Patent Application
20100137074
This invention generally relates to golf clubs, and, more particularly, to iron clubs. However, this concept may expand towards other types of golf clubs that could benefit from utilizing a co-molding or insert molding process, including but not limited to driver type golf clubs, fairway wood type golf clubs, hybrid type golf clubs, or even putter type golf clubs.
Individual iron club heads in a set typically increase progressively in face surface area and weight as the clubs progress from the long irons to the short irons and wedges. Therefore, the club heads of the long irons have a smaller face surface area than the short irons and are typically more difficult for the average golfer to hit consistently well. For conventional club heads, this arises at least in part due to the smaller sweet spot of the corresponding smaller face surface area.
To help the average golfer consistently hit the sweet spot of a club head, many golf clubs are available with cavity back constructions for increased perimeter weighting. Perimeter weighting also provides the club head with higher rotational moment of inertia about its center of gravity. Club heads with higher moments of inertia have a lower tendency to rotate caused by off-center hits. Another recent trend has been to increase the overall size of the club heads. Each of these features increases the size of the sweet spot, and therefore makes it more likely that a shot hit slightly off-center still makes contact with the sweet spot and flies farther and straighter. One challenge for the golf club designer when maximizing the size of the club head is to maintain a desirable and effective overall weight of the golf club. For example, if the club head of a three iron is increased in size and weight, the club may become more difficult for the average golfer to swing properly.
In general, to increase the sweet spot, the center of gravity of these clubs is moved toward the bottom and back of the club head. This permits an average golfer to launch the ball up in the air faster and hit the ball farther. In addition, the moment of inertia of the club head is increased to minimize the distance and accuracy penalties associated with off-center hits. In order to move the weight down and back without increasing the overall weight of the club head, material or mass is taken from one area of the club head and moved to another. One solution has been to take material from the face of the club, creating a thin club face. Examples of this type of arrangement can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,928,972, 5,967,903 and 6,045,456.
However, thinning the hitting face of the club is limited in the impact on the total mass distribution of a club head, as a minimum thickness for hitting face materials should be maintained to avoid failure due to repeated impact forces. Therefore, there exists a need in the art additional ways in which to manipulate the mass distribution of a club head.
According to one aspect of the present invention, an iron-type club head includes a first section comprising a hitting face, wherein the first section comprises a first material having a first density. A second section is connected to the first section, wherein the second section comprises a second material having a second density, wherein the second density is less than the first density. A third section comprises a sole and is connected to the first section and the second section, wherein the third section comprises a third material having a third density, wherein the third density is greater than the first density.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an iron-type golf club comprises three portions, wherein the density of each portion is different from each other by more than about 3 grams/cm3.
In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:
As illustrated in the accompanying drawings and discussed in detail below, the present invention is directed to an iron-type golf club head.
Club head 10 includes, generally, three portions: a conventional-weight section 12, a lightweight section 14, and a heavyweight section 16. These sections 12, 14, 16 are joined together to obtain the desired mass distribution for club head 10. Preferably, club head 10 is an iron-type club head with a muscle-back configuration, although any type of club with any configuration known in the art, such as a cavity-back iron or a hybrid is also contemplated by the present invention
Conventional-weight section 12 preferably includes at least a section of a hosel 18 and a hitting face 20. Preferably, hitting face 20 is formed as a relatively thin plate. Preferably, hitting face 20 and hosel 18 are made of the same conventional material, such as various types of steel, for example, ss410, ss431, ss304 and carbon steel. A preferred density for the material for conventional-weight section 12 is about 8 g/cc, although the density preferably ranges from about 5 g/cc to about 9 g/cc. Hitting face 20 and hosel 18 may be manufactured using any method known in the art, such as by casting, forging, metal injection molding, pressing and sintering, hot isostatic pressing (HIP), etc. Hitting face 20 and hosel 18 are preferably formed as a unitary piece, however, in other embodiments, portions or the entirety of hitting face 20 and hosel 18 may be manufactured separately and then joined together using any method known in the art, such as welding, riveting, affixing with an adhesive such as epoxy, or the like. Conventional-weight section 12 provides a golfer with desirable aesthetic attributes, for example, feel during play, and ease of custom grinding features.
Heavyweight section 16 preferably includes a sole portion 24 and a back flange 25. Heavyweight section 16 is made of a material that is significantly more dense than the conventional material used in conventional-weight section 12. Preferably, the density of the material for heavyweight section 16 ranges from about 10 g/cc to about 20 g/cc, more preferably from 16 g/cc to about 20 g/cc and more preferably from about 18 g/cc to 19 g/cc. For example, tungsten, tungsten alloys, such as tungsten nickel, or tungsten-loaded plastic may be used to form heavyweight section 16. Heavyweight section 16 may be manufactured using any method known in the art, such as by forging, casting, metal injection molding, pressing and sintering or HIP if metal or metal alloys are used or by molding if a plastic or other moldable material is used. Heavyweight section 16 may be attached to conventional-weight section 12 by any method known in the art, such as by welding or by the inventive method described in detail below.
Lightweight section 14 connects conventional-weight section 12 and heavyweight section 16, providing structural support for hitting face 20 and material to fill the preferred volume of club head 10 while not adding significant mass to club head 10. Lightweight section 14 is preferably positioned behind hitting face 20 to form a core 22 and back portion of club head 10. In another embodiment, a portion of hosel 18 is also formed from a lightweight material. Lightweight section 14 is preferably made of a lightweight material having a density from about 0.5 g/cc to about 5.8 g/cc. More preferably, the density of lightweight section 14 is less than about 3 g/cc. Preferred materials for lightweight section 14 include plastic, urethane, wood, aluminum silica, magnesium, and aluminum.
Sections 12, 14, 16, which comprise club head 10, may be attached to each other by any method known in the art, such as welding, fusion bonding with screws, rivets, snap fit, interference fit, adhesives such as epoxy and adhesive tape, and the like. However, when relatively incompatible materials are used for sections 12, 14, and 16, such as when a moldable material is used to form lightweight section 14, due to the material differences of the three sections 12, 14, 16 that join to form club head 10, connecting the sections 12, 14, 16 so as to be able to withstand repeated impacts with golf balls without separating may be challenging.
As such, club head 10 is preferably made by first forming conventional-weight section 12 and heavyweight section 16, using any of the methods known in the art as described above. Conventional-weight section 12 and heavyweight section 16 may then be milled or machined into any desired shape or with any desired characteristic, such as to roughen the surfaces to which lightweight section 14 is to be affixed, or to provide anchoring structures on those surfaces, as discussed in greater detail below.
Conventional-weight section 12 and heavyweight section 16 are then inserted into a mold, wherein the mold cavity is configured to have the final desired shape of club head 10. As such, conventional-weight section 12 and heavyweight section 16 can be fitted into those portions of the mold cavity that conform to the shapes of portions 12, 16. Moldable material forming the lightweight section 14 is then formed by introducing the molten moldable or curable material into the mold cavity. When cooled and removed from the mold, sections 12, 14 and 16 are co-molded together to form a single, unitary club head 10. Additional joining structures, such as screws, rivets, or the like may then be inserted to secure sections 12, 14 and 16 together. The moldable material can be a thermoplastic or thermoset plastic.
Lightweight section 14 can therefore also take on any of a multitude of configurations, such as the shape shown in
Further, in this embodiment in order to support the adhesion of lightweight section 114 and heavyweight section 116, heavyweight section 116 is preferably configured with at least one structure that can anchor lightweight section 114 to heavyweight section 116. A hole or slot may be formed in heavyweight section 116, such as by milling or machining. A portion 126 of lightweight section 114 may then extend into the slot, such as by press-fitting an extension of lightweight section 114 into the slot or molding a portion of lightweight section 114 into the slot. This additional portion enhances the joining together of lightweight section 114 and heavyweight section 116.
Alternatively, heavyweight section 116 has front portion 124 connected to back portion 125 by one or more post 128 and lightweight section 114 is formed by molding a polymeric material around post(s) 128 as shown. Prior to co-molding, heavyweight section 116 can be welded, fusion bonded, or affixed by screws to conventional-weight section 112.
Similarly,
Referring again to
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the difference in density between the three (or more) sections of club head 10 is at least about 3 g/cc, preferably at least about 4 g/cc and more preferably at least about 5 g/cc.
In inventive club head 10, the center of gravity of club head 10 is shifted toward the sole and aft of the center of gravity of a conventional club head. Such a center of gravity is a more ideal location for trajectory optimization, as an average golfer may launch the ball up in the air faster and hit the ball farther, as discussed above. Additionally, a low and aft center of gravity will be more forgiving of “thin” hits, when the ball and club connect below the optimal striking point of about 18 mm above the ground when the club is in the address position, and “fat” hits, when the ball and club connect above the optimal striking point. Similarly, a low and aft center of gravity will be more forgiving of shots hit heel-ward or toe-ward of the optimal striking point.
The following example shows how shots hit with inventive club head 10 are expected to compare to shots hit with conventional iron clubs, the Titleist® 670. These conventional clubs are muscle-back type irons made from forged steel. The conventional 3-iron has a CGy-g, the distance of the center of gravity off the ground when the club head is in the address position, of about 19.6 mm. The conventional 6-iron and 9-iron have a similar CGy-g. The conventional club has a CGz-fc, the distance of the center of gravity back from a point on the hitting face about 15 mm above the ground when the club is in an address position, of about 4.83 mm. For reference,
Table 1 shows locations of the expected centers of gravity achievable on inventive club heads made according to the embodiment shown in
In
Referring to
Another benefit of having a low and aft center of gravity on a 3 iron club head is shown in
Similar benefits for “thin” and “fat” shots hit by the inventive 6-iron club are shown in
Yet another benefit realized by the inventive club with a low and aft center of gravity is forgiveness for heel-toe hits, i.e., an off-center hit flies straighter. As shown in
Similarly, a hit one inch toward the toe with the inventive 6-iron is substantially on-center, and a similar shot with the conventional 6-iron is about 5 yards off-center, as shown in
A hit one inch toward the toe with the inventive 9-iron is less than 1 yard off-center, and a similar shot with the conventional 9-iron is about 2 yards right of target, as shown in
Additional benefits are also possible with a low and aft center of gravity club. For example, a ball hit with such a club tends to roll about 10% less than similar balls hit with conventional clubs. These benefits are realized by all players, regardless of swing speed. However, the centers of gravity may be shifted to different positions to optimize for the slower swing speed. For example, for slower swing speeds, the placement of the center of gravity on the hitting face is even further aft than described above.
For clubs with centers of gravity optimized for PGA Tour play, the slower swing speed players would still see the beneficial effects of the inventive club, but to a lesser degree. For example, using a PGA Tour optimized 3-iron, a slower swing speed player would lose about 8 yards on a ¼ inch thin shot versus about 12 yards if the slower swing speed player used a conventional club. The carry dispersion for a slower swing speed player using a PGA Tour optimized club is about 1 yard right of center versus about 4 yards if the slower swing speed player used a conventional club. Overall, for all clubs in the set, a slower swing speed player would likely still obtain about 75% of the possible enhancement in play if that player were to use a club optimized for a PGA Tour player.
One of the major benefits of utilizing the co-molding process mentioned above is that co-molding of a golf club head may allow various geometric configurations to be achieved within a golf club head that would be tremendously difficult using conventional construction methods such as gluing, welding, and riveting. For example the golf club head 1510 shown in
It should be noted that in this exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the striking face portion 1530 may generally be completely isolated from any other pre-formed components such as the crown portion 1532 or the sole portion 1534. To put it in another way, the striking face portion and the pre-formed components form a gap, from which the molding portion 1536 may flow. The golf club head 1510 shown in this current exemplary embodiment may generally have at least a portion of the molding portion 1536 juxtaposed between the striking face portion 1530 and the other pre-formed components. By isolating or insulating the striking face portion 1530, the molding portion 1536 that surrounds the striking face portion 1530 may provide additional vibration dampening when the striking face portion 1530 impacts a golf ball. Because the molding portion 1536 may generally be comprised of a softer material than the striking face portion 1530, crown portion 1532, and the sole portion 1534, it will generally provide some additional vibration dampening of the harsh feeling that may be associated with a less than perfect impact between the golf club head 1510 and a golf ball. More specifically, molding portion 1532 may generally be comprised of a Bulk Molding Compound (BMC), however, numerous other materials such as nylon 6-6, nylon 6-6 with glass fiber, urethane, or any other moldable material suitable for molding all without departing from the scope and content of the present invention.
Utilizing this co-molding process provides a distinct advantage in lowering the precision of the dimensional tolerances with respect to the pre-formed components, making the pre-formed components easier to manufacture. Because several of the surfaces of the pre-formed components are covered by the molding portion 1536, the precision of the dimensions of those surfaces that are covered by the molding portion 1536 need not be controlled so accurately. More specifically, because molding and casting processes may generally yield minor variances known as “slop”, these “slop” may generally need to be removed through post manufacturing process; however, when these components are covered by the molding material 1536, their “slop” can be covered up by the molding material 1536. For example, the rearward facing surface of the striking face portion 1530 may generally be completely covered up by the molding portion 1536 allowing for more slop on that surface that would need to be removed if that surface was exposed. Another example of the manufacturing advantage of the present invention may be seen through the delicate face locking step 1542 around at least a portion of the perimeter of the striking face portion 1530. If this co-molding process is not used, the delicate face locking step 1542 may generally require precise dimensions in order for the striking face portion to mate properly with the corresponding component. However, when utilizing the co-molding process in accordance with the present invention, the precise dimension of the face locking step 1542 may be irrelevant, as a liquid type molding portion 1536 may flow towards the interlocking portion 1540 to properly secure the striking face portion 1530 to the golf club head 1510.
In addition to the manufacturing advantage offered by the co-molding process, golf club head 1510 manufactured utilizing this co-molding process may provide additional advantage in allowing various different materials to be used for the striking face portion 1530, the crown portion 1532, the sole portion 1534, and the molding portion 1536 to adjust the center of gravity of the golf club head 1510. In one example, the sole portion 1534 may be comprised of a material having the density out of the bunch in order to create a lower center of gravity (CG) location of a golf club head to improve performance. Alternatively, the crown portion 1532 and the sole portion 1534 may be comprised of the same material with the same density to allow for a more balanced weight distribution within the golf club head 1510 without departing from the scope and content of the present invention. Finally, in order to minimize the amount of weight at undesirable areas, the molding portion 1536 may generally have the lowest density out of the bunch, enhancing the effect of the heavy sole portion 1534.
Finally,
Other than in the operating example, or unless otherwise expressly specified, all of the numerical ranges, amounts, values and percentages such as those for amounts of material, moment of inertias, center of gravity locations, loft, draft angles, various performance ratios, and others in the following portions of the specification may be read as if prefaced by the word “about” even though the term “about” may not expressly appear in the value, amount, or range. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the foregoing specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desirable 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.
While it is apparent that the illustrative embodiments of the invention disclosed herein fulfill the objectives stated above, it is appreciated that numerous modifications and other embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art. Therefore, it will be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and embodiments, which would come within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The present application is a Continuation-In-Part of pending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/423,290, filed Jun. 9, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11423290 | Jun 2006 | US |
| Child | 12630379 | US |
