Patent Grant
9561410
The present invention relates to an improved golf club head. More particularly, the present invention relates to a golf club head having a compliant portion.
The complexities of golf club design are well known. The specifications for each component of the club (i.e., the club head, shaft, grip, and subcomponents thereof) directly impact the performance of the club. Thus, by varying the design specifications, a golf club can be tailored to have specific performance characteristics.
The design of club heads has long been studied. Among the more prominent considerations in club head design are loft, lie, face angle, horizontal face bulge, vertical face roll, center of gravity (CG), inertia, material selection, and overall head weight. While this basic set of criteria is generally the focus of golf club engineering, several other design aspects must also be addressed. The interior design of the club head may be tailored to achieve particular characteristics, such as the inclusion of hosel or shaft attachment means, perimeter weights on the club head, and fillers within hollow club heads.
Golf club heads must also be strong to withstand the repeated impacts that occur during collisions between the golf club and the golf ball. The loading that occurs during this transient event can create a peak force of over 2,000 lbs. Thus, a major challenge is designing the club face and body to resist permanent deformation or failure by material yield or fracture. Conventional hollow metal wood drivers made from titanium typically have a face thickness exceeding 2.5 mm to ensure structural integrity of the club head.
Players generally seek a metal wood driver and golf ball combination that delivers maximum distance and landing accuracy. The distance a ball travels after impact is dictated by the magnitude and direction of the ball's translational velocity and the ball's rotational velocity or spin. Environmental conditions, including atmospheric pressure, humidity, temperature, and wind speed, further influence the ball's flight. However, these environmental effects are beyond the control of the golf equipment manufacturer. Golf ball landing accuracy is driven by a number of factors as well. Some of these factors are attributed to club head design, such as center of gravity and club face flexibility.
The United States Golf Association (USGA), the governing body for the rules of golf in the United States, has specifications for the performance of golf balls. These performance specifications dictate the size and weight of a conforming golf ball. One USGA rule limits the golf ball's initial velocity after a prescribed impact to 250 feet per second+2% (or 255 feet per second maximum initial velocity). To achieve greater golf ball travel distance, ball velocity after impact and the coefficient of restitution of the ball-club impact must be maximized while remaining within this rule.
Generally, golf ball travel distance is a function of the total kinetic energy imparted to the ball during impact with the club head, neglecting environmental effects. During impact, kinetic energy is transferred from the club and stored as elastic strain energy in the club head and as viscoelastic strain energy in the ball. After impact, the stored energy in the ball and in the club is transformed back into kinetic energy in the form of translational and rotational velocity of the ball, as well as the club. Since the collision is not perfectly elastic, a portion of energy is dissipated in club head vibration and in viscoelastic relaxation of the ball. Viscoelastic relaxation is a material property of the polymeric materials used in all manufactured golf balls.
Viscoelastic relaxation of the ball is a parasitic energy source, which is dependent upon the rate of deformation. To minimize this effect, the rate of deformation must be reduced. This may be accomplished by allowing more club face deformation during impact. Since metallic deformation may be purely elastic, the strain energy stored in the club face is returned to the ball after impact thereby increasing the ball's outbound velocity after impact.
A variety of techniques may be utilized to vary the deformation of the club face, including uniform face thinning, thinned faces with ribbed stiffeners and varying thickness, among others. These designs should have sufficient structural integrity to withstand repeated impacts without permanently deforming the club face. In general, conventional club heads also exhibit wide variations in initial ball speed after impact, depending on the impact location on the face of the club. Hence, there remains a need in the art for a club head that has a larger “sweet zone” or zone of substantially uniform high initial ball speed.
Technological breakthroughs in recent years provide the average golfer with more distance, such as making larger head clubs while keeping the weight constant or even lighter, by casting consistently thinner shell thickness and going to lighter materials such as titanium. Also, the faces of clubs have been steadily becoming extremely thin. The thinner face maximizes the coefficient of restitution (COR). The more a face rebounds upon impact, the more energy that may be imparted to the ball, thereby increasing distance. In order to make the faces thinner, manufacturers have moved to forged, stamped or machined metal faces which are generally stronger than cast faces. Common practice is to attach the forged or stamped metal face by welding them to the body or sole. The thinner faces are more vulnerable to failure. The present invention provides a novel manner for providing the face of the club with the desired flex and rebound at impact thereby maximizing COR.
The present invention relates to a golf club head including a flexure that alters the compliance characteristics as compared to known golf club heads.
In an embodiment, a golf club head includes a crown, a sole, a side wall, a hosel and a face. The crown defines an upper surface of the golf club head, the sole defines a lower surface of the golf club head and the side wall extends between the crown and the sole. The sole includes a transmittal portion, a flexure and a rear portion. The face defines a ball-striking surface and intersects the transmittal portion at a leading edge. The flexure is spaced aftward of the ball-striking surface by the transmittal portion. The flexure includes a front wall that extends into a cavity defined by the golf club head, a rear wall that extends into the cavity and the front wall and the rear wall are coupled at an apex. The flexure is spaced from the ball-striking surface by a distance that is between 20% and 50% of a CG-Z-fc distance between the geometric face center of the golf club head and the center of gravity of the golf club head along a horizontal Z-axis that extends from the front to the aft of the golf club head. Additionally, in an embodiment, the CG-Z-fc distance is at least 33.0 mm and the moment-of-inertia about a vertical axis extending through the center-of-gravity is at least 450 kg-mm2.
In another embodiment, a golf club head comprises a crown, a sole, a side wall, a hosel, an interchangeable shaft system, a face and a weight member. The crown defines an upper surface of the golf club head. The sole defines a lower surface of the golf club head, and comprises a transmittal portion, a flexure and a rear portion. The side wall extends between the crown and the sole. The hosel extends from the crown and includes a shaft bore. The interchangeable shaft system includes a shaft sleeve and a fastener that couples the shaft sleeve to the shaft bore of the hosel. The fastener is disposed at least partially in an access bore that extends through the sole, wherein the access bore intersects the flexure. The face defines a ball-striking surface and intersects the transmittal portion at a leading edge. The weight member disposed in a mounting feature that intersects the flexure. The flexure is spaced aftward of the ball-striking surface by the transmittal portion, and comprises a front wall, an apex and a rear wall. The front wall extends into a cavity defined by the golf club head and the rear wall extends into the cavity and the front wall and the rear wall are coupled at the apex.
Preferred features of the present invention are disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, and wherein:
Other than in the operating examples, or unless otherwise expressly specified, all of the numerical ranges, amounts, values and percentages such as those for amounts of materials, moments of inertias, center of gravity locations, loft and draft angles, and others in the following portion of the specification may be read as if prefaced by the word “about” even though the term “about” may not expressly appear with the value, amount, or range. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.
Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however, inherently contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements. Furthermore, when numerical ranges of varying scope are set forth herein, it is contemplated that any combination of these values inclusive of the recited values may be used.
Coefficient of restitution, or “COR”, is a measure of collision efficiency. COR is the ratio of the velocity of separation to the velocity of approach. As an example, such as for a golf ball struck off of a golf tee, COR may be determined using the following formula:
(Mball(Vball-post−Vball-pre)+Mclub(Vball-post−Vclub-pre))/Mclub(Vclub-pre−Vball-pre)
where,
Referring to
When club head 10 is in the address position, crown 12 provides an upper surface and sole 14 provides a lower surface of the golf club head. Skirt 16 extends between crown 12 and sole 14 and forms a perimeter of the club head. Face 18 provides a forward-most ball-striking surface 20 and includes a perimeter that is coupled to crown 12, sole 14 and skirt 16 to enclose cavity 24. Face 18 includes a toe portion 26 and a heel portion 28 on opposite sides of a geometric center of face 18. Hosel 22 extends outward from crown 12 and skirt 16 adjacent heel portion 28 of face 18 and provides an attachment structure for a golf club shaft (not shown).
Hosel 22 may have a through-bore or a blind hosel construction. In particular, hosel 22 is generally a tubular member and it may extend through cavity 24 from crown 12 to the bottom of the club head 10 at sole 14 or it may terminate at a location between crown 12 and sole 14. Furthermore, a proximal end of hosel 22 may terminate flush with crown 12, rather than extending outward from the club head away from crown 12 as shown in
Inner cavity 24 may have any volume, but is preferably greater than 100 cubic centimeters, and the golf club head may have a hybrid, fairway or driver type constructions. Preferably, the mass of the inventive club head 10 is greater than about 150 grams, but less than about 220 grams, although the club head may have any suitable weight for a given length to provide a desired overall weight and swing weight. The body may be formed of stamped, forged, cast and/or molded components that are welded, brazed and/or adhered together. Golf club head 10 may be constructed from a titanium alloy, any other suitable material or combinations of different materials. Further, weight members constructed of high density mater, such as tungsten, may be coupled to any portion of the golf club head, such as the sole.
Face 18 may include a face insert 30 that is coupled to a face perimeter 32, such as a face flange. The face perimeter 32 defines an opening for receiving the face insert 30. The face insert 30 is preferably connected to the perimeter 32 by welding. For example, a plurality of chads or tabs (not shown) may be provided to form supports for locating the face insert 30 or a face insert may be tack welded into position, and then the face insert 30 and perimeter 32 may be integrally connected by laser or plasma welding. The face insert 30 may be made by milling, casting, forging or stamping and forming from any suitable material, such as, for example, titanium, titanium alloy, carbon steel, stainless steel, beryllium copper, and carbon fiber composites and combinations thereof. Additionally, crown 12 or sole 14 may be formed separately and coupled to the remainder of the body.
The thickness of the face insert 30 is preferably between about 0.5 mm and about 4.0 mm. Additionally, the insert 30 may be of a uniform thickness or a variable thickness. For example, the face insert 30 may have a thicker center section and thinner outer section. In another embodiment, the face insert 30 may have two or more different thicknesses and the transition between thicknesses may be radiused or stepped. Alternatively, the face insert 30 may increase or decrease in thickness towards toe portion 26, heel portion 28, crown 12 and/or sole 14. It will be appreciated that one or both of the ball-striking surface or the rear surface of face 18 may have at least a portion that is curved, stepped or flat to vary the thickness of the face insert 30.
As mentioned above, club head 10 includes a construction that improves behavior of the club when it strikes a golf ball, particularly when a lower portion of the face impacts a golf ball. A flexure 36 is formed in a forward portion of the crown, sole and/or skirt. Flexure 36 is an elongate corrugation that extends in a generally heel to toe direction and that is formed in a forward portion of sole 14.
Flexure 36 is generally flexible in a fore/aft direction and provides a flexible portion in the club head 10 away from face 18 so that it allows at least a portion of face 18 to translate and rotate as a unit, in addition to flexing locally, when face 18 impacts a golf ball. The golf club head is designed to have two distinct vibration modes of the face between about 3000 Hz and about 6000 Hz, and the flexure is generally constructed to add the second distinct vibration mode of the face. The first face vibration mode primarily includes the local deflection of the face during center face impacts with a golf ball. The deflection profile of the second face vibration mode generally includes the entire face deflecting similar to an accordion and provides improved performance for off-center impacts between the face and a golf ball.
Flexure 36 is also configured to generally maintain the stiffness of sole 14 in a crown/sole direction so that the sound of the golf club head is not significantly affected. A lower stiffness of the sole in the crown/sole direction will generally lower the pitch of the sound that the club head produces, and the lower pitch is generally undesirable.
Flexure 36 allows the front portion of the club, including face 18, to flex differently than would otherwise be possible without altering the size and/or shape of face 18. In particular, a portion of the golf club head body adjacent the face is designed to elastically flex during impact. That flexibility reduces the reduction in ball speed, and reduces the backspin, that would otherwise be experienced for ball impacts located below the ideal impact location. The ideal impact location is a location on the ball-striking surface that intersects an axis that is normal to the ball-striking surface and that extends through the center of gravity of the golf club head, and as a result the ideal impact location is generally located above the geometric face center by a distance between about 0.5 mm and 5.0 mm. By providing flexure 36 in sole 14, close to face 18, the club head provides less of a reduction in ball speed, and lower back spin, when face 18 impacts a golf ball at a location below the ideal impact location. Thus, ball impacts at the ideal impact location and lower on the club face of the inventive club head will go farther than the same impact location on a conventional club head for the same swing characteristics. Locating flexure 36 in sole 14 is especially beneficial because the ideal impact location is generally located higher than the geometric face center in metal wood-type golf clubs. Therefore, a large portion of the face area is generally located below the ideal impact location. Additionally, there is a general tendency of golfers to experience golf ball impacts low on the face. Similar results, however, may be found for a club head 10 with flexures provided on other portions of the club head 10 for impacts located toward the flexure from the geometric face center. For example, a club having a flexure disposed in the crown may improve performance for ball impacts that are between the crown and the geometric face center.
In an embodiment, flexure 36 is provided such that it is substantially parallel to at least a portion of a leading edge 38 of the club head 10, so that it is generally curved with the leading edge, and is provided within a selected distance D from ball-striking surface 20. Preferably, flexure 36 is provided a distance D within 30 mm of ball-striking surface 20, more preferably within 20 mm of ball-striking surface 20, and more preferably between about 5.0 mm and 20.0 mm. For smaller golf club heads, such as those with fairway wood or hybrid constructions, it is preferable that the flexure 36 is provided within 10 mm of ball striking surface 20.
Flexure 36 is constructed from a first member 40 and a second member 42. First member 40 is coupled to a rearward edge of a forward transmittal portion 46 of sole 14 and curves into inner cavity 24 from sole 14. Second member 42 is coupled to a forward edge of a rearward portion of sole 14 and also curves into inner cavity 24 from sole 14. The ends of first member 40 and second member 42 that are spaced away from sole 14 are coupled to each other at an apex 44. Preferably, the flexure is elongate and extends in a generally heel to toe direction.
The dimensions of flexure 36 are selected to provide a desired flexibility during a ball impact. Flexure 36 has a height H, a width W, and a curl length C, as shown in
The inventive examples described above were analyzed using finite element analysis to determine the effect on COR and vibration response of the golf club head. In particular, a club head lacking a flexure (i.e., Baseline) was compared to the inventive examples. Table 2 summarizes the comparison.
In the above table, “extra mode” refers to a mode shape, or a natural mode of vibration that does not exist unless a flexure is present. The extra mode generally presents itself as the face portion rotating and flexing relative to the remainder of the golf club body. In particular, the inventive examples include a flexure that extends across a portion of the sole and the extra mode includes the face rotating about the interface between the face and crown so that the flexure flexes. The flexure is tuned so that that extra mode takes place in a range of frequencies from about 2900 Hz to about 4000 Hz, and more preferably at approximately 3600 Hz, which has been analyzed to be most effective in increasing the ball speed after impact. Practically speaking, that tuning results in the width W of the flexure varying sinusoidally, immediately after impact, at a frequency of about 2900 Hz to about 4000 Hz. If the extra mode takes place at a frequency that is higher or lower than that range, the ball speed can actually be lower compared to the baseline example that does not include a flexure. It has been determined using FEA analysis of inventive example 1 that a flexure that is tuned to provide an extra mode with a frequency below 2900 Hz, particularly approximately 2157 Hz, the ball speed is reduced below the baseline golf club head that does not include a flexure. Additionally, including a flexure that is too rigid provides a golf club head that does not include the extra mode, as shown by inventive example 5, and only provides minimal increase in ball speed after impact.
Transmittal portion 46 of sole 14 extends between flexure 36 and leading edge 38. Transmittal portion 46 is preferably constructed so that the force of a golf ball impact is transmitted to flexure 18 without transmittal portion 46 flexing significantly. For example, transmittal portion is oriented so that it is less inclined to bend. In particular, a transmittal plane that is tangent to the center of transmittal portion 46 (in both fore/aft and heel/toe directions) of sole 14 is angled relative to the ground plane by an angle α. Angle α is preferably less than, or equal to, the loft angle of the golf club head at address, so that the angle between the transmittal plane and the ball striking surface is generally equal to, or less than, 90° so that transmittal portion 46 is less likely to bend during a ball impact.
Flexure 36 may be formed by any suitable manner. For example, flexure 36 may be cast as an integral part of sole 14. Alternatively, flexure 36 may be stamped or forged into a sole component. Additionally, the flexure may be formed by including a thickened region and machining a recess in that thickened region to form the flexure. For example, a spin-milling process may be used to provide a desired recess, the spin-milling process is generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,240,021 issued Aug. 14, 2012 as applied to face grooves, but a flexure with a desired profile may be machined using that process by increasing the size of the spin mill tool and altering the profile of the cutter. In general, that process utilizes a tool having an axis of rotation that is parallel to the sole and perpendicular to the leading edge of the golf club head and a cutting end that is profiled to create the desired profile of the flexure. The tool is then moved along a cutting path that is generally parallel to the leading edge. As a further alternative described in greater detail below, a separate flexure component may be added to a flexure on the sole to further tune the flexure of the sole, as shown in
As shown in the embodiment of
In another embodiment, illustrated in
A flexure 76 is formed in a forward portion of the sole, but it may alternatively be formed in the crown and/or skirt. Preferably, flexure 76 is an elongate corrugation that extends in a generally heel to toe direction and is formed in a forward portion of sole 64 of the body of golf club head 60. Flexure 76 provides a flexible portion in the club head 60 rearward from face 68 so that it allows at least a portion of face 68 to translate or rotate as a unit, in addition to flexing locally, when face 68 impacts a golf ball.
Flexure 76 allows the front portion of the club, including face 68, to flex differently than would otherwise be possible without altering the size and/or shape of face 68. That flexibility provides less reduction in ball speed that would otherwise be experienced for mis-hits, i.e., ball impacts located away from the ideal impact location, and less spin for impacts below the ideal impact location. For example, by providing flexure 76 in sole 64, close to face 68, the club head provides less of a reduction in ball speed when ball impact is located below the ideal impact location. Thus, during use, ball impacts that occur lower on the club face of the inventive club head will go farther than when compared with the same impact location on a club face of a conventional club head, for common swing characteristics.
In an embodiment, flexure 76 is provided such that it is substantially parallel to at least a portion of a leading edge 78 of the club head 60 and is provided within a certain distance D from ball-striking surface 70. Preferably, flexure 76 is provided a distance D within 30 mm of ball-striking surface 70, more preferably within 20 mm of ball-striking surface 70, and most preferably within 10 mm.
In the present embodiment, flexure 76 is constructed from a first member 80, a second member 82 and a third member 83 and is generally constructed as a separate component that is coupled to sole 64. First member 80 is coupled to a rearward edge of a forward transmittal portion 65 of sole 64 and curves into inner cavity 74 from the transmittal portion 65. Second member 82 is coupled to a forward edge of a rearward portion of sole 64 and also curves into inner cavity 74 from sole 64. The ends of first member 80 and second member 82 that are spaced away from sole 64 are coupled to each other at an apex 84. Preferably, the flexure is elongate and extends in a generally heel to toe direction. Flexure 76 may be bonded, welded or coupled to sole 64 using mechanical fasteners and the material of flexure 76 may be selected from materials having a plurality of densities, Young's moduli and dimensions to provide a plurality of flexures having different masses and stiffnesses. Furthermore, constructing the flexure as a separate component allows the repair of a broken flexure by replacing the flexure, and it allows the flexure to be constructed from different processes compared to the remainder of the golf club head such as by forging the flexure and casting the remainder of the golf club head.
Similar to previous embodiments, the dimensions of flexure 76 are selected to provide a desired elastic flex in response to a ball impact. Flexure 76 defines a height H, a width W, and a curl length C. Preferably, flexure 76 has a height that is greater than 4 mm, preferably about 5 mm to about 15 mm, and a width that is greater than 4 mm, preferably about 5 mm to about 10 mm, and a wall thickness between about 0.8 mm and about 2.0 mm, and those dimensions preferably extend over a length that is at least 25% of the overall club head length along the X-axis.
Flexure 76 includes third member 83 that may be used to tune the flexibility of flexure 76. Third member 83 may be coupled to an inner surface (as shown) or an outer surface of flexure 76 and locally increases the rigidity of flexure 76. Third member 83 is preferably constructed from a material that has a lower specific gravity than the material of at least one of first member 80 and second member 82. Third member 83 may be bonded, such as by using an adhesive, or mechanically coupled, such as by fasteners, welding or brazing, to first member 80 and second member 82. The third member may be constructed from any metallic material, such as aluminum, or non-metallic material, such as a carbon fiber composite material or polyurethane.
The location, dimensions and number of flexures in a golf club head may be selected to provide desired behavior. For example, a plurality of flexures may be included as shown in golf club head 90 of
In other embodiments, flexures may be included that wrap around a portion of the golf club head body or entirely around the golf club head body. As shown in
In additional embodiments, a compliant flexure may be combined with a multi-material, light density cover member, as shown in
Cover 144 is generally a strip of material that is disposed across flexure 142 to generally enclose flexure 142. Cover 144 may be dimensioned so that it covers a portion or all of flexure 142, and it may extend into portions of golf club head 130 that do not include flexure. For example, and as shown in
The cover may be included to both assist in the control of the address position of the golf club head when the sole is placed on the playing surface and to eliminate undesirable aesthetics of the flexure. In particular, the cover may be included to tune the visual face angle of the golf club head when the head is placed on the playing surface by altering the contact surface of the golf club head. The cover may be configured to wrap around a perimeter of the golf club head to the crown and may replace a portion of the material of the perimeter to create a lower density body structure to provide additional discretionary mass, a lower and/or deeper center of gravity location and a higher moment of inertia, thus improving performance and distance potential.
In effect, cover provides crown compliance and the flexure provides sole compliance. As a further alternative, the cover may be removed from the flexure so that it only provides compliance in portions of the golf club head that are away from the sole. In such an example, the dimensions of the components are preferably in the ranges described with regard to
Referring now to
Golf club head 150 has a hollow body construction that is defined by a sole 152, a crown 154, a skirt 156, a face 158 and a hosel 160. Flexure 162 is formed in a forward portion of the golf club head and extends generally across the golf club head in a heel to toe direction through the sole and skirt. Flexure 162 generally includes a central portion 164, a toe portion 166 and a heel portion 168. As described above, the portions of flexure 162 are disposed at varied spatial relationships relative to the face plane so that central portion 164 is further aftward from the face plane compared to toe portion 166 and heel portion 168. Further, flexure 162 includes heel and toe extensions 170, 172 that extend from the heel and toe portions 168, 166, respectively along skirt 156 aftward. Heel and toe extensions 170, 172 may also extend aftward and meet at a location on the skirt or sole.
In additional embodiments, the flexure is provided primarily by a multi-material construction. Referring to
Flexure 192 is constructed of a material that provides a lower Young's Modulus than the adjacent portions of face portion 194 and rear body portion 196. Preferably, flexure 192, face portion 194, and rear body portion 196 are constructed from materials that can be easily coupled, such as by welding. For example, face portion 194 and rear body portion 196 are preferably constructed from a first titanium alloy and flexure 192 is constructed from a beta-titanium alloy as described in greater detail below. Flexure 192 may be constructed so that it has a thickness that is about equal to the thickness of the adjacent portions and so that the outer surface of flexure is flush with the outer surface of the adjacent portions, as shown in
Alternatively, a carbon composite ring may be incorporated for flexure 192 that provides a lower stiffness. The joint configuration, ring geometry (such as the ring width and thickness which may vary with the location in the ring), ring position, fiber orientation, resin type and percentage resin content are all parameters that are selected to optimize the flexibility of flexure 192 so that the outgoing ball speed is improved across the face of the driver while the durability of the golf club head is maintained. Preferably, a carbon composite flexure is bonded to an adjacent metallic face portion and an adjacent metallic rear body portion. As an example, the flexure may be a ring having a width in a range of about 12.0 mm to about 20.0 mm and a thickness of about 0.5 mm to about 3.0 mm and the thickness may vary depending on the location around the perimeter.
A multi-material flexure is incorporated into the golf club head of
Flexure 202 includes a front member 218, a central member 220, and an aft member 222. Preferably, the materials are chosen so that front member 218 and aft member 222 are easily coupled to face portion 204 and rear body portion 206 and so that central member 220 is thin and flexible enough to provide an extra vibration mode having a frequency in a range of about 2900 Hz to about 4000 Hz. In an embodiment, front member 218 and aft member 222 are metallic, and central member 220 is interposed between front member 218 and aft member 222 and is constructed of a carbon fiber composite. Preferably, aft member 222 is spaced from an interface between face 208 and front member 218 by at least 6.0 mm and more preferably, at least 12.0 mm. Hosel 216 may be constructed of metallic and/or non-metallic materials. In an embodiment, face portion 204 and rear body portion 206 are constructed of a titanium alloy, front member 218 and aft member 222 are constructed of a lower density, and preferably lower modulus, material than titanium, such as an aluminum or magnesium alloy, and central member 220 is constructed of a carbon fiber composite that is thin and flexible enough to provide the desired frequency response. Additionally, the front member and/or the aft member may be co-molded with the composite central member. Generally, the materials are selected to provide adequate bonding strength between the components using common practices, such as adhesive bonding.
Golf club heads of the present invention may also include a flexure that extends across the interface between the rear portion of the golf club head and the face, as shown in
The flexure has a selected stiffness to allow the face to deflect globally in concert with the deflection that occurs locally at the impact point. Similar to previous embodiments, flexure 242 is tuned so impact imparts a frequency of vibration across the flexure that is about 2900 Hz to about 4000 Hz. The properties of the ring are selected as an additional means of controlling and optimizing the COR, and corresponding characteristic time (CT), values across the face, especially for ball impacts that are away from the ideal impact location.
Flexure 242 is located generally around the perimeter of face 238 and so that it extends across the transitional curvature from the face of golf club head 230 to the rear portion of the golf club head, e.g., sole 232, crown 234 and skirt 236. Flexure 242 may be discontinuous, as shown, so that it is interrupted by the hosel portion of the golf club head. Flexure 242 terminates at flanges that provide coupling features for mounting flexure 242 in golf club head 230. It should be appreciated that coupling features may be surfaces provided to form butt joints, lap joints, tongue and groove joints, etc. Flexure 242 includes a face flange 244 and a rear flange 246. Face flange 244 is coupled to a perimeter edge 248 of face 238. Portions of rear flange 246 are coupled to portions of perimeter edges of sole 232, crown 234 and skirt 236, such as by being coupled to a crown flange 250 and a sole flange 252. Preferably, the face and rear flanges are between about 2.0 mm and about 12.0 mm.
Flexure 242 is preferably constructed of a material that provides a lower Young's modulus than the adjacent portions of the golf club head. Preferably, flexure 242, face 238, and the rear portion of golf club head 230 are constructed from materials that can be easily coupled, such as by welding. For example, face 238 and the rear portion are preferably constructed from a first titanium alloy and flexure 242 is constructed from a beta-titanium alloy as described in greater detail below.
Alternatively, flexure 242 may be constructed from a carbon fiber composite ring that provides a lower stiffness. The joint configuration, ring geometry, ring position, fiber orientation, resin type and percentage resin content are all parameters that are selected to optimize the flexibility of flexure 242 so that the outgoing ball speed is improved across the face of the driver while the durability of the golf club head is maintained. Preferably, a carbon composite flexure is bonded to an adjacent metallic face and an adjacent metallic rear body portion.
In another embodiment, shown in
Similar to previous embodiments, flexure 272 is tuned so impact imparts a frequency of vibration across the flexure that is about 2900 Hz to about 4000 Hz. Flexure 272 is located around the perimeter of face 268 and so that it extends across the transitional curvature from the face of golf club head 260 to the rear portion of the golf club head, e.g., sole 262, crown 264 and skirt 266. Flexure 272 terminates at flanges that provide examples of coupling features for mounting flexure 272 in golf club head 260. In particular, flexure 272 includes a face flange 274 and a rear flange 276. Face flange 274 is coupled to a perimeter flange 278 of face 268. Portions of rear flange 276 are coupled to portions of perimeter edges of sole 262, crown 264 and skirt 266, such as by being coupled to a crown flange 280 and a sole flange 282.
Flexure 272 is preferably constructed of a material that provides a lower Young's modulus than the adjacent portions of the golf club head. Preferably, flexure 272, face 268, and the rear portion of golf club head 260 are constructed from materials that can be easily coupled, such as by welding. For example, face 268 and the rear portion are preferably constructed from a first titanium alloy and flexure 272 is constructed from a beta-titanium alloy as described in greater detail below.
In another embodiment, shown in
In the present embodiment, front interface member 294 and aft interface member 298 are both constructed as annular members that are interposed between the adjacent components. Front interface member 294 includes a face flange 302 that is coupled to face member 296 with a lap joint, and a flexure flange 304 that is coupled to flexure 292 with a lap joint. A portion of front interface member 294 is exposed and forms a portion of the front surface of golf club head 290. Interface member 294 spaces a forward edge of flexure 292 from a perimeter edge of face member 296. Aft interface member 298 includes a rear body flange 306 that is coupled to aft body member 300 and a flexure flange 308 that is coupled to flexure 292. Aft interface member 298 space aft body member 300 and flexure 292.
Golf club head 290 has a multi-material construction. In an example, aft body member 300 and face member 296 are constructed of titanium alloys, and may be constructed of the same titanium alloy, such as Ti6-4. Front interface member 294 and aft interface member 298 are constructed of a material selected to be coupled to the materials of face member 296, flexure 292 and aft body member 300. In an example, the interface members are constructed of an aluminum alloy and flexure is constructed from a carbon fiber composite. It should further be appreciated, that the interface member 298 need not be constructed with a constant cross-sectional shape.
A golf club head 320, shown in
Front interface member 324 and aft interface member 328 are both constructed as annular members that are interposed between the adjacent components. Front interface member 324 includes a face flange 332 that is coupled to face member 326 with a lap joint. Front interface member 324 also includes a flexure flange 334 that is coupled to a front flange 340 of flexure 322. A portion of front interface member 324 is exposed and forms a portion of the front surface of golf club head 320. Interface member 324 spaces a forward edge of flexure 322 from a perimeter edge of face member 326. Aft interface member 328 includes a rear body flange 336 that is coupled to aft body member 330 and a flexure flange 338 that is coupled to flexure 322. Aft interface member 328 spaces aft body member 330 and flexure 322.
Golf club head 320 has a multi-material construction. In an example, aft body member 330 and face member 326 are constructed of titanium alloys, and may be constructed of the same titanium alloy, such as Ti6-4. Front interface member 324 and aft interface member 328 are constructed of a material selected to be coupled to the materials of face member 326, flexure 322 and aft body member 330. In an example, the interface members are constructed of an aluminum alloy and flexure is constructed from a carbon fiber composite.
Referring to
Flexure 352 is interposed between face 354 and a rear portion of golf club head 350. Flexure 352 is generally an annular member that has a U-shaped cross-sectional shape so that it includes a forward flange 362 and an aft flange 364. Forward flange 362 is coupled to a face flange 366 of face 354, and aft flange 364 is coupled to a flange of the rear portion of the golf club that includes a crown flange 368 and a sole flange 370.
Embodiments are illustrated in
As shown in
The configuration of the flexure of each of the embodiments may be selected from many different alternatives to provide a tuned behavior during impact with a golf ball.
In another embodiment, shown in
In additional embodiments, a flexure is formed from flanges and a generally channel-shaped flexure component. Referring to
In a similar embodiment, illustrated in
In another embodiment, illustrated in
Referring to
In another embodiment, illustrated in
Referring to
Referring to
An aperture 616 is included that provides access to the interior of flexure 602 and may be closed with a cover 618 that is preferably removeably coupled to flexure 602 in aperture 616. As an example, aperture 616 may be threaded and cover 618 is threaded into aperture 616 and includes a tool engagement feature that allows cover 618 to be installed and removed.
As a further alternative, flexure 602 may be completely or partially filled with an insert 603, such as a high density elastomeric insert. For example, an elastomeric material that is infused with a high density material, such as Tungsten, to create a high density flexible insert with is inserted into the tubular flexure, or into one of the other embodiments described herein including open slots, behind the face. The insert may be used to fill, or partially fill, the flexure to alter the acoustic behavior of the golf club head. A plurality of inserts constructed from materials with different densities and/or having different weight distributions may be provided to create inserts that fit into the flexure with different masses and weight distributions so that the final weight and mass distribution of the golf club head may be selected. Further, the flexure may include an opening that extends into the interior cavity and the insert may be used to plug the opening so that the interior cavity is not exposed to the environment so debris and water are not able to enter the interior cavity. Exemplary suitable materials include polyurethane, rubber, thermoset polymers, thermoplastic polymers, epoxy, foam, and neoprene. The selected material has a hardness that is selected to combine with the flexure to provide a combined flexibility. Preferably, the selected material has a hardness generally in a Durometer A range of 30-95 or a Durometer D range of 45-85.
Referring to
In additional embodiments, a sole plate is integrated into the golf club head and is at least partially integrated into a flexure. As illustrated in
In fairway wood or hybrid embodiments, which are generally constructed to provide a ground-contacting surface, sole 644 has a generally stepped configuration so that only the forward transmittal portion 658 of sole 644 provides a ground surface contacting surface, and the remainder of the ground contacting surface is provided by a lower surface of sole plate 650. Preferably, the flexure is elongate and extends in a generally heel to toe direction.
Additionally, in this embodiment and following examples, the material of the sole plate is selected to provide a desired mass distribution in the golf club head, and the material may have a higher or lower density than the remainder of the body material. For example, because the sole plate is generally integral with a flexure that is relatively close to the face of the golf club head, it may be beneficial to utilize a high density material for fairway and hybrid embodiments to maintain the center of gravity of the golf club head low, while a lower density material may be beneficial in driver embodiments so that material mass that would otherwise be dedicated to the sole structure may be distributed to the perimeter of the golf club head. The sole plate material is preferably selected from aluminum, titanium, magnesium, zirconium, steel, tungsten, and the sole plate may be coupled to the golf club head body by fasteners, brazing, welding, adhesives or any other suitable attachment method. In an example, a fairway wood may be constructed using titanium for the majority of the body while a steel or tungsten sole plate is brazed to the titanium body.
In another embodiment, shown in
Flexure 674 is generally formed from a first member 686, a second member 688, and sole plate 672. First member 686 is coupled to a rearward edge of a forward transmittal portion 690 of sole 676 and curves into inner cavity 684 from sole 676. Second member 688 is coupled to a forward edge of a rearward portion of sole 676 and also curves into inner cavity 684 from sole 676. The ends of first member 686 and second member 688 that are spaced away from sole 676 are coupled to each other at an apex 692. A second, lower, end of second member 688 is joined with a forward portion of sole plate 672 to complete the rear portion of flexure 674 that extends from apex 692 to a lower, outer sole surface of golf club head 670.
Sole 676 and second member 688 combine to form a recess in the lower wall of golf club head 670 that receives sole plate 672. In particular the lower end of second member 688 extends below the junction between second member 688 and sole 676 to form a shoulder, such as tab 689, which extends below the adjacent lower surface of sole 676. As a result, in fairway wood and hybrid embodiments that utilize the lower surface for ground contact, the forward transmittal portion 658, sole plate 650, and a rear portion of sole 676 provide the ground-contacting lower surface of golf club head 670.
Referring to
In another embodiment, shown in
In another embodiment, illustrated in
As a further alternative, any of the open flexures described herein may be completely or partially filled with an insert, such as insert 743, which may be a high density elastomeric insert. For example, an elastomeric material that is infused with a high density material, such as Tungsten, to create a high density flexible insert with is inserted into the tubular flexure, or into one of the other embodiments described herein including open slots, behind the face. The insert may be used to fill, or partially fill, the flexure to alter the acoustic behavior of the golf club head. A plurality of inserts constructed from materials with different densities and/or having different weight distributions may be provided to create inserts that fit into the flexure with different masses and weight distributions so that the final weight and mass distribution of the golf club head may be selected. Further, the flexure may include an opening that extends into the interior cavity and the insert may be used to plug the opening so that the interior cavity is not exposed to the environment so debris and water are not able to enter the interior cavity. Exemplary suitable materials include polyurethane, rubber, thermoset polymers, thermoplastic polymers, epoxy, foam, and neoprene. The selected material has a hardness that is selected to combine with the flexure to provide a combined flexibility. Preferably, the selected material has a hardness generally in a Durometer A range of 30-95 or a Durometer D range of 45-85.
Referring to
In another embodiment, shown in
Another embodiment of a golf club head includes a recessed sole and a sole plate that combine to form a flexure, and a portion of the golf club is shown in
Referring to
Flexure 812 is elongate and extends in a heel-to-toe direction and forms an exterior channel in sole 816. The thickness of transmittal portion 824, front wall 826, apex 830, rear wall 828, and isolation portion 834 are selected to tune the flexure 812 to a desired frequency of vibration during impact with a golf ball. Thicknesses t1-t7 are defined having a specific relationship so that transmittal portion 824 transitions from a first thickness t1 adjacent the face to a second thickness t2 adjacent front wall 826. Front wall 826 varies in thickness from approximately t2 where it is coupled to transmittal portion 824 to a central thickness t3 and to a thickness approximately equal to a thickness t4 of apex 830. Similarly, rear wall 828 varies in thickness from approximately t4 where it joins apex 830 to a central thickness t5 and to a thickness approximately equal to a thickness t6 of isolation portion 834. Rearward of isolation portion 834, the thickness of sole 816 varies from thickness t6 of isolation portion to thickness t7.
As described above, the flexibility added to golf club heads of the present invention having flexures located in the sole reduces the backspin for ball impacts located below the ideal impact location. Because of that reduction in backspin, the curvature of the ball-striking surface of the golf club head is different above and below the ideal impact location so that the launch of the golf ball may be tuned to the amount of backspin reduction. The curvature of the ball-striking surface of a golf club between the top edge of the face and the leading edge of the golf club is defined as the “roll” of the face. The golf club heads of the present invention preferably have a roll radius above the ideal impact location that is different than the roll radius below the ideal impact location. Alternatively, the roll radius above the geometric face center of the golf club face is different than the roll radius below the geometric face center of the golf club face. As a further alternative, the upper ⅔ of the face of the golf club head has a roll radius that is different than the lower ⅓ of the face. Preferably, the roll radius of the portion of the ball-striking surface closer to the flexure is greater than the portion of the face further from the flexure so that the portion of the ball-striking surface closer to the flexure is flatter than the other portion. For example, in golf club head 810, flexure 812 is located in the lower surface of the golf club head and a portion of the ball-striking surface below the ideal impact location has a roll radius R1 that is greater than the roll radius R2 of the portion of the ball-striking surface above the ideal impact location. Preferably the portion of the ball-striking surface closest to the flexure has a roll radius that is greater than about 12.0 inches, and more preferably greater than 12.5 inches.
Similarly, the curvature of the ball-striking surface of a golf club between the heel and toe of the face is defined as the “bulge” of the face. Golf club heads of the present invention that include a flexure that extends to the skirt of the golf club head provide a similar reduction in sidespin of a struck golf ball for off-center impacts and therefore have a bulge radius that is greater than a golf club head without a flexure on the skirt. Increasing the bulge radius creates a flatter face increases the hot spot area of the golf club face by reducing the obliqueness of impact for off-center hits to provide a more efficient transfer of energy between the golf club head and the ball. Preferably, the portion of the ball striking surface closest to a flexure in the skirt of the golf club head has a bulge radius that is greater than about 12.0 inches, and more preferably greater than 12.5 inches.
Alternative embodiments of the thickness transitions are illustrated in
The thickness of the sole adjacent the rear wall of the flexure is preferably reduced if a portion of the sole within about 30.0 mm of the rear wall of the flexure has a thickness that is greater than the thickness of the transmittal portion forward of the front wall of the flexure. For example, if sole thickness t7 is greater than the minimum thickness of the transmittal portion within 30.0 mm of the rear wall of the flexure, then thickness t6 of the portion of the sole immediately rearward of the flexure is preferably less than the minimum thickness of the transmittal portion and less than the minimum face thickness. Preferably, thickness t6 is less than 70% of the minimum thickness of the transmittal portion, and more preferably less than 60% of the minimum thickness of the transmittal portion. Additionally, thickness t6 is less than 60% of the minimum face thickness, and more preferably less than 50% of the minimum face thickness.
In another embodiment, shown in
In another embodiment, shown in
In embodiments of golf clubs according to the present invention having loft angle in a range of about 13°-30°, such as in fairway wood and hybrid type golf club heads, the thicknesses are generally in the following ranges: t1) 1.4-2.0 mm; t2) 1.2-1.6 mm; t3) 1.2-1.7 mm; t4) 1.2-2.0 mm; t5) 1.2-1.7 mm; t6) 0.6-1.2 mm; and t7) 0.6-4.0 mm. Similarly, in embodiments of golf clubs according to the present invention having loft angle in a range of about 6°-12°, such as in driver type golf club heads, the thicknesses are generally in the following ranges: t1) 1.4-2.0 mm; t2) 0.6-1.6 mm; t3) 0.5-1.7 mm; t4) 0.5-2.0 mm; t5) 0.5-1.7 mm; t6) 0.5-1.2 mm; and t7) 0.5-3.0 mm.
Referring now to
Flexure 842 is located in a forward portion of sole 848, generally adjacent to face 852, and includes a mounting portion for removable member 844. Flexure 842 includes a front wall 858 that is joined with a rear wall 860 at an apex 862. Rear wall 860 extends between apex 862 and the mount 864 for removable member 844. Mount 864 includes a recessed support portion 866 that receives removable member 864 and positions it so that, when it is mounted, the lower surface of removable member 844 is flush or recessed relative to the adjacent exterior surface of sole 848. A coupling feature 868 is included so that removable member 864 may be removably attached to golf club head 840. For example, coupling feature 868 may be a threaded bore and removable member 844 may be a weighted sole plate that is coupled to the threaded bore using a threaded fastener.
Removable member 844 is sized to fit within the recessed mount 864 so that it is spaced from front wall 858 of flexure 842 to form a gap 870. Gap 870 provides an opening into flexure 842 and the opening provides a pathway into a cavity 872 defined by removable member 844 and flexure 842. Gap 870 provides a space so that during a golf ball impact, flexure 842 is able to flex and gap 870 allows front wall 858 to move relative to removable member 844 in a fore-aft direction.
Referring to
Golf club head 880 also includes flexure 882 extending in a generally heel to toe direction across a forward portion of sole 888. Flexure 882 may have any of the specific constructions described with regard to the other embodiments described herein.
Golf club head 880 includes an interchangeable shaft system that includes a fastener 894 that is engaged with the head from the sole side. An access bore 896 is included that receives fastener 894 and extends toward hosel 890 from sole 888.
The sole structures of receiver 892, flexure 882 and access bore 896 intersect so that the structures are created by common portions. In particular, a side wall of receiver 892 intersects a side wall of flexure 882 so that the structures are combined in a toe portion of golf club head 880. Similarly, a side wall of access bore 896 intersects a side wall of flexure 882 so that the structures are combined in a heel portion of golf club head 880. The intersection of the structures of receiver 892, flexure 882 and access bore 896, reduces the amount of mass that is dedicated to the extra structures by combining the structures.
The physical attributes of golf club heads are generally controlled to provide desired behavior during an impact with a golf club head. In metalwood golf club heads, the mass distribution is controlled to provide a desired location of the center of gravity and a desired moment of inertia. As illustrated in
The flexures of the present invention are also sized relative to the location of the center of gravity of the golf club head to provide desired behavior. It should also be appreciated that the width W, height H and distance to ball striking-surface D may be measured on all of the embodiments described herein as illustrated in
The reduction in backspin provided by the flexure of the present invention also more flexibility in mass distribution to increase the moment-of-inertia of a golf club head. In particular, the incorporation of a flexure of the present invention into the sole of a golf club head provides ball impacts that emulate launch conditions of a golf club head without a flexure that has a low center of gravity. Analysis has shown that the incorporation of a flexure of the present invention provides the same effect as lowering the center of gravity of a golf club without the flexure by as much as 3.0 mm. However, lowering the center of gravity of requires that mass is placed lower in the golf club head and because of the shape of the golf club head it limits the amount of mass that can be placed at the perimeter to increase moment-of-inertia. Therefore, the flexure of the present invention may be used to provide the behavior of a golf club head with a lower center-of-gravity while additional mass is placed at the perimeter of the golf club head to increase moment-of-inertia and moving the center-of-gravity rearward.
As described above, the flexure of the present invention provides lower stiffness locally in a portion of the golf club head. Generally the lower stiffness may be achieved by selecting the geometry of the flexure, such as by altering the shape and/or cross-sectional thickness, and/or by selecting the material of portions of the flexure. Materials that may be selected to provide the lower stiffness flexure include low Young's modulus beta (β), or near beta (near-β), titanium alloys.
Beta titanium alloys are preferable because they provide a material with relatively low Young's modulus. The deflection of a plate supported at its perimeter under an applied stress is a function of the stiffness of the plate. The stiffness of the plate is directly proportional to the Young's modulus and the cube of the thickness (i.e., t3). Therefore, when comparing two material samples that have the same thickness and differing Young's moduli, the material having the lower Young's modulus will deflect more under the same applied force. The energy stored in the plate is directly proportional to the deflection of the plate as long as the material is behaving elastically and that stored energy is released as soon as the applied stress is removed. Thus, it is desirable to use materials that are able to deflect more and consequently store more elastic energy.
The construction of the flexure generally results in material extending into the cavity of the golf club, which generally raises the CG when the flexure is located in the sole or the crown of the golf club head. The increase in CG height is more substantial when a flexure is included in the crown. Preferably, in embodiments utilizing a crown flexure, the portion of the crown rearward of the flexure is lowered relative to the portion of the crown forward of the flexure to lower the overall CG of the golf club head. In particular, the height of the forward edge of the crown flexure is greater than the height of the rearward edge of the crown flexure. Preferably, the difference in height is greater than 1.0 mm, and more preferably greater than 2.0 mm, and the location of the crown having a maximum height from the ground surface is between the face of the golf club head and the flexure.
As shown in previous embodiments, a golf club head may be constructed with one or more mounting features for removable weights to alter the overall golf club head weight and/or the location of the CG, in addition to a flexure. In an embodiment, a golf club head including a flexure in the sole of the golf club head has a CG-C-sa value that is greater than 18.0 mm behind the shaft axis, and preferably a CG-Z-fc value greater than 33.0 mm rearward of face center, and/or a moment-of-inertia value about the Y-axis of the golf club head of at least 450 kg-mm2. Additionally, the golf club head has a at least one weight mounting feature and at least one removable weight that allows the CG of the golf club head to be altered by at least 2.0 mm in a direction.
Additionally, it is preferable to match the frequency of vibration of a golf club face with the frequency of vibration of a golf ball to maximize the golf ball speed off the face after an impact. The frequency of vibration of the face depends on the face parameters, such as the material's Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio, and the face geometry. The alpha-beta (α−β) Ti alloys typically have a modulus in the range of 105-120 GPa. In contrast, current β-Ti alloys have a Young's modulus in the range of 48-100 GPa.
The material selection for a golf club head must also account for the durability of the golf club head through many impacts with golf balls. As a result, the fatigue life of the face must be considered, and the fatigue life is dependent on the strength of the selected material. Therefore, materials for the golf club head must be selected that provide the maximum ball speed from a face impact and adequate strength to provide an acceptable fatigue life.
The β-Ti alloys generally provide low Young's modulus, but are also usually accompanied by low material strength. The β-Ti alloys can generally be heat treated to achieve increases in strength, but the heat treatment also generally causes an increase in Young's modulus. However, β-ti alloys can be cold worked to increase the strength without significantly increasing the Young's modulus, and because the alloys generally have a body centered cubic crystal structure they can generally be cold worked extensively.
Preferably, a material having strength in a range of about 900-1200 MPa and a Young's modulus in a range of about 48-100 GPa is utilized for portions of the golf club head. For example, it would be preferably to use such a material for the face and/or flexure and/or flexure cover of the golf club head. Materials exhibiting characteristics in those ranges include titanium alloys that have generally been referred to as Gum Metals.
Although less preferable, heat treatment may be used on β-Ti to achieve an acceptable balance of strength and Young's modulus in the material. Previous applications of β-titanium alloys generally required heat treating to maximize the strength of the material without controlling Young's modulus. Titanium alloys go through a phase transition from hexagonal close packed crystal structure α phase to a body centered cubic β phase when heated. The temperature at which this transformation occurs is called the β-transus temperature. Alloying elements added to titanium generally show either a preference to stabilize the α phase or the β phase, and are therefore referred to as α stabilizers or β stabilizers. It is possible to stabilize the β phase even at room temperature by alloying titanium with a certain amount of β stabilizers. However, if such an alloy is re-heated to elevated temperature, below the β-transus temperature, the β phase decomposes and transforms into α phase as dictated by the thermodynamic rules. Those alloys are referred to as metastable β titanium alloys.
While the thermodynamic laws only predict the formation of α phase, in reality a number of non-equilibrium phases appear on the decomposition of the β phase. These non-equilibrium phases are denoted by α′, α″, and ω. It has been reported that each of these phases has different Young's moduli and that the magnitude of the Young's modulus generally conforms with β<α″<α<ω. Thus, it is speculated that if one desires to increase the strength of β-titanium through heat treatment, it would be advantageous to do it in such a manner that the material includes α″ phase as a preferred decomposition product and we eliminate, or minimize the formation of α and ω phases. The formation of α″ phase is facilitated by quenching from the α+β region on the material phase diagram, which means the alloy should be quenched from below the β-transus temperature. Therefore, preferably a β-Ti alloy that has been heat treated to maximize the formation of α″ phase from the β phase is used for a portion of the golf club head.
The heat treatment process is selected to provide the desired phase transformation. Heat treatment variables such as maximum temperature, time of hold, heating rate, quench rate are selected to create the desired material composition. Further, the heat treatment process may be specific to the alloy selected, because the effect of different β stabilizing elements is not the same. For example, a Ti—Mo alloy would behave differently than Ti—Nb alloy, or a Ti—V alloy, or a Ti—Cr alloy; Mo, Nb, V and Cr are all β stabilizers but have an effect of varying degree. The β-transus temperature range for metastable β-Ti alloys is about 700° C. to about 800° C. Therefore, for such alloys the solution treating temperature range would be about 25-50 Celsius degrees below the β-transus temperature, in practical terms the alloys would be solution treated in the range of about 650° C. to about 750° C. Following water quenching, it is possible to age the β-Ti alloys at low temperature to further increase strength. Strength of the solution treated material was measured to be about 650 MPa, while the heat treated alloy had a strength of 1050 MPa.
Examples of suitable beta titanium alloys include: Ti-15Mo-3Al, Ti-15Mo-3Nb-0.3O, Ti-15Mo-5Zr-3Al, Ti-13Mo-7Zr-3Fe, Ti-13Mo, Ti-12Mo-6Zr-2Fe, Ti—Mo, Ti-35Nb-5Ta-7Zr, Ti-34Nb-9Zr-8Ta, Ti-29Nb-13Zr-2Cr, Ti-29Nb-15Zr-1.5Fe, Ti-29Nb-10Zr-0.5Si, Ti-29Nb-10Zr-0.5Fe-0.5Cr, Ti-29Nb-18Zr—Cr-0.5Si, Ti-29Nb-13Ta-4.6Zr, Ti—Nb, Ti-22V-4Al, Ti-15V-6Cr-4Al, Ti-15V-3Cr-3Al-3Sn, Ti-13V-11Cr, Ti-10V-2Fe-3Al, Ti-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr, Ti-3Al-8V-6Cr-4Mo-4-Zr, Ti-1.5Al-5.5Fe-6.8Mo, Ti-13Cr-1Fe-3Al, Ti-6.3Cr-5.5Mo-4.0Al-0.2Si, Ti—Cr, Ti—Ta alloys, the Gum Metal family of alloys represented by Ti+25 mol % (Ta, Nb, V)+(Zr, Hf, O), for example, Ti-36Nb-2Ta-3Zr-0.35O, etc (by weight percent). Near beta titanium alloys may include: SP-700, TIMET 18, etc.
In general, it is preferred that a face cup or face insert of the inventive golf club head be constructed from α−β or near-β titanium alloys due to their high strength, such as Ti-64, Ti-17, ATI425, TIMET 54, Ti-9, TIMET 639, VL-Ti, KS ELF, SP-700, etc. Further, the rear portion of the golf club body (i.e., the portion other than the face cup, face insert, flexure and flexure cover) is preferably made from α, α−β, or β titanium alloys, such as Ti-8Al-1V-1Mo, Ti-8Al-1Fe, Ti-5Al-1Sn-1Zr-1V-0.8Mo, Ti-3Al-2.5Sn, Ti-3Al-2V, Ti-64, etc.
As described previously, the flexure may be constructed as a separate component and attached to the remainder of a golf club head body. For example, the flexure component may be stamped and formed from wrought sheet material and the remainder of the body constructed as one or more cast components. Stamping a flexure component may be preferable over casting the flexure because casting can introduce mechanical shortcomings. For example, cast materials often suffer from lower mechanical properties as compared to the same material in a wrought form. As an example, Ti-64 in cast form has mechanical properties about 10%-20% lower as compared to wrought Ti-64. This is because the grain size in castings is significantly larger as compared to the wrought forms, and generally finer grain size results in higher mechanical properties in metallic materials.
Further, titanium castings also develop a surface layer called “alpha case”, a region at the surface that has predominantly alpha phase of titanium that results from titanium that is enriched with interstitial oxygen. The alpha phase in and of itself is not detrimental, but it tends to be very hard and brittle so in fatigue applications, such as repeated golf ball impacts that cause repeated flexing, the alpha case can compromise the durability of the component.
Most titanium alloys are almost impossible to form at room temperature. Thus, the titanium alloys have to be heated to an elevated temperature to form them. The temperature necessary to form the alloy will depend on the alloy's composition, and alloys that have higher beta transus temperature typically require higher forming temperatures. Exposure to elevated temperature results in lowered mechanical properties when the material is cooled down to ambient temperature. Additionally, the exposure to elevated temperature results in the formation of an oxide layer at the surface. This oxide layer is almost like the “alpha case” discussed above except that it typically does not extend as deep into the material. Thus, it is beneficial if the forming temperature can be lowered.
Generally, if using Ti-64 as a baseline since it is commonly used in the construction of metal wood type golf club heads, alloys that have beta transus temperatures that are lower than that of Ti-64 can provide a significant benefit. For example, one such alloy is ATI 425, which has a beta transus temperature in the range of about 957°-971° C., while Ti-64 has a beta transus temperature of about 995° C. Thus, it can be expected that ATI 425 can be formed at a lower temperature as compared to Ti-64. Since ATI 425 has mechanical properties comparable to Ti-64 at room temperature, it is expected that a sole fabricated from ATI 425 alloy will be stronger as compared to a sole made from Ti-64. In addition, ATI 425 generally has better formability as compared to Ti-64, so in an example, a flexure is formed of ATI 425 sheet material and will experience less cross-sectional thinning than a flexure formed of a Ti-64 sheet material. Further, ATI 425 may be cold formable which would further result in a stronger component.
In an example, a multi-material golf club head is constructed from components constructed of Ti-64 and ATI 425. A body including a crown, a sole or partial sole, a skirt, a hosel and a face flange may be cast of Ti-64. Then a portion of the sole may be formed by a flexure component that is constructed from ATI 425 sheet material and welded to the cast Ti-64 body, such as in a slot or recess, such as in the configuration shown in
Various manufacturing methods may be used to construct the various components of the golf club head of the present invention. Preferably all of the components are joined by welding. The welding processes may be manual, such as TIG or MIG welding, or they may be automated, such as laser, plasma, e-beam, ion beam, or combinations thereof. Other joining processes may also be utilized if desired or required due to the material selections, such as brazing and adhesive bonding.
The components may be created using stamping and forming processes, casting processes, molding processes and/or forging processes. As used herein, forging is a process that causes a substantial change to the shape of a specimen, such as starting with a bar and transforming it into a sheet, that characteristically includes both dimensional and shape changes. Additionally, forging generally is performed at higher temperature and may include a change in the microstructure of the material, such as a change in the grain shape. Forming is generally used to describe a process in which a material is shaped while generally retaining the dimension of the material, such as by starting with a sheet material and shaping the sheet without significantly changing the thickness. The following are examples of material selections for the portions of the golf club head utilizing stamping and forming processes:
a) α−β face member+β flexure+α−β rear body
b) β face member+α−β face insert+β flexure+α−β rear body
c) β face member+α−β face insert+β flexure+β rear body
d) β face member+α−β face insert+β flexure+α−β rear body (Heat Treated)
The following are examples of material selections for the portions of the golf club head utilizing cast components:
a) Cast α−β face member+Cast β flexure+Cast α−β rear body
b) Formed α−β face member+Cast β flexure+Cast α−β rear body
c) Formed α−β face member+Cast β flexure+Formed α−β rear body
d) Cast α−β face member+Cast β flexure+Formed α−β rear body
The following are examples of material selections for the portions of the golf club head utilizing forged components:
a) Forged α−β face member+Cast β flexure+Cast α−β rear body
b) Forged α−β face member+Cast β flexure+Formed α−β rear body
The density of β alloys is generally greater than the density of α−β or α alloys. As a result, the use of β alloys in various portions of the golf club head will result in those portions having a greater mass. Light weight alloys may be used in the rear portion of the body so that the overall golf club head mass may be maintained in a desired range, such as between about 170 g and 210 g for driver-type golf club heads. Materials such as aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys, carbon fiber composites, carbon nano-tube composites, glass fiber composites, reinforced plastics and combinations of those materials may be utilized.
While various descriptions of the present invention are described above, it should be understood that the various features of each embodiment could be used alone or in any combination thereof. Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the specifically preferred embodiments depicted herein. Further, it should be understood that variations and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention might occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. For example, the face insert may have thickness variations in a step-wise continuous fashion. In addition, the shapes and locations of the slots are not limited to those disclosed herein. Accordingly, all expedient modifications readily attainable by one versed in the art from the disclosure set forth herein that are within the scope and spirit of the present invention are to be included as further embodiments of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is accordingly defined as set forth in the appended claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/844,954 filed on Mar. 16, 2013 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/720,885, filed on Dec. 19, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,834,290, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/618,963, filed on Sep. 14, 2012 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,834,289, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
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| Entry |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13844954 | Mar 2013 | US |
| Child | 14666167 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13720885 | Dec 2012 | US |
| Child | 13844954 | US | |
| Parent | 13618963 | Sep 2012 | US |
| Child | 13720885 | US |
