Golf club head and manufacturing method therefor
A golf club head includes a body on which a striking plate is mounted, a hosel to which a shaft is mounted, and a heel formed between the striking plate and the hosel. The heel includes at least one opening, providing the heel with a uniformly thin wall thickness. The mold cavity of the mold for the golf club head may include only one inlet through which molten iron is poured into the mold cavity, providing a molding flow in a single direction and improving solidification of the iron. The casting quality of the golf club head is thus improved. The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing the golf club head.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf club head. In particular, the present invention relates to a golf club head including a heel that has an opening defined therein for improving casting quality of the golf club head. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing the golf club head.
2. Description of Related Art
However, in a case that a pattern assembly 10 with at least two inlets 13 is used, two molding flows flowing in different directions are apt to form in the mold cavity 12, prohibiting uniform alignment and solidification of crystalline grains, which adversely affects mechanical properties of the casting of the golf club head 20 and thus could not avoid generation of the casting flaw in the heel 22. Further, the number of the molds 11 of the pattern assembly 10 is limited if each mold 11 has at least two inlets 13. The production capacity per time unit or per space unit is reduced.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTIONAn object of the present invention is to provide a golf club head with improved casting quality.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a golf club head that can be manufactured at an increased production rate.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a golf club head with improved mechanical properties.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a mold for a golf club head, wherein the mold has an opening to improve the strength of the mold and to improve the wax-releasing efficiency, increasing the good product ratio for the molds and shortening the casting procedure for the golf club head.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a golf club head.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA golf club head in accordance with the present invention includes a body, a hosel, and a heel. The heel has at least one opening. The golf club head is cast in a mold cavity of a mold. A striking plate is mounted to the body, and the hosel can be engaged with a shaft. The heel is formed between the striking plate and the hosel. The opening is so formed that the heel has a uniformly thin wall thickness. The mold cavity of the mold may include only one inlet, which forms a molding flow in a single direction during casting, improving the casting quality of the golf club head.
A better molding flow is provided in an area of the mold that is adjacent to the opening of the golf club head. The number of the inlet for the mold cavity is reduced, the casting quality of the golf club head is improved, and the production rate is increased. Another advantage of the single inlet for the mold cavity is that it is apt to form a molding flow in a single direction such that the crystalline grains solidify uniformly, improving the mechanical properties of the golf club head. The mold has a mold hole in a position corresponding to the opening of the golf club head, which improves the strength of the mold and the wax-releasing efficiency, increasing the good product ratio for the molds and shortening the casting procedure for the golf club head.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of this invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the present invention are now to be described hereinafter in detail, in which the same reference numerals are used in the preferred embodiments for the same parts as those in the prior art to avoid redundant description.
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The opening 24 in the heel 22 extends from a front side of the heel 22 through a rear side of the heel 22. The opening 24 is so formed that the heel 22 has a uniformly thin wall thickness. Namely, the wall thickness surrounding the opening 24 is preferably smaller than that of the remaining portion of the golf club head 20. Thus, the opening 24 advantageously improves the molding flow property during precision casting of the golf club head 20, thereby improving the casting quality of the golf club head 20. The principle of improving the casting quality by the opening 24 will be described in detail with reference to
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While the principles of this invention have been disclosed in connection with specific embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that these descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, and that any modification and variation without departing the spirit of the invention is intended to be covered by the scope of this invention defined only by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A golf club head comprising:
- a body, a striking plate being adapted to be mounted to the body;
- a hosel, a shaft being adapted to be engaged with the hosel; and
- a heel formed between the striking plate and the hosel, the heel including at least one opening for improving casting quality of the golf club head.
2. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one opening extends from a front side of the heel through a rear side of the heel.
3. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one opening extends from a top side of the heel through a bottom side of the heel.
4. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein the golf club head is cast by means of pouring molten water into a mold cavity of a mold, the mold including a single inlet for forming a molding flow in a single direction.
5. The golf club head as claimed in claim 4, wherein the inlet faces a toe of the mold cavity.
6. The golf club head as claimed in claim 4, wherein the inlet faces a sole of the mold cavity.
7. The golf club head as claimed in claim 4, wherein the mold cavity of the mold includes a mold hole for forming the opening in the golf club head.
8. The golf club head as claimed in claim 7, wherein the mold cavity and the mold hole of the mold are formed by means of a wax-releasing process.
9. The golf club head as claimed in claim 8, wherein the wax-releasing process uses a sand core for forming the mold hole of the mold.
10. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one opening provides the heel with a uniform wall thickness.
11. A method for manufacturing a golf club head, comprising:
- producing a plurality of wax patterns each having a predetermined golf club head shape, each said wax pattern including a wax hole;
- attaching the wax patterns to a feeder and immersing the feeder and the wax patterns into zirconium slurry and stucco, forming a pattern assembly including a plurality of molds each having a mold cavity, an inlet, and a mold hole;
- releasing wax in the mold cavity of the respective mold;
- pouring molten iron via a common inlet of the pattern assembly and the inlet of the respective mold into the mold cavity of the respective mold, thereby forming a plurality of golf club heads each including a heel that has an opening in a position corresponding to the wax hole mold hole of the respective mold.
12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the inlet of the respective mold faces a toe of the mold cavity of the respective mold.
13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the inlet of the respective mold faces a sole of the mold cavity of the respective mold.
14. The method as claimed in claim 1, further including a step of engaging at least one sand core in the respective wax pattern, said at least one sand core having a shape the same as that of said at least one opening of the respective golf club head.
15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said at least one opening of the heel extends from a front side of the heel through a rear side of the heel.
16. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said at least one opening of the heel extends from a top side of the heel through a bottom side of the heel.
17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said at least one opening tapers upwardly.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 4, 2003
Publication Date: May 5, 2005
Inventor: Chan-Tung Chen (Kaohsiung)
Application Number: 10/699,731