Extruded golf club head and method of manufacture

Abstract

A golf club head is machined from an extruded bar having an irregular cross-section that is near-net-shape to the vertical profile of the club. To form the club head, the extruded bar is sliced into a club head blank. The blank is secured to a machining fixture and machined into the final configuration. Because the club head blanks are formed from an extrusion that is already near-net-shape to the profile of the club, less metal is removed during the machining operations, which results in faster process times, less wasted material and therefore substantial cost savings over the prior art methods of manufacturing golf club heads.

1 . A method of manufacturing a golf club head having a face adapted for striking a golf ball and a body extending rearward from the face, the method comprising: 
 extruding a solid material to form an elongate bar having a longitudinal axis and an irregular cross section normal to the longitudinal axis, said irregular cross section being near-net-shape to a final profile of said golf club head;    forming a club head blank by severing a portion of said elongate bar along a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the elongate bar;    forming a datum in said club head blank;    attaching said club head blank to a machining fixture using said datum as a reference point; and    machining said club head blank to form a completed golf club head, wherein at least a portion of the face and the body of said golf club head are formed from a single club head blank.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the irregular cross section has a near-net-shape to a front profile of said golf club head.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the front profile of said golf club head has a predetermined area projected onto a vertical plane parallel to a horizontal line tangent to the face; and    the irregular cross section of the elongate bar has an area that is no more than 100 percent greater than the predetermined area of the front profile.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein: 
 the front profile of said golf club head has a predetermined area projected onto a vertical plane parallel to a horizontal line tangent to the face; and    the irregular cross section of the elongate bar has an area that is no more than 70 percent greater than the predetermined area of the front profile.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the irregular cross section has a near-net-shape to a side profile of said golf club head.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein: 
 the side profile of said golf club head has a predetermined area projected onto a vertical plane normal to the face; and    the irregular cross section of the elongate bar has an area that is no more than 50 percent greater than the predetermined area of the side profile.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein: 
 the side profile of said golf club head has a predetermined area projected onto a vertical plane normal to the face; and    the irregular cross section of the elongate bar has an area that is no more than 35 percent greater than the predetermined area of the side profile.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said golf club head further comprises a hose1 shank and at least a portion of the body and hose1 shank of said golf club head are formed from a single club head blank.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the solid material comprises a metal.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein: 
 the metal comprises an aluminum alloy.    
   
   
       11 . A method of manufacturing a golf club head having a main body and a hose1 shank, said golf club having a front profile and a side profile, the method comprising: 
 extruding a solid material to form an elongate bar having a longitudinal axis and an irregular cross section normal to the longitudinal axis, said irregular cross section being near-net-shape to the front profile of said golf club;    forming a club head blank by severing a portion of said elongate bar;    forming a datum in said club head blank;    attaching said club head blank to a machining fixture using said datum as a reference point; and    machining said club head blank to form a completed golf club head, wherein at least a portion of the face and the body of said golf club head are formed from a single club head blank.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein: 
 at least a portion of the body and hose1 shank of said golf club head are formed from a single club head blank.    
   
   
       13 . A golf club comprising: 
 a machined face adapted for impacting a golf ball;    a machined body extending rearward from said machined face, said machined face and machined body formed together by machining a single club head blank, the club head blank being formed by severing a portion of an elongate bar of extruded solid material having a longitudinal axis and an irregular cross section along a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis, the irregular cross section of the elongate bar having a near-net-shape to a vertical profile of said golf club head.    
   
   
       14 . The golf club of  claim 13 , wherein: 
 the vertical profile of said golf club head comprises a front profile; and    the irregular cross section of the elongate bar has an area that is no more than 100 percent larger than the area of the front profile of the golf club head.    
   
   
       15 . The golf club of  claim 13 , wherein: 
 the vertical profile of said golf club head comprises a side profile; and    the irregular cross section of the elongate bar has an area that is no more than 50 percent larger than the area of the side profile of the golf club head.