U.S. patent application number 10/193631 was filed with the patent office on 2003-01-23 for method for manufacturing a golf club head.
Invention is credited to Takeda, Hitoshi.
Application Number | 20030015015 10/193631 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 19052494 |
Filed Date | 2003-01-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030015015 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Takeda, Hitoshi |
January 23, 2003 |
Method for manufacturing a golf club head
Abstract
A method for manufacturing a golf club head by which burrs can
be removed without causing deviations in configuration and weight
of a club head. Burrs 17 produced during a plastic deformation
process are removed, using a laser processing machine. By setting
the action of the laser processing machine in advance, it is
possible to obtain a head body 1A of constant configuration and
weight. Further, as all the burrs 17 can be removed at one burr
removing step, manufacturing costs can be reduced.
Inventors: |
Takeda, Hitoshi;
(Tsubame-shi, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
J. Rodman Steele, Jr.
Akerman, Senterfitt & Edison, P.A.
P.O. Box 3188
West Palm Beach
FL
33402-3188
US
|
Family ID: |
19052494 |
Appl. No.: |
10/193631 |
Filed: |
July 10, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
72/340 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 53/047 20130101;
B21K 17/00 20130101; A63B 53/04 20130101; A63B 53/0458 20200801;
A63B 60/00 20151001; B21J 5/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
72/340 |
International
Class: |
B21D 028/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 18, 2001 |
JP |
2001-218298 |
Claims
What is claimed:
1. A method for manufacturing a golf club head, having a face
formed on a front and a shaft attachment portion formed on one side
by subjecting a metallic material to plastic deformation step,
wherein burrs produced during the plastic deformation step are
removed, using a laser processing machine.
2. A method for manufacturing a golf club head according to claim
1, wherein the action of the laser processing machine is set in
advance.
3. A method for manufacturing a golf club head according to claim
1, wherein said plastic deformation step is hot forging.
4. A method for manufacturing a golf club head according to claim
1, wherein said plastic deformation step is cold forging.
5. A method for manufacturing a golf club head according to claim
1, wherein said plastic deformation step is cold pressing.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] a) Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing
a golf club head, through the plastic deformation of metallic
materials.
[0003] b) Prior Art
[0004] A golf club is made up of a head and a shaft, and it is
typically classified into three types, i.e., wood, iron and putter.
An iron head, as is indicated by its naming, is formed from iron or
other various kinds of metallic materials. Whilst wood club heads
were formed from wood materials such as persimmon in the past, they
are mainly formed from metallic materials in recent years, such as
so-called metal wood.
[0005] In general, methods for manufacturing a metallic golf club
head are classified into two categories, i.e., casting and forging.
Forging is superior to casting in that it can produce a golf club
head of higher strength. Forging is a method by which a golf club
head of a desired shape can be obtained by heating a metallic round
rod material first, and then hammering it with a press or a hammer,
using a die to thereby subject it to plastic deformation. In the
broad sense of the term, "forging" includes deep drawing as well in
which a rolled metallic plate is die cut and then subjected to deep
drawing.
[0006] For example, when a round rod material for a head material
is heated and then hammered, using a die in the manufacture of an
iron club head by forging, a surplus amount of the head material
becomes a burr. If the burr is large, the forged head is deburred,
using a trimming die before the head material gets cool.
[0007] Normally, the head material is gradually finished to a final
shape, through multi-stage forging process. Large burrs are
produced at a comparatively early stage in such forging process.
When the forged head material is close to the final shape as the
forging process proceeds, surplus amount of the material is
decreased, and thus burrs also become smaller.
[0008] In the past, small burrs were typically removed by grinding
process, using an endless paper, or by a cutting machine.
[0009] In the case of grinding process, using an endless paper,
however, as the grinding process is manually performed by an
operator, the removing amount of burrs varies widely from operator
to operator so that the constant configuration and weight of the
heads could not be obtained. If the configuration and weight of
heads vary, post-process trimming would be needed, thus causing
unnecessary increase in manufacturing costs.
[0010] On the other hand, in the case of machining process, using a
cutting machine, the removal of burrs is comparatively easy in the
outlines of a flat face portion, while it is substantially
impossible to remove burrs in a hosel or a rise-up portion thereof.
Accordingly, the removal of burrs in the hosel portion or a rise-up
portion thereof eventually has to be carried out by a manual
grinding by a human being.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Accordingly, it is a main object of the present invention to
provide a method for manufacturing a golf club head through the
plastic deformation of a metallic material, which enables the
removing of burrs without causing deviations in configuration and
weight of a head.
[0012] To attain the above object, there is provided, in accordance
with an embodiment of the invention, a method for manufacturing a
golf club head, having a face formed on a front and a shaft
attachment portion formed on one side by subjecting a metallic
material to plastic deformation step, wherein burrs produced during
the plastic deformation step are removed, using a laser processing
machine.
[0013] Accordingly, it is possible to obtain a club head of
constant configuration and weight, by setting the action of the
laser processing machine in advance. Further, as all the burrs can
be removed at one burr-removing step, manufacturing costs can be
reduced
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will
be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following
description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, wherein
reference is made to the accompanying drawings, of which:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf club head which is
under a forging process according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0016] FIG. 2 is a section of a golf club head which is under a
forging process according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a front view of a golf club head which is under a
forging process according to an embodiment of the invention.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of a golf club head which
is finished to a final shape according to an embodiment of the
invention.
[0019] FIG. 5 is a front view of a golf club head which is finished
according to an embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] Hereinafter will be described embodiments of the invention
with reference to the attached drawings, in which an iron golf club
is described as an example.
[0021] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, an iron golf club is made up of a
head 1 and a shaft 2, of which the head 1 is made from a metallic
material such as low-carbon steel, stainless steel or
titanium-based alloy, including a face 3 for striking balls on a
front, a sole 4 on a bottom, a heel 5 on one side, a toe 8 on the
other side, a shaft attachment portion 6 provided at an upper part
of the heal 5 for connecting the shaft 2 thereto and a top 7 at a
top portion, respectively. A rear surface of the head 1 is formed
with a concave portion 9 called "cavity", substantially opposite to
the face 3. The concave portion 9 includes a rear face body 9A
thereinside, defining an upper peripheral face 10 on its inside
top, a lower peripheral face 11 formed on its inside bottom, said
lower peripheral face 11 spaced a thickness h away from the sole 4,
a first peripheral face 12 formed on a first side and a second
peripheral face 13 formed on a second side, respectively. Reference
numeral 14 designates lateral grooves called score lines formed on
the face 3. In the center of the rear face body 9A is formed a
small protrusion 15 which is laterally elongated to improve the
design attractiveness. A groove 16 is formed in the vicinity of the
rear face body 9A from a first side peripheral surface 12 to a
second side peripheral surface 13 on the lower peripheral surface
11.
[0022] Next, a method for manufacturing the head 1 will be
described.
[0023] For a raw material processing step, a round bar (not shown)
made from a metallic material such as low carbon steel, stainless
steel, titanium-based alloy is cut to a predetermined length to
form a round bar material. Next, the round bar material is heated
to form a head body 1A through a hot forging step, as shown in
FIGS. 1 to 3. As it is difficult to form the head 1 at one stroke,
the forging step includes rolling and multi-step forging such as
preforming, intermediate forging and finish forging, using an upper
die 15 and a lower die 16. By performing the forging process
through plural strokes, the head material is gradually stretched
due to the plastic deformation in small steps so as to be finished
to a final configuration. In the meantime, different upper die 15
and lower die 16 are exclusively used for the above-mentioned
preforming, intermediate forging, and final forging,
respectively.
[0024] Reference numeral 17 designates so-called burrs or flash
produced during the forging step. As comparatively large burrs are
created from the round bar material at a first forging stroke and
in comparatively earlier forging processes, such burrs are removed,
using a trimming die before the material gets cool. Smaller burrs
are created as the forging step proceeds to bring the material
close to a final configuration of the head. After the last forging
stroke, the head body 1A is placed in a receiving die (not shown),
and then the burrs 17 are completely removed by cutting, using a
laser processing machine (not shown). In that case, the laser
irradiation from the laser processing machine is set in
advance.
[0025] Through the forging step are formed a face corresponding
portion 3A, a sole corresponding portion 4A, a heel corresponding
portion 5A, a shaft attachment portion corresponding portion 6A, a
top corresponding portion 7A, a toe corresponding portion 8A and a
concave portion corresponding portion 9', which correspond to the
face 3, sole 4, heel 5, shaft attachment portion 6, top 7, toe 8
and concave portion 9, respectively. The concave portion
corresponding portion 9' includes a rear face body corresponding
portion 9'A thereinside, defining an upper peripheral face
corresponding portion 10A on its inside top, a lower peripheral
face corresponding portion 11A formed on its inside bottom, said
lower peripheral face corresponding portion 11A spaced a thickness
H away from the sole corresponding portion 4A, a first peripheral
face corresponding portion 12A formed on a first side and a second
peripheral face corresponding portion 13A formed on a second side,
respectively. In the meantime, the thickness H is larger than the
aforesaid thickness h.
[0026] Next, the head body 1A thus formed through the forging step
is subjected to a cutting process. Any suitable cutting process is
chosen, corresponding to the configuration and design of the head 1
and the concave portion 9 in a final product. Specifically, cutting
process with a turning tool or a milling tool may be performed. In
a preferred form of the invention, an end mill (not shown) such as
a shank type milling cutter, having cutting edges on an outer
peripheral face and an end face, is used to perform the cutting
process. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the rear face body
corresponding portion 9'A and the lower peripheral face
corresponding portion 11A are cut to form the rear face body 9A in
a manner decreasing the thickness of the face 3 and the lower
peripheral surface 11 in a manner decreasing the thickness of the
sole 4, respectively. The lower peripheral surface 11 is concaved
so as to define an undercut shape. In other words, the thickness h
defined from the sole 4 and the lower peripheral face 11 may be
substantially the same on the rear face body 9A side and the tip
end 11Z side, or otherwise, may be smaller on the rear face body 9A
side than on the tip end 11Z side. During the cutting process, the
aforesaid small protrusion 15 is formed in the rear face body 9A,
while the groove 16 is formed adjacent to the rear face body 9A on
the lower peripheral surface 11.
[0027] Thereafter, the finishing process is performed. The
finishing process includes: surface polishing; the forming of the
lateral grooves 14; drilling for forming a hole 20 in a shaft
center of the shaft attachment portion 6 for fitting the lower end
of the shaft 2 thereinto; reaming; imprinting; plating;
sandblasting; coloring, and the like.
[0028] According to the foregoing embodiment, there is provided a
method for manufacturing a golf club head, having the face 3 formed
on a front and the shaft attachment portion 6 formed on one side by
subjecting a metallic material to the plastic deformation, wherein
the burrs 17 produced during the plastic deformation at the time of
the forging step are removed, using a laser processing machine with
the action thereof being set in advance, whereby the constant
configuration and weight of the head body 1A can be obtained.
Further, as all the burrs 17 can be removed through a single step,
the costs of removing the burrs 17 can be reduced to about 1/4 to
1/5 of those of conventional methods, thus enabling the reduction
of manufacturing costs. Furthermore, as a smooth cut surface can be
obtained after removing the burrs 17, thus enabling an operator to
carry out a cutting process with reference to the smooth cut
surface. As a result, it is possible to make the configuration and
weight of the head body 1A constant, thus enabling an operator to
proceed with the subsequent processes as originally designed,
whereby it is possible to manufacture products with constant
qualities and less deviations.
[0029] Incidentally, the present invention should not be limited to
the foregoing embodiments, but may be variously modified within a
scope of the invention. Although hot forging is taken as an example
of the plastic deformation process, other plastic deformation
processes may be employed, such as cold forging and cold pressing.
Further, the golf club head 1 should not be limited to an iron golf
club, but may be a metallic wood golf club. Alternatively, the
small protrusion 15 and the groove 16 do not always have to be
formed in the concave portion 9, or otherwise, a protrusion of
different dimension and configuration than that of the embodiment
may be formed. It should be noted that a plurality of protrusions
may be provided.
* * * * *