JP2004081241A - Golf club head - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a golf club head whose center of gravity position is easily adjusted. <P>SOLUTION: The golf club head is constituted by fixing a weight member 1b to a recess part 2 formed at a head main body 1a. Then, the weight member 1b consists of a box-shaped part 9 which is fixed to the recess part 2 and has a hollow housing space 11 inside, and a weight adjusting material 10 housed in the housing space 11 and having a specific gravity different from the head main body 1a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a golf club head that can easily adjust the position of the center of gravity and can improve versatility.
[0002]
[Prior art and problems to be solved by the invention]
The position of the center of gravity of the golf club head is an important factor that determines the performance of the head. For example, when targeting average golfers, a low center of gravity head with a low center of gravity has a larger launch angle and less backspin than a head with a high center of gravity, which is effective in increasing the flight distance. It is believed that.
[0003]
Conventionally, in order to set the center of gravity of the head at a preferred position, a weight member (for example, a tungsten alloy) having a specific gravity different from that of the head body is fixed to the head body (for example, a titanium alloy). The weight member is, for example, as shown in FIG. 9A, a method in which a part a1 of the weight member a is crushed and plastically deformed to prevent the head member b from coming off, or as shown in FIG. 9B. As described above, there is a method in which a threaded portion is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the weight member a, and this is screwed into the threaded hole of the head body b. Thus, the weight member a is usually fixed directly to the head body a.
[0004]
However, in the above-described method, it is necessary to prepare weight members of various sizes in order to finely control the position of the center of gravity. This requires a plurality of molds and processing steps for forming the weight member, which increases production costs and requires a large amount of inventory due to an increase in the types of components.
[0005]
In addition, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-325207, it is also proposed to form a plurality of hollow chambers by providing partition walls inside a hollow head, and to arrange and solidify the weight adjusting material in a fluid state in the hollow chambers. ing. In this method, the weight can be controlled relatively easily by controlling the injection amount of the weight adjusting material, but it is not easy to form a hollow chamber by providing a partition inside the head, which reduces the production cost. There are drawbacks to increase. Also, maintainability after manufacture is not good.
[0006]
The present invention has been devised in view of the actual situation as described above, and a weight member is fixed to a concave portion provided in the head body, and a box-shaped portion having a hollow accommodating space therein is accommodated in the accommodating space. And a weight adjusting material having a specific gravity different from that of the head main body, and the weight of the weight member can be easily changed to easily adjust the position of the center of gravity, and to improve versatility. The purpose is to provide club heads.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is a golf club head in which a weight member is fixed to a concave portion provided in a head body, and the weight member is fixed to the concave portion and has a hollow accommodating space therein. It is characterized by comprising a box-shaped portion and a weight adjusting material housed in the housing space and having a specific gravity different from that of the head body.
[0008]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the box-shaped portion has an inlet that leads to the accommodation space, and the weight adjusting material is injected from the inlet into the accommodation space and solidifies in a fluid state. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the golf club head is fixed so as not to move in the accommodation space.
[0009]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the golf club head according to the first or second aspect, the box-shaped portion and the head main body are made of a metal material that can be welded to each other.
[0010]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the recess is formed by recessing the outer surface of the head, and is formed on the head outer surface side of the first recess for fitting the weight member, and 4. The golf club head according to claim 1, further comprising a second concave portion into which a lid body covering the weight member is fitted.
[0011]
The invention according to claim 5 is the golf club head according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the weight adjusting material includes a low melting point metal material having a specific gravity larger than that of the head body.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the golf club head of the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a perspective view seen from the back of the golf club head, and FIG. 3 is a vertical crossing substantially the center of the face surface of the head perpendicular to the face surface. It is sectional drawing by a surface. In the drawing, a golf club head (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as “head”) 1 of this embodiment is exemplified by a wood type, and a head main body 1a and a recess 2 provided in the head main body 1a. And a weight member 1b fixed to the head.
[0013]
As shown in FIG. 1, the head main body 1a includes a crown plate 1a1 constituting a main portion of the upper surface of the head, and a head main portion 1a2 provided with an opening portion O on which the crown plate 1a1 is welded on the upper surface. Consists of. A head main body 1a formed by welding the crown plate 1a1 and the head main portion 1a2 includes a face wall portion 3 for hitting a ball, a crown wall portion 4 connected to the face wall portion 3 and forming the upper surface of the head, The face wall portion passes through the back face from the toe side edge 3t of the face wall portion 3 between the sole wall portion 5 that is connected to the face wall portion 3 and forms the bottom of the head, and between the crown wall portion 4 and the sole wall portion 5. 3 and the side wall portion 6 extending to the heel side edge 3h. The head body 1a has a neck portion having a shaft insertion hole 7a into which a shaft (not shown) is inserted in the vicinity of the intersection where the crown wall portion 4, the side wall portion 6 and the face wall portion 3 intersect on the heel side. 7 is formed.
[0014]
In this example, the head body 1a is made of a metal material and has a hollow shape with a hollow portion i formed therein. The hollow portion i may remain hollow or may contain a resin or the like. Although it does not specifically limit as said metal material, For example, various materials, such as an aluminum alloy, a titanium alloy, and stainless steel, can be used. In this embodiment, a castable titanium alloy is employed. The crown plate 1a1 and the head main portion 1a2 are formed in a predetermined shape by, for example, lost wax precision casting, forging or pressing. A fiber reinforced resin or the like can be used for a part or all of the head main body 1a.
[0015]
The head body 1a has a recess 2 on the back face side of the side wall 6. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the concave portion 2 includes a side wall portion 2a which is bent from the outer surface of the head toward the inner side of the head, and is continuously provided on the inner end side of the side wall portion 2a. The bottom receiving part 2b is formed and is recessed from the outer surface of the head. The bottom receiving portion 2b is shown in which an opening 2c is formed at the center thereof. In the present embodiment, the concave portion 2 forms a horizontally-long rectangular space along the side wall portion 6, but is not limited to this shape. For example, the concave portion 2 has a cylindrical shape, a triangular prism shape, and various other shapes. It can form as a recessed part which forms a place. Further, in the present embodiment, such a concave portion 2 is cast and formed together with the head main portion 1a2, but may be formed simultaneously with or after the head main portion 1a2 by deep drawing such as forging and pressing.
[0016]
As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 4, the weight member 1b is fixed to the recess 2 and has a box-shaped portion 9 having a hollow accommodating space 11 therein, and is accommodated in the accommodating space 11 and the head body 1a. It is comprised from the weight adjusting material 10 which has different specific gravity.
[0017]
In this example, the box-shaped portion 9 is formed in a horizontally long rectangular parallelepiped shape having a hollow inside, a lower surface, and four side surfaces, and can be fitted into the recess 2. The volume of the accommodation space 11 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to form the accommodation space 11 at, for example, about 1.0 to 10.0 cm ³ . If the volume is too small, the weight adjusting material 10 cannot be sufficiently filled. Conversely, if the volume is too large, it tends to be difficult to attach the head to the head body 1a. In addition, the box-shaped portion 9 of this example is provided with an injection port 12 formed of a small hole communicating with the internal accommodation space 11 at an appropriate position.
[0018]
The box-shaped portion 9 can be formed of a resin material including a composite material such as FRP in addition to various metal materials such as titanium alloy, stainless steel, and aluminum alloy. The box-shaped portion 9 can be formed by casting or the like when using a metal material, or by injection molding or the like when using a resin material. In this embodiment, a metal material formed of a titanium alloy is exemplified as a metal material that can be fixed to the head body 1a by welding. However, it goes without saying that the box-shaped portion 9 can be formed of a material that cannot be welded to the head main body 1a when being fixed using an adhesive or screwing.
[0019]
In the present embodiment, the weight adjusting material 10 is made into a fluidized state by heating a low melting point metal material, which is poured into the housing space 11 from the inlet 12 and then cooled and solidified. The thing fixed to the space 11 immovably is illustrated. As the low melting point metal material, for example, a material having a melting point of 150 to 250 ° C., more preferably about 170 to 230 ° C. is desirable. If the melting point is too high, productivity and handling become difficult. Conversely, if the melting point is too low, the shape stability tends to deteriorate. The specific gravity of the low melting point metal material is not particularly limited, but is preferably 6.0 to 9.0, and more preferably 7.0 to 9.0, for example. Particularly preferably, the specific gravity is larger than that of the head body 1a. Specifically, Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (specific gravity 7.4, melting point 217-220 ° C.), Sn-58Bi (specific gravity 8.6, melting point 139 ° C.) or Sn—Zn known as solder It is preferable to use an alloy of a specific type (specific gravity 7.3, melting point 199 to 222 ° C.).
[0020]
As the weight adjusting material 10, for example, a resin material having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 0 ° C. or lower, preferably −20 ° C. or lower, and a melting point of 50 ° C. or higher can be used. In particular, the pour point is 50 to 300 ° C, preferably 70 to 250 ° C. Further, it is preferable that the viscosity is 1000 cp or less at a temperature of 80 ° C. or more and 2000 cp or more at 70 ° C. or less. Such a resin material can also be poured into the accommodation space 11 of the box-shaped portion 9 in a fluidized state by heating, and can be fixed immovably in the accommodation space 11 by cooling.
[0021]
Although not particularly limited, examples of the material include compounds such as polyisobutene and polyisobutylene, ethers such as polyvinyl ether, and acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesives. More specifically, for example, “Tetrax” (polyisobutylene) or “Evertac” (polybutene) manufactured by Nippon Petrochemical Co., Ltd. is easy to handle and suitable. In addition, when using such a resin material for the weight adjusting material 10, the specific gravity is, for example, about 0.8 to 5.0, and more preferably 3.0 to 5 by blending, for example, a metal powder such as tungsten powder. It is desirable to increase to about 0.0.
[0022]
In addition, although the said weight adjusting material 10 showed what was distribute | arranged to the accommodation space 11 of the box-shaped part 9 from the inlet 12 in the fluid state, for example, a powder, a granular form, or a granular form is thrown into the accommodation space 11 You can also In this case, after charging, resin or the like may be injected and hardened integrally, or may be sintered by heating and solidified integrally. Moreover, a relatively large opening can be provided in the box-shaped portion 9 so that a lump-shaped metal piece can be fixed in the accommodation space 11. The opening may be closed later.
[0023]
The weight member 1b configured as described above is fitted into the recess 2 and fixed by various fixing methods such as adhesion, welding, screwing, and press-fitting. Particularly preferably, when the box-like portion 9 is pushed into the space of the recess 2, it is desirable to have a tolerance of a degree of a fit that can maintain the state. This makes it possible to temporarily hold the weight member 1b during the fixing process of the weight member 1b, to improve the efficiency of welding or bonding work, and to increase the fixing strength of the weight member 1b. Thus, the head 1 of this embodiment can be manufactured. The filling of the weight adjusting material 10 into the box-shaped portion 9 is preferably performed before the box-shaped portion 9 is attached to the concave portion 2, but for example, when the injection port 12 is formed so as to be exposed from the opening portion 2c of the concave portion (see FIG. 1 (shown in phantom lines) can also be filled after the box 9 is attached to the recess 2.
[0024]
In the present invention, the weight member 1b includes a box-shaped portion 9 having a hollow housing space 11 therein, and a weight adjusting material 10 housed in the housing space 11 and having a specific gravity different from that of the head body 1a. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the shape of the weight member 1b is changed by appropriately adjusting the amounts V1 and V2 of the weight adjusting material 10 disposed in the accommodation space 11 and the specific gravity. Without changing its weight at a finer level. Therefore, the center of gravity of the head 1 can be adjusted more easily and freely.
[0025]
Further, as a result of the weight member 1b being able to maintain its shape constant, there is no need to process the weight members 1b of various shapes. As a result, mold costs and inventory costs can be minimized. Moreover, since various weight members 1b can be formed by adjusting the weight adjusting material 10, versatility can be improved. As illustrated in FIG. 5B, the weight member 1 b is placed in a position biased inside the accommodation space 11 by being filled with the weight adjusting material 10 in a fluid state from the inlet 12 and then tilted at a predetermined angle. The weight adjusting material 10 can be solidified. This further increases the degree of freedom in designing the center of gravity position.
[0026]
FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the weight member 1b. In this example, the box-shaped portion 9 is formed in a box shape having an open upper surface. Such a box-shaped portion 9 is easier to manufacture and helps to reduce costs. Moreover, the weight adjusting material 10 can be easily filled into the accommodation space 11 from the opened upper surface.
[0027]
FIG. 7 shows still another embodiment of the present invention.
In the present embodiment, the concave portion 2a is fitted with a first concave portion 2A into which the weight member 1b is fitted, and a lid 15 that is formed on the head outer surface side of the first concave portion 2A and covers the weight member 1b. The thing containing 2nd recessed part 2B to wear is illustrated.
[0028]
The weight member 1b is closely fitted to the side wall portion 2a and the bottom receiving portion 2b of the first recess 2A, and is fitted by a so-called interference fit. In addition, the weight member 1b can be firmly fixed to the first recess 2A by using welding, an adhesive, or the like together. The lid 15 is made of a resin molded product or the like in this example, and uses a so-called badge that decoratively displays a product logo or a mark such as a manufacturer name on the outer surface 15a. The second recess 2B is a recess having an opening area larger than that of the first recess 2A, and is formed from the first recess 2a via a stepped portion in this example. Further, the lid 15 has an area larger than the outer surface 9a of the box-shaped portion 9, and is securely blinded from the outside by being fitted to the second recess 2B using an adhesive or the like. it can. In the head according to such an embodiment, the weight member 1b can be surely hidden from the outside by the lid body 15, the appearance is excellent, and the fixing strength of the weight member 1b can be further improved.
[0029]
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the weight member 1 b may be provided on the sole wall portion 5 or the crown wall portion 4 although not shown. In the above embodiment, a wood type golf club head has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to an iron type, a putter type, or an iron type and a wood as long as the head has a hollow shape. The present invention can be applied to any so-called utility type golf club head having a shape intermediate to the type.
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the first aspect of the present invention, the weight member is fixed to the concave portion provided in the head body and has a box-shaped portion having a hollow housing space therein, and is housed in the housing space and the head body. The weight adjustment material having a specific gravity different from that of the weight member, for example, by adjusting the amount of the weight adjustment material arranged in the accommodation space, the specific gravity, etc., the weight without changing the shape of the weight member Can be changed. Therefore, the center of gravity position of the head can be adjusted more easily. In addition, as a result of maintaining the shape of the weight member constant, it is not necessary to process weight members of various shapes, and the concave portion of the head main body can have the same shape, so that versatility can be improved.
[0031]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the box-shaped portion includes an injection port that communicates with the accommodation space, and the weight adjusting material is injected into the accommodation space from the injection port in a fluidized state and solidified. By doing so, when it is fixed immovably in the accommodation space, the weight adjustment of the weight member can be performed easily and with high accuracy by controlling the injection amount of the weight adjusting material. Further, the weight adjusting material can be fixed in the storage space of the box-shaped body more easily than its solidification.
[0032]
Further, when the box-shaped portion and the head main body are made of metal materials that can be welded to each other as in the third aspect of the invention, the problem that the weight member is made of a different material and cannot be welded is solved. The installation work can be streamlined.
[0033]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the recess is formed by recessing the head outer surface, and is formed on the head outer surface side of the first recess to which the weight member is fitted. In addition, when it includes the second recess into which the lid member covering the weight member is fitted, the weight member can be hidden from the outside by the lid member, and a head having an excellent appearance can be provided. Further, since the concave portion is formed by denting the outer surface of the head, the weight member can be attached, exchanged and maintained from the outside of the head, so that productivity and maintainability can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a head showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view seen from the back side of the head.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a head.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a weight member.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views showing an embodiment of a weight member. FIGS.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of a weight member.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of a weight member showing another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a head showing another embodiment of the present invention.
9A and 9B are cross-sectional views showing a conventional method of attaching a weight member.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Golf club head 1a Head main body 1a1 Crown board 1a2 Head main part 1b Weight member 2 Recessed part 2A 1st recessed part 2B 1st recessed part 3 Face part 4 Crown part 5 Sole part 6 Side part 7 Neck part 9 Box-shaped part 10 Weight Adjustment material 11 Accommodating space 12 Inlet 15 Cover

Claims (5)

A golf club head having a weight member fixed to a recess provided in the head body,
The weight member is composed of a box-shaped portion fixed to the recess and having a hollow housing space therein, and a weight adjusting material housed in the housing space and having a specific gravity different from that of the head body. And golf club head. The box-shaped part has an inlet that leads to the accommodation space, and the weight adjusting material is injected into the accommodation space from the inlet in a fluidized state and solidified by being solidified. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the golf club head is fixed. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the box-shaped portion and the head main body are made of a metal material that can be welded to each other. The recess is formed by recessing the outer surface of the head, and a first recess for fitting the weight member;
4. The golf club head according to claim 1, further comprising a second recess formed on a head outer surface side of the first recess and fitted with a lid that covers the weight member. 5. . 5. The golf club head according to claim 1, wherein the weight adjusting member includes a low melting point metal material having a specific gravity larger than that of the head body.

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