CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application No. 102132233, filed on Sep. 6, 2013.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to golf equipment, more particularly to a striking plate for a golf club head.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, Taiwanese Utility Model No. M330106 discloses a striking plate 1 for a golf club head. The striking plate 1 includes a hard alloy layer 11 with an outer surface 111 and a plurality of scoring lines 112 formed in the outer surface 111. When the striking plate 1 strike a golf ball, friction is produced between the scoring lines 112 and the golf ball so that the dwell time of the golf ball on the striking plate 1 is extended and that a golf player may control the golf ball more precisely. Additionally, the golf ball may produce a spin effect accordingly and the swing path may be modified and optimized.
Referring to FIG. 2, a method of making a conventional striking plate 1′ includes steps of subjecting a hard alloy layer 11′ to a texturing treatment to form a plurality of fine ridges on an outer surface 111′ of the hard alloy layer 11′ so as to roughen the outer surface 111′, and then subjecting the outer surface 111′ to an indentation treatment to form a plurality of scoring lines 112′. Corners (R) are thus defined at junctions of the scoring lines 112′ and the roughened outer surface 111′. The friction produced between the striking plate 1′ and the golf ball is enhanced by the configuration of the scoring lines 112′ together with the ridges so as to improve the dwell effect of the striking plate 1′ for the golf ball.
However, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of protrusions 113′ may form at the corners (R) due to formation of the ridges before formation of the scoring lines 112 so that the predetermined angle of the corner (R) may change. Accordingly, the spin and friction effects produced when the golfball contacts the striking plate 1′ may be adversely affected and the striking quality of the striking plate 1′ may be reduced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a striking plate for a golf club head which may alleviate the above drawbacks of the prior art.
Accordingly, a striking plate for a golf club head of this invention includes a plate body, a plurality of roughened textured surface portions, and a plurality of scoring line portions. The roughened textured surface portions are formed on the plate body and are spaced apart from each other. Each of the roughened textured surface portions includes a plurality of ridges. The scoring line portions are formed on the plate body and arranged alternatingly with the roughened textured surface portions on the plate body. Each of the scoring line portions includes a sunken surface, a surrounding surface extending at an angle from a periphery of the sunken surface and surrounding the sunken surface, and two connecting surface segments each extending from one end of the surrounding surface that is opposite to the sunken surface to connect to a respective adjacent one of the roughened textured surface portions. The sunken surface cooperates with the surrounding surface to define a groove that extends along a line. Each of the connecting surface segments cooperates with the surrounding surface to define a corner.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional striking plate used in a golf club head;
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating consecutive steps of a method for making a conventional striking plate used in a golf club head;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a striking plate for a golf club head according to this invention;
FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a method for making the preferred embodiment of the striking plate according to this invention;
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating consecutive steps of the method of making the preferred embodiment of the striking plate according to this invention; and
FIG. 6 is an enlarged view illustrating scoring lines formed in the preferred embodiment of the striking plate according to this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIG. 3, the preferred embodiment of a striking plate 2 according to this invention is shown to include a plate body 21, a plurality of roughened textured surface portions 22, and a plurality of scoring line portions 23.
In the preferred embodiment, the plate body 21 is made of a titanium alloy or a tungsten steel, but is not limited thereto. The material for the plate body 21 can be selected according to the specific requirement for making the plate body 21, such as hardness and processing conditions required for the plate body 21.
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the method of making the preferred embodiment of the striking plate 2 according to this invention includes a ridge-forming step and a scoring-line-forming step. In the ridge-forming step, the plate body 21 is processed via an electric arc treatment to form the roughened textured surface portions 22 that are spaced apart from each other on the plate body 21. Each of the roughened textured surface portions 22 includes a plurality of fine ridges 221. In the scoring-line-forming step, segments 24 of the plate body 21 that are arranged alternatingly with the roughened textured surface portions 22 are processed using a suitable tool (not shown) to form the scoring line portions 23 on the plate body 21. The scoring line portions 23 are thus arranged alternatingly with the roughened textured surface portions 22 on the plate body 21.
Referring to FIGS. 3, 5, and 6, each of the scoring line portions 23 includes a sunken surface 231, a surrounding surface 232 extending at an angle from a periphery of the sunken surface 231 and surrounding the sunken surface 231, and two connecting surface segments 233 each extending from one end of the surrounding surface 232 that is opposite to the sunken surface 231 to connect to a respective adjacent one of the roughened textured surface portions 22. The sunken surface 231 cooperates with the surrounding surface 232 to define a groove 234 that extends along a line. In this embodiment, the groove 234 does not extend to the periphery of the plate body 21, i.e., the groove 234 has opposite closed ends. Each of the connecting surface segments 233 cooperates with the surrounding surface 232 to define a corner (α), which is preferably a rounded corner. The spin direction of a golf ball may be adjusted and the friction between the golf ball and the striking plate may be enhanced via the design of the corner (α).
In this embodiment, each of the scoring line portions 23 has a width (A) that is measured between a respective adjacent pair of the roughened textured surface portions 22 and that ranges from 1.0 mm to 1.2 mm. The sunken surface 231 has a width (B) ranging from 0.7 mm to 0.9 mm. Each of the connecting surface segments 233 has a width (C) ranging from 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm. The grooves 234 defined by the scoring line portions 23 are parallel to each other in the preferred embodiment.
Although surfaces of the plate body 21 before the ridge-forming step may not be smooth, the roughened textured surface portions 22 formed via the ridge-forming step have enhanced surface roughness. In other words, the sunken surface 231, the surrounding surface 232, and the connecting surface segments 233 have a surface roughness smaller than that of the roughened textured surface portions 22.
In use, the striking plate 2 is assembled to a golf club head (not shown). The dwell effect of the striking plate 2 for the golf ball may be improved due to the roughened textured surface portions 22 and the grooves 234 provided thereon. The flight path of the golf ball struck by the striking plate 2 may be adjusted and optimized due to the grooves 234. The surface roughness of the plate body 21 of the striking plate 2 is enhanced due to the fine ridges 221 of the roughened textured surface portions 22, and the friction between the striking plate 2 and the golf ball is increased so as to extend the dwell time of the golf ball on the striking plate 2 and to control the golf ball more precisely.
Furthermore, in the striking plate 2 of the present invention, since protrusions are not formed on the corners (α), the aforesaid shortcomings encountered in the prior art may be alleviated. The striking effect of the striking plate 2 of the present invention is accordingly enhanced.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.
Patent Application
20150072801
