Golf Clubs and Methods of Manufacture

Abstract

Embodiments of golf clubs and methods of manufacture are generally described herein. In one embodiment, manufacturing a face plate for a golf club head comprises positioning a label in a mold apparatus, positioning a mold compound over the label and the mold apparatus, and changing the mold compound to a solid form. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

1 . A method of manufacturing a face plate for a golf club head comprising:
 providing a label;   providing a mold apparatus;   positioning the label in the mold apparatus;   providing a mold compound in a non-solid form;   positioning the mold compound over the label and in the mold apparatus; and   changing the mold compound to a solid form after positioning the mold compound over the label and in the mold apparatus.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 curing the face plate after changing the mold compound to the solid form;   ejecting the face plate from the mold apparatus; and   finishing the face plate.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 providing the label further comprises:
 providing the label to comprise a polyester-based material. 
   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 providing the label further comprises;
 providing the label to comprise a urethane material. 
   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 providing the label further comprises:
 providing the label to comprise at lease one of an aliphatic material or an aromatic material. 
   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 providing the face plate to have a Shore D hardness value of approximately 65 to approximately 80.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 providing the mold compound further comprises:
 providing the mold compound to comprise a polyester-based mold compound. 
   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 providing the mold compound further comprises:
 providing the mold compound to comprise a urethane mold compound material. 
   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 providing the mold compound further comprises:
 providing the mold compound to comprise an aromatic mold compound. 
   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 providing the mold compound further comprises:
 providing the mold compound to comprise a thermoplastic mold compound. 
   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 providing the mold compound further comprises:
 providing the mold compound to comprise a polyester-based, aromatic, polyurethane, thermoplastic having a Shore D hardness value of approximately 65 to approximately 80. 
   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 providing the mold apparatus comprises:
 providing the mold apparatus to comprise:
 a recess to hold the label and the mold compound; 
 a runner to guide the mold compound from a source to the recess: and 
 a gate between the runner and the recess. 
 
   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein:
 positioning the label in the mold apparatus comprises:
 positioning the label in the mold apparatus such that the gate is spaced at least 1.20 millimeters above the label. 
   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein:
 positioning the label in the mold apparatus comprises:
 positioning the label in the mold apparatus such that the gate is adjacent to a center of a length of the label; and 
 providing the label comprises:
 providing a length of the label to be larger than a width of the label. 
 
   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 providing the label comprises:
 providing the label to have a thickness of approximately 01.20 millimeters to approximately 0.650 millimeters. 
   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 providing the label comprises:
 providing a liner coupled to the label; and 
 positioning the label in the mold apparatus comprises; 
 positioning the label and the liner in the mold apparatus. 
   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising:
 positioning the mold compound over the label and in the mold apparatus comprises:
 positioning the mold compound over the label and the liner in the mold apparatus; 
 removing the mold compound, the label, and the liner from the mold apparatus; and 
 after removing the mold compound the label, and the liner from the mold apparatus, removing the liner from the label. 
   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein:
 positioning the mold compound over the label and in the mold apparatus comprises:
 positioning the mold compound over the label such that the label separates the liner from the mold compound. 
   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 positioning the mold compound over the label and in the mold apparatus comprises:
 forming a body; and 
 forming a rib circumscribing the body. 
   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 positioning the mold compound over the label and in the mold apparatus comprises:
 adhering the mold compound to the label to form the face plate for the golf club head; and 
 the golf club head is a putter head. 
   
   
   
       21 . A method of manufacturing a golf club comprising:
 providing a face plate comprising a label, wherein providing the face plate comprises:
 providing a mold apparatus; 
 providing a label; 
 positioning the label in the mold apparatus; 
 providing a mold compound in a non-solid form; 
 positioning the mold compound over the label and in the mold apparatus; 
 changing the mold compound from the non-solid form to a solid form; and 
 removing the face plate from the mold apparatus; 
   inserting the face plate into a face opening of a golf club head;   securing the face plate the face opening of the golf club head; and   coupling the golf club head to a shaft.   
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein:
 providing the mold compound further comprises:
 providing the mold compound to comprise a polyester-based, aromatic, polyurethane, thermoplastic having a Shore D hardness value of approximately 65 to approximately 80; and 
 providing the label further comprises:
 providing the label to comprise a polyester based, urethane, aromatic material. 
 
   
   
   
       23 . A golf club head comprising:
 a golf club head body comprising a face plate opening;   a race plate in the face plate opening wherein,
 the face plate comprises a face plate body comprising a label molded to a mold compound in a mold apparatus, and 
   the face plate body further comprises a rib circumscribing the face plate body;   an adhesive to secure the face plate in the face plate opening; and   a filler material to fill a void in the face plate opening and between the golf club head body and the face plate positioned in the face plate opening.   
   
   
       24 . The golf club head of  claim 23  wherein:
 the filler material comprises at least one of an epoxy or a paint.   
   
   
       25 . The golf club head of  claim 23  wherein:
 the filler material comprises a paint.   
   
   
       26 . The golf club head of  claim 23  wherein:
 the label comprises a thickness of approximately 0.120 millimeters to approximately 0.650 millimeters.   
   
   
       27 . The golf club head of  claim 23  wherein:
 the mold compound comprises a polyester-based, aromatic, polyurethane, thermoplastic having a Shore D hardness value of approximately 65 to approximately 80.   
   
   
       28 . The golf club head of  claim 23  wherein:
 the label comprises an aromatic, urethane, polyester-based material.   
   
   
       29 . The golf club head of  claim 23  wherein:
 the rib comprises a position approximately 2.0 millimeters below a front portion of the face plate body.