Composite articles and methods for making the same

• US 20080300068A1
• Filed: 06/03/2008
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Department Of Health And Human Services (Government of the United States of America), Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Chao, Bing-Ling
• Granted Patent: US 7,874,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/342
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/30 Shaping by lay-up, i.e. applying fibres, tape or broadsheet on a mould, former or core; Shaping by spray-up, i.e. spraying of fibres on a mould, former or core
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/342 using isostatic pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2063/00 Use of EP, i.e. epoxy resins or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2707/04 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 with cutting, punching, tearing or severing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/108 Flash, trim or excess removal

Abstract

The present disclosure pertains to composite articles, and in particular a composite face plate for a golf club-head, and methods for making the same. In certain embodiments, a composite face plate for a club-head comprises a lay-up of multiple, composite prepreg plies. The face plate can be made by first forming an oversized lay-up of multiple prepreg plies having a central portion and a sacrificial portion surrounding the central portion. The lay-up is at least partially cured in a mold under elevated pressure and heat. The lay-up is then removed from the mold and the sacrificial portion is removed from the central portion to form a composite part that is substantially free of defects.

Claims

1. A method for making a composite face plate for a club-head of a golf club, the method comprising:

forming a lay-up of multiple prepreg plies, each prepreg ply comprising at least one layer of reinforcing fibers impregnated with a resin, the lay-up comprising a central portion and a sacrificial portion surrounding the central portion;

at least partially curing the lay-up; and

removing the sacrificial portion from the central portion of the at least partially cured lay-up to form a composite part having specified dimensions and shape for use as a face plate or part of a face plate in a club-head.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of at least partially curing the lay-up leaves no more than one void in the central portion of the partially cured lay-up.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, prior to the act of removing, the fibers of each ply have opposite end portions that extend into the sacrificial portion, and the act of removing the sacrificial portion is effective to separate the end portions of the fibers from the plies forming the composite part.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, prior to the act of removing, the sacrificial portion completely surrounds the central portion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plies comprise elongated prepreg strips that are narrower in width than the width of the central portion, each strip having opposite end portions that extend into the sacrificial portion, and the act of removing the sacrificial portion is effective to separate the end portions of the strips from the remaining portions of the strips forming the composite part.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the part, after removing the sacrificial portion, has a void content of about 1.7×

10<sup>−

6</sup> percent or less by volume.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the part, after removing the sacrificial portion, does not have any voids.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of removing the sacrificial portion comprises water-jet cutting the sacrificial portion from the central portion.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising placing an outer layer on the composite part, the outer layer defining a striking surface of the face plate.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the outer layer comprises a polymeric layer.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the outer layer comprises a metal layer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the metal layer is made of titanium, aluminum, magnesium, steel, or alloys thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the lay-up has a varying thickness.

14. A method for making a composite part, the method comprising:

forming a lay-up of multiple prepreg plies, each prepreg ply comprising at least one layer of reinforcing fibers impregnated with a resin, the lay-up comprising a central portion and a sacrificial portion surrounding the central portion;

at least partially curing the lay-up in a mold;

removing the at least partially cured lay-up from the mold; and

after removing the partially cured lay-up from the mold, removing the sacrificial portion from the central portion of the at least partially cured lay-up to form the composite part.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the part, after removing the sacrificial portion, has a void content of about 1.7×

10<sup>−

6</sup> percent or less by volume.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the part, after removing the sacrificial portion, does not have any voids.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein, prior to the act of removing the sacrificial portion, the sacrificial portion completely surrounds the central portion.

18. A composite face plate for a golf-club head, comprising:

a composite lay-up comprising multiple prepreg layers, each prepreg layer comprising at least one resin-impregnated layer of longitudinally extending fibers, the lay-up having an outer peripheral edge defining an overall size and shape of the lay-up, wherein the fibers extend continuously from respective first locations on the peripheral edge to respective second locations on the peripheral edge, and wherein the lay-up has a void content of about 1.7×

10<sup>−

6</sup> percent or less by volume.

19. The face plate of claim 18, wherein the composite lay-up does not have any voids.