Metal injection molded putter

• US 8,007,370 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2009
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cobra Golf Company (Puma SE)
• Original Assignee: Cobra Golf Company (Puma SE)
• Inventors: Hirsch, Robert D., Soracco, Peter L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): DENNIS, MICHAEL DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/401,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20100234132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 473/340, 473/324, 473/305, 295/275, 419/5
• US Class Current: 473/340
• 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 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49988 Metal casting

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for forming golf club head using metal injection molding and the resulting golf club head. The method of the invention allows for a lower volume of powdered metal than current metal injection molding processes thereby decreasing overall production cost.

Claims

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

providing a frame composed of a first material;

providing a feedstock comprising a powdered metal and a binding agent;

positioning the frame into a mold;

injection molding the feedstock around the frame to form an intermediate part having a first size;

debinding the golf club head to remove the binding agent;

sintering the golf club head to form a finished golf club head having a second size about 10 percent to about 20 percent smaller than the first size;

wherein the step of positioning the frame into a mold further comprises providing a mold designed to provide a plurality of voids in the molded product, and wherein the plurality of voids accounts for about 10 percent to 75 percent of the total possible volume of the mold; and

further comprising the step of filling the plurality of voids with a second material after sintering the golf club head.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the powdered metal is selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, titanium, titanium alloys, tungsten alloys, aluminum alloys, or combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the powdered metal comprises particles with an average diameter of less than 40 micrometers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedstock further comprises a flow agent.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the binding agent is water soluble.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the solvent is water.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises stainless steel, titanium, titanium alloys, tungsten alloys, aluminum alloys, or combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second material comprises an epoxy, a thermoplastic polymer, a thermoset polymer, an impregnated polymer, a bulk molding compound, or combinations thereof.