Reinforced faces of club heads and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9687699-B2
Application number	US-201414282802-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2014
Priority date	Feb 28, 2012
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

Some embodiments include a reinforced face of a club head. Other embodiments for related reinforced faces of club heads and related methods are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
providing a front face of a club head, the front face comprising a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface; and
providing one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face;
wherein:
the one or more reinforcing structures consist of a solidified welding material; and
the one or more reinforcing structures are devoid of adjoining structure other than the front face;

providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face comprises:
coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface;

coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface comprises:
welding a filler material to the back surface of the front face, the solidified welding material comprising the filler material;

and
welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face comprises:
arc welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:
providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face comprises:
coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at a non-edge portion separate from a perimeter edge of the back surface.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:
providing the front face comprises providing a front face material.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:
providing the one or more reinforcing structures comprises:
arranging the one or more reinforcing structures in one or more layers, and
arranging each of the one or more layers to form one of a spiral pattern or a multi-striped pattern.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:
providing the one or more reinforcing structures comprises altering at least one of:
a strength of the front face;
a vibrational frequency of the front face; or
a Young's modulus of elasticity of the front face.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
providing a club head, the club head comprising one of a driver-type club head, a fairway wood-type club head, a hybrid-type club head, an iron-type club head, a wedge-type club head, or a putter-type club head;
wherein:
providing the club head comprises providing the front face and providing the one or more reinforcing structures.

7. A method comprising:
providing a front face of a club head, the front face comprising a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface; and
providing one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face;
wherein:
the one or more reinforcing structures consist of a solidified welding material; and
the one or more reinforcing structures are devoid of adjoining structure other than the front face;

providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face comprises:
coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface;

coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface comprises:
welding a filler material to the back surface of the front face, the solidified welding material comprising the filler material;

welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face comprises:
arc welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face;

and
arc welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face comprises one of:
metal inert gas welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face; or
tungsten inert gas welding the filler material to the back surface of the front face.

8. A method comprising:
providing a front face of a club head, the front face comprising a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface; and
providing one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face;
wherein:
the one or more reinforcing structures consist of a solidified welding material; and
the one or more reinforcing structures are devoid of adjoining structure other than the front face;

providing the one or more reinforcing structures at the back surface of the front face comprises:
coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface, wherein the front face comprises a front face material;

and
coupling the one or more reinforcing structures with the front face at the back surface comprises:
welding a filler material to the back surface of the front face while the front face material and the filler material are in an annealed condition, the solidified welding material comprising the filler material.

Assignees

• Karsten Mfg Corp

Inventors

• Cole Eric V
• Morales Eric J

Classifications

• B23K9/235

  Preliminary treatment · CPC title

• A63B53/047

  iron-type · CPC title

• B23K9/044

  Built-up welding on three-dimensional surfaces · CPC title

• B23K9/167

  and of a non-consumable electrode · CPC title

• B23K26/38

  by boring or cutting · CPC title