Welded iron-type clubhead with thin high-cor face

• US 8,858,364 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2008
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Inventors: Deng, Xinhui, Chao, Bing-Ling
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US12/332,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20090149277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,134 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 473/350
• 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 53/005 Club sets
• 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 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• 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: Y10T 29/4998 Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent material

Abstract

Clubheads for iron-type golf clubs are disclosed. An example clubhead has a front including an iron-type face. The front is forged of a material such as C455 or 17-4 PH stainless steel. A heel, sole, toe, and top-line are situated rearwardly of the face, and a rear is situated rearwardly of the heel, sole, toe, and top-line. The face has one or more of: a COR of at least 0.8, a thickness, in a thinnest portion of the face, of no greater than 2.0 mm, and an area of less than 3000 mm².

Claims

1. A clubhead for a golf club, comprising:

a front piece including an iron-type face, a front heel portion, a front sole portion, a front toe portion, a front top-line portion, a hosel, and a respective interface surface facing substantially rearwardly of the face;

a rear piece including a rear heel portion, a rear sole portion, a rear toe portion, a rear top-line portion, and a respective interface surface facing the interface surface of the front piece and, with the interface surface of the front piece, forming a contact interface of the front and rear pieces, the contact interface having a periphery, an open middle region defined by an inside edge, and a width between the inside edge and the periphery, the width being variable with position around the periphery so as to be widest in regions of the heel portions and narrowest in regions of the top-line portions, and intermediately wide in other regions of the contact interface, the rear piece including a weighting element; and

a continuous laser weld extending circumferentially around the periphery of the contact interface and attaching the front and rear pieces together at the contact interface, the weld including a fusion zone that, at substantially all locations around the contact interface, extends depthwise from the periphery into the contact interface in a direction substantially perpendicular to a normal to the face, the fusion zone having a depth that varies according to corresponding variations in the width of the contact interface around the periphery;

wherein a combined thickness of the front and rear top-line portions is no greater than 7 mm,

wherein a damping badge is connected to a rear surface of the front piece, and

wherein the front piece includes at least one projection aligning with an inside edge of the interface surface of the rear piece.

2. The clubhead of claim 1, wherein the face has a COR of at least 0.8.

3. The clubhead of claim 1, wherein the face has an area of less than 3000 mm².

4. The clubhead of claim 1, wherein the front piece is forged of a steel selected from the group consisting of maraging steels, maraging stainless steels, and PH stainless steels.

5. The clubhead of claim 4, wherein the stainless steel is C455 or 17-4 stainless steel.

6. The clubhead of claim 1, wherein the face has a maximum thickness of 2.0 mm.

7. The clubhead of claim 1, wherein the top-line has a thickness of 4-6 mm.

8. A clubhead for a golf club, comprising:

a front portion including an iron-type face, a hosel, a heel, a sole, a toe, a top-line situated rearwardly of the face, and a respective interface surface facing substantially rearwardly of the face; and

a rear portion situated rearwardly of the heel, sole, toe, and top-line of the front portion, the rear portion having a respective interface surface facing the interface surface of the front portion and substantially conforming to the interface surface of the front portion in a contact interface, the contact interface having a periphery and width that varies with position around the periphery;

a continuous laser weld bonding the front and rear portions together around the periphery of the contact interface, the laser weld having depth in the contact interface that varies according to corresponding variations of depth of the contact interface;

wherein the face has a COR of at least 0.8 and a thickness, in a thinnest portion of the face, of no greater than 2.0 mm, and the top-line has a thickness of no greater than 7 mm,

wherein a damping badge is connected to a rear surface of the front portion, and

wherein the front portion includes at least one projection aligning with an inside edge of the interface surface of the rear portion.

9. The clubhead of claim 8, wherein the front is a forgement.

10. The clubhead of claim 9, wherein the forgement is of a material selected from group consisting of maraging steels, maraging stainless steels, and PH stainless steels.

11. The clubhead of claim 8, wherein the face has an area of less than 3000 mm².

12. The clubhead of claim 8, wherein the top-line has a thickness of 4-6 mm.