Composite articles and methods for making the same

• US 20090163296A1
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Chao, Bing-Ling
• Granted Patent: US 7,874,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/348
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• 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 53/0458 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

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 is formed with a cross-sectional profile having a varying thickness. The face plate comprises a lay-up of multiple, composite prepreg plies. At least a portion of the plies comprise a plurality of elongated prepreg strips arranged in a predetermined criss-cross pattern in the lay-up. The prepreg strips create one or more areas of increased thickness where the strips overlap each other, thereby creating a desired profile for the plate. Metallic or polymer covers or cover layers can be used to define a striking surface.

Claims

1. A golf club-head comprising:

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

a variable-thickness face insert closing the front opening of the body, the insert comprising a lay-up of multiple, composite prepreg plies, wherein at least a portion of the plies comprise a plurality of elongated prepreg strips arranged in a criss-cross pattern defining an overlapping region where the strips overlap each other, the lay-up having a first thickness at a location spaced from the overlapping region and a second thickness at the overlapping region, the second thickness being greater than the first thickness.

2. The golf club-head of claim 1, wherein the lay-up has a front surface and the elongated strips extend continuously across the front surface.

3. The golf club-head of claim 2, wherein the plurality of prepreg strips overlap each other at a central region of the lay-up and extend continuously across the front surface between respective locations on a peripheral edge of the lay-up surrounding the front surface, the strips being angularly offset from each other with respect to the central region to form an annular projection having the second thickness at the central region and a peripheral portion of the lay-up surrounding the projection having the first thickness.

4. The golf club-head of claim 2, wherein the plurality of prepreg strips are arranged to form one or more enclosed polygons so as to form an annular projection having the second thickness and a recessed portion surrounded by the annular projection having the first thickness.

5. The golf club-head of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of prepreg strips are arranged in multiple sets of prepreg strips, the strips of each set arranged in a criss-cross pattern; and

another portion of the plies comprise a plurality of prepreg panels, each panel comprising a set of one or more prepreg plies, the sets of prepreg strips being interspersed between the panels, the plies of each panel having the same size and shape as the overall size and shape of the lay-up.

6. The golf club-head of claim 5, wherein each set of strips is sandwiched by and in contact with two of the panels in the lay-up.

7. The golf club-head of claim 5, wherein each panel comprises four prepreg plies, each having a different fiber orientation.

8. The golf club-head of claim 1, wherein the lay-up has a peripheral edge and each prepreg strip comprises longitudinally extending reinforcing fibers, each fiber extending from a respective first location on the peripheral edge of the lay-up to a respective second location on the peripheral edge of the lay-up.

9. The golf club-head of claim 1, wherein the lay-up has a void content of about 1.7×

10<sup>−

6</sup> percent or less by volume.

10. The golf club-head of claim 1, wherein the lay-up does not have any voids.

11. The golf club-head of claim 1, wherein the prepreg strips have straight longitudinal edges.

12. The golf club-head of claim 1, wherein insert comprises a polymeric layer disposed on the lay-up and defining a striking surface of the club-head.

13. The golf-club head of claim 1, wherein the insert comprises a metal layer disposed on the lay-up and defining a striking surface of the club-head.

14. The golf-club head of claim 13, wherein the metal layer is made of titanium, aluminum, magnesium, steel, or alloys thereof.

15. A golf club-head comprising:

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

a variable-thickness face insert closing the front opening of the body, the insert comprising a lay-up of multiple, composite prepreg plies, the lay-up having a front surface, a peripheral edge surrounding the front surface, and a width, wherein at least a portion of the plies comprise elongated strips that are narrower than the width of the lay-up and extend continuously across the front surface, the strips being arranged within the lay-up so as to define a cross-sectional profile having a varying thickness.

16. The golf club-head of claim 15, wherein the strips are arranged to form one or more areas of increased thickness where the strips overlap each other.

17. The golf club-head of claim 15, wherein the strips are arranged within the lay-up to form a central projection of the lay-up having a first thickness and a peripheral portion surrounding the projection having a second thickness that is less than the first thickness.

18. The golf club-head of claim 15, wherein strips are arranged within the lay-up to form an annular projection of the lay-up having a first thickness and a recessed portion of the lay-up surrounded by the projection, the recessed portion having a second thickness that is less than the first thickness.

19. The golf club-head of claim 15, wherein each strip comprises a plurality of longitudinally extending reinforcing fibers, each fiber extending continuously across the lay-up from a respective first location on the peripheral edge to a respective second location on the peripheral edge.

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

a composite lay-up comprising multiple prepreg layers, each prepreg layer comprising at least one resin-impregnated layer of longitudinally extending fibers at a respective orientation, the lay-up having an outer peripheral edge defining an overall size and shape of the lay-up;

wherein at least a portion of the layers comprise a plurality of composite panels, each panel comprising a set of one or more prepreg layers, each prepreg layer in the panels having a size and shape that is the same as the overall size and shape of the lay-up; and

wherein another portion of the layers comprise a plurality of sets of elongated strips, the sets of strips being interspersed between the panels within the lay-up, the strips extending continuously from respective first locations on the peripheral edge to respective second locations on the peripheral edge, the strips defining one or more areas of increased thickness of the lay-up where the strips overlap within the lay-up.

21. The face plate of claim 20, wherein the lay-up has a maximum width and each strip has a width that is less than the maximum width of the lay-up.

22. The face plate of claim 21, wherein each strip has a first portion that overlaps a portion of another strip and a second portion that does not overlap said another strip.

23. The face plate of claim 20, further comprising a polymeric layer disposed on and covering a front surface the lay-up.

24. The golf-club head of claim 20, further comprising a metal layer disposed on and covering a front surface of the lay-up.

25. The golf-club head of claim 24, wherein the metal layer is made of titanium, aluminum, magnesium, steel, or alloys thereof.

26. 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 composite plies, a portion of the plies comprising elongated strips arranged in a criss-cross pattern defining one or more areas of increased thickness in the lay-up where one or more of the strips overlap each other;

at least partially curing the lay-up;

shaping the at least partially cured lay-up to form a part having specified dimensions and shape for use as a face plate or part of a face plate for a club-head.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the act of shaping the at least partially cured lay-up comprises water-jet cutting the at least partially cured lay-up to have specified dimensions and shape for use as a face plate for a club-head or part of a face plate for a club-head or part of a face plate for a club-head.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the act of shaping the at least partially cured lay-up comprises removing a peripheral portion of the lay-up to form a shaped lay-up having a peripheral edge wherein the reinforcing fibers of the plies each extend from respective first locations on the peripheral edge to respective second locations on the peripheral edge.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein another portion of the plies comprise a plurality of oversized plies each having a central portion and a peripheral sacrificial portion surrounding the central portion, and the act of shaping the at least partially cured lay-up comprising removing the sacrificial portion from the central portion, which forms the part.