Method of manufacturing a composite golf club head

A method for forming a hollow fiber composite golf club head, the method comprising;

• placing a mandrel core of a solvent-soluble material into a flexible, pressurizable bladder formed of thin thermoplastic film to form a bladder/core assembly,
• wrapping resin impregnated reinforcing fiber around the bladder/core assembly,
• placing the wrapped bladder/core assembly into a female mold,
• pressurizing the bladder in the female mold to compact the reinforcing fiber against inner surfaces of the mold and heating the mold to cure the resin to form a cured part, such that compaction of the fiber against the mold is predominantly from the bladder pressurization and no compaction is from the mandrel core,
• injecting a solvent that dissolves the solvent-soluble material into the interior of the bladder to dissolve and remove sufficient core material to allow removal of the bladder from the interior of the cured part, and
• removing the bladder from the interior of the cured part after removal of the dissolved core material.

A method for forming a golf club head comprising:

• forming a mandrel core of a fluid removable material;
• fixing an inflation fitting to the mandrel core;
• placing the mandrel core into a flexible, pressurizable bladder formed of thin thermoplastic film with the inflation fitting extending out of an open end of the bladder, the bladder comprising thin thermoplastic sheets;
• wrapping at least one ply of resin impregnated fiber around the bladder;
• placing the wrapped bladder containing the mandrel core into a female tooling with the inflation fitting connected to a source of pressurized fluid;
• directing the pressurized fluid through the inflation fitting to pressurize the bladder and compact the resin impregnated fiber against inner surfaces of the female tooling and heating the mold to form a cured part with outer dimensions corresponding to the female tooling and a hole through which the inflation fitting extends;
• removing the cured part from the mold and removing the inflation fitting from the cured part;
• injecting fluid into the interior of the bladder through the hole to disintegrate and remove the mandrel core enough to allow removal of the bladder through the hole through which the inflation fitting extended;
• and
• removing the bladder through the hole.

A method for forming a hollow complex-three-dimensional fiber composite shape having at least one hole, the method comprising;

• placing a mandrel core of a fluid-removable material in a flexible, pressurizable bladder formed of thin thermoplastic film to form a bladder/core assembly, the bladder comprising thin flexible thermoplastic sheets,
• wrapping resin impregnated reinforcing fiber around the bladder/core assembly,
• placing the wrapped bladder/core assembly in a female mold,
• pressurizing the bladder in the female mold to compact the reinforcing fiber against inner surfaces of the mold and heating the mold to cure the resin to form a cured part, such that compaction of the fiber against the mold is predominantly from the bladder pressurization and not from the mandrel core,
• injecting solvent into the interior of the bladder through the at least one hole to disintegrate and remove core material to allow removal of the bladder from the interior of the cured part, and
• removing the bladder from the interior for the cured part.

A process for manufacturing a golf-club head comprising;

• shaping a fluid-removable core in the general form of the club head,
• placing the core into a flexible, pressurizable, fluid-removable bladder formed of thin thermoplastic film, the bladder comprising thin thermoplastic sheets,
• wrapping over the assembly of core and bladder at least one ply of fiber impregnated with a curable resin,
• placing the assembly of core, bladder, and impregnated fiber into a female mold,
• forming a cured part in the form of a golf-club head by pressurizing the bladder to force the plies against inner surfaces of the mold and heating the mold to cure the resin,
• removing the cured part from the mold,
• injecting a fluid through a hole into the interior of the part to disintegrate the fluid-removable core and the fluid removable bladder and to remove solid residues of the disintegrated core and bladder from the interior of the cured part.

A method for forming a hollow fiber composite golf club head, the method comprising;

• placing a mandrel core of a solvent-soluble material in an pressurizable bladder formed of thin thermoplastic solvent-soluble film to form a bladder/core assembly,
• wrapping resin impregnated reinforcing fiber around the bladder/core assembly,
• placing the wrapped bladder/core assembly in a female mold,
• pressurizing the bladder in the female mold to compact the reinforcing fiber against inner surfaces of the mold and heating the mold to cure the resin to form a cured part, such that compaction of the fiber against the mold is predominantly from the bladder pressurization and no compaction is from the mandrel core,
• injecting a solvent that dissolves the solvent-soluble material and the solvent-soluble film into the interior of the bladder to dissolve core material and bladder film and to remove solid residues of the dissolved core and bladder from the interior of the cured part, and
• removing the solid residues from the interior of the cured part.