Golf club head and method manufacturing the same

• US 20060172819A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Sano, Yoshinori
• Granted Patent: US 7,621,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/345
• 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 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type

Abstract

A golf club head comprises a club face provided with a high-strength part whose tensile strength is in the range of from 950 to 2200 MPa, wherein the high-strength part has Young'"'"'s modulus in the range of from 120 to 160 GPa.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising

a club face provided with a high-strength part whose tensile strength is in the range of from 950 to 2200 MPa, wherein

the high-strength part has Young'"'"'s modulus in the range of from 120 to 160 GPa.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the high-strength part comprises a titanium alloy consisting of, in weight %, Al:

3.5-6.5%, Fe;

0.1-2.0%, and the balance of Ti and at least one inevitable impurity.

3. The golf club head according to claim 2, wherein the titanium alloy contains Al of not less than 4.0%.

4. The golf club head according to claim 2, wherein the titanium alloy contains Al of not more than 6.0%.

5. The golf club head according to claim 2, wherein the titanium alloy contains Fe of not less than 0.5%.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the high-strength part comprises a forged titanium alloy.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein

a head volume is not less than 400 cm³,

a head weight is in the range of from 170 to 200 g,

a coefficient of restitution of the club head is not less than 0.800, and less than 0.830, and

a thickness of the club face at the sweet spot is in the range of from 2.9 to 3.2 mm.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein

the Young'"'"'s modulus of the high-strength part is not less than 130 GPa.

9. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein

the Young'"'"'s modulus of the high-strength part is not less than 135 GPa.

10. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein

the tensile strength of the high-strength part is not less than 1300 MPa.

11. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein

a depth of center of gravity of the club head is in the range of from 35.5 to 43.0 mm.

12. A method of manufacturing a golf club head comprising at least two components including a face component having a high-strength part having tensile strength in the range of from 950 to 2200 MPa and Young'"'"'s modulus in the range of from 120 to 160 GPa, the method comprising

heating a titanium alloy in the range of from 930 to 950 degrees Celsius for 3 to 30 minutes,

forging the titanium alloy into the face component after said heating, and

assembling a golf club head from the face component and the remainder of the components.