Golf club head of compound material

• US 5,403,007 A
• Filed: 01/05/1994
• Issued: 04/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Archer C.C. Chen
• Original Assignee: Archer C.C. Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Archer C. C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, Steven B.
• Application Number:
  US08/178,471
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 273/173, 273/167 A, 273/167 J, 273/169, 273/172, 273/78, 273/DIG. 33, 273/167 H, 273/167 R, 273/167 F, 273/167 D, 273/167 K, 273/170, 273/171 , 273/174, 273/175, 273/77 R,77 A
• US Class Current: 473/342
• 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 53/0425 the face insert comprising two or more different materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• 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

Abstract

A golf club head of compound material has a metal body, a ball-hitting plate, and a fastening layer. The metal body of stainless steel has a body portion with a columnar neck extending upwardly and obliquely therefrom. The neck is composed of an axial hole intended to receive therein the golf club shaft. The ball-hitting plate is made of a ceramic material or a titanium alloy or a wear-withstanding material having an appropriate hardness, and is porvided with a plurality of grooves located on the surface thereof. The fastening layer is made of a fiber bulk molding compound containing resin and is sandwiched between the ball-hitting plate and the metal body as an adhering agent.

Claims

1. A golf club head of compound material, comprising:

a metal body having a hollow main body of a wood head shape, said main body having a neck portion extending outwards and obliquely from one side thereof, said neck portion having an axial hole for fastening a golf club, said main body having a recess corresponding in location to a striking surface, said recess having a back wall of metal extending thereacross;

an adhesive reinforcing layer of a bulk molding compound of fibers preimpregnated with resins which is disposed in said recess and then cured under heat and pressure against said back wall; and

a ball-hitting plate of rigid material and having a surface provided thereon with a plurality of grooves, said ball-hitting plate being placed on said bulk molding compound and adhered to said adhesive reinforcing layer upon the completion of he curing of said bulk molding compound, so as to cover an opening side of said recess and said adhesive reinforcing layer in order to form said striking surface said back wall constituting a support for said adhesive reinforcing layer and said ball-hitting plate along substantially their entire extent.

2. A golf club head according to claim 1 said ball-hitting plate is metal.

3. A golf club head according to claim 1 said ball-hitting plate is ceramic.

4. A golf club head according to claim 1 said ball-hitting plate is abrasionresistant material.

5. A golf club head for a golf club, comprising:

a main body portion formed of metal and having a face corresponding in area and location to a golf ball-striking surface of said golf club head, said face having a recess therein with a metal back wall extending substantially entirely thereacross;

a reinforcing layer of cured bulk molding compound comprised of fibers preimpregnated with resin disposed within said recess against said metal back wall in a generally planar layer form with said metal back wall constituting a support along substantially its entire extent for said reinforcing layer, said cured bulk molding compound constituting means for improving the rigidity of said golf club head to bear up against shock; and

a ball-hitting plate of rigid material having a facing surface comprising a plurality of grooves, said ball-hitting plate being adhesively secured at least partly within said recess against said back wall and adhesively held by said reinforcing layer of cured bulk molding compound.