Co-forged golf club head and method of manufacture

• US 9,387,370 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2013
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Hebreo, Jonathan A., Ines, Marni D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stanczak, Matthew B
• Application Number:
  US14/078,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20140073450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 473324-350
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/042 the face insert consisting of a material different from that of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• 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: B21K 17/00 Making sport articles, e.g. skates

Abstract

A co-forged iron type golf club is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention discloses a co-forged iron type golf club with the body portion made out of a first material and at least one weight adjustment portion monolithically encased within the body portion of the co-forged iron type golf club head without the need for secondary attachment or machining operations. The present invention creates of an iron type golf club head from a pre-form billet that already contains two or more materials before the actual forging process resulting in a multi-material golf club head that doesn'"'"'t require any post manufacturing operations such as machining, welding, swaging, gluing, and the like.

Claims

1. A forged golf club head comprising:

a body portion made out of a first material having a face cavity and at least one weight cavity;

at least one weight adjustment portion made out of a second material encased within said body portion; and

a striking face insert made out of said first material adapted to cover said face cavity,

wherein said weight adjustment portion is encased monolithically within said body portion

wherein said second material has a higher density than said first material, and

wherein said face cavity is placed at a lower portion of said body portion.

2. The forged golf club head of claim 1, wherein said at least one weight adjustment portion is located near a sole of said golf club head.

3. The forged golf club head of claim 2, wherein said at least one weight adjustment portion is located near a heel portion of said sole of said golf club head.

4. The forged golf club head of claim 2, wherein said at least one weight adjustment portion is located near a toe portion of said sole of said golf club head.

5. The forged golf club head of claim 1, wherein said face cavity further comprises a plurality of rods, said terminal end of said plurality of rods contacts a rear surface of said striking face insert.

6. The forged golf club head of claim 1, wherein said face cavity further comprises a plurality of rods, said plurality of rods terminate short of a rear surface of said striking face insert creating a gap.

7. The forged golf club head of claim 1, wherein said first material has a first thermal expansion coefficient, and the second material has a second thermal expansion coefficient;

wherein said first thermal expansion coefficient is greater than or equal to said second thermal expansion coefficient.

8. A forged golf club head comprising:

a body portion made out of a first material having a face cavity and at least one weight cavity;

at least one weight adjustment portion made out of a second material encased within at least one weight cavity within said body portion; and

a striking face insert made out of said first material adapted to cover said face cavity,

wherein said weight adjustment portion is encased monolithically within said weight cavity of said body portion,

wherein said at least one weight adjustment portion is located near a toe and a heel portion of a sole of said golf club head, and

wherein said face cavity is placed at a lower portion of said body portion.

9. The forged golf club head of claim 8, wherein said face cavity is welded to said face cavity.

10. The forged golf club head of claim 9, wherein said inner surface area of said at least one weight cavity equals an outer surface area of said at least one weight adjustment portion.

11. The forged golf club head of claim 10, wherein said first material has a first thermal expansion coefficient, and the second material has a second thermal expansion coefficient;

wherein said first thermal expansion coefficient is greater than or equal to said second thermal expansion coefficient.