Striking plate for a golf club head

Abstract

A striking plate for a golf club head includes a sweet spot region made of a first metal piece, and a non-sweet spot region surrounding the sweet spot region and defining an opening that receives the first metal piece. The sweet spot region has a striking surface flush with that of the non-sweet spot region. The non-sweet spot region is made of a second metal piece. The first and second metal pieces have crystalline phases with different crystallographic orientations.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a striking plate for a golf club head, more particularly to a striking plate for a golf club head having improved striking stability and controllability.

2. Description of the Related Art

Referring to Figures land 2, a conventional striking plate 11 of a golf club head 1 is made integrally of a single metal material, such as titanium, magnesium, aluminum, or the like. Therefore, the conventional striking plate 11 has a crystalline phase with a uniform crystallographic orientation. When the conventional striking plate 11 is stricken by a golf ball, the striking stress imparted on a sweet spot region (A) of the conventional striking plate 11 will be transmitted directly to a peripheral edge of the striking plate 11, and is then transmitted to a head body 12 of the golf club head 1. The term “sweet spot region” as used herein is a substantially center region of a striking plate of a golf club head which is an ideal striking region to impose a relatively large reactive force onto the stricken golf ball so that the stricken golf ball can travel a relatively far distance.

In view of the aforesaid, when the conventional striking plate 11 is stricken by the golf ball, the striking stress on the sweet spot region can not reside in this region for a desirably long period. Therefore, a reactive force feedback to the stricken golf ball may not be sufficient, and the striking effect of the conventional striking plate 11 is not satisfactory. Additionally, the striking stability and the direction controllability of the striking plate 11 are also limited thereby.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a striking plate for a golf club head which is improved in terms of striking stability, direction controllability, and structural strength.

Accordingly, a striking plate of a golf club head of this invention includes a sweet spot region made of a first metal piece, and a non-sweet spot region surrounding the sweet spot region and defining an opening that receives the first metal piece. The sweet spot region has a striking surface flush with that of the non-sweet spot region. The non-sweet spot region is made of a second metal piece. The first and second metal pieces have crystalline phases with different crystallographic orientations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional striking plate used in a golf club head;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the conventional striking plate;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of a striking plate according to this invention, which is used in a golf club head;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a second preferred embodiment of a striking plate according to this invention;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a third preferred embodiment of a striking plate according to this invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a fourth preferred embodiment of a striking plate according to this invention; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a fifth preferred embodiment of a striking plate according to this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the first preferred embodiment of a striking plate 31 according to this invention is shown to be mounted on a hollow head body 32 so as to make a golf club head 3. The striking plate 31 includes a sweet spot region 311 made of a first metal piece, and a non-sweet spot region 312 surrounding the sweet spot region 311 and defining an opening 310 that receives the first metal piece. The sweet spot region 311 has a striking surface flush with that of the non-sweet spot region 312. The non-sweet spot region 312 is made of a second metal piece. According to the present invention, the first and second metal pieces are arranged such that crystalline phases thereof have different crystallographic orientations.

To provide different crystallographic orientations, the first and second metal pieces can be made of different metals. In an example, the first metal piece is made of a metal, such as stainless steel or alloy steel, having a mechanical strength higher than that of a metal, such as titanium, for the second metal piece. Examples of the metal suitable for each of the first and second metal pieces include stainless steel, alloy steel, molybdenum, vanadium, zirconium, titanium, aluminum, magnesium, and the like. The first metal piece is glued to the second metal piece. Alternatively, the first and second metal pieces can be bonded together by other suitable methods, such as welding, press fitting, interlocking, etc.

Different crystallographic orientations may also be provided by forming the first and second metal pieces at different forming conditions and by heat treating the first and second metal pieces at different heat treatment conditions. In addition, the first and second metal pieces may also be provided from the same metal plate by shearing the metal plate using a punch so that the metal plate is divided into a surrounding part having a hole and a middle part within the hole. When the middle part is rotated relative to the surrounding part, the crystallographic orientation of the middle part is different from that of the surrounding part.

Since the first and second metal pieces have crystalline phases with different crystallographic orientations, the striking stress imparted on the sweet spot region 311 of the striking plate 31 by a golf ball can reside on the sweet spot region 311 for a relatively long period by reducing the transmission rate of the striking stress from the sweet spot region 311 toward the non-sweet spot region 312. Therefore, a relatively large reactive force is imposed onto the stricken golf ball so that the stricken golf ball can travel a relatively far distance. Furthermore, the striking stability and the direction controllability of a golf club head can also be improved thereby.

Referring to FIG. 5, the second preferred embodiment of a striking plate 31 according to this invention is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodiment except that the non-sweet spot region 312 has a substantially L-shaped cross section.

Referring to FIG. 6, the third preferred embodiment of a striking plate 31 according to this invention is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodiment except that the non-sweet spot region 312 has a substantially U-shaped cross section.

Referring to FIG. 7, the fourth preferred embodiment of a striking plate 31 according to this invention is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodiment except that the sweet spot region 311 protrudes inwardly from the non-sweet spot region 312. Referring to FIG. 8, the fifth preferred embodiment of a striking plate 31 according to this invention is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodiment except that the non-sweet spot region 312 has a flange 313 projecting inwardly from an edge of the non-sweet spot region 312 that confines the opening 310. The flange 313 surrounds the first metal piece (i.e., the sweet spot region 311).

While the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

Claims

1. A striking plate for a golf club head, comprising:

a sweet spot region made of a first metal piece; and

a non-sweet spot region surrounding said sweet spot region and defining an opening that receives said first metal piece, said sweet spot region having a striking surface flush with that of said non-sweet spot region, said non-sweet spot region being made of a second metal piece, said first and second metal pieces having crystalline phases with different crystallographic orientations.

2. The striking plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first metal piece is glued to said second metal piece.

3. The striking plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first metal piece is welded to said second metal piece.

4. The striking plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first metal piece is press fitted to said second metal piece.

5. The striking plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first metal piece is interlocked with said second metal piece.

6. The striking plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second metal pieces are made of a same metal.

7. The striking plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second metal pieces are made of different metals.

8. The striking plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said first and second metal pieces is made of a metal selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, alloy steel, molybdenum, vanadium, zirconium, titanium, aluminum, and magnesium.

9. The striking plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sweet spot region protrudes inwardly from said non-sweet spot region.

10. The striking plate as claimed in claim 1, wherein said non-sweet spot region has a flange projecting inwardly from an edge of said non-sweet spot region that confines said opening, said flange surrounding said first metal piece.

11. A striking plate for a golf club head, comprising:

a sweet spot region made of a first metal piece; and

a non-sweet spot region surrounding said sweet spot region and defining an opening that receives said first metal piece, said sweet spot region having a striking surface flush with that of said non-sweet spot region, said non-sweet spot region being made of a second metal piece.