Method of relieving stress from face plate welds of a golf club head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018209010-A1
Application number	US-201815924044-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 16, 2018
Priority date	Nov 19, 2015
Publication date	Jul 26, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to methods for forming a golf club head assembly using a combination of different, but separate heat treatments for the golf club head body and high strength faceplate, and vibrational waves to relive stress in the weld heat affected zones of the golf club body and face.

First claim

1 . A method of forming a golf club head assembly, the method comprising:
(a) providing a club head body formed from a first material; (b) providing a hosel portion formed from a second material; (c) heating the club head body under a first heat treatment for a predetermined amount of time; (d) heating the hosel portion under a second heat treatment, wherein the second heat treatment is different than the first heat treatment, wherein the hosel portion is heated to a temperature that is greater than the solvus temperature of the hosel portion for a predetermined amount of time; (e) after heating the club head body from step (c) and the hosel portion from step (d), allowing the club head body and hosel portion to cool in an inert gas environment; (f) aligning the hosel portion of step (b) with the club head body of step (a) after heating steps (c) and (d), and cooling step (e); (g) welding the hosel portion to the club head body to form a heat affected zone (HAZ) between the hosel portion and the club head body to form the golf club head assembly; and (h) relieving the stress of the HAZ of the golf club head assembly with vibrational waves.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (h) further comprises the steps of:
(i) applying a mechanical cyclic vibration energy to the golf club assembly over a test frequency range; (ii) monitoring damping effects of energy flowing into the golf club head assembly as a function of frequency and identifying a plurality of orders of harmonic vibration absorption peaks, each consisting of a plurality of vibration absorption resonant peaks; (iii) selecting a fixed frequency of one of the plurality of orders of harmonic peaks as a function of the golf club head assembly; and (iv) applying mechanical cycle vibration energy to the object for an extended period of time at the fixed frequency corresponding to a sub-harmonic frequency of one of said harmonic peaks.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein step (c) further comprises the steps of:
(i) selecting a particular order of harmonics from among said plurality of orders as a function of the golf club head assembly; and (ii) identifying a sub-harmonic frequencies associated with said particular order of harmonics and corresponding to a vibration amplitude equal to approximately one-third of maximum vibrational amplitude of said particular order, and wherein applying the mechanical cyclic vibration energy to the golf club assembly of step (d) of claim 2 comprises the step of applying said mechanical cyclic vibration energy to the object at said sub-harmonic frequency identified in step (ii).

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first material is different than the second material.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first material has a higher density than the second material.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first material is harder than the second material.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein welding the hosel portion includes a pulse plasma welding process.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second heat treatment of step (d) includes heating the hosel portion for between 1 hour and 6 hours.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second heat treatment of step (d) includes heating the hosel portion to between 400° C. and 630° C.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second heat treatment of step (d) includes heating the hosel portion to between 475° C. and 625° C. for between 1 hour and 6 hours.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the inert gas of step (e) is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen (N), argon (Ar), helium (He), neon (Ne), krypton (Kr), and xenon (Xe) or a compound gas thereof.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second material that forms the hosel portion is a steel or steel alloy material selected form the group consisting of: a 17-4 stainless steel, a 15-5 stainless steel, a 4340 steel alloy, a 4140 steel alloy, a M54 steel alloy, a 300M steel alloy, and an H11 steel alloy.

13 . A method of forming an iron type golf club head assembly, the method comprising:
(a) providing a welded portion formed from a first material, wherein the welded portion comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of: a faceplate, a front portion, a back portion, a lower back portion, a bottom portion, and a hosel portion. (b) providing a club head body formed from a second material, wherein the first material is different than the second material, (c) heating the welded portion under a first heat treatment, wherein the welded portion is heated to a temperature that is greater than the solution temperature of the welded portion for a predetermined amount of time; (d) heating the club head body under a second heat treatment, wherein the second heat treatment is different than the first heat treatment, wherein the club head body is heated to a predetermined temperature for a predetermined amount of time, (e) after heating the welded portion from step (c) and the club head body from step (d), allowing the welded portion and club head body to cool in an inert gas environment; (f) aligning the welded portion of step (a) with the club head body of step (b) after heating steps (c) and (d), and cooling step (e); (g) welding the welded portion to the club head body to form a heat affected zone (HAZ) between the welded portion and the club head boy to form the iron type golf club head assembly; and (h) relieving the stress of the HAZ of the golf club head assembly with vibrational waves.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein step (h) further comprises the steps of:
(a) applying a mechanical cyclic vibration energy to the golf club assembly over a test frequency range; (b) monitoring damping effects of energy flowing into the golf club head assembly as a function of frequency and identifying a plurality of orders of harmonic vibration absorption peaks, each consisting of a plurality of vibration absorption resonant peaks; (c) selecting said fixed as a function of the golf club head assembly; and (d) applying mechanical cycle vibration energy to the object for an extended period of time at fixed frequency corresponding to a sub-harmonic frequency of one of said harmonic peaks.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein welding the welded portion includes a pulse plasma welding process.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the first heat treatment of step (c) further includes a first aging heat treatment, wherein the welded portion is heat treated between 100° C. and 700° C. for between 1 and 8.5 hours.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the first heat treatment of step (c) further includes a second aging heat treatment, wherein the welded portion is heat treated between 200° C. and 500° C. for between 1 and 5 hours.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the second heat treatment of step (d) further includes a first aging heat treatment, wherein the club head body is heat treated between 100° C. and 700° C. for between 1 and 8.5 hours.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the second heat treatment of step (c) further includes a second aging heat treatment, wherein the club head body is heat treated between 200° C. and 500° C. for between 1 and 5 hours.

20 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the inert gas of step (e) is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen (N), argon (Ar), helium (He), neon (Ne), krypton (Kr), and xenon (Xe) or a compound gas thereof.

Assignees

• Karsten Mfg Corp

Inventors

• Simone Matthew W
• Milleman Travis D
• Jertson Martin R

Classifications

• A63B60/52

  with slits · CPC title

• A63B53/0487

  for putters (A63B53/065 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A63B53/02

  Joint structures between the head and the shaft · CPC title

• A63B53/0466

  wood-type · CPC title

• B23K10/02

  Plasma welding · CPC title