JP3249090B2 - Golf club head - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a golf club head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a golf club head to which a conventional weight member is added, those described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 10-111304 and 10-94623 are known. In the former, an insert (weight member) is provided from the sole portion to the lower end side of the back face portion. The head body is formed of titanium or an alloy thereof, and the insert is formed of tungsten. A recess is formed in a portion of the head main body where the insert is provided, and the insert is inserted into the recess and fixed with a threaded fixing tool.
In the latter, a press-fitting portion is provided on a sole plate forming a sole portion of a metal hollow golf club head, and a weight body (weight member) made of a columnar tungsten sintered metal having a specific gravity of 10 or more is provided in the press-fitting portion. Is press-fitted and fixed, a pin made of ductile metal is passed through a through-hole penetrating the sole plate and the weight body, and the upper and lower ends of the pin are crushed to fix the weight body inside the sole plate.

[0003] Tungsten has an advantage that the position of the center of gravity of the head can be easily changed because of its large specific gravity of 19.3. However, since it is extremely hard (Pickers hardness Hv425), its workability is poor. As described above, or by crushing a ductile pin.

[0004]

When a tungsten insert is fixed to a head body with a screw (threaded fixing tool), an adhesive is also used. However, in such a fixing method, an insert is used. The precision of processing of the screw insertion hole and the processing of tungsten to match the recess is required, which not only increases the cost, but also the vibration of the insert may occur at the time of collision with the ball or contact with the ground During use, there is a possibility that abnormal noise may be generated due to rattling of the insert. Further, in the fixing method using the pins, the amount of the weight used is limited, so that the weight cannot be added as expected, and a great effect in changing the position of the center of gravity cannot be expected. Furthermore, it is difficult to press-fit a metal having a high specific gravity, such as a tungsten alloy, with a complicated head shape.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a material having a large specific gravity outside the head body in a wide range, has a large degree of freedom in designing the position of the center of gravity, and has a large specific gravity even if the head shape is complicated. It is an object of the present invention to provide a golf club head capable of press-fitting a golf club.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a metal golf club head in which a shaft insertion hosel is integrally formed with a head body including a face portion, a back face portion, a sole portion, and the like. in the <br/> pin density 10 or more tungsten <br/> Ten and copper or the opening formed in the sole portion mainly composed of tungsten and nickel
A bowl-shaped cup holding and fixing a weight member made of a metal alloy having a Vickers hardness (Hv) of 320 or less is fitted.
The cup is made of a metal different from the weight member or an alloy thereof, and is formed of a material harder than the hardness of the weight member (Pickers hardness Hv) , and the cup to which the weight member is fixed is formed in the sole portion. The head is fixed to the opening and is exposed on the surface of the sole to constitute a part of the head main body.

[0007]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a part of the head main body 1, in this case, an opening 2A formed by cutting out a central portion of the sole portion 2 is provided with a bowl-shaped cup 3 which is a separately attached member. The cup 3 is formed with a receiving space 4 such as a hole or a groove.
As described above, the weight member 5 made of a metal alloy having a Pickers hardness of Hv110 to 320 is accommodated and fixed. Then, the cup 3 in which the weight member 5 is stored
Into the opening 2A of the head body 1, that is, the central portion of the sole 2, and fixed. In the figure, reference numeral 6 denotes a hosel integrally formed with the head main body 1. A shaft (not shown) is inserted and fixed to the hosel 6.

FIG. 2 shows a configuration in which the shape of the accommodating space 4 of the cup 3 and the shape of the weight member 5 are changed, and the weight member 5 has a large weight distributed to the toe side and the heel side. . Not only the center of gravity is lowered, but also the weight is distributed to the toe side and the heel side, so that the sweet area can be expanded.

FIGS. 3 to 5 show a storage space 4 for the cup 3.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a means for fixing a weight member 5 to the rim. The material forming the cup 3 is a cast titanium alloy having a hardness Hv (Pickers hardness) of 330, and the weight member 5 pressed into the storage space 4 has a hardness Hv of 32.
A material having a specific gravity of 10 or more of 0 or less was used. The weight member 5 contains about 60% of tungsten, about 40% of copper, and the specific gravity 13.1 composed of other chemical components,
A tungsten alloy having a hardness of Hv180 was used. An undercut portion 4A is formed at the bottom of the housing space 4, and when the weight member 5 is press-fitted, the lower end side of the weight member 5 is crushed and enters the undercut portion 4A. Further, a thin ridge 3A is formed on the opening side peripheral edge of the accommodation space 4 of the cup 3. As shown in FIG. 4, when the weight member 5 is pressed into the accommodation space 4,
As shown in FIG. 5, the ridge 3A is crimped inward.

As described above, if the tungsten alloy weight member 5 is fixed to the cup 3, this cup 3
Into the opening 2A of the sole portion 2 of the head body 1 to be fixed. This fixing method is by welding. If the material of the cup 3 and the head body 1 is the same material, the weldability is better,
preferable.

FIG. 6 shows a central longitudinal section of the completed golf club head. The weight member 5 is exposed to the outside so as to be at least 20% of the area of the sole portion 2. In FIG. 6, reference numeral 7 denotes a face portion, and reference numeral 8 denotes a back face portion. In this embodiment, a cavity 9 is formed in the back face portion 8, and this cavity 9 is provided so as to communicate with the opening 2A where the cup 3 is fitted.

In the illustrated embodiment, an iron head is shown, but the present invention can be applied to various golf club heads such as a wood club head and a putter head.

The specific gravity of the weight member 5 is set to 10 or more because if the specific gravity is less than 10, it is not very effective in designing the center of gravity. Conventionally, there is an example using a copper alloy such as brass. The specific gravity of such a copper alloy is about 8.5, and when the head body 1 is formed of a stainless material, the specific gravity of the stainless material is very different from 7.8. It was not effective for designing the center of gravity. The above-mentioned tungsten alloy containing about 40% of copper has a specific gravity of 13.1 and a hardness of Hv180. Hardness Hv
If the material exceeds 110, the weight member 5 can be formed, and the material for forming the cup 3 only needs to be harder than the weight member 5. In order to press-fit the weight member 5 into the cup 3, the hardness Hv of the weight member 5 needs to be smaller than the hardness Hv of the cup 3. Storage space 4 for the cup 3 which is too hard to press-fit and receives the material to be press-fitted
It is easy to create a gap between them. As a material for forming the cup 3, carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum alloy or the like can be used in addition to the titanium alloy described above. The difference in specific gravity between the head body 1 and the weight member 5 is preferably 4 or more, and at least 1.7 or more.

In the embodiment described above, the area where the weight member 5 is exposed in the entire area of the sole portion 2 is 20%.
In view of the welding margin of the cup 3 for receiving the material to be press-fitted to the head main body 1, it is preferably 80% or less. However, in the case of the sole portion 2 in the iron head, the exposed area of the weight member 5 is 20% to 50%, more preferably 25% to 35%. Further, it is preferable that the weight member 5 and the outer peripheral edge of the cup 3 have an interval of 5 mm or more. This is because sinking or deformation occurs at the outer peripheral edge due to welding of the cup 3, which may cause a gap between the press-fitted weight member 5 and the housing space 4, and may cause discoloration due to heat. . A lump of 20 g or more can be press-fitted, and a weight of 30 g or more and 150 g or less is preferable. Especially 4
5 g or more and 80 g or less are good. If it is less than 20 g, there is no need to take such a complicated manufacturing method, and a weight heavier than 150 g is too heavy, and the head may be small. In the illustrated embodiment described above, the weight of the tungsten alloy used for the weight member 5 is about 62%.
g, the total area of the sole portion 2 is about 19.5 cm ² ,
The exposed area of the weight member 5 was about 6.5 cm ^2, which was about 33% of the area of the entire sole portion 2.

After welding the cup 3 to the head body 1,
The bead generated by welding was polished to obtain a final product. The embodiment shown in the drawing was used as a 5-iron head, and a comparison was made between a commonly used 5-iron, a commercially-available 5-iron having a low center of gravity, and a commercially-available 5-iron bonded with tungsten. It is shown in Table 1.

[0017]

[Table 1]

As is clear from Table 1, the height of the center of gravity H
As for the GR, the head according to the embodiment of the present invention was the lowest, and the result of trial hitting with each of the 5-irons was evaluated as being easy to lift the ball and stable with the 5-iron of the present invention.

As the weight member 5, tungsten 3
0%, the case of using the copper 70% and an alloy, the hardness Hv can be pressed against the 125, and the cast titanium alloy (Hv330). In general, when the press-fitting the pure titanium and brass to titanium alloy, hardness Hv such as pure titanium 100
Since it is about 130, the weight member 5 made of the above alloy having a hardness of Hv125 can be press-fitted. In addition, an alloy of tungsten and nickel is used for the weight member 5.
It can also be used as

Table 2 below shows the workability of the composition ratio of tungsten and copper.

[0021]

[Table 2]

With 100% tungsten, the tungsten was hardly crushed even when trying to press-fit it into the cup 3, making it impossible to manufacture. In the case of an alloy (Hv370) of 10% copper and 90% tungsten, a gap was formed between the alloy and the cup 3, and its value as a product was low. X in Table 2 cannot be manufactured, △
Indicates poor appearance and is difficult to commercialize, and ○ indicates good. From this result, it is preferable that the weight member 5 to be pressed into the cup 3 has a Pickers hardness (Hv) of 320 or less. Also,
When used for the sole portion 2, in consideration of contact with the ground or sand, it is necessary to have a hardness that is not easily damaged.
Hardness of v110 or more is required. Therefore, the weight member 5 is Hv110 to 320, preferably Hv14.
The hardness is from 0 to 210.

The press fitting of the weight member 5 into the cup 3 is as follows.
The accommodating space 4 of the cup 3 is used as a receiving port, and the material (weight member 5) to be press-fitted therein is forcibly fitted by applying pressure, and "caulking" means that the ridge 3A is crushed to This means that the weight member 5 inserted or press-fitted therein is prevented from falling out. Thus insertion and caulking, or press fitting and / or weight member 5 fixed by the Rika-up 3 to the caulking, rather than fixed to the head finely cut tungsten rod in a cylindrical bore, the head body 1 The weight member 5, which has a high specific gravity, is exposed on the surface of the body, so that the weight member 5 is located as far as possible from the position of the center of gravity, so that the position of the center of gravity can be easily moved to the target position.

[0024]

As described in the foregoing, according to the present invention, the face portion, the back face portion, in the metal golf club head which is integrally formed a shaft inserting hosel to the head body including a sole portion, etc., the sole Part shaped
Tungsten and copper with a specific gravity of 10 or more in the formed opening or
Pickers hardness based on tungsten and nickel
(Hv) weight member made of a metal alloy of 320 or less
A cup-shaped cup that is housed and fixed is fitted, and the cup is
From different types of metals or their alloys
From the hardness of the weight member (Pickers hardness Hv)
Also formed from hard material, this weight member was fixed
Fix the cup to the opening formed in the sole
The weight member can be exposed in a relatively large area as compared with the case where a hole or the like is provided in the head body and tungsten is provided, since the head member is exposed to the surface of the head and forms a part of the head body. At the same time, since a weight member having a considerable weight can be positioned outside the head body, the degree of freedom in designing the position of the center of gravity is increased. Further, the weight member is made of a different metal or an alloy thereof, and the weight member is housed and fixed in a bowl-shaped cup harder than the hardness of the weight member (Pickers hardness Hv). In a configuration in which a part of the head main body is fixed by being fixed to the opening formed in the sole portion, it is easy to quantitatively increase the weight member as compared with a case where the head body is directly press-fitted, An alloy having a high content of tungsten can be used, so that the position of the center of gravity can be more easily moved. In particular, placing a weight on the sole surface results in a low center of gravity, which is effective for long irons, utility clubs, and fairway woods having a loft angle of 25 ° or less.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a modified example of a cup and a weight member.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view immediately before a weight member is accommodated in a cup.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a state where a weight member is pressed into a cup.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a state in which a ridge is crimped after the press-fitting of the weight member.

FIG. 6 is a central longitudinal sectional view of a state where the cup is welded to the head main body.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Head body 2 Sole part2A opening  3 cup 4 accommodation space 5 weight member 6 hosel 7 face 8 back face

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A63B 53/04 A63B 53/06

Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] 1. A face part, a back face part, and a sole
The hosel for shaft insertion is integrated with the head body including the parts
In the formed metal golf club head,A tank having a specific gravity of 10 or more is formed in the opening formed in the sole portion.
Gusten and copper or tungsten and nickel as main components
Pickers hardness (Hv) of 320 or less metal alloy
Into a bowl-shaped cup containing a fixed weight member
See The cup is made of a metal different from the weight member
Is made of the alloy and the hardness of the weight member (Pickers
Formed from a material harder than the hardness Hv), A cup with this weight member fixed is formed on the sole part
And fix it to the opening and expose it to the surface of the sole.
Characterizing that it constitutes a part of the
Ruff club head. 2. An undercut portion is formed at a bottom of a storage space of the cup, and when a weight member is pressed into the storage space, a lower end side of the weight member is crushed and enters the undercut portion. The golf club head according to claim 1 , wherein 3. A thin-walled ridge is formed on an opening-side periphery of the storage space for the cup, and the ridge is caulked inward after the weight member is stored.
3. The golf club head according to 1 or 2 . Wherein said cup and the golf club head according to any one of claims 1 to 3 material forming the head body, characterized in that the same material. 5. The pickers hardness of the weight member is H.
v110~32 golf club head according to any one of claims 1 <br/> 4 characterized in that it is a zero. 6. The pickers hardness of the weight member is H.
The golf club head according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein v140 to v210. 7. A head body and the weight member with the golf club head according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the specific gravity difference of 4 or more.