US20090042667A1

US20090042667A1 - Golf club head

Info

Publication number: US20090042667A1
Application number: US11/891,151
Authority: US
Inventors: Chon-Chen Lin; Shun-Fu HU; Yen-Chi Hsu; Yu-Ting Kao
Original assignee: O Ta Precision Industry Co Ltd
Current assignee: O Ta Precision Industry Co Ltd
Priority date: 2007-08-08
Filing date: 2007-08-08
Publication date: 2009-02-12

Abstract

A golf club head includes a shell, a covering plate, and a male-and-female engagement unit. The shell includes an inner surface, an outer surface, an assembling hole extending through the inner and outer surfaces, a bounding edge bounding the assembling hole, and a flange projecting inwardly from the inner surface and the bounding edge and extending toward the assembling hole. The flange has a shoulder face that has a depth from the outer surface and that is adjacent to the bounding edge. The shoulder face extends in full length of the bounding edge. The covering plate is inserted into the assembling hole and contacts the shoulder face. The male-and-female engagement unit is provided on and interengages the covering plate and the flange.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a golf club head, more particularly to a golf club head, the center of gravity of which is lowered, and the components of which can be connected firmly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional golf club head 1 includes a shell 11 made of a metal material and having an assembling hole 10, and a covering plate 12 made of a carbon fiber material and covering the assembling hole 10. Since the specific gravity of the shell 11 is larger than that of the covering plate 12, the center of gravity of the golf club head 1 is lowered relatively as compared to that of other conventional golf club heads. A weight distribution block 13 can be optionally mounted in the shell 11 of the golf club head 1 so as to further lower the center of gravity of the golf club head 1.
However, since the carbon fiber material is relatively costly, and since the covering plate 12 should be made via a hot pressing procedure, the production cost of the conventional golf club head 1 is relatively high, and the production procedure thereof is relatively complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a golf club head, the center of gravity of which is lowered further so as to improve the striking effect and stability thereof.
Accordingly, the golf club head of this invention includes a shell, a covering plate, and a male-and-female engagement unit. The shell includes an inner surface, an outer surface, an assembling hole extending through the inner and outer surfaces, a bounding edge bounding the assembling hole, and a flange projecting inwardly from the inner surface and the bounding edge and extending toward the assembling hole. The flange has a shoulder face that has a depth from the outer surface and that is adjacent to the bounding edge. The shoulder face extends in full length of the bounding edge. The covering plate is inserted into the assembling hole and contacts the shoulder face. The male-and-female engagement unit is provided on and interengages the covering plate and the flange.

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 an exploded sectional view of a conventional golf club head;

FIG. 2 is an exploded sectional view of a first preferred embodiment of a golf club head according to this invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded sectional view of a second preferred embodiment of a golf club head according to this invention; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded sectional view of a third preferred embodiment of a golf club head 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 FIG. 2, the first preferred embodiment of a golf club head 2 according to this invention is shown to include a shell 21, a covering plate 22, and a male-and-female engagement unit 23.
The shell 21 is made of a metal material, and includes an inner surface 211, an outer surface 212, an assembling hole 213 extending through the inner and outer surfaces 211, 212, a bounding edge 214 bounding the assembling hole 213, and a flange 215 projecting inwardly from the inner surface 211 and the bounding edge 214 and extending toward the assembling hole 213. The flange 215 has a shoulder face 216 that has a depth from the outer surface 212 and that is adjacent to the bounding edge 214. The shoulder face 216 extends in full length of the bounding edge 214.
The covering plate 22 is made of a plastic material (for example, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), and is inserted into the assembling hole 213 and contacts the shoulder face 216. The covering plate 22 has an outer peripheral face 222 contacting the bounding edge 214.
The male-and-female engagement unit 23 is provided on and interengages the covering plate 22 and the flange 215. In this embodiment, the male-and-female engagement unit 23 has a groove 231 formed in the flange 215 and extending to the shoulder face 216, and a tongue 232 projecting from the covering plate 22 and engaging the groove 231. The groove 231 extends along the length of the flange 215. The tongue 232 extends along and is flush with the outer peripheral face 222.
Additionally, an adhesive is provided between the covering plate 22 and the shoulder face 216 and the groove 231 so as to enhance bonding of the covering plate 22 to the shell 21.
Referring to FIG. 3, the second preferred embodiment of a golf club head 2 according to this invention is shown to be substantially similar to the first preferred embodiment except that the tongue 232 extends along and inwardly of the outer peripheral face 222 so that the tongue 232 is spaced apart from the outer peripheral face 222.
Referring to FIG. 4, the third preferred embodiment of a golf club head 2 according to this invention is shown to be substantially similar to the first preferred embodiment except for the following. In the third preferred embodiment, the male-and-female engagement unit 23 has a plurality of through slots 233 formed in the flange 215 and extending to the shoulder face 216, and a plurality of bifurcated tongues 234 projecting from the covering plate 22 and engaging the through slots 233 correspondingly. Each of the bifurcated tongues 234 has two resilient legs 235, each of which is formed with a barbed end 236.
In view of the aforesaid, the golf club head 2 of this invention has the following advantages:
1) Since the covering plate 22 is made of a plastic material, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, it can be formed via a relatively easy procedure, such as injection molding.
2) Since the plastic material has a specific gravity lower than that of the carbon fiber material used in the prior art, the center of gravity of the golf club head 2 of the present invention is lowered further as compared to that of the prior art.
3) The male-and-female engagement unit 23 permits the covering plate 22 and the flange 215 of the shell 21 to interengage each other firmly.
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 golf club head, comprising:

a shell including an inner surface, an outer surface, an assembling hole extending through said inner and outer surfaces, a bounding edge bounding said assembling hole, and a flange projecting inwardly from said inner surface and said bounding edge and extending toward said assembling hole, said flange having a shoulder face that has a depth apart from said outer surface and that is adjacent to said bounding edge, said shoulder face extending in full length of said bounding edge;

a covering plate inserted into said assembling hole and contacting said shoulder face; and

a male-and-female engagement unit provided on and interengaging said covering plate and said flange.

2. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said male-and-female engagement unit has a groove formed in said flange and extending to said shoulder face, and a tongue projecting from said covering plate and engaging said groove.

3. The golf club head as claimed in claim 2, wherein said groove extends along the length of said flange.

4. The golf club head as claimed in claim 2, wherein said covering plate has an outer peripheral face contacting said bounding edge, said tongue extending along and being flush with said outer peripheral face.

5. The golf club head as claimed in claim 2, wherein said covering plate has an outer peripheral face contacting said bounding edge, said tongue extending along and inwardly of said outer peripheral face so that said tongue is spaced apart from said outer peripheral face.

6. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, wherein said male-and-female engagement unit has a through slot formed in said flange and extending to said shoulder face, and a bifurcated tongue projecting from said covering plate and engaging said through slot, said bifurcated tongue having two resilient legs each formed with a barbed end.

7. The golf club head as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an adhesive provided between said covering plate and said shoulder face.

8. The golf club head as claimed in claim 7, wherein said shell is made of a metal material, said covering plate being made of a plastic material and being bonded to said shell via said adhesive.