GOLF CLUB HEAD

Abstract

A cavity back iron type golf club head includes a face portion, a back portion, and at least one reinforcing portion that extends from an upper edge portion of the back portion toward a toe-side portion of a top line.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-117043 filed on Jun. 25, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cavity back iron type golf club head.

Description of the Related Art

As a method for improving the performance of the face portion of a golf club head, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-071111 discloses a golf club head in which a portion larger in mass than the surroundings is provided at a part that becomes the antinode of the vibration of the face portion. Japanese Patent No. 6095348 discloses a golf club head in which a plurality of grooves are formed in a part of the back surface of the face portion. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-248970 discloses a golf club head in which the flexural rigidity in the vibration part on the toe side is increased. Japanese Patent No. 5156994 discloses a golf club head in which a reinforcing portion is provided at the position of the node of the vibration at the time of striking a ball. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-347161 discloses a golf club head whose natural frequency is confined to fall within a specific range.

In general, an iron type golf club head includes a hosel portion on the heel side and a thick sole portion, so that the toe side of the face portion tends to easily vibrate. As one form of an iron type golf club head, a cavity back iron type golf club head is known. However, the golf club head of this type includes a face portion formed to be relatively thin, so that in some cases, the vibration on the toe side of the face portion becomes larger at the time of striking a ball. This vibration may deteriorate a shot feeling.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to improve a shot feeling of a cavity back iron type golf club head.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cavity back iron type golf club head comprising: a face portion; a back portion; and at least one reinforcing portion that extends from an upper edge portion of the back portion toward a toe-side portion of a top line.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments (with reference to the attached drawings).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a front view of a golf club head according to an embodiment;

FIG. 1B is a back view of the golf club head according to the embodiment;

FIG. 2A is a sectional view taken along a line A-A in FIG. 1B;

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the golf club head;

FIG. 3A is a sectional view taken along a line B-B in FIG. 1B;

FIG. 3B is a view showing another example of the sectional shape of a reinforcing portion;

FIG. 4 is a view showing another arrangement example of the reinforcing portion;

FIG. 5A is a view showing still another arrangement example of the reinforcing portion; and

FIG. 5B is a view showing still another arrangement example of the reinforcing portion.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, and limitation is not made an invention that requires all combinations of features described in the embodiments. Two or more of the multiple features described in the embodiments may be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar configurations, and redundant description thereof is omitted.

First Embodiment

With reference to FIGS. 1A to 3A, a golf club head 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1A is a front view of the golf club head 1, and FIG. 1B is a back view thereof. FIG. 2A is a sectional view taken along a line A-A in FIG. 1B, FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the golf club head 1 viewed from a toe side, and FIG. 3A is a sectional view taken along a line B-B in FIG. 1B. In the drawings, an arrow D1 indicates a toe-heel direction, and an arrow D2 indicates a height direction of the face portion. The height direction is a vertical direction parallel to the surface of a face portion 4 in a state in which the golf club head 1 is in contact with the ground in accordance with a predetermined lie angle and a predetermined loft angle.

The golf club head 1 is a cavity back iron type golf club head. The present invention is applicable to any of a long iron, a middle iron, a short iron, and a wedge.

The golf club head 1 includes a top line 2 forming the head top portion, a sole portion 3 forming the head bottom portion, the face portion 4, a hosel portion 5, a back portion 6, and a toe-side side portion 8. The hosel portion 5 has a cylindrical shape into which a shaft (not shown) is inserted.

The face portion 4 forms a golf ball striking surface. In this embodiment, the face portion 4 forms a flat striking surface, and a plurality of score lines 4a extending in the D1 direction are formed in the D2 direction. A chain line FC indicates the center line (face center) of the face portion 4 in the D1 direction. A back surface 4b of the face portion 4 is a surface opposite to the striking surface, and a part of the back surface 4b is exposed when viewed from the back surface of the golf club head 1.

The back portion 6 forms a rear portion (back portion) of the head, and particularly forms a rear portion at a lower portion of the head. An upper edge portion 6a of the back portion 6 extends in the D1 direction, and a step S is formed in the midway portion of the upper edge portion 6a. Note that a structure including no step S can also be employed. The golf club head 1 of this embodiment is a pocket cavity type head, in which a concave portion is formed between the back portion 6 and the rear portion of the top line 2, and a slit-shaped pocket P is formed between the lower portion of the back surface 4b of the face portion 4 and the back portion 6. The pocket P extends in the D1 direction. Note that the pocket cavity type head is exemplified in this embodiment, but the present invention is also applicable to a cavity back iron type head including no pocket (with the pocket P filled).

Here, in general, an iron type golf club head includes a hosel portion having a rigid structure on the heel side, and the sole width is thicker on the heel side than on the top side. Accordingly, the rigidity is high on the heel side, and low on the toe side and the top line side. Accordingly, in some cases, the vibration on the toe side of the face portion becomes larger at the time of striking a ball. Particularly, in a cavity back iron type head like the golf club head 1 of this embodiment, the face portion 4 is formed to be relatively thin, so that the vibration on the toe side of the face portion 4 becomes larger at the time of striking a ball. Further, as in this embodiment, in a pocket cavity type iron head, the face portion 4 easily deforms due to the presence of the pocket P, so that the face portion 4 on the toe-side and top line-side easily vibrates. This vibration may deteriorate a shot feeling.

Therefore, a reinforcing portion 7 is provided in this embodiment. The reinforcing portion 7 extends from the upper edge portion 6a of the back portion 6 toward the toe-side portion of the top line 2. By connecting the toe-side portion of the top line 2 to the back portion 6 via the reinforcing portion 7, the rigidity of the face portion 4 on the toe side and top line side can be increased. As a result, it is possible to suppress generation of the vibration that deteriorates a shot feeling at the time of striking a ball. The reinforcing portion 7 extends so as to cross above the pocket P, so the deformation performance of the face portion 4 due to the presence of the pocket P is not significantly impaired.

The reinforcing portion 7 of this embodiment is a long bar member having a rectangular cross-sectional shape in a direction intersecting its extending direction as shown in FIG. 3A, and includes a lower end portion 7a, an upper end portion 7b, and an intermediate portion 7c therebetween. Note that the cross-sectional shape of the reinforcing portion 7 may be other than the rectangle shown in FIG. 3A, and may be, for example, a C-shape (concave shape) open toward the face portion 4 as shown in FIG. 3B. This can achieve the weight reduction of the reinforcing portion 7 and the lower center of gravity of the head. In order to improve the rigidity, a width W in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the reinforcing portion 7 is, for example, 3 mm to 12 mm (both inclusive).

The end portion 7a is integrally connected to the step S of the upper edge portion 6a of the back portion 6. The end portion 7b is integrally connected to the toe-side portion of the top line 2. Particularly, in this embodiment, the end portion 7b is connected to the corner portion between the top line 2 and the side portion 8, so that the rigidity of the face portion 4 can be further increased on the toe side and top line side.

The intermediate portion 7c is separated from the back surface 4b of the face portion 4, and the reinforcing portion 7 forms a bridge between the upper edge portion 6a of the back portion 6 and the toe-side portion of the top line 2. Since the intermediate portion 7c is separated from the back surface 4b of the face portion 4, the deformation of the face portion 4 at the time of striking a ball can be prevented from being unnecessarily constrained. In addition, arranging the intermediate portion 7c at a position away from the back surface 4b of the face portion 4 means arranging a heavy object at a position away from the face portion 4, so that the center of gravity of the head can be set at a position deeper from the face portion 4. Note that in order to improve the rigidity of the face portion 4, a structure in which the intermediate portion 7c is in contact with the back surface 4b or a structure in which the intermediate portion 7c is integrally connected to the back surface 4b can also be employed.

The reinforcing portion 7 as a whole is arranged closer to the toe side than the face center (FC) in the D1 direction. This can increase the rigidity of the face portion 4 on the toe side. In addition, in the reinforcing portion 7, the end portion 7a is located closer to the heel side than the end portion 7b in the D1 direction. This can increase the rigidity of the face portion 4 on the toe side and upper side.

Second Embodiment

An arrangement example in which the width W is constant in the extending direction of the reinforcing portion 7 has been described in the first embodiment, but the width W may not be constant. FIG. 4 shows an example of this case. In the illustrated example, a width W1 of an end portion 7a is larger than a width W2 of an end portion 7b, and the width gradually decreases from the end portion 7a toward the end portion 7b (from an upper edge portion 6a toward the toe-side portion of a top line 2). Thus, the rigidity of the toe-side portion of the top line 2 can be improved while lowering the center of gravity of the head.

Third Embodiment

In the first embodiment, the structure in which the reinforcing portion 7 is integrally formed with the remaining portion of the golf club head 1 has been assumed. However, the reinforcing portion 7 may be formed by a member different from the remaining portion of the golf club head 1. FIG. 5A shows an example of this case. In the illustrated example, a reinforcing portion 7 is formed by a reinforcing member 7A. In the reinforcing member 7A, an end portion 7a is fixed to a back portion 6 by a screw 9, and an end portion 7b is fixed to a top line 2 by another screw 9. A through hole into which the screw 9 is inserted is formed in each of the end portions 7a and 7b, and a screw hole with which the screw 9 is screwed is formed in each of the back portion 6 and the top line 2. In this embodiment, the reinforcing member 7A is fixed by the screws 9, but another mechanical fixing structure such as caulking or press-fitting may be used.

By forming the reinforcing portion 7 by the reinforcing member 7A that is a separate member, a golf club head 1 may be easily manufactured. In addition, since it becomes possible to make the reinforcing portion 7 replaceable, a golfer may be allowed to select one reinforcing member 7A from a plurality of types of reinforcing members 7A having different physical characteristics such as rigidity, elasticity, mass, or a specific gravity.

In addition, by forming the reinforcing portion 7 as the separate member, the remaining portion of the golf club head 1 and the reinforcing portion 7 can be made of different materials. Examples of the material of the reinforcing portion 7 (reinforcing member 7A) can include soft iron, stainless steel, titanium, an aluminum alloy, and a tungsten alloy. Examples of the material of the remaining portion of the golf club head 1 can include soft iron, stainless steel, copper, titanium, and an aluminum alloy. The reinforcing portion 7 (reinforcing member 7A) may be a member having a higher specific gravity than the remaining portion of the golf club head 1. The large specific gravity of the reinforcing portion 7 can achieve the deeper center of gravity.

In addition to forming the golf club head 1 by two members, the reinforcing portion 7 and the remaining portion, the golf club head 1 may be formed by three members in total in which the remaining portion is formed by two members, a face member forming a face portion 4 and a main body member forming portions (for example, a sole portion 3, a hosel portion 5, a back portion 6, and a side portion 8) other than the face portion 4. Further, the golf club head 1 may be formed by two members, the face member forming the face portion 4 and the main body member forming the remaining portion including the reinforcing portion 7.

Fourth Embodiment

In the first embodiment, one reinforcing portion 7 is provided. However, a plurality of reinforcing portions 7 may be provided. FIG. 5B shows an example of this case. In the illustrated example, two reinforcing portions 7B and 7C are provided. The plurality of reinforcing portions 7B and 7C can increase the rigidity of the face portion 4 on the toe side and upper side. In order to improve the rigidity, the width (width Win FIG. 1B) of each of the reinforcing portions 7B and 7C is, for example, 3 mm to 10 mm (both inclusive).

Each of the reinforcing portions 7B and 7C as a whole is arranged closer to the toe side than the face center (FC) in a D1 direction, and an end portion 7a is located closer to the heel side than an end portion 7b in the D1 direction. However, for example, a structure in which the end portion 7a of the reinforcing portion 7C is located closer to the heel side than the face center (FC) in the D1 direction can also be employed.

In this embodiment, the reinforcing portions 7B and 7C extend in parallel with each other, but they may intersect with each other, or may not intersect but be in non-parallel.

The invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments, and various variations/changes are possible within the spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A cavity back iron type golf club head comprising: a face portion;a back portion; andat least one reinforcing portion that extends from an upper edge portion of the back portion toward a toe-side portion of a top line.

2. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the golf club head is a pocket cavity iron type golf club head in which a pocket is formed between a lower portion of a back surface of the face portion and the back portion, andthe reinforcing portion extends so as to cross above the pocket.

3. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing portion is formed by a member different from a remaining portion of the golf club head, andone end portion of the different member is fixed to the upper edge portion, and the other end portion of the different member is fixed to the toe-side portion.

4. The golf club head according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of the reinforcing portions,wherein a width of the reinforcing portion in a direction intersecting an extending direction of the reinforcing portion is not less than 3 mm and not more than 10 mm.

5. The golf club head according to claim 3, wherein the different member is a member of a material different from a material forming the back portion and the top line.

6. The golf club head according to claim 3, wherein the different member is a member of at least one of soft iron, stainless steel, titanium, and an aluminum alloy.

7. The golf club head according to claim 3, wherein the different member is a member having a higher specific gravity than a material forming the back portion and the top line.

8. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate portion of the reinforcing portion in an extending direction of the reinforcing portion is separated from a back surface of the face portion.

9. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a width of the reinforcing portion in a direction intersecting an extending direction of the reinforcing portion gradually decreases from the upper edge portion toward the toe-side portion.

10. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the reinforcing portion in a direction intersecting an extending direction of the reinforcing portion is a C-shape open toward the face portion.