprises a metallic material.

15. A golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein the metallic cap comprises Ti-6Al-4V material.

16. A golf club head as defined in claim 14, wherein a thickness of the non-metallic region is about 3.5 mm or less and a thickness of the metallic cap is about 0.5 mm or less.

17. A golf club head as defined in claim 12, wherein the non-metallic region of the face insert comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a fiber-reinforced plastic, prepreg plies having a fiber areal weight of less than 100 μ

m, a chopped-fiber compound and an injection-molded polymer.

18. A method of manufacturing a golf club head having a volume of at least 200 cc, comprising:

forming a face insert at least partly including prepreg plies having a fiber areal weight (FAW) of less than 100 μ

m²;

forming a body having a crown, a skirt and a sole, the body defining a front opening, the body having an annular ledge recessed a depth D in the front opening; and

attaching the face insert to the front opening;

wherein the face insert has a thickness less than the depth D of the annular ledge at the front opening of the body.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the step of forming the body comprises investment casting a titanium alloy.

20. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the thickness of the face insert is within a range of about 2 mm to about 7 mm.

21. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the annular ledge has a thickness of about 1.5 mm and extends between about 3 mm to 6 mm into the front opening.

22. A method as defined in claim 18, further comprising the steps of forming a metallic cap and attaching the cap to a front surface of the face insert, the combined thickness of the prepreg plies of the face insert and the cap being no greater than the depth D of the annular ledge at the front opening of the body.

23. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein the step of forming the metallic cap comprises forming a peripheral rim having a height substantially the same as the thickness of the face insert.

24. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein the steps of attaching the cap to the front surface of the face insert and attaching the face insert to the front opening of the body are performed in any order.

25. A method of manufacturing a golf club head, comprising:

forming a cured face insert including prepreg plies having a fiber areal weight of less than about 100 g/m² and having a predetermined resin content, comprising the steps of;

stacking and cutting a plurality of plies of low FAW material to form an uncured face insert having substantially a final desired shape, bulge and roll,

placing the uncured face insert into a tool with an initial temperature T₁,

curing the uncured face insert for about 5 minutes at a first pressure P₁ then initiating heating the tool to a set temperature T₂ greater than the initial temperature T₁ and curing another 15 minutes at a second pressure P₂ greater than the first pressure P₁, thus obtaining the cured face insert,

continue forming the cured face insert at the set temperature and second pressure P₂ for about 30 minutes, and

soaking the cured face insert for 5 minutes at a third pressure P₃ less than the second pressure P₂, such that the predetermined resin content is achieved;

forming a body defining a front opening; and

attaching the face insert to the front opening.

26. A method as defined in claim 25, wherein the third pressure P₃ is greater than the first pressure P₁.

27. A method as defined in claim 26, wherein the initial temperature T₁ is about 200°

F., the set temperature T₂ is about 270°

F., the first pressure P₁ is about 15 psi, the second pressure P₂ is about 200 psi and the third pressure P₃ is about 20 psi such that the final resin content is between about 35% to about 40%.

28. A method as defined in claim 25, wherein the stacking of the plurality of plies of low FAW material comprises debulking at least twice for at least two minutes each time.

29. A method as defined in claim 28, wherein a final debulking comprises using a panel having the final desired bulge and roll.

30. A method as defined in claim 25, further comprising the step of forming a metallic cap comprising a peripheral rim having a height substantially the same as a thickness of the face insert.

31. A method of manufacturing a golf club head, comprising:

forming a cured face insert including prepreg plies having a fiber areal weight of less than about 100 g/m² and having a predetermined resin content, comprising the steps of

stacking and cutting a plurality of plies of low FAW material to form an uncured face insert having substantially a final desired shape, bulge and roll,

placing the uncured face insert into a tool with an initial temperature T₁ and raising the temperature to a set temperature,

curing the uncured face insert for about 5 minutes at a first pressure P₁,

raising the pressure to a second pressure P₂ and continue forming the cured face insert at the set temperature and second pressure P₂ for about 15 minutes, and

soaking the cured face insert for about 20 minutes at a third pressure P₃ less than the second pressure P₂, such that the predetermined resin content is achieved;

forming a body defining a front opening; and

attaching the face insert to the front opening.

32. A method as defined in claim 31, wherein the initial temperature T₁ is about 200°

F., the set temperature T₂ is about 270°

F., the first pressure P₁ is about 20 psi, the second pressure P₂ is about 200 psi and the third pressure P₃ is about 20 psi.

33. A method as defined in claim 31, further comprising the step of forming a metallic cap comprising a peripheral rim having a height substantially the same as a thickness of the face insert.