Peen conditioning of titanium metal wood golf club heads

• US 6,994,635 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2003
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Poynor, Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US10/658,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20040058742A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 473/331, 473/342, 473/330, 473/329, 473/349, 473/350, 148/516, 148/206, 148/211
• US Class Current: 473/324
• 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 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0445 Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface
• 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: C21D 7/06 by shot-peening or the like

Abstract

A golf club head is provided with a residual compressive stress layer on the inside surface of the club face using a peening treatment. The peening treatment also may remove material from the club head, such as unwanted alpha case on a titanium club head. The body of the club head further may be subjected to a peen treatment.

Claims

1. A method of treating a metal wood golf club head comprising:

providing a club head comprising a body and a front face having a face thickness, wherein the front face comprises an inner surface and an outer surface, and wherein the inner surface comprises a substantial portion of the front face,

peening the inner surface of the club head, whereby the inner surface is provided with a residual compressive stress, wherein the step of peening comprises substantially decreasing the face thickness, and wherein between about 30 percent and about 90 percent of alpha case is removed from a central region of the inner surface of the front face.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion comprises about 60% or more of the inner surface of the front face.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion comprises about 80% or more of the inner surface of the front face.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising peening an outer surface of the club head.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the inner surface has a first thickness prior to the peening step and a second thickness after the peening step.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second thickness is about 0.11 inches or less.

7. A method of treating a metal wood golf club head comprising the steps of:

providing a golf club head comprising a front face, wherein the front face comprises an inner surface and an outer surface, and wherein the inner surface has a first amount of alpha case; and

treating at least a portion of the inner surface, wherein the treated portion has a residual compressive stress and a second amount of alpha case less than the first amount.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of treating at least a portion of the inner surface comprises treating a substantial portion of the inner surface.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of treating at least a portion of the inner surface comprises treating about 80 percent or more of the inner surface.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of treating at least a portion of the inner surface comprises peening.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of treating at least a portion of the inner surface comprises shot peening, laser peening, or abrasive waterjet peening.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of treating at least a portion of the inner surface comprises removing about 30 percent to about 90 percent of the first amount of alpha case.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of providing a golf club head comprises providing a golf club head comprising a front face formed of titanium.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of providing a golf club head comprises providing a golf club head comprising a front face formed of steel.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the residual compressive stress is about 37 MPa or greater.