Golf club head

• US 5,967,904 A
• Filed: 11/15/1996
• Issued: 10/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: YKK Corporation
• Original Assignee: YKK Corporation
• Inventors: Sato, Masaki, Nagai, Yoshitaka, Ohtera, Katsumasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US08/748,946
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/329, 473/345, 473/346, 473/349, 473/350
• US Class Current: 473/345
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type

Abstract

A golf club head made of a hollow metal comprising a face and a body, wherein at least the face is made of a rapidly solidified Al-based alloy having a high strength, high elasticity and light weight. This golf club head makes it possible to stroke a ball without elastic deformation of its face and also to fly the ball farther with the initial speed thereof maintained, by using the Al-based alloy at least in the face. In addition, the use of the Al-based alloy makes it possible to form a large head and a long shaft so that balls can be stroked to fly over a long carry in an accurate direction.

Claims

1. A hollow metal golf club head comprising a face and a body, said golf club head having a volume not less than 220 cc and not greater than 320 cc and a weight not less than 170 g and not greater than 220 g wherein at least said face comprises a rapidly solidified Al-based alloy exhibiting superplasticity and having a specific strength of not less than 20 Kgf/mm² /g/cm³ and a specific Young'"'"'s modulus of not less than 2,700 Kgf/mm² /g/cm³, said rapidly solidified Al-based alloy expressed by one of the following general formulae (I) to (IV):

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Al.sub.a M.sub.1b X.sub.e (I)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Al.sub.a M.sub.1(b-c) M.sub.2c X.sub.e (II)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Al.sub.a M.sub.1(b-d) M.sub.3d X.sub.e (III)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Al.sub.a M.sub.1(b-c-d) M.sub.2c M.sub.3d X.sub.e (IV)

wherein M, represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Mo;

M₂ represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of V, Cr, and W;

M₃ represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Li, Ca, Mg, Si, Cu, and Zn;

X represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Nb, Hf, Ta, Y, Zr, Ti, Ag, rare-earth elements and a composite (Mm represents misch metal) of rare-earth elements; and

a, b, c, d, and e lie in the following ranges, in atomic percentages;

75≦

a≦

97, 0.5≦

b≦

15, 0.1≦

c≦

5, 0.5≦

d≦

5, and 0.5≦

e≦

10.

2. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein said body comprises a sole and a crown which are integrally bonded to said face.

3. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein said face comprises said rapidly solidified Al-based alloy, and said body or a sole and a crown comprise another Al-based alloy or another kind of alloy.

4. A golf club head according to claim 1, wherein said face and said body or a sole and a crown comprise said rapidly solidified Al-based alloy.

5. A hollow metal golf club head comprising a face and a body, said golf club head having a volume not less than 220 cc and not greater than 320 cc and a weight not less than 170 g and not greater than 220 g, wherein at least said face comprises a rapidly solidified Al-based alloy, said rapidly solidified Al-based alloy exhibiting superplasticity and having a specific strength of not less than 20 Kgf/mm² /g/cm³ and a specific Young'"'"'s modulus of not less than 2,700 Kgf/mm² /g/cm³, said rapidly solidified Al-based alloy having grains with a mean grain size of not greater than 1 μ

m and intermetallic compounds having a mean particle size of not greater than 1 μ

m and further wherein said rapidly solidified Al-based alloy is expressed by one of the following general formulae (I) to (IV);

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Al.sub.a M.sub.1b X.sub.e (I)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Al.sub.a M.sub.1(b-c) M.sub.2c X.sub.e (II)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Al.sub.a M.sub.1(b-d) M.sub.3d X.sub.e (III)

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Al.sub.a M.sub.1(b-c-d) M.sub.2c M.sub.3d X.sub.e (IV)

wherein M₁ represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Mo;

M₂ represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of V, Cr, and W;

M₃ represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Li, Ca, Mg, Si, Cu, and Zn;

X represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Nb, Hf, Ta, Y, Zr, Ti, Ag, rare-earth elements and a composite (Mm represents misch metal) of rare-earth elements; and

a, b, c, d, and e lie in the following ranges, in atomic percentages;

75≦

a≦

97, 0.5≦

b≦

15, 0.1≦

c≦

5, 0.5≦

d≦

5, and 0.5≦

e≦

10.

6. A golf club head according to claim 5, wherein said body comprises a sole and a crown which are integrally bonded to said face.

7. A golf club head according to claim 5, wherein said face comprises said rapidly solidified Al-based alloy, and said body or a sole and a crown comprise another Al-based alloy or another kind of alloy.

8. A golf club head according to claim 5, wherein said face and said body or a sole and a crown comprise said rapidly solidified Al-based alloy.