METHOD FOR PRODUCING A GOLF CLUB WOOD

• US 20060000528A1
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Galloway, J. Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/160,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20060000528A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 148/516
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/023 Long, oriented fibres, e.g. wound filaments, woven fabrics, mats
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness 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

Abstract

A method for producing a golf club head (42) with a face component (60) and an aft-body (61) is disclosed herein. The face component (60), which includes a striking face (72) having a variable face thickness and a return portion is formed from a custom sheet or strip (50) of metal material that has been formed to have a desired thickness profile, with at least one portion of the sheet having a greater thickness than another section. A blank pattern of the face component (51) is cut from the sheet of metal material and formed into the face component (60). The face component (60) is then welded and attached to the aft-body (61).

Claims

1. A method for producing a golf club head including a face component and an aft-body, the method comprising:

forming a sheet of metal material, the sheet of metal material including at least a first region having a first thickness and a second region having a second thickness, the first thickness being greater that the second thickness;

cutting a blank pattern of the face component from the sheet6 of metal material, the blank pattern including a face section and a plurality of flanges extending from the face section, at least a portion of the face section having the first thickness;

forming a the blank pattern into completed face component, the face component including a front face and a return portion; and

securing the return portion of the face component to an aft-body to form an assembled golf club head.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein forming the sheet of metal material includes milling the sheet to the desired thickness profile.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein forming the sheet of metal material includes rolling the sheet to the desired thickness profile.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein forming the sheet of metal material includes extruding the sheet to the desired thickness profile.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein forming the sheet of metal material includes grinding the sheet to the desired thickness profile.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the blank pattern is cut using a laser cutting process.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the blank pattern is cut using a water jet cutting process.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the blank pattern is cut by stamping the sheet of metal material.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein forming the blank pattern into the completed face component comprises:

hot forming the blank pattern to provide the front face with a bulge angle and a roll angle; and

bending the plurality of flanges with respect to the face section to form the return portion.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the sheet of metal material is selected from the group consisting of titanium alloys and certain steels.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein forming the blank pattern into the completed face component further comprises over-molding the face section and the plurality of flanges with a non-metallic material.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein forming the blank pattern into the completed face component comprises:

cold forming the blank pattern to provide the front face with a bulge angle and a roll angle; and

bending the plurality of flanges with respect to the face section to form the return portion.

13. The method according to claim 11 further comprising head treating the face component.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein the completed face component is formed using a progressive die stamping process.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein securing the face component to the aft-body includes welding the face component to the aft-body, the welding occurring on the interior surface of the face component.

16. A method for producing a golf club head including a face component and aft-body, the method comprising:

forming a sheet of metal material to a desired thickness profile, the sheet of metal material including at least a first region having a first thickness and a second region having a second thickness, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness;

cutting a blank pattern of the face component from the sheet of metal material, the blank pattern including a face section and a plurality of flanges extending from the face section, at least a portion of the face section having the first thickness;

progressive die stamping the blank pattern into the face component, the face component including a front face and a return portion, the return portion being formed by the plurality of flanges;

welding the face into a contiguous body, the welding occurring on an interior surface of the face component; and

securing the face component to the aft-body to form an assembled golf club head.

17. The method according claim 16 wherein securing the face component to the aft-body includes welding the return portion to the aft-body.

18. The method according to claim 16 wherein the welding includes any one of laser welding, plasma welding, and e-beam welding.

19. A method for producing a golf club head including a face component and aft-body, the method comprising:

forming a sheet metal material to a desired thickness profile, the sheet of metal material including at least a first region having a first thickness and a second region having a second thickness, the first thickness being greater than the second thickness;

cutting a blank pattern of the face component from the sheet of metal material, the blank pattern including a face section and a plurality of flanges extending from the face section, at least a portion of the face section having the first thickness;

progressive die stamping the blank pattern into the face component, the face component including a front face and a return portion, the return portion being formed by the plurality of flanges;

welding the face component, the welding occurring on the interior surface of the face component;

over-molding the face component with a non-metallic material to form a completed face component; and

securing the completed face component to the aft-body to form an assembled golf club head.