Method of manufacturing golf club head having stress-reducing features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12102891-B2
Application number	US-202318387607-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2023
Priority date	Jun 30, 2015
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a golf club head with a plurality of stiffening members proximate the face, and particularly solid rods or a plate with one or more cutouts, is disclosed herein. The method includes the steps of preparing a wax of a golf club head body having at least one through-hole, a hollow interior, and at least one receiving pocket, preparing waxes of one or more stiffening members, inserting the wax of the stiffening members into the through-hole and seating its opposite end in the receiving pocket, bonding each of the stiffening members to the body with an adhesive material to form a combined wax mold, and casting a golf club head from the combined wax mold.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of manufacturing a golf club head having stress-reducing features, the method comprising:
preparing a wax of a golf club head body, the wax of the golf club head body comprising a striking face section, a sole section extending from a lower edge of the striking face section, and a return section extending from an upper edge of the striking face section, the striking face section, sole section, and return section defining a hollow body interior, the return section comprising an elongated through-hole, and the sole section comprising an elongated receiving pocket;
inserting a wax of a plate into an elongated through-hole of a return section of a wax of a golf club head body, and seating a lower end of the wax plate in an elongated receiving pocket of a sole section of the wax of the golf club head body;
bonding the wax of the plate to the wax of the golf club head body with an adhesive material to form a combined wax mold; and
casting a golf club head from the combined wax mold;
wherein the elongated through-hole is aligned with the receiving pocket;
wherein the wax of the plate is located within one inch of a rear surface of a striking face section of the wax of the golf club head body as measured along a vertical plane extending through a face center perpendicular to the striking face section, and
wherein the wax of the plate comprises at least one cutout.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plate is spaced a distance of no more than 0.210 inch from the rear surface.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of bonding the plate to the body comprises applying glue around an entire circumference of each of the upper and lower ends of the plate.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of applying hot wax to the upper end of the plate to seal it to the return section after the step of bonding the plate to the body.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of casting a golf club head from the combined wax mold comprises casting the golf club head from a titanium alloy.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of casting a golf club head from the combined wax mold comprises casting the golf club head from a steel material.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plate has a length of 1 inch to 2.5 inches.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the upper end is spaced a first distance from the rear surface, wherein the lower end is spaced a second distance from the rear surface, and wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first distance is 0.120 inch to 0.150 inch, and wherein the second distance is 0.180 inch to 0.210 inch.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plate extends through the hollow body interior approximately parallel with the rear surface.

Assignees

• Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp

Inventors

• Gibbs Evan D
• Hocknell Alan
• Frederickson Austin L
• Nunez Christopher A G
• Seluga James A
• Myers Matthew
• Hannen Matthew
• Fliers Bart R
• Gonczi Robert S

Classifications

• B22C9/04

  Use of lost patterns · CPC title

• A63B53/0458

  with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate · CPC title

• A63B53/0454

  Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate · CPC title

• A63B53/0437

  with special crown configurations · CPC title

• A63B53/0433

  with special sole configurations · CPC title