Multi-stage forging process

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a forged iron type golf club head with a cavity. The method of manufacturing comprises forming a billet into an intermediate club head body with a strike face comprising an upper region and a lower region; hot pressing a cavity into the rear portion of the intermediate body; and bending the strike face of the intermediate club head body to form a golf club head with a cavity and a planar strike face. Other embodiments are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a golf club head, the method comprising:
 a rough forging step, wherein:
 the rough forging step forms a billet into an intermediate club head body by means of forging; 
 the intermediate club head body comprises an intermediate strike face having an upper region and a lower region; 
 the intermediate strike face is bent such that the upper region is angled relative to the lower region; 
   a hot-pressing step, wherein a cavity is formed into the intermediate club head body by means of hot-pressing;   and a precision forging step, wherein:
 the intermediate club head body is formed into a final club head body by means of forging; 
 the final club head body comprises a final strike face that is planar. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of manufacturing the golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the cavity comprises a volume ranging between 0.2 in 3  and 0.4 in 3 . 
     
     
         3 . The method of manufacturing the golf club head of  claim 1 , further comprising: fixing an insert within the cavity. 
     
     
         4 . The method of manufacturing the golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein the insert can be fixed within the cavity via adhesion, press-fitting, mechanical fastening, or any other suitable methods of securing the insert. 
     
     
         5 . The method of manufacturing the golf club head of  claim 4 , wherein a percentage of the cavity that is occupied by the insert ranges between 95%-100%. 
     
     
         6 . The method of manufacturing the golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the golf club head comprises a loft angle between 19° and 60°. 
     
     
         7 . The method of manufacturing the golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the billet does not monolithically encase any other material. 
     
     
         8 . The method of manufacturing the golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein the cavity of the golf club head extends in a direction from a heel end to a toe end of the golf club head. 
     
     
         9 . The method of manufacturing the golf club head of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the cavity comprises a cavity axis;   the cavity axis passes through a nadir of the cavity;   the cavity axis exactly bisects the cavity and is equidistant from interior surface walls of the cavity;   a press angle is measured from the cavity axis to the strike face; and   the press angle ranges between 60°-90°.   
     
     
         10 . The method of manufacturing the golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the cavity further comprises a substantially triangular, rectangular, square, semi-circular, parabolic, or trapezoidal cross section. 
     
     
         11 . The method of manufacturing the golf club head of  claim 3 , wherein the insert that is fixed within the cavity comprises a mass ranging between 1.0 g and 30.0 g. 
     
     
         12 . The method of manufacturing the golf club head of  claim 11 , wherein the insert comprises a density ranging between 1.0 g/cc and 20.0 g/cc. 
     
     
         13 . The method of manufacturing the golf club head of  claim 7 , wherein the billet comprises one or more of the following metals: 8620 alloy steel, S25C steel, carbon steel, maraging steel, stainless steel, stainless steel alloy, tungsten, aluminum, aluminum alloy, or any metal suitable for forging. 
     
     
         14 . The method of manufacturing the golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the billet comprises two or more of the following metals: 8620 alloy steel, S25C steel, carbon steel, maraging steel, stainless steel, stainless steel alloy, tungsten, aluminum, aluminum alloy, or any metal suitable for forging. 
     
     
         15 . The method of manufacturing the golf club head of  claim 1 , wherein the billet comprises two or more metals, wherein at least one of the metals is 8620 alloy steel and at least one of the metals is tungsten.