Metal hollow golf club head with integrally formed neck

• US 5,755,627 A
• Filed: 12/17/1996
• Issued: 05/26/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mizuno Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Materials Corporation
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Satoshi, Ohno, Shigeki, Dotani, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiu, Raleigh W.
• Application Number:
  US08/767,836
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/345, 473/346, 473/305, 473/311
• US Class Current: 473/345
• 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 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A metallic golf club head that has an end portion, on which a neck part is integrally formed, and a hollow portion therein. The golf club head further has a face member, which is formed integrally with the neck part by forging, and a hollow member that is welded to a peripheral edge portion of the face member and, with the face position, composes the hollow portion. The face member is provided with a face portion, whose front surface is a face surface and whose rear surface is formed flat, and a raised portion formed like a ring in such a way as to project from a peripheral edge part of the face portion in a direction opposite to a direction to which the face surface is faced. A rear-end peripheral edge part of the raised portion is butt-welded to a front-end peripheral edge part of the hollow member.

Claims

1. A metallic golf club head having an end portion, on which a neck part is formed, and a hollow portion therein, said golf club head further comprising:

a face member molded integrally with the neck part; and

a hollow member that is welded to peripheral edge portion of the face member to provide the hollow portion,

wherein the face member has a face portion, whose front surface is a face surface of the club, and a raised portion formed like a ring around the face surface in such a way as to project from a peripheral edge part of the face portion in a direction opposite to a direction to which the face surface is faced,

wherein a rear-end peripheral edge part of the raised portion is butt welded to a front-end peripheral edge part of the hollow member and wherein a width of the raised portion gradually narrows from the neck part to a toe portion of the face member.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the face member is formed by forging, wherein the hollow member is formed in one piece by precision-casting.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the face member and/or the hollow member are molded of a titanium alloy.

5. The golf club head according to claim 1 or 2 wherein at least the face portion is molded of a β

titanium alloy or a near-β

titanium alloy.

6. The golf club head according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the hollow member includes:

a crown part which composes an upper division thereof;

a side part which composes a side division thereof; and

a sole part which composes a bottom division thereof,

wherein a thickness (t1) of the crown part, a thickness (t2) of the side part and a thickness (t3) of the sole part meet the following relations;

t1≦

t2≦

t3; and

t1<

t3.

7. The golf club head according to claim 1 or 2 wherein a thickness of the hollow member is set at a value which is within a range of (1/3) of a thickness of the face portion to (1/2) thereof.

8. The golf club head according to claim 3 wherein the face member and/or the hollow member are molded of a titanium alloy.

9. The golf club head according to claim 3 wherein at least the face portion is molded of a β

titanium alloy or a near-β

titanium alloy.

10. The golf club head according to claim 3 wherein the hollow member includes:

a crown part which composes an upper division thereof;

a side part which composes a side division thereof; and

a sole part which composes a bottom division thereof,

wherein a thickness (t1) of the crown part, a thickness (t2) of the side part and a thickness (t3) of the sole part meet the following relations;

t1≦

t2≦

t3; and

t1<

t3.

11. The golf club head according to claim 3 wherein a thickness of the hollow member is set at a value which is within a range of (1/3) of a thickness of the face portion to (1/2) thereof.

12. The golf club head according to claim 4 wherein at least the face portion is molded of a β

titanium alloy or a near-β

titanium alloy.

13. The golf club head according to claim 4 wherein the hollow member includes:

a crown part which composes an upper division thereof;

a side part which composes a side division thereof; and

a sole part which composes a bottom division thereof,

wherein a thickness (t1) of the crown part, a thickness (t2) of the side part and a thickness (t3) of the sole part meet the following relations;

t1≦

t2≦

t3; and

t1<

t3.

14. The golf club head according to claim 4 wherein a thickness of the hollow member is set at a value which is within a range of (1/3) of a thickness of the face portion to (1/2) thereof.

15. The golf club head according to claim 5 wherein the hollow member includes:

a crown part which composes an upper division thereof;

a side part which composes a side division thereof; and

a sole part which composes a bottom division thereof,

wherein a thickness (t1) of the crown part, a thickness (t2) of the side part and a thickness (t3) of the sole part meet the following relations;

t1≦

t2≦

t3; and

t1<

t3.

16. The golf club head according to claim 5 wherein a thickness of the hollow member is set at a value which is within a range of (1/3) of a thickness of the face portion to (1/2) thereof.

17. The golf club head according to claim 6 wherein a thickness of the hollow member is set at a value which is within a range of (1/3) of a thickness of the face portion to (1/2) thereof.

2. A golf club head having an end portion, on which a neck part is formed, and a hollow portion therein, said golf club head further comprising:

a face member molded integrally with the neck part;

a hollow member that is welded to peripheral edge portion of the face member to provide the hollow portion; and

a protruding portion which extends in a direction of a prolonged line of the neck part and protrudes inwardly from the face portion,

wherein the face member has a face portion, whose front surface is a face surface of the club, and a raised portion formed like a ring around the face surface in such a way as to project from a peripheral edge part of the face portion in a direction opposite to a direction to which the face surface is faced, and

wherein a rear-end peripheral edge part of the raised portion is butt welded to a front-end peripheral edge part of the hollow member.