Club heads with multiple density weighting and methods of manufacturing the same

• US 9,017,186 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2013
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Original Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
• Inventors: Jertson, Martin R., Solheim, John A
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US13/900,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20130267346A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350, 473287-292, 473/256, 473/409, 294/28, 294/695, 295/05
• 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 2225/64 Heated
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0475 with one or more enclosed cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• 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 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49906 Metal deforming with nonmetallic bonding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49908 Joining by deforming

Abstract

Embodiments of club heads with multiple density weighting and methods of manufacturing the same are described herein. Other embodiments and related methods are also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a receptacle at a surface of the body;

a multi-density weight comprising;

a first weight component comprising a first density, an inner portion and a periphery around the inner portion; and

a second weight component comprising a second density different from the first density and secured to the inner portion of the first weight component;

and

a density relationship comprising at least one of;

the second density being greater than the first density;

or

the first density and second density being greater than a density of the body;

wherein;

the body, the first weight component, and the second weight component comprise materials different from each other;

the receptacle comprises a receptacle base and a receptacle wall at least partially circumscribing the receptacle base;

the multi-density weight comprises a perimeter secured to the receptacle wall; and

the second weight component comprises a weld-averse trait with respect to the body.

2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the second weight component comprises a metallic material; and

the weld-averse trait comprises at least one of;

a propensity for brittleness, cracking, or non-elastic deformation after welding.

3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the multi-density weight comprises a swedged bond to secure the second weight component along the inner portion of the first weight component; and

the swedged bond comprises a perimeter of the second weight component compressed against the inner portion of the first weight component.

4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein:

the swedged bond further comprises at least one of;

a barbing element between the perimeter of the second weight component and the inner portion of the first weight component;

or

a bottom of the second weight component larger than an opening of the inner portion before being located within the inner portion.

5. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the perimeter of the multi-density weight is non-circular to conform to a shape of the surface of the body.

6. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

a surface of the first weight component faces an exterior of the golf club head; and

a surface of the second weight component faces the exterior of the golf club head.

7. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the multi-density weight further comprises;

a third weight component coupled between the first and second weight components and comprising a third density different from the first density and second density.

8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

when the second density is greater than the first density;

the body comprises at least one of;

a steel material or a titanium material;

a material of the first weight component comprises at least one of;

a first tungsten material or a copper material;

the material of the second weight component comprises at least one of;

a second tungsten material, a brass material, a gold material, or a lead material.

9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein:

the first weight component comprises;

a first top surface;

a first bottom surface; and

a first base between the top and bottom surfaces and opposite the bottom surface;

the second weight component comprises;

a second top surface; and

a second bottom surface opposite the second top surface;

the first top surface of the first weight component faces an interior of the golf club head;

the second top surface of the second weight component faces the interior of the golf club head;

a second bottom surface of the second weight component is covered by the first base of the first weight component; and

a first bottom surface of the first weight component faces an exterior of the golf club head.

10. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising:

a compression element at least partially around the perimeter of the multi-density weight;

wherein;

the compression element is compressed and expansively deformed between the multi-density weight and a recess at the receptacle wall.

11. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising:

a plating layer plating a portion of at least one of the first or second weight components;

wherein;

the plating layer is deformed between swedged portions of the first and second weight components.

12. The golf club head of claim 1, further comprising:

the second weight component comprises a sintered bond with the inner portion of the first weight component.

13. A method comprising:

providing a body of a club head;

providing a multi-density weight; and

coupling the multi-density weight to a region of the body;

wherein;

providing the multi-density weight comprises;

forming a first weight portion out of a first material different than a body material of the body and having a first density, the first weight portion comprising an inner space and a pro-bond characteristic;

forming the first weight portion out of the first material comprises;

providing a first mold comprising a first mold base circumscribed by a first mold wall;

coating the first mold base with the first material to form a first material base;

coating the first mold wall with the first material to form a first material wall circumscribing the first material base; and

forming the inner space of the first weight portion to be bounded by the first material base and the first material wall;

forming a second weight portion out of a second material different than the body material and the first material and having a second density, the second weight portion comprising an anti-bond characteristic; and

bounding the second weight portion at least partially within the inner space of the first weight portion to form the multi-density weight.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

forming the first weight portion out of the first material comprises;

forming the first weight portion to comprise an inner wall bounding at least a portion of the inner space;

and

forming the second weight portion out of the second material comprises;

forming a perimeter of the second weight portion to fit in the inner space bounded by the inner wall of the first weight portion.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

providing the multi-density weight further comprises;

forming a perimeter of the multi-density weight as non-circular to conform to a non-circular contour of the region of the body.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

forming the first weight portion further comprises;

forming the first weight portion to comprise a tub surface bounding the inner space of the first weight portion, the tub surface comprising the inner wall;

and

forming the perimeter of the second weight portion further comprises;

forming the second weight portion to conform to the tub surface of the first weight portion.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein:

bounding the second weight portion comprises;

placing the second material into the inner space of the first weight portion; and

forming the second weight portion comprises;

sintering the first and second materials together.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

forming the first weight portion out of the first material further comprises;

at least partially sintering the first material base and the first material wall before placing the second material into the inner space of the first weight portion.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein:

forming the second weight portion out of the second material comprises;

providing a second mold;

placing the second material into the second mold; and

at least partially sintering the second material to shape the second weight portion;

and

bounding the second weight portion comprises;

placing the second weight portion into the inner space of the first weight portion; and

sintering the first and second weight portions together.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein:

forming the second weight portion out of the second material occurs simultaneously with bounding the second weight portion at least partially within the inner space of the first weight portion.

21. A golf club head comprising:

a body comprising a body material and a receptacle at a surface of the body;

a multi-density weight comprising;

a first weight component comprising a first density, an inner portion and a periphery around the inner portion; and

a second weight component comprising a second density different from the first density and secured to the inner portion of the first weight component;

wherein;

the first weight component and the second weight component comprise materials different from each other;

the receptacle comprises a receptacle base and a receptacle wall at least partially circumscribing the receptacle base;

the multi-density weight comprises a perimeter secured to the receptacle wall;

the body material comprises a specific gravity of approximately 4 to approximately 8.5;

the first density comprises a specific gravity of approximately 8 to approximately 11; and

the second density comprises a specific gravity of approximately 14 to approximately 20.

22. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein:

the specific gravity of the body material is approximately 4 to approximately 4.8; and

the second weight component comprises a material having a weld-averse trait with respect to the body.

23. The golf club head of claim 21, further comprising:

a density relationship comprising at least one of;

the second density being greater than the first density;

or

the first density and second density being greater than a density of the body.

24. The golf club head of claim 21, wherein:

the multi-density weight further comprises;

a third weight component coupled between the first and second weight components and comprising a third density different from the first density and second density.