JP4098583B2 - Manufacturing method of golf club head - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a golf club head in which an outer shell of a golf club head is formed of a composite of metal and plastic, and a method for manufacturing the same.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In golf club heads, flight distance, directionality, etc. are improved by improving functionality such as moment of inertia and repulsion characteristics by a method appropriately selected from various design elements such as mass, size, shape, material and manufacturing method. We are trying to improve performance.
[0003]
Conventionally, a material constituting a golf club head has been used as a wood, a plastic material, a metal material, or a composite thereof.
In recent years, as a material constituting the outer shell of the golf club head, a material composed of a single metal material has been mainly used.
By using metal materials, the development of golf club heads is progressing gradually in size. The reason why the size of the golf club head is increased is to increase the sweet area of the golf club head by increasing the area of the face portion or increasing the moment of inertia.
[0004]
On the other hand, in order to increase the size using these metal materials, it is necessary to reduce the thickness of the outer shell forming the golf club head in order to suppress an increase in the mass of the golf club head due to the increase in size. There is. Furthermore, the rebound characteristics can be improved by reducing the natural frequency of the golf club head and making it close to the natural frequency of the golf ball by forming the face portion thin and reducing the rigidity. Has been done.
[0005]
However, due to the increase in size, the golf club head having a thin outer shell is deformed not only at the face portion but also at the crown portion and the sole portion at the time of a ball collision. There is a problem in that the amount of bending in the single unit is reduced, and effective improvement in rebound characteristics cannot be obtained. In other words, a golf club head made of a metal material cannot increase the rigidity of the outer shell while maintaining the same thickness because of the specific strength and elastic modulus of the metal material itself. The deformation of the crown part and the sole part accompanying the conversion cannot be suppressed.
[0006]
Therefore, a golf club head formed of a fiber reinforced plastic material having a specific strength and a specific rigidity higher than that of a metal material can be proposed.
However, the golf club head as a whole including the face portion formed of a fiber reinforced plastic material cannot obtain a rebound characteristic superior to that of a metal material, and cannot realize a feeling feeling suitable for a golfer. Further, since the material is mainly plastic, there is a problem that the durability of the face part for hitting the ball is poor.
[0007]
Therefore, it is possible to propose a golf club head in which the outer shell of the golf club head is formed by a composite of a metal material and fiber reinforced plastic.
[0008]
Conventionally, the following golf club heads in which the outer shell of the golf club head is formed of a metal material and fiber reinforced plastic have been proposed.
[0009]
For example, in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 59-24069, a golf club comprising a composite of a metal main body integrally formed with a ball striking plate continuous with a shaft fixing part and a sole part, and the outer shell of the heterogeneous material. In this head, the outer shell was formed of a synthetic resin, and a reinforcing rib extending from the striking surface side to the rear side portion was integrally installed in the hollow portion of the outer shell, and the synthetic resin was filled in the hollow portion. A golf club head characterized by the above is disclosed.
[0010]
In addition, in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 7-406, a club head having details such as a club face, a crown portion, a sole portion, a back portion and a neck portion, a club face, a central portion of the sole portion, and a central portion of the back portion. , And on both sides of the crown part, formed with one metal reinforced plate, carbon fiber reinforced composite resin material is formed on the other part, and both borders are joined together with an adhesive or the like A golf club head is disclosed.
Further, in the detailed description of the invention, in manufacturing the club head, first, a stainless steel plate is cut into a predetermined shape by precision casting and then bent into a predetermined shape. Next, the peripheral edge to be bonded to the CFRP is surface-treated by sandblasting to improve the adhesion of the adhesive. Then, the CFRP pre-impregnated material is filled in the space formed of the stainless steel plate, put into the die as it is, heated and pressurized for a predetermined time, and blown to expand so that the stainless steel plate And CFRP are integrally formed, cooled, and taken out from the die to obtain a semi-finished club head product.
A manufacturing method is disclosed in which the club head of the present invention is completed by polishing, finishing, and painting the semi-finished product.
[0011]
In registered utility model No. 3050385, on the one hand, it is open to the front and is a hollow made of a single member consisting of an upper wall, a peripheral wall or strip, and possibly a lower wall. A main body; and, on the other hand, a metallic impact resistant closure member including a front wall that is attached to the main body to define an interior space and that forms a striking surface that cooperates with the main body. The body is cast from a thermoplastic material and includes at least one peripheral recess surrounded by an additional mass made of a high-density material, and the closure member engages a club shaft A golf club head is disclosed that includes a tubular upper portion that forms a neck portion for extending the closure member. Furthermore, a golf club head is disclosed in which the body includes one or more reinforcing inner walls.
[0012]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the golf club head formed by combining the conventional metal material and the fiber reinforced plastic has the following problems.
[0013]
That is, in the golf club head disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 59-24069, the reinforcing ribs extending from the ball striking surface side to the rear side portion are integrally installed in the hollow portion of the outer shell of the golf club head. There has been a problem that the resilience characteristic utilizing the deflection of the face portion cannot be obtained. Further, since the hollow portion of the outer shell is filled with foamed synthetic resin in addition to the reinforcing rib, mass distribution in the golf club head is also given to the center portion of the golf club head. Therefore, there has been a problem that the moment of inertia of the golf club head cannot be increased and the golf club head becomes narrow in the sweet area.
[0014]
In the golf club head disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-406, since the neck portion and the club face are formed of separate members, it is difficult to directly transmit the feeling that the golfer feels when hitting the ball. Therefore, there is a problem that the golf club becomes difficult to control.
Further, the neck portion may hit the ball around the neck portion at the time of a miss shot, and the ball directly collides with the carbon fiber reinforced composite resin material.
[0015]
In addition, in the manufacturing method, the surface treatment is performed by sandblasting to improve the adhesion of the adhesive, and then the stainless steel plate and CFRP are integrally formed, but the golf ball has a neck portion connected to the shaft held by the golfer and the golf ball. Since the impacting club face is composed of a separate member, shearing force is easily generated between the members at the time of hitting. By continuously hitting the ball, cracking or peeling is caused at the peripheral edge of the stainless steel plate and CFRP. There was a problem that occurred.
Furthermore, it is disclosed that the stainless steel plate and CFRP are integrally formed by blowing gas so as to heat and pressurize and expand, but in the neck portion made of CFRP, since the outer shape is a small diameter, it is hollow. Since it is difficult to obtain the same pressurization as compared with the portion forming the outer shell, there is a problem that manufacturing defects such as voids and molding defects are likely to occur. Further, in order to blow in the gas, it is necessary to form a hole in a desired portion of the outer shell of the golf club head. Further, after the molding, an operation of closing the hole is necessary, and there is a problem that the manufacturing efficiency is low.
[0016]
In the golf club head disclosed in the registered utility model No. 3050385, since a reinforcing inner wall is formed inside the hollow body, the mass distribution of the golf club head is directed toward the center of the golf club head. Therefore, there is a problem that the moment of inertia of the golf club head becomes small.
Furthermore, the additional mass body made of a high-density material is a heavy metal having a specific gravity of 7 or more, and is attached to a plastic material that is a thermoplastic material by a method such as press-fitting, screwing, or bonding. It is difficult to obtain a strong bond as seen when bonded, and there is a problem that peeling is likely to occur at the boundary between the additional mass body made of a metal material and the plastic material by repeatedly hitting.
In addition, since the main body uses a thermoplastic material, for example, when the golf club is stored in a trunk of an automobile in a high temperature such as summer, it is exposed to a high temperature atmosphere. There was also a problem that the physical properties of the material were liable to be adversely affected.
[0017]
Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention intends to widen the sweet area without impairing the feeling felt by the golfer even if the golf club head is a composite formed of a metal material and a fiber reinforced resin material. In addition, an object of the present invention is to provide a golf club head manufacturing method capable of efficiently manufacturing a high-quality golf club head having excellent resilience characteristics.
[0018]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
Accordingly, in order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is characterized in that a head outer shell comprising a hosel portion, a face portion, a crown portion, a side portion, and a sole portion, the inside of which is hollow, is made of a metal material. In a method of manufacturing a golf club head formed of a first outer shell member and a second outer shell member made of a fiber reinforced resin material, an outer shell member made of a metal material having a hosel part, a face part, and a sole part is provided. A step of molding, a step of sticking a prepreg sheet in which a reinforcing fiber is impregnated with a thermosetting resin to the outer shell member to obtain an outer shell preform, a crown portion, a side portion and a sole of a core material for head molding After laminating a prepreg impregnated with a thermosetting resin into a reinforcing fiber at a position corresponding to a part, extracting the core material, and obtaining an outer shell body preform formed from a crown part, a side part, and a sole part; and A step of obtaining a head preform by combining the shell preform and the outer shell body preform, and disposing a tube material in the hollow interior of the head preform through a hole in the hosel part; and A step of obtaining a head molded body by placing the molded body in a mold, sealing the mold, injecting and pressurizing a gas into a tube material, and heating the preform together with the head preform. And a method for manufacturing a golf club head.
[0019]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0020]
Next, a method for manufacturing a golf club head according to the present invention will be described based on the golf club head in the embodiment shown in FIGS.
The manufacturing process of the golf club head of the present embodiment is performed through each process of metal member molding and fiber reinforced resin member pre-molding.
[0021]
The metal member forming step is a step of forming the outer shell member 51 made of a metal material.
As shown in FIG. 8, the hosel part 52, the face part 53, and the sole part 54 are integrally formed by preparing a desired metal material and processing it appropriately selected from machining with a machine tool, forging method, casting method and the like. The outer shell member 51 is obtained. The outer shell member 51 is provided with a hole 55 for attaching a shaft to the hosel portion 52, and an opening 57 is formed at the lower end of the hole 55 so as to communicate with the inner surface 56 side. Around the face portion 53 connected to the hosel portion 52, a flange portion 58 is formed to extend toward the rear of the golf club head, and the sole portion 54 extends from near the center of the lower portion of the face portion 53 to the rear of the golf club head. It is projected in a band shape.
The outer shell member 51 can also be obtained by separately manufacturing the hosel part 52, the face part 53, and the sole part 54 and then joining them. Preferably, it can be efficiently manufactured if it is integrally formed by a casting method.
[0022]
Next, in the preforming step of the fiber reinforced resin member, as shown in FIG. 9, a prepreg sheet 59 in which a reinforced fiber is impregnated with a thermosetting resin is prepared, and the prepreg sheet 59 is used as an inner surface 56 of the outer shell member 51. The outer shell preform 60 is formed by adhering while pressing so as to be in close contact with each other. At this time, the prepreg sheet 59 has such a size that the end portion 61 protrudes beyond the flange portion 58 and the sole portion 54 of the outer shell member 51, and the prepreg sheet 59 is attached to the outer shell member 51 in a substantially skirt shape after being attached. It will be in the extended state.
Further, in the prepreg sheet 59, the orientation angle of the reinforcing fiber is extremely unidirectional by crossing the orientation angle rather than the unidirectional one in which the sheet easily stands in the fiber direction and hardly deforms when deformed. It is preferable to use what is called a cross sheet in which the deformation characteristics are offset. By using the cross sheet, it is possible to flexibly cope with the shape of the inner surface 56 of the outer shell member 51 and to perform the work at the time of sticking well.
[0023]
Next, as shown in FIG. 10, a golf club head molding core 62 is prepared which is formed in an outer surface shape that is the same as or approximate to the inner surface shape of a golf club head having a desired shape, After a prepreg 63 in which a reinforcing fiber is impregnated with a thermosetting resin is laminated on a portion corresponding to a crown portion, a side portion, and a sole portion on the outer surface of the core material 62, A main body preform 64 is obtained. The outer shell body preform 64 constitutes a crown portion, a sole portion, and a side portion of the golf club head.
Since the outer shell main body preform 64 is obtained before curing, the outer golf club head is formed in the same shape as the outer shape of the golf club head. In addition, the shape followability to the inner shape of the mold is improved, and thus the production efficiency can be increased.
[0024]
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 11, a balloon-like tube material 66 having elasticity and having a gas inlet 65 is prepared, and the tube material 66 is opened from the hole 55 of the outer shell preform 60 to the opening 57. And disposed on the inner surface 56 side. Then, the outer shell main body preform 64 is disposed on the inner side 67 surrounded by the prepreg sheet 59 extending from the outer shell preform 60 in a skirt shape, and the head preform 68 is obtained. The tube material 66 may be disposed after the outer shell preform 60 and the outer shell body preform 64 are combined.
[0025]
In this preforming step, the outer shell body preform 64 is formed in a substantially outer shape of the golf club head, and the outer shell preform is formed by using a prepreg sheet 59 called a cross sheet rich in deformation flexibility. Since the body 60 is formed, the inner surface of the prepreg sheet 59 and the outer surface of the outer shell main body preform 64 are neatly overlapped, so that the head preform 68 can be easily obtained.
[0026]
Then, as shown in FIG. 12, a head preform 68 is placed in a gap 70 of a mold 69 formed in a shape obtained by inverting the desired outer shape of the golf club head. Thereafter, the mold 69 is clamped and the gap 70 of the mold 69 is hermetically sealed. Then, a gas is introduced into the tube material 66 at a high pressure, and the head preform 68 is attached to the mold 69. The mold 69 is heated by a heater or the like. By the heating, the thermosetting resin impregnated in the prepreg sheet 59 and the prepreg 63 is cured, whereby the head molded body 71 is obtained.
By increasing the pressure at which the tube material 66 expands by the inflow of the gas, the outer shell member 51, the prepreg sheet 59, and the prepreg 63 are brought into close contact with each other. Furthermore, the outer shell member 51, the prepreg sheet 59, and the prepreg 63 are firmly bonded by curing the thermosetting resin impregnated in the prepreg sheet 59 and the prepreg 63 while maintaining the integration by heating. . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of problems such as generation of voids, poor adhesion, and delamination.
[0027]
Thereafter, the tube 66 in the head molded body 71 is taken out from the hole 55 of the hosel portion 52, and the head molded body 71 is taken out from the die 69 and subjected to usual processing such as polishing and painting, and a desired process shown in FIG. A golf club head 72 is obtained.
The tube material 66 can be left without being taken out after molding by using a material having excellent adhesion to the thermosetting resin used for the prepreg sheet 59 and the prepreg 63.
[0028]
According to the above manufacturing method, in the pre-forming step, by obtaining the outer shell preform 60 in which the prepreg sheet 59 is pressed and adhered to the outer shell member 51, before the heat curing molding, the metal By creating a state in which the material and the fiber reinforced resin material are in close contact with each other, the expansion pressure of the tube material 66 in the joint integrated molding process can be obtained without a shortage in the entire outer shell preform 60, The fiber reinforced resin material is firmly bonded. Therefore, peeling and cracking that can occur at the boundary between the metal material and the fiber reinforced resin material due to repeated hitting can be prevented.
[0029]
Further, the outer shell preform 60 in which the prepreg sheet 59 extends in a skirt shape is combined with the outer shell body preform 64 formed in a substantially cup shape by constituting the crown portion, the sole portion, and the side portion. By obtaining the head preform 68, the prepreg sheet 59 and the prepreg 63 forming the outer shell main body preform 64 overlap with each other, so that a bonding area between the prepreg sheet 59 and the prepreg 63 is secured, and the prepreg sheet 59 and the prepreg. A strong bond can be obtained even between 63. Therefore, the durability of the golf club head can be improved.
[0030]
Further, a prepreg sheet called a cross sheet in which the orientation angles of the reinforcing fibers described in the preforming process are crossed has better impact resistance after heat curing than a unidirectional prepreg sheet. Durability can be further improved.
[0031]
Furthermore, in the manufacturing method of the present invention, the opening 57 is formed at the lower end of the hole 55 of the hosel portion 52 that is inevitably formed for the purpose of attaching the shaft, and the tube material 66 is passed through the opening 57 to the inner surface 56 side. By disposing them, it is possible to omit the operation of forming a hole in the outer shell of the golf club head and closing the hole, so that the golf club head of the present invention can be efficiently manufactured.
[0032]
【The invention's effect】
In the manufacturing method of the present invention, after obtaining the outer shell preform, the outer shell body preform is obtained, and further through the step of obtaining the head preform, the boundary between the metal material and the fiber reinforced resin material is obtained. In addition, it is possible to prevent problems such as peeling and cracks occurring between the fiber reinforced resin materials. Therefore, it is possible to improve the durability of the golf club head and obtain the high-quality golf club head.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a golf club head of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the present embodiment.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing another embodiment of the golf club head of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing another embodiment of the golf club head of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing another embodiment of the golf club head of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing another embodiment of the golf club head of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing another embodiment of the golf club head of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a state where an outer shell member made of a metal material is formed.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing a state in which an outer shell preform is formed.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a process of obtaining an outer shell main body preform.
FIG. 11 is an explanatory view showing a state in which a head preform is formed.
FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing a state in which a head molded body is formed.
13 is a cross-sectional view of a golf club head manufactured by the manufacturing method shown in FIGS. 8 to 12. FIG.
FIG. 14 is an explanatory view showing a support wall provided on a second outer shell member in the golf club head of the present embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 golf club head 2 first outer shell member 3 second outer shell member 4 hosel portion 5 face portion 6 first sole portion 7 crown portion 8 side portion 9 second sole portion 10 hole 11 flange portion 12 sole portion 13 mass body 14 End portion 17 Inner surface 18 Outer surface 19 Step portion 20 Locking portion 21 First outer shell member 22 Hosel portion 23 Face portion 24 First sole portion 25 Second outer shell member 26 Face portion 27 Crown portion 28 Side portion 29 Second sole Part 30 golf club head 34 brim part 37 crown part 38 face part 39 sole part 40 front member 41 crown part 42 side part 43 sole part 44 rear member 51 outer shell member 52 hosel part 53 face part 54 sole part 55 hole 56 inner face 57 Opening 58 Head part 59 Pre-preg sheet 60 Outer shell preform 61 End 2 Core material 63 Prepreg 64 Outer shell body preformed body 65 Gas inlet 66 Tube material 67 Inner 68 Head preformed body 69 Mold 70 Cavity 71 Head molded body 72 Golf club head 81 Second outer shell member 82 First outer Shell member 83 Support wall 84 Head portion 85 End portion 86 Joint portion 87 Face portion 88 Crown portion 89 Sole portion

Claims (1)

  A head outer shell composed of a hosel part, a face part, a crown part, a side part, and a sole part, the inside of which is hollow, is made up of a first outer shell member made of a metal material and a second outer shell member made of a fiber reinforced resin material. And forming a shell member made of a metal material having a hosel part, a face part, and a sole part, and a prepreg in which a reinforcing fiber is impregnated with a thermosetting resin. A step of attaching a sheet to the outer shell member to obtain an outer shell preform, and a prepreg in which a reinforcing fiber is impregnated with a thermosetting resin at a position corresponding to a crown portion, a side portion, and a sole portion of a core material for head molding The core material is extracted, and a step of obtaining a shell main body preform formed of a crown portion, a side portion and a sole portion is combined with the shell preform and the shell main body preform. After obtaining the head preform, placing the tube material in the hollow interior of the head preform through the hole in the hosel part, and placing the head preform in the mold and sealing the mold A method of manufacturing a golf club head, comprising the steps of: injecting and pressurizing gas into a tube material, and heating the head preform together with the mold so as to obtain a head molded body.

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