US2022371079A1PendingUtilityA1

Striking face of a golf club head

Assignee: ACUSHNET COPriority: Apr 8, 2020Filed: Jul 29, 2022Published: Nov 24, 2022
Est. expiryApr 8, 2040(~13.7 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
A63B 53/0416A63B 53/0466B21K 17/00B21J 1/06
45
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
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References
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Claims

Abstract

Manufacturing methods for manufacturing a striking face of a golf club head. An example method includes: cutting a near-beta titanium alloy into a pre-forged face insert; providing the pre-forged face insert into a heating apparatus for a duration of less than 10 minutes; heating the pre-forged face insert to a temperature between about 740° Celsius (° C.) and 780° C.; forging the heated, pre-forged face insert to form a forged face insert; and attaching the forged face insert to a body of the golf club head to form the striking face of the golf club head.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for manufacturing a striking face of a golf club head, the method comprising:
 cutting a near-beta titanium alloy into a pre-forged face insert;   providing the pre-forged face insert into a heating apparatus for a duration of less than 10 minutes;   heating the pre-forged face insert to a temperature between about 740° Celsius (° C.) and 780° C.;   forging the heated, pre-forged face insert to form a forged face insert; and   attaching the forged face insert to a body of the golf club head to form the striking face of the golf club head.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-forged face insert has a thickness (T), and the forging causes a significant deformation to be formed in the forged face insert, the significant deformation including a protrusion having a depth (D) that is at least 25% of the thickness (T) of the pre-forged face insert. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the protrusion depth (D) is less than 50% of the thickness (T) of the pre-forged insert. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the duration is between 6-8 minutes. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the titanium alloy has a molybdenum equivalency (MoE) of about 8 to about 10. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the golf club head has a Strength over Hardness Ratio of greater than about 6.0 ksi/HRC, wherein the Strength to Hardness Ratio is defined as: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     
                       
                         
                           ( 
                           
                             
                               UTS 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               of 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               striking 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               face 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               portion 
                             
                               
                             - 
                           
                         
                       
                     
                     
                       
                         
                           
                             
                               UTS 
                               ⁢ 
                               
                                   
                                    
                               
                               ⁢ 
                                  
                               of 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               body 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               portion 
                             
                                
                             ) 
                           
                             
                         
                       
                     
                   
                   
                     
                       
                         
                           ( 
                           
                             
                               Hardness 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               of 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               striking 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               face 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               portion 
                             
                               
                             - 
                           
                         
                       
                     
                     
                       
                         
                           
                             Hardness 
                             ⁢ 
                                 
                             of 
                             ⁢ 
                                 
                             body 
                             ⁢ 
                                 
                             portion 
                           
                           ) 
                         
                       
                     
                   
                 
                 = 
                 
                   Strength 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   over 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   Hardness 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   Ratio 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         where UTS is Ultimate Tensile Strength. 
       
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the golf club head has a Strength over Hardness Ratio of greater than about 11 ksi/HRC. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the golf club head has a MOR Ratio of greater than about 1.25, the MOR Ratio defined as: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   MOR 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   of 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   striking 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   face 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   portion 
                 
                 
                   MOR 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   of 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   body 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   portion 
                 
               
               = 
               
                 MOR 
                 ⁢ 
                     
                 
                   Ratio 
                   . 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the golf club head has a MOR Ratio of greater than about 1.35. 
     
     
         10 . A method for manufacturing a striking face of a golf club head, the method comprising:
 cutting a titanium alloy into a pre-forged face insert, the titanium alloy has a molybdenum equivalency (MoE) of about 6 to about 10;   providing the pre-forged face insert into a heating apparatus for a duration of less than 10 minutes;   heating the pre-forged face insert to a temperature between about 740° Celsius (° C.) and 780° C.;   raw forging the heated, pre-forged face insert to form a raw-forged face insert;   providing the raw-forged face insert into the heating apparatus for a duration of less than 10 minutes;   heating the raw-forged face insert to a temperature between about 740° Celsius (° C.) and 780° C.;   detail forging the heated, raw forged face insert to form a detail-forged face insert; and   attaching the attaching the detail-forged face insert to a body of the golf club head to form the striking face of the golf club head.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the titanium alloy has a molybdenum equivalency (MoE) of about 8 to about 10. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the golf club head has a Strength over Hardness Ratio of greater than about 6.0 ksi/HRC, wherein the Strength to Hardness Ratio is defined as: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     
                       
                         
                           ( 
                           
                             
                               UTS 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               of 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               striking 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               face 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               portion 
                             
                               
                             - 
                           
                         
                       
                     
                     
                       
                         
                           
                             
                               UTS 
                               ⁢ 
                               
                                   
                                    
                               
                               ⁢ 
                                  
                               of 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               body 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               portion 
                             
                                
                             ) 
                           
                             
                         
                       
                     
                   
                   
                     
                       
                         
                           ( 
                           
                             
                               Hardness 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               of 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               striking 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               face 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               portion 
                             
                               
                             - 
                           
                         
                       
                     
                     
                       
                         
                           
                             Hardness 
                             ⁢ 
                                 
                             of 
                             ⁢ 
                                 
                             body 
                             ⁢ 
                                 
                             portion 
                           
                           ) 
                         
                       
                     
                   
                 
                 = 
                 
                   Strength 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   over 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   Hardness 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   Ratio 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         where UTS is Ultimate Tensile Strength. 
       
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the golf club head has a Strength over Hardness Ratio of greater than about 11 ksi/HRC. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the golf club head has a MOR Ratio of greater than about 1.25, the MOR Ratio defined as: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   MOR 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   of 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   striking 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   face 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   portion 
                 
                 
                   MOR 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   of 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   body 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   portion 
                 
               
               = 
               
                 MOR 
                 ⁢ 
                     
                 
                   Ratio 
                   . 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the golf club head has a MOR Ratio of greater than about 1.35. 
     
     
         16 . A method of manufacturing a striking face of a golf club head, the method comprising:
 cutting a near-beta titanium alloy into a pre-forged face insert having a thickness (T);   providing the pre-forged face insert into a heating apparatus for a duration between 6-8 minutes;   heating the pre-forged face insert to a temperature between about 740° Celsius (° C.) and 780° C.;   forging the heated, pre-forged face insert to form a forged face insert with a significant deformation, the significant deformation including a protrusion having a depth (D) that is at least 25% of the thickness (T) of the pre-forged face insert; and   attaching the forged face insert to a body of the golf club head to form the striking face of the golf club head.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the near-beta titanium alloy has a molybdenum equivalency (MoE) of about 8 to about 10. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the golf club head has a Strength over Hardness Ratio of greater than about 6.0 ksi/HRC, wherein the Strength to Hardness Ratio is defined as: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   
                     
                       
                         
                           ( 
                           
                             
                               UTS 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               of 
                               ⁢ 
                                 
                               striking 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               face 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               portion 
                             
                               
                             - 
                           
                         
                       
                     
                     
                       
                         
                           
                             
                               UTS 
                               ⁢ 
                               
                                   
                                    
                               
                               ⁢ 
                                  
                               of 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               body 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               portion 
                             
                                
                             ) 
                           
                             
                         
                       
                     
                   
                   
                     
                       
                         
                           ( 
                           
                             
                               Hardness 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               of 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               striking 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               face 
                               ⁢ 
                                   
                               portion 
                             
                               
                             - 
                           
                         
                       
                     
                     
                       
                         
                           
                             Hardness 
                             ⁢ 
                                 
                             of 
                             ⁢ 
                                 
                             body 
                             ⁢ 
                                 
                             portion 
                           
                           ) 
                         
                       
                     
                   
                 
                 = 
                 
                   Strength 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   over 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   Hardness 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   Ratio 
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
         where UTS is Ultimate Tensile Strength. 
       
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the golf club head has a MOR Ratio of greater than about 1.25, the MOR Ratio defined as: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   MOR 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   of 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   striking 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   face 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   portion 
                 
                 
                   MOR 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   of 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   body 
                   ⁢ 
                       
                   portion 
                 
               
               = 
               
                 MOR 
                 ⁢ 
                     
                 
                   Ratio 
                   . 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the protrusion depth (D) is less than 50% of the thickness (T) of the pre-forged insert.

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