Method of manufacturing a golf club head by plastic injection using inserts meltable core, and a golf club head manufactured by the method

• US 6,146,571 A
• Filed: 06/30/1997
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Vincent, Benoit, Rigal, Jean-Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Timm, Catherine
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCDOWELL, SUZANNE E
• Application Number:
  US08/885,919
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 264/221, 264/317, 264/DIG. 44, 425/176, 425/DIG. 12
• US Class Current: 264/221
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/52 soluble or fusible in particular used in injection moulding B29C45/4457
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/4457 using fusible, soluble or destructible cores
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/5227 Clubs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 264/44 using destructible molds or cores in molding processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 425/012 Destructible mold and core

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a golf club head that includes a peripheral shell constituted by an assembly of walls obtained by injecting a plastic material forming an inner cavity enclosing at least one inner insert kept immobilized by a partial plastic material coating of the shell. Prior to the injection step of the shell, an assembly is placed and immobilized in the mold which is comprised of a meltable core made of a second material having a melting point that is lower than the melting point of the plastic material in the space left free between the walls of the mold and the assembly, so as to coat the meltable core and all or a part of the free portion of the insert. Finally, all or a portion of the meltable core is eliminated to enable an inner volume to be freed so as to form the inner cavity.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a golf club head, said method comprising:

affixing at least one insert and a meltable core together to form an insert/core assembly, with at least a portion of said insert projecting from said meltable core, said meltable core having a first melting point;

immobilizing said insert/core assembly in a position in a mold to create a peripheral space between said insert/core assembly and interior walls of the mold;

injecting plastic material into said peripheral space to coat said insert/core assembly, thereby coating the entirety of said projecting portion of said insert and forming a peripheral shell of the golf club head constituted by a plurality of walls, wherein said forming a peripheral shell of the golf club head comprises forming an exterior coating over said insert, coated by said injecting of plastic material, to encase said insert within said peripheral shell, said plastic material having a second melting point, said first melting point of said meltable core being lower than said second melting point of said plastic material;

eliminating said meltable core to thereby create an inner cavity of said peripheral shell of the golf club head; and

retaining said coated insert as a component of the golf club head manufactured by the method.

2. A method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

at least a part of said projecting portion of said insert comprises a shoulder or a recess; and

said coating said projecting portion of said insert further comprises forming means for retaining said insert by injecting said plastic material to engage said shoulder or recess of said insert.

3. A method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of walls of said peripheral shell of the golf club head includes a front wall forming a striking face of the golf club head;

said insert is a resistance element having a resistance wall affixed to a front face of said meltable core for reinforcing said front wall following said injecting of said plastic material.

4. A method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 3, wherein:

said resistance element further comprises a portion extending laterally of said resistance wall, said laterally extending portion at least partially forming a neck of the golf club head.

5. A method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 4, wherein:

said resistance wall is made of aluminum and said laterally extending portion is made of steel and said laterally extending portion is welded to said resistance wall.

6. A method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 4, wherein:

said resistance wall is made of aluminum and said laterally extending portion is made of steel and said laterally extending portion extends into said resistance wall.

7. A method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

said insert is a weight affixed to a face of said meltable core before said injecting of said plastic material so that said projecting portion of said weight becomes affixed to one of said plurality of walls of said peripheral shell after said injecting of said plastic material.

8. A method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

said meltable core comprises at least one housing, said weight being positioned in and retained by said housing, said housing having larger internal dimensions than said weight in some respective areas to thereby create a space between said weight and an inner surface of said housing; and

said injecting of said plastic material causes said plastic material to enter said space between said weight and said inner surface of said housing.

9. A method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 7, wherein:

said weight comprises a material selected from the group consisting of brass, bronze, and steel.

10. The method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 7, wherein:

said forming a peripheral shell of the golf club head further comprises forming an exterior covering over said weight to encase said weight within said peripheral shell.

11. The method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 7, further comprising:

inserting within said inner cavity only a low density filler material.

12. A method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1, further comprising:

filling said inner cavity with a low density filler material.

13. A method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

said meltable core comprises an alloy, said alloy comprising a member selected from the group consisting of tin, lead, and bismuth.

14. A method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

said peripheral shell comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyamide, polypropylene, and acrylonitrilebutadienestyrene.

15. A method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

said golf club head is a wood club head.

16. A method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

said golf club head is an iron club head.

17. The method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

said immobilizing said insert/core assembly in a position in a mold comprises positioning a retention member between said insert/core assembly and an interior portion of the mold.

18. The method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

said immobilizing said insert/core assembly in a position in a mold comprises entirely containing said insert/core assembly within a space defined by the interior walls of the mold.

19. The method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

said meltable core comprises a front face and other faces;

said insert is a weight affixed to one of said other faces of said meltable core before said injecting of said plastic material so that said projecting portion of said weight becomes affixed to one of said plurality of walls of said peripheral shell after said injecting of said plastic material;

said plurality of walls of said peripheral shell of the golf club head includes a front wall forming a striking face of the golf club head;

the method further comprises affixing a second insert to said meltable core, said second insert constituting a resistance element having a resistance wall affixed to said front face of said meltable core for reinforcing said front wall following said injecting of said plastic material.

20. The method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

said affixing at least one insert and a meltable core together comprises affixing said at least one insert to said meltable core.

21. The method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

said affixing at least one insert and a meltable core together comprises affixing said at least one insert and said meltable core together with a fixing pin.

22. The method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

said affixing at least one insert and a meltable core together comprises affixing said insert to said meltable core during molding of said meltable core.

23. The method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

said insert and said core are comprised of different materials.

24. The method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 1, wherein:

said insert and said core have different melting points.

25. A method of manufacturing a golf club head, said method comprising:

affixing at least one insert and a meltable core together to form an insert/core assembly, with at least a portion of said at least one insert projecting from said meltable core, said meltable core having a first melting point;

immobilizing and confining the entirety of said insert/core assembly in a mold to create a peripheral space between said insert/core assembly and interior walls of the mold, whereby said at least one insert is spaced from and does not contact the interior walls of the mold;

injecting plastic material into said peripheral space to coat said insert/core assembly, thereby coating at least a part of said projecting portion of said at least one insert and forming a peripheral shell of the golf club head constituted by a plurality of walls, said plastic material having a second melting point, said first melting point of said meltable core being lower than said second melting point of said plastic material; and

eliminating said meltable core to thereby create an inner cavity of said peripheral shell of the golf club head.

26. The method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 25, further comprising:

retaining said at least one insert as a component of the golf club head manufactured by the method.

27. The method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 25, wherein:

said affixing at least one insert and a meltable core together comprises affixing said at least one insert to said meltable core.

28. The method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 25, wherein:

said affixing at least one insert and a meltable core together comprises affixing said at least one insert and said meltable core together with a fixing pin.

29. The method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 25, wherein:

said affixing at least one insert and a meltable core together comprises affixing said insert to said meltable core during molding of said meltable core.

30. The method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 25, wherein:

said insert and said core are comprised of different materials.

31. The method of manufacturing a golf club head according to claim 25, wherein:

said insert and said core have different melting points.