Method of manufacturing a gold club head having a suspended face insert
A method of manufacturing a golf club head having a face insert that is mechanically isolated from the body of the club head involves inserting a face insert into a cavity formed in the body. The face insert is suspended above a bottom wall of the cavity by tabs that rest on the front face of the body. A curable liquid material, such as polyurethane, is injected between the face insert and the cavity. Once the polyurethane is cured, the tabs are machined off leaving a striking surface on the face insert that is flush with the front face of the body. Since the only part of the face insert that was in contact with the body is removed during the machining operation, the face insert is completely isolated from the body by the cured polyurethane.
1. A method of manufacturing a golf club head comprising:
providing a golf club head comprising a body made of a first material, said body having a front face with a cavity formed therein, the cavity being defined by a bottom wall and a side wall;
providing a face insert made of a second material, said face insert comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, an outer portion and an inner portion, said outer portion having a side surface and at least one tab extending outward from said side surface beyond said side wall of said cavity, said inner portion of said face insert being sized to fit within said cavity with clearance between said insert and the side wall of said cavity;
inserting said inner portion of said face insert into said cavity so that said at least one tab on said outer portion remains extended beyond said side wall of said cavity and contacts said front face of said body so that said face insert is suspended in said cavity;
injecting a curable liquid material into said cavity;
curing said curable liquid material into a cured solid material so that said face insert is held within said cavity solely by said cured solid material; and
removing a portion of said front face together with said outer portion of said face insert and any part of said inner portion of said face insert that is in contact with the side wall of said cavity, thereby yielding a golf club head with a new striking surface on said face insert, a new front face on said body, and a face insert that is fully isolated from said cavity by said curable liquid material;
wherein said face insert further comprises an intermediate portion between said outer portion and said inner portion, said intermediate portion having a side surface located outward beyond a side surface of said inner portion to provide a close fit with said side wall of said cavity; and
the removing of said outer portion of said face insert together with a portion of said front face further comprises removing said intermediate portion of said face insert.