IP Library Granted Patent US 10,888,917
Granted Patent B2
US 10,888,917 · App. 16/255,576 · Granted Jan 12, 2021

Co-forged golf club head and method of manufacture

Inventor: Jonathan A. Hebreo (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: Acushnet Company
B21K17/00
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,888,917
App. No.
16/255,576
Granted
Jan 12, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A co-forged iron type golf club is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention discloses a co-forged iron type golf club with the body portion made out of a first material and at least one weight adjustment portion monolithically encased within the body portion of the co-forged iron type golf club head without the need for secondary attachment or machining operations. The present invention creates of an iron type golf club head from a pre-form billet that already contains two or more materials before the actual forging process resulting in a multi-material golf club head that doesn't require any post manufacturing operations such as machining, welding, swaging, gluing, and the like.

Claims (35)

1. A method of forging a golf club head comprising:

begin by pre-forging a cylindrical billet, made out of a first material, to create a body portion comprising one or more cavities into said body portion of said golf club head,

at least partially filling said one or more cavities with a second material to create a weight adjustment portion;

providing a cap to at least partially encase said weight adjustment portion within said one or more cavities; and

finalize by post-forging said body portion containing said weight adjustment portion to create said golf club head,

wherein said weight adjustment portion is retained within said one or more cavities of said golf club head via said cap.

2. The method of forging a golf club head of claim 1 , wherein an outer surface area of said at least one weight adjustment portion equals an inner surface area of said at least one cavity.

3. The method of forging a golf club head of claim 2 , wherein said first material has a first thermal expansion coefficient and said second material has a second thermal expansion coefficient;

wherein said first thermal expansion coefficient is greater than or equal to said second thermal expansion coefficient.

4. The method of forging a golf club head of claim 3 , wherein said first thermal expansion coefficient is about 8.0 μin/in° F.

5. The method of forging a golf club head of claim 4 , wherein said second thermal expansion coefficient is about 8.0 μin/in° F.

6. The method of forging a golf club head of claim 1 , wherein said second material has a higher density than said first material.

7. The method of forging a golf club head of claim 6 , wherein said first material has a density of about 7.8 g/cc.

8. The method of forging a golf club head of claim 1 , wherein said second material has a lower density than said first material.

9. The method of forging a golf club head of claim 1 , wherein said at least one cavity further comprises:

a heel cavity located at a lower heel portion of said body portion, and

a toe cavity located at a lower toe portion of said body portion,

wherein said heel cavity and said toe cavity are disconnected from one another.

10. The method of forging a golf club head of claim 1 , further comprising a step of trimming off a flash material before said step of post-forging said body portion.

11. A method of forging a golf club head comprising:

first, bending a cylindrical billet to create a hosel portion and a blade portion of said golf club head,

second, pre-forging said cylindrical billet, made out of a first material, to create a body portion comprising one or more cavities into said body portion of said golf club head,

third, at least partially filling said one or more cavities with a second material to create a weight adjustment portion;

fourth, providing a cap to at least partially encase said weight adjustment portion within said one or more cavities; and

fifth, post-forging said body portion containing said weight adjustment portion to create said golf club head,

wherein said at least one cavity further comprises;

a heel cavity located at a lower heel portion of said body portion, And

a toe cavity located at a lower toe portion of said body portion,

wherein said heel cavity and said toe cavity are disconnected from one another.

12. The method of forging a golf club head of claim 11 , wherein said second material has a higher density than said first material.

13. The method of forging a golf club head of claim 12 , wherein said first material has a density of about 7.8 g/cc.

14. The method of forging a golf club head of claim 13 , wherein said first material has a first thermal expansion coefficient and said second material has a second thermal expansion coefficient;

wherein said first thermal expansion coefficient is greater than or equal to said second thermal expansion coefficient.

15. The method of forging a golf club head of claim 14 , wherein said first thermal expansion coefficient is about 8.0 μin/in° F.

16. The method of forging a golf club head of claim 15 , wherein said second thermal expansion coefficient is about 8.0 μin/in° F.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS (ASSIGNS 051618-0777) Recorded Aug 3, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS RESIGNING ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS SUCCESSOR ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 061069/0731 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 3, 2022
From: ACUSHNET COMPANY
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 061099/0236 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 15, 2020
From: ACUSHNET COMPANY
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 051618/0777 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 23, 2019
From: HEBREO, JONATHAN A.
To: ACUSHNET COMPANY
Reel/Frame 048113/0236 →