Golf club head and manufacturing method for the same

• US 8,678,949 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimazaki, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin
• Application Number:
  US13/276,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20130102415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 473/345, 473/346, 473/329, 473/349
• US Class Current: 473/345
• 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 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• 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 60/002 Resonance frequency related characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 11/0033 Welding locally a thin plate to a large piece
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 11/115 by means of two electrodes placed opposite one another on both sides of the welded parts
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/14 Titanium or alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 31/02 relating to soldering or welding dip or wave soldering in the manufacture of printed circuits H05K3/34
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 33/004 Filling of continuous seams
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/0026 specially adapted for particular articles or work
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 9/167 and of a non-consumable electrode

Abstract

A golf club head manufacturing method, including: welding a first reinforcing piece with first thickness to a central portion between a toe and a heel, so as to extend along an edge of a face side of a sole part, the sole part being part of a lower part formed integrally with a side part; welding a second reinforcing piece of second, larger thickness to a central portion between the toe and heel so as to extend along the edge on the face side of the first piece; welding a face part to the first and second pieces from an inner space of the lower part; welding a hosel part to the lower and face parts; welding a crown part to the lower, face and hosel parts; and welding the lower and face parts together from the outside.

Claims

1. A golf club head having a hollow structure, which is made of a metal, comprising:

a lower part comprising a sole part and a side part which are integrally formed, the lower part further comprising a first reinforcing piece having a first thickness and a second reinforcing piece having a second thickness greater than the first thickness,

wherein the first reinforcing piece is welded on an inner surface of the sole part in a substantially halfway portion between a heel side and a toe side of the sole part and is aligned with a face side edge of the sole part, and

wherein the second reinforcing piece is welded on an inner surface of the first reinforcing piece in a substantially halfway portion between a heel side and a toe side of the first reinforcing piece and is aligned with a face side edge of the first reinforcing piece; and

a face part welded to the sole part and the first and second reinforcing pieces of the lower part.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the sole part has a thickness from 0.8 to 1.5 mm, the first reinforcing piece has the first thickness from 0.8 to 1.5 mm, and the second reinforcing has the second thickness from 1.0 to 6.0 mm.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the first reinforcing piece has a length from 20 to 50 mm and has a width from 6 to 20 mm, and the second reinforcing piece has a length from 10 to 43 mm and has a width from 3 to 20 mm, the length of the first and second reinforcing pieces extending in a direction from the heal side to the toe side, and the width of the first and second reinforcing pieces extending in a direction along a ball flying line.

4. A method for manufacturing a golf club head having a hollow structure, which is made of a metal, comprising:

welding a first reinforcing piece having a first thickness on an inner surface of a sole part of a lower part in a substantially halfway portion between a heel side and a toe side of the sole part so that the first reinforcing piece is aligned with a face side edge of the sole part, the sole part being integrally formed with a side part of the golf club head into the lower part;

welding a second reinforcing piece having a second thickness greater than the first thickness on an inner surface of the first reinforcing piece so that the second reinforcing piece is aligned with a face side edge of the first reinforcing piece;

welding a face part to the first and second reinforcing pieces from an inner side of the lower part to attach the face part to the lower part;

welding a hosel part to the lower part and the face part;

welding a crown part to the lower part, the face part and the hosel part; and

welding the face part to the lower part from an outer side of the golf club head.

5. A golf club head having a hollow structure, which is made of a metal, comprising:

a sole part comprising a first reinforcing piece, the first reinforcing piece being welded on an inner surface of the sole part in a substantially halfway portion between a heel side and a toe side of the sole part and being aligned with a face side edge of the sole part;

a crown part comprising a second reinforcing piece, the second reinforcing piece being welded on an inner surface of the crown part in a substantially halfway portion between a heel side and a toe side of the crown part and is aligned with a face side edge of the crown part; and

a face part welded to the sole part, the crown par, and the first and second reinforcing pieces.

6. The golf club head according to claim 5, wherein the sole part has a thickness from 0.8 to 1.5 mm, the first reinforcing piece has the first thickness from 0.8 to 1.5 mm, the crown part has a thickness from 0.6 to 1.2 mm, and the second reinforcing has the second thickness from 0.8 to 1.5 mm.

7. The golf club head according to claim 5, wherein the first reinforcing piece has a length from 20 to 50 mm and has a width from 6 to 20 mm, and the second reinforcing piece has a length from 20 to 50 mm and has a width from 6 to 20 mm, the length of the first and second reinforcing pieces extending in a direction from the heal side to the toe side, and the width of the first and second reinforcing pieces extending in a direction along a ball flying line.

8. The golf club head according to claim 5, wherein the sole part is integrally formed with a side part of the golf club head into a lower part, and the lower part is welded to the face part and the crown part.

9. A method for manufacturing a golf club head having a hollow structure, which is made of a metal, comprising:

welding a first reinforcing piece on an inner surface of a sole part of a lower part in a substantially halfway portion between a heel side and a toe side of the sole part so that the first reinforcing piece is aligned with a face side edge of the sole part, the sole part being integrally formed with a side part of the golf club head into the lower part;

welding a second reinforcing piece on an inner surface of a crown part in a substantially halfway portion between a heel side and a toe side of the crown part so that the second reinforcing piece is aligned with a face side edge of the crown part;

welding a face part to the first reinforcing piece from an inner side of the lower part to attach the face part to the lower part;

welding a hosel part to the lower part and the face part;

welding the crown part including the second reinforcing piece to the lower part, the face part and the hosel part; and

welding the face part to the lower part from an outer side of the golf club head.