Method and systems for manufacturing a golf club head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024252891-A1
Application number	US-202418593055-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 1, 2024
Priority date	Jan 27, 2023
Publication date	Aug 1, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a golf club includes receiving user information and selecting at least one parameter of the golf club by a user that is selected from a plurality of parameters. Additional steps include generating a design model of the golf club based on user information or at least one parameter of the golf club in a design space, generating a 3D lattice environment, inlaying the lattice environment into the design model of the golf club, reorienting a first lattice array of the lattice environment according to the user information, adjusting, based on the user interface, at least a thickness, a shape, or a density of a lattice beam of the first lattice array, customizing the at least one parameter based on at least a swing characteristic or a location of center of gravity of the golf club, and printing using an additive manufacturing device.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method of manufacturing a golf club, comprising:
receiving user information via a user interface; selecting at least one parameter of the golf club by a user, wherein the at least one parameter is selected from a plurality of parameters; generating a design model of a golf club head defining a body based on user information or at least one parameter of the golf club in a design space; generating a three-dimensional lattice environment, the three-dimensional lattice environment including a first lattice array, wherein the first lattice array includes plurality of nodes and plurality of beams; inlaying the three-dimensional lattice environment into the design model of the golf club; orienting the first lattice array of the three-dimensional lattice environment according to the user information; adjusting, based on the user interface, at least a thickness, a shape, or a density of a lattice beam of the first lattice array; customizing the at least one parameter of the plurality of parameters based on at least a swing characteristic of the user or a location of center of gravity of the golf club; and printing, layer by layer using an additive manufacturing device, the golf club including a lattice structure within an internal volume of a body.

2 . The method of manufacturing the golf club of claim 1 , further including displaying the design model to the user via, a display screen to update the at least one parameters in real-time while the user makes the golf club head in the design space.

3 . The method of manufacturing the golf club of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the plurality of nodes and at least one of the plurality of beams are connected to a wall of the body of the golf club forming a connection point.

4 . The method of manufacturing the golf club of claim 3 , wherein the first lattice array that protrudes beyond the connection points of the golf club is removed from design space to form the lattice structure that is contained within the internal volume of the body.

5 . The method of manufacturing the golf club of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
generating at least one aperture along the body of the design model of the golf club.

6 . The method of manufacturing the golf club of claim 5 , wherein the at least one aperture is configured to remove debris trapped within the internal volume of the body.

7 . The method of manufacturing the golf club of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
providing cavities along a toe side of the body and a heel side of the body of the design model of the golf club, the cavities configured to receive weights.

8 . The method of manufacturing the golf club of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
providing a protrusion along a sole and generating an alignment bar along a front side of the design model of the golf club, the protrusion being parallel with the alignment bar.

9 . The method of manufacturing the golf club of claim 1 further comprising the step of:
providing a channel along a rear side of the body of the design model of the golf club, the channel including a second lattice array.

10 . A golf club comprising:
a body, the body defining an internal volume, the body including a toe side, a heel side, a top side, a bottom side, a front side and a rear side, wherein the rear side of the body includes an upper region, a central region, and a lower region; and one or more apertures defining a periphery, the one or more apertures being disposed along the lower region of the rear side of the body, wherein the aperture is in fluid communication with the internal volume of the body, wherein the internal volume of the body includes an inner chamber having a first lattice structure, wherein the first lattice structure is spaced apart from the periphery of the one or more apertures; wherein the rear side of the body includes a channel, the channel extends from the heel side to the toe side of the body and between an upper portion and a lower portion of the body along the rear side, the channel defining an outer chamber including a second lattice structure; wherein the first lattice structure is separated with the second lattice structure by an internal wall, the internal wall extending between the heel side and the toe side along a central region of the body including a thickness, the internal wall separating the inner chamber and an outer chamber; and wherein the first lattice structure and the second lattice structure are different.

11 . The golf club of claim 10 , wherein the bottom side of the body includes an excess material extending outwardly from the bottom side of the body, the excess material defining a flat surface.

12 . The golf club of claim 11 , wherein the front side of the body includes an alignment bar, and
wherein the alignment bar extends parallel to the flat surface of the excess material.

13 . The golf club of claim 11 , wherein the excess material is positioned between a toe side cavity and a heel side cavity.

14 . The golf club of claim 10 , wherein the first lattice structure of the inner chamber is interconnected with a hosel chamber,
wherein the hosel chamber includes an internal receptacle that is suspended by a gap from an outer hosel wall, and wherein the internal receptacle is supported by at least one beam of the first lattice structure.

15 . The golf club of claim 14 , wherein the at least one beam is positioned at a bottom region relative to the internal receptacle to support the internal receptacle.

16 . The golf club of claim 14 , wherein the internal receptacle is configured to receive a hosel weight.

17 . A golf club comprising:
a body, the body including a top side, a bottom side, a front side, a rear side, a heel region, and a toe region; at least one cavity, the at least one cavity being positioned between a hosel and the heel region directly adjacent to a sole or being positioned by the toe region directly adjacent to the sole; wherein a first cavity is configured to receive a first weight and a second cavity is configured to receive a second weight, wherein the first cavity is covered by a first cap and the second cavity is covered by a second cap, and wherein a refractory cement is used to attach the weights and the caps to form the body.

18 . The golf club of claim 17 , wherein the weight is a tungsten weight.

19 . The golf club of claim 17 , wherein the caps of a finished part are welded onto the body.

20 . The golf club of claim 17 , wherein the first and second cavity includes a cavity wall, and
wherein the cavity wall separates a lattice structure of an internal volume of the body from the first and second weights.

Assignees

• Cobra Golf Inc

Inventors

• Roach Ryan L
• Huang Linqing
• Yagley Michael S
• Mcdonnell Michael T
• Hobbs Bryce W

Classifications

• A63B60/002

  Resonance frequency related characteristics · CPC title

• A63B53/04

  Heads · CPC title

• A63B53/0433

  with special sole configurations · CPC title

• A63B60/02

  Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass (A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence) · CPC title

• A63B53/0466

  wood-type · CPC title