Method of making golf club head

• US 7,041,189 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2004
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Feel Golf Company Incorporated (Intelligent Living America, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bruce G. Caldwell, Franklin L. Gage, Michael A. Bluff Sr, Ronald G. Holder
• Inventors: Holder, Ronald G., Caldwell, Bruce G., Bluff, Michael A. Sr., Gage, Franklin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): WARD, JESSICA LEE
• Application Number:
  US10/824,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20040198532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 156/242
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/02 with reinforcing fibres, e.g. carbon, polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/026 Ratio fibres-total material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• 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 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/50 with through-holes A63B60/18 takes precedence; for stringing purposes A63B49/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 273/07 Glass fiber

Abstract

A golf club head has a body with a front, striking face, a rear face, an upper face and a lower face. A lightweight sole plate of glass fiber reinforced plastic material is secured across the lower face of the body.

Claims

1. A method of making a golf club head, comprising the steps of:

injection molding a body of predetermined shape from a selected first material, the first material comprising a ceramic composite material, the body having a front, striking face, a rear face, an upper face and a lower face;

forming a sole plate of predetermined shape matching that of the lower face of the body entirely from a second material lighter in weight than the first material, the second material comprising glass fiber reinforced polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) and the sole plate being formed by injection molding; and

bonding the sole plate to the lower face of the body with an adhesive, whereby the center of gravity of the club head is raised by forming the sole plate entirely from said second material which is lighter in weight than said first material.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower face of the body is formed with a peripheral rim and the sole plate is formed with a matching peripheral rim for bonding to the peripheral rim of the body lower face, and each peripheral rim is roughened prior to application of the adhesive.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower face of the body is molded with, a plurality of bores and the sole plate has an inner face molded to form a plurality of integral posts positioned and dimensioned for engagement in said bores, and the step of bonding the sole plate to the lower face of the body comprises applying adhesive material to at least one of the bores or posts, and press fitting the posts into said bores until the sole plate and lower face of the body are fully engaged.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the glass fiber reinforced PPS material includes a PTFE additive.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the additive content is in the range from 1 to 20 weight percent.