Patent Grant
9833668
The application claims the benefit of Taiwan application serial No. 103137881, filed Oct. 31, 2014, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method for manufacturing a golf club head and, more particularly, to a casting and pressing method for manufacturing a golf club head having an embedded heterogeneous material which provides an enhanced engagement between the heterogeneous material and a cast material different from the heterogenous material.
2. Description of the Related Art
To meet the requirements of a low and deep gravity center, to reduce the reactive force acted upon the user when hitting the golf ball, and to improve the feeling of the user hitting the golf ball, a golf club head is embedded with a heterogeneous material that is different from the material of the golf club head in order to adjust the gravity center and the hitting feeling. The heterogeneous material is usually arranged on the toe, sole, heel back, hosel or striking faceplate of the golf club head.
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Before the club head body 95 is formed by casting, the shell mold used in the casting procedure needs to be heated to a high temperature in order to maintain the flowability of a molten metal liquid that was poured into the shell mold. However, since the striking faceplate 91, the counter weight 93 and the club head body 95 are made of different materials (i.e. the melting points of the striking faceplate 91 and the counter weight 93 are higher than that of the club head body 95), the heterogeneous materials (i.e. the striking faceplate 91 and the counter weight 93) in the shell mold are easily oxidized during the heating process of the shell mold. Thus, the engagement strength between the casting material and the heterogeneous materials is reduced. In addition, since the casting material and the heterogeneous materials have different thermal expansion coefficients, the casting material may disengage from the heterogeneous materials when cooling down.
In light of the above, it is necessary to improve the conventional method for manufacturing the golf club head having the embedded heterogeneous material.
It is therefore the objective of this invention to provide a casting and pressing method for manufacturing a golf club head having an embedded heterogeneous material which enhances the engagement between the heterogeneous material and a cast material different from the heterogenous material.
The present invention provides a casting and pressing method for manufacturing a golf club head having an embedded heterogeneous material including preparing a shell mold having a cavity inside the shell mold and a functional member embedded into the shell mold via an embedded portion, filling the cavity with a metal liquid to completely dip the non-embedded portion of the functional member in the metal liquid; breaking the shell mold to obtain a cast product after the metal liquid in the cavity completely solidifies, separating the golf club head cast member from the cast product to obtain a semi-finished golf club head having a casting material and a heterogeneous material embedded in the casting material, and pressing the casting material of the semi-finished golf club head to securely engage the casting material with the heterogeneous material. The functional member includes a non-embedded portion connected to the embedded portion and located in the cavity. The cast product includes a golf club head cast member. Furthermore, the heterogeneous material is the functional member.
In a form shown, the casting and pressing method for manufacturing the golf club head having the embedded heterogeneous material further includes trimming an outer surface of the golf club head cast member after separating the golf club head cast member from the cast product. In addition, trimming the outer surface of the golf club head cast member includes partially removing the functional member from the golf club head cast member to obtain the semi-finished golf club head, and the heterogeneous material is a remaining part of the functional member that is not trimmed off the golf club head cast member.
In the form shown, trimming the outer surface of the golf club head cast member includes completely removing the embedded portion of the functional member from the golf club head cast member to prohibit the heterogeneous material from protruding from the outer surface of the semi-finished golf club head.
Alternatively, trimming the outer surface of the golf club head cast member includes partially removing the embedded portion from the golf club head cast member to allow the heterogeneous material to partially protrude from the outer surface of the semi-finished golf club head.
In the form shown, the embedded portion of the functional member comprises an enlarged portion having a maximal cross section larger than a cross section of a part of the embedded portion adjacent to the non-embedded portion.
In the form shown, pressing the casting material of the semi-finished golf club head comprises applying a pressure of 90-200 ton/cm2 to the semi-finished golf club head.
In the form shown, the casting and pressing method for manufacturing the golf club head having the embedded heterogeneous material further includes forming an anti-oxidation layer on an outer surface of the functional member to allow at least the non-embedded portion of the functional member to be covered by the anti-oxidation layer, before preparing the shell mold.
In the form shown, forming the anti-oxidation layer includes applying antioxidant to the outer surface of the functional member to form the anti-oxidation layer after the antioxidant becomes dry or carburizing the functional member to form a carburization layer as the anti-oxidation layer. Alternatively, forming the anti-oxidation layer includes applying an yttria-partially stabilized zirconia layer having a thickness of 0.05-5 mm to the outer surface of the functional member by atmospheric plasma spraying, melting the yttria-partially stabilized zirconia layer on the functional member by yttrium aluminum garret laser surface heat treatment, and rapidly cooling and solidifying the yttria-partially stabilized zirconia layer to form the anti-oxidation layer.
In the casting and pressing method for manufacturing the golf club head having the embedded heterogeneous material of the present invention, the engagement between the heterogeneous material and the casting material is enhanced by the process of casting the golf club head cast member having the embedded heterogeneous material in combination with the pressing process. As such, the casting material and the heterogeneous material can be securely engaged with each other after cooling without any loosening after a long time of use.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinafter and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
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In the various figures of the drawings, the same numerals designate the same or similar parts. Furthermore, when the terms “first”, “second”, “third”, “fourth”, “inner”, “outer”, “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “rear” and similar terms are used hereinafter, it should be understood that these terms have reference only to the structure shown in the drawings as it would appear to a person viewing the drawings, and are utilized only to facilitate describing the invention.
A casting and pressing method for manufacturing a golf club head having an embedded heterogeneous material of the present invention includes the following steps.
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Specifically, the functional member 2 includes an embedded portion 21 and a non-embedded portion 22. The embedded portion 21 of the functional member 2 is embedded in the shell mold 1, and the non-embedded portion 22 is located in the cavity 11. Preferably, the embedded portion 21 may include an enlarged portion 211, with a maximal cross section of the enlarged portion 211 being larger than the cross section of the part of the embedded portion 21 adjacent to the non-embedded portion 22. Thus, the engagement between the embedded portion 21 of the functional member 2 and the shell mold 1 is enhanced, and the embedded portion 21 is prevented from disengaging from the shell mold 1.
The casting and pressing method of the present invention may further include forming an anti-oxidation layer 23 on an outer surface of the functional member 2 before the steps of preparing the shell mold 1 and embedding the functional member 2 in the shell mold 1. As an example, forming the anti-oxidation 23 may include applying antioxidant to the outer surface of the functional member 2. After the anti-oxidation layer 23 becomes dry, the injected wax is covered all around the functional member 2 to obtain the shell mold 1. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the functional member 2 may be a tungsten ingot with high density, the antioxidant may be boron nitride (BN), and the anti-oxidation layer 23 may have a thickness of 0.01-0.05 mm.
Alternatively, forming the anti-oxidation layer 23 may include carburizing the functional member 2 to partially change the constituent of the functional member 2. Thus, the functional member 2 may form a carbonized layer with a predetermined thickness on the outer surface. As an example, in the case that the functional member 2 is high-density tungsten, the anti-oxidation layer 23 may be a tungsten carbide layer with a thickness of 0.1-1.5 mm.
Alternatively, forming the anti-oxidation layer 23 may include applying an yttria-partially stabilized zirconia (Y-PSZ) layer having a thickness of 0.05-5 mm to the outer surface of the functional member 2 by atmospheric plasma spraying, melting the Y-PSZ layer that was formed on the functional member 2 by yttrium aluminum garret (YAG) laser surface heat treatment, and rapidly cooling and solidifying the Y-PSZ layer (e.g. by water cooling) to form the anti-oxidation layer 23. As such, the loose microstructure of the Y-PSZ layer becomes tight after the smelting and cooling processes, thus forming the anti-oxidation layer 23 with an enhanced microstructure and improved mechanical properties.
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In the case that the metal liquid “L” contains an easily-oxidized component, it is preferred to place the shell mold 1 in a vacuum furnace for controlling the level of vacuum around the shell mold 1. This prevents the appearance defects (such as sesame dots or black beans) from forming on the surface of the golf club head cast member, and even prevents the reactive gas from forming a large amount of slag holes or blow holes on the golf club head cast member, that may be caused by the fire crack that takes place when the metal liquid “L” is poured into the cavity 11.
The casting and pressing method further includes breaking the shell mold 1 to obtain a cast product after the metal liquid “L” poured in the cavity 11 of the shell mold 1 completely solidifies. The cast product includes a golf club head cast member “W.” Next, the casting and pressing method also includes separating the golf club head cast member “W” from the cast product, such as cutting the golf club head cast member “W” from the cast product with a knife or breaking the golf club head cast member “W” off the cast product under a vibration force. The non-embedded portion 22 of the functional member 2 and the anti-oxidation layer 23 are embedded in the golf club head cast member “W,” with the embedded portion 21 of the functional member 2 protruding out of an outer surface of the golf club head cast member “W.”
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Specifically, the pressing process may be a cool forging process carried out under room temperature after the casting material 32 completely cools down. As such, the equipment required for the pressing process is simple, and the engagement between the casting material 32 and the heterogeneous material 31 will not be deteriorate again by the environmental temperature after the pressing process. For example, the pressing process includes placing the semi-finished golf club head 3 in a lower portion of a shaping mold, and applying a shaping force to the semi-finished golf club head 3 via an upper portion of the shaping mold. In the case that the pressure used in the pressing process is lower than 90 ton/cm2, the engagement between the casting material 32 and the heterogeneous material 31 is apt to be lower than the required standard. On the other hand, when the pressure is higher than 200 ton/cm2, the casting material 32 may have a thickness less than the required thickness. As a conclusion, the forging process is preferably carried out under a pressing pressure of 90-200 ton/cm2.
Furthermore, the pressing process may be a high-speed shaping process or a low-speed shaping process according to the portion of the golf club head requiring the forging process. The high-speed shaping process may be a forging process or a stamping process with a shortened period of time as required, thus improving the production efficiency. The low-speed shaping process may include pressing the shaping mold under oil pressure, in which the casting material 32 is shaped in a slow and stable manner under the pressing action of the shaping mold. As such, the shaping force can be uniformly applied to the cast product, thus improving product quality. In addition, the slow shaping process reduces the damage to the shaping mold, advantageously prolonging service life of the shaping mold.
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As a conclusion, in the casting and pressing method for manufacturing the golf club head having the embedded heterogeneous material of the present invention, the engagement between the heterogeneous material and the casting material is enhanced by the process of casting the golf club head cast member having the embedded heterogeneous material in combination with the pressing process. As such, the casting material and the heterogeneous material can be securely engaged with each other after cooling without any loosening after a long time of use.
Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to its presently preferable embodiments, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 103137881 A | Oct 2014 | TW | national |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 8322971 | Dec 1996 | JP |
| 288346 | Oct 1996 | TW |
| 200709829 | Mar 2007 | TW |
| M355110 | Apr 2009 | TW |
| 200918126 | May 2009 | TW |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20160121177 A1 | May 2016 | US |
