Method of manufacturing a composite golf club head

• US 6,607,623 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Issued: 08/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Galloway, J. Andrew, Ehlers, Steven M., Cackett, Matthew T., Evans, D. Clayton, Gonczi, Robert S., Reyes, Herbert, Murphy, James M., Helmstetter, Richard C., Jacobson, Daniel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Aftergut, Jeff H.
• Application Number:
  US09/947,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20020049097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 156/156, 156/242, 156/245, 264/512, 264/250, 264/257, 264/258, 264/314, 473/345
• US Class Current: 156/156
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/342 using isostatic pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/46 using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/865 completely encapsulated
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/5227 Clubs

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a golf club head with a face component composed of a plurality of plies of pre-preg material and having a striking plate portion with a thickness in the range of 0.010 to 0.250 inches is disclosed herein. The golf club also has a crown component composed of a plurality of plies of pre-preg material and a sole component composed of a plurality of plies of pre-preg material. The golf club head is manufactured using a bladder compression molding process.

Claims

1. A method for producing a golf club head composed of plies of pre-preg sheets, the method comprising:

creating a face component composed of plies of pre-preg sheets, the face component having a striking plate portion and a return portion;

creating a crown component composed of plies of pre-preg sheets;

creating a sole component composed of plies of pre-preg sheets, the sole component having a ribbon and a bottom portion;

assembling the face component, the crown component and the sole component to create an assembled unit with an inflatable bladder within a hollow interior of the assembled unit;

pre-compacting the assembled unit to create a pre-compacted unit; and

bladder molding the pre-compacted unit to create a molded golf club head.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the face component is composed of 20 to 70 plies of pre-preg sheets.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sole component is composed of 4 to 20 plies of pre-preg sheets and a plurality of weighting members.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the crown component is composed of 4 to 20 plies of pre-preg sheets.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the club head has a volume ranging from 175 cubic centimeters to 600 cubic centimeters.