Method of forming golf club head assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9938601-B2
Application number	US-201615046132-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2016
Priority date	Feb 18, 2014
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A method of forming a golf club head assembly includes aligning a faceplate with a recess of a club head; welding the faceplate to the club head; then, after welding the faceplate, heating the club head and the faceplate to at least a solvus temperature of the faceplate for a predetermined amount of time; and then, after heating the club head and the faceplate, allowing the club head and the faceplate to air cool.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of forming a golf club head assembly, the method comprising:
(a) providing a faceplate formed from an α-β titanium alloy, the α-β titanium alloy comprising between 11 wt % to 18 wt % aluminum (Al), 1.5 wt % to 7 wt % vanadium (V), 0.20 wt % or less oxygen (O), and 0.20 wt % or less silicon (Si);
(b) aligning the faceplate with a recess of a club head;
(c) welding the faceplate to the club head;
(d) heating the club head and the faceplate to a temperature that is greater than the solvus temperature of the faceplate for a predetermined amount of time; and
(e) allowing the club head and the faceplate to cool in an inert gas,
wherein step (d) is performed between 525° C. and 1200° C. for between 1 hour and 6 hours.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the α-β titanium alloy further comprises 0.30 wt % or less iron (Fe), 0.08 wt % or less carbon (C), 0.05 wt % or less nitrogen (N), trace molybdenum (Mo), trace tin (Sn), and the remaining weight percent is titanium (Ti).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the welding of step (c) includes a pulse plasma welding process.

4. 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.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the inert gas is nitrogen (N) or argon (Ar).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the faceplate of step (a) has a minimum thickness of 0.7 mm.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (d) includes heating the club head and the faceplate between 550° C. and 1200° C. for between 1 hour and 2 hours.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein heating the club head and the faceplate includes heating the club head and the faceplate to between 575° C. and 1200° C. for between 1 hour and 2 hours.

9. A method of forming a golf club head assembly, the method comprising: providing a faceplate formed from an α-β titanium alloy, the α-β titanium alloy comprising between 11 wt % to 18 wt % aluminum (Al), 1.5 wt % to 7 wt % vanadium (V), 0.20 wt % or less oxygen (O), 0.20 wt % or less silicon (Si), 0.30 wt % or less iron (Fe), 0.08 wt % or less carbon (C), 0.05 wt % or less nitrogen (N), trace molybdenum (Mo), trace tin (Sn), and the remaining weight percent is titanium (Ti);
aligning the faceplate with a recess of a club head;
welding the faceplate to the club head;
after welding the faceplate, heating the club head and the faceplate to a temperature that is greater than the solvus temperature of the faceplate for a predetermined amount of time; and
after heating the club head and the faceplate, allowing the club head and the faceplate to cool in an inert gas environment.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein welding the faceplate includes a pulse plasma welding process.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein heating the club head and the faceplate includes heating the club head and the faceplate for between 1 hour and 6 hours.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein heating the club head and the faceplate includes heating the club head and the faceplate to between 520° C. and 1200° C.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein heating the club head and the faceplate includes heating the club head and the faceplate to between 520° C. and 1200° C. for between 1 hour and 6 hours.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein heating the club head and the faceplate includes heating the club head and the faceplate to between 520° C. and 1150° C. for between 4 hours and 6 hours.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein heating the club head and the faceplate includes heating the club head and the faceplate to between 520° C. and 1100° C. for between 4 hours and 6 hours.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein heating the club head and the faceplate includes heating the club head and the faceplate to between 550° C. and 1200° C. for between 1 hour and 2 hours.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein heating the club head and the faceplate includes heating the club head and the faceplate to between 575° C. and 1200° C. for between 1 hour and 2 hours.

Assignees

• Karsten Mfg Corp

Inventors

• Simone Matthew W
• Greer Evan R
• Stokke Ryan M

Classifications

• A63B53/0466

  wood-type · CPC title

• C21D1/613

  Gases; Liquefied or solidified normally gaseous material · CPC title

• B23K10/02

  Plasma welding · CPC title

• C22F1/183

  of titanium or alloys based thereon · CPC title

• A63B2209/00

  Characteristics of used materials · CPC title