Apparatus and method for colliding a striking tool with a collision body

Abstract

To provide an apparatus that is useful for accurately measuring repulsive performance, etc., without damaging a striking tool including a club head, and provide a method.SOLUTION: An apparatus 1 is provided for making a colliding body 20 collide against a striking surface 11 of a striking tool 10. The apparatus includes a supporting part 100 for supporting the striking tool 10, and a launching part 200 for launching the colliding body 20 toward the striking tool 10 supported to the supporting part 100. The launching part 200 is positioned below the supporting part 100, and is configured so as to launch the colliding body 20 upward. The supporting part 100 includes a supporting piece 102 for supporting the striking surface 11 of the striking tool 10 toward the bottom on the trajectory L of the colliding body 20 launched from the launching part 200. The supporting piece 102 supports the striking tool 10 from the lower part so as not to obstruct the movement to the upper part of striking tool 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for colliding a striking tool with an impact body. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 describes an apparatus for colliding a golf ball with a club head in order to measure the repulsion performance of the golf club head, etc. This apparatus includes a mounting table on which the club head is placed, and a launching means for launching the golf ball.

[0003] The mounting table has three or more holding pins that stand upward and have their upper ends abutting the club head. The club head is held on the holding pins with its face in a nearly vertical position. The launching section launches a golf ball in a nearly horizontal direction, causing the golf ball to collide with the face of the club head placed on the mounting table. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4364447 DISCLOSURE OF THEINVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-mentioned device, when a golf ball hits the face of the club head, the club head moves horizontally backward due to the impact. At this time, friction occurs at the contact point between the club head and the retaining pin. This friction damages the club head. In addition, since the friction between the club head and the retaining pin prevents the club head from moving backward when it hits the golf ball, there is a problem that the repulsion performance of the club head cannot be accurately measured.

[0006] The present invention has been devised in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its main object is to provide an apparatus and method that are useful for accurately measuring the repulsion performance, etc., of hitting tools, including club heads, without damaging them. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention is a device for causing an impact body to impact the striking surface of a striking tool, the device comprising: a support section for supporting the striking tool; and a launching section for launching the impact body toward the striking tool supported by the support section, the launching section being positioned below the support section and configured to be able to launch the impact body upward, the support section comprising a support piece for supporting the striking surface of the striking tool facing downward on the trajectory of the impact body launched from the launching section, the support piece supporting the striking tool from below so as not to impede the upward movement of the striking tool.

[0008] In another aspect of the present invention, the support portion may include a plurality of the support pieces that support the striking tool at different positions from each other.

[0009] In another aspect of the present invention, at least one of the plurality of support pieces may support the striking surface.

[0010] In another aspect of the present invention, at least one of the plurality of support pieces may support a portion of the striking tool other than the striking surface.

[0011] In another aspect of the present invention, the height of each of the plurality of support pieces in the up-down direction may be adjustable.

[0012] In another aspect of the present invention, the horizontal position of each of the plurality of support pieces may be adjustable.

[0013] In another aspect of the present invention, the surface of the support piece that comes into contact with the striking tool may be made of rubber or resin.

[0014] In another aspect of the present invention, the impact device may further include a recovery tool above the support portion for recovering the striking tool that has moved upward due to contact with the impact body.

[0015] In another aspect of the present invention, the striking tool may be a golf club head, and the impact body may be a golf ball.

[0016] Another aspect of the present invention is a method for causing an impact body to collide with a striking surface of a striking tool, the method including a first step of holding the striking tool from below so that the striking surface faces downward and so as not to impede upward movement of the striking tool, and a second step of firing an impact body from below against the striking surface of the striking tool held in the first step to collide with the striking surface.

[0017] In another aspect of the present invention, the method may further include a third step of measuring the speed of the impact body before and after collision with the striking tool, and a fourth step of evaluating the repulsion performance of the striking tool based on the speed before and after the collision. Effect of the Invention

[0018] By adopting the above-mentioned configuration and steps, the device and method of the present invention can improve the accuracy of measuring the restitution coefficient without damaging a hitting tool such as a club head. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view of an apparatus showing one embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of the support part in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the support portion. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view of FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a bottom view of a state in which a wooden golf club head as a striking tool is placed on the support part of FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the support piece. [Figure 7] 4 is a plan view of a state in which an iron-type golf club head as a striking tool is placed on the support part of FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 8] 4 is a bottom view of a state in which an iron-type golf club head as a striking tool is placed on the support part of FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a side view showing an apparatus according to another embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a bottom view of the entrance of the recovery tool. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Some embodiments disclosed below are not intended to limit the present invention in any manner. Also, some of the disclosed embodiments can be used alone or in various combinations. Furthermore, the same or common elements are designated by the same reference numerals throughout this specification, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0021] [Overall structure of the device] Fig. 1 is a side view showing one embodiment of the device 1 of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the main part thereof. Fig. 1 shows an xyz coordinate system, and in the state in which the device 1 of this embodiment is in use, the direction of the z axis represents the up-down direction, and the x and y directions represent horizontal directions that are perpendicular to each other.

[0022] The device 1 of this embodiment is for causing a striking tool 10 to collide with a collision body 20. By such a collision, for example, the repulsion performance of the striking tool 10 can be measured, evaluated, etc.

[0023] In addition, in this embodiment, the striking tool 10 is a golf club head (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as "head") 10A, and the impact body 20 is a golf ball 20A. The head 10A shown in Fig. 2 is, for example, a wood type, and has a striking surface (sometimes called a face or club face) 11 for striking the golf ball 20A.

[0024] In other embodiments, the striking tool 10 may be, for example, various rackets used in tennis, badminton, table tennis, etc., or a bat used in baseball, softball, etc. In these other embodiments, the impact body 20 is appropriately selected to be a ball or the like that is intended to be struck by the striking tool 10.

[0025] Returning to Fig. 1, the device 1 of this embodiment includes a support part 100 for supporting the head 10A, and a launch part 200 for launching a golf ball 20A toward the head 10A supported by the support part 100. Furthermore, the device 1 of this embodiment includes a first sensor 301 and a second sensor 302 as optional elements for measuring the repulsion performance of the head 10A. In a preferred embodiment, the device 1 may be installed in a cage 2 covered with, for example, a net or a wall to prevent the head 10A and / or the golf ball 20A from scattering.

[0026] [Launch section] The launching unit 200 is located below the support unit 100 and is configured to be able to launch the golf ball 20A upward. For example, an air cannon is used as the launching unit 200 in this embodiment. The air cannon can launch the golf ball 20A upward by utilizing the pressure of compressed air. Instead of an air cannon, a collision type launching means may be used as the launching unit 200.

[0027] The launching part 200 launches the golf ball 20A in a substantially vertically upward direction. That is, the trajectory L of the launched golf ball 20A is in the direction of the z-axis, and is preferably substantially parallel to the direction of the z-axis. In a preferred embodiment, the launching part 200 may include a tilting mechanism 201 for adjusting the angle of the trajectory L of the golf ball 20A.

[0028] [Support part] Fig. 2 is a partial enlarged view of the support part 100 in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the support part 100 includes a support piece 102. The support piece 102 is for supporting the striking surface 11 of the head 10A facing downward on the trajectory L of the golf ball 20A launched from the launch part 200. The support part 100 of this embodiment includes a base part 101 fixed at a predetermined height of the device 1, and a plurality of support pieces 102 detachably fixed to the base part 101.

[0029] For example, one end 102a of the support piece 102 is fixed to the base portion 101, and the other end 102b extends toward the trajectory L of the golf ball 20A and terminates there. The other end 102b of the support piece 102 has a support surface 103 that comes into contact with the head 10A so as to support the head 10A from below. In this embodiment, the support surface 103 is formed as a substantially horizontal plane. Various shapes may be adopted for the support surface 103. In order to prevent the head 10A from being damaged by contact between the support surface 103 and the head 10A, it is desirable that the surface of the support surface 103 is formed of rubber or resin.

[0030] The multiple support pieces 102 support the head 10A at different positions from each other, for example. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the multiple support pieces 102 each support the striking surface 11. In this embodiment, the toe T side and heel H side of the striking surface 11 are placed on the multiple support pieces 102, respectively. In a preferred embodiment, multiple support pieces 102 may be provided on either the toe T side or the heel H side of the striking surface 11, or on both sides. In this case, the striking surface 11 is supported at three or more points, so the head 10A can be supported stably.

[0031] The support piece 102 supports the head 10A from below so as not to impede the upward movement of the head 10A. For example, when a golf ball 20A collides with the striking surface 11 of the head 10A from below, the head 10A moves so as to bounce upward due to the impact energy, but the support piece 102 does not impede such upward movement of the head 10A. In this way, the support piece 102 of this embodiment is configured so as not to interfere with the head 10A when the head 10A moves upward.

[0032] [First and second sensors] 1, the first sensor 301 is a so-called screen sensor, and includes a light projecting portion 301a and a light receiving portion 301b. The light projecting portion 301a emits a light beam toward the light receiving portion 301b. The light beam forms a first sensor surface 301c having a substantially horizontal spread. The first sensor surface 301c is formed so that the trajectory L of the golf ball 20A penetrates the first sensor surface 301c.

[0033] Similar to the first sensor 301, the second sensor 302 also includes a light projecting portion 302a and a light receiving portion 302b, which form a second sensor surface 302c having a substantially horizontal extent. The second sensor surface 302c is located above the first sensor surface 301c, and is formed so that the trajectory L of the golf ball 20A passes through the second sensor surface 302c.

[0034] [Operation of the device of this embodiment] Next, the operation of the device 1 of this embodiment will be described. Here, the device 1 is used as a device for carrying out a method for measuring the repulsion performance of the head 10A.

[0035] First, the head 10A is supported by the support part 100 so that the striking surface 11 faces downward. In this embodiment, the operator places the head 10A so that it is stationary on the multiple support pieces 102. In other words, the head 10A is brought into a balanced state on the support pieces 102. This allows the support pieces 102 to hold the head 10A from below so as not to impede the upward movement of the head 10A (first step).

[0036] Here, in order to accurately measure the repulsion performance of the head 10A, if the striking surface 11 is formed as a flat surface, it is desirable to position the head 10A on the support piece 102 so that the striking surface 11 is perpendicular to the z-axis. On the other hand, if the striking surface 11 is formed as a curved surface, it is desirable to position the head 10A on the support piece 102 so that the flat surface tangent to the impact point of the striking surface 11 at which the golf ball 20A is to be impacted is perpendicular to the z-axis.

[0037] Next, the golf ball 20A is launched from the launching part 200 toward the striking surface 11 of the head 10A held in the first step. This causes the golf ball 20A to collide with a desired position on the striking surface 11 (this is a position not supported by the support piece 102) at a predetermined speed (second step). In a preferred embodiment, the trajectory L of the golf ball 20A is inclined by about 2° with respect to the z-axis. This has the advantage that the golf ball 20A that bounces off after colliding with the head 10A can be prevented from colliding with the launch port of the launching part 200, etc.

[0038] Due to the collision in the second step, the golf ball 20A bounces downward, and the head 10A bounces upward. At this time, the striking surface 11 of the head 10A moves away from the support surface 103 of the support piece 102 in a substantially vertical direction, so that substantial friction does not occur at the contact portion between the head 10A and the support piece 102. Therefore, in the device 1 of this embodiment, scratches, damage, etc. of the head 10A caused by friction at the contact portion between the head 10A and the support piece 102 are suppressed.

[0039] Next, the speed of the golf ball 20A before and after the collision with the head 10A is measured by the first sensor 301 and the second sensor 302, respectively (third step). The passage of the golf ball 20A before the collision is first detected by the first sensor surface 301c, and then detected by the second sensor surface 302c. The speed of the golf ball 20A before the collision can be calculated from the relationship between the time required from the passage of the golf ball 20A over the first sensor surface 301c to the passage of the second sensor surface 302c and the distance from the first sensor surface 301c to the second sensor surface 302c.

[0040] Similarly, the passage of the golf ball 20A after the collision is first detected by the second sensor surface 302c, and then by the first sensor surface 301c. The speed of the golf ball after the collision is calculated from the relationship between the time taken from the passage of the golf ball 20A over the second sensor surface 302c to the passage of the golf ball over the first sensor surface 301c and the distance from the second sensor surface 302c to the first sensor surface 301c.

[0041] Then, the resilience performance (resilience coefficient) of the head 10A is calculated using the velocity of the golf ball 20A before and after the collision (for example, using the ratio between them) (fourth step).

[0042] In the device 1 of this embodiment, the support piece 102 does not prevent the head 10A from moving upward when it collides with the golf ball 20A. Therefore, the head 10A that collides with the golf ball 20A can move upward in a so-called free state. Therefore, according to the device 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to accurately measure the repulsion performance of the head 10A by eliminating the influence of resistance due to friction between the support piece 102 and the head 10A.

[0043] [Other embodiments of the support part] 3 to 5 show another embodiment of the support part 100. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the support part 100 of this embodiment, and Figs. 4 and 5 are a side view and a bottom view, respectively, of the support part 100 supporting the head 10A. As shown in Figs. 3 to 5, the support part 100 of this embodiment includes a base part 101 and a plurality of support pieces 102 (four in this example) fixed to the base part 101 via position adjustment tools 105.

[0044] The base unit 101 in this embodiment is, for example, a rectangular frame extending on the xy plane. However, the base unit 101 may be a circular frame, and may not be annular. The base unit 101 is fixed at a predetermined height of the device 1 using a jig or the like (not shown).

[0045] The base portion 101 of this embodiment defines an opening 101a therein. The trajectory L of the golf ball 20A launched from the launching portion 200 is positioned so as to pass through this opening 101a. The hitting surface 11 of the head 10A is also disposed within this opening 101a so as to face downward.

[0046] The position adjustment tool 105 of this embodiment can adjust the height (z direction) and / or horizontal position (x and y directions) of each support piece 102. This allows the support unit 100 to support heads 10A of various sizes and / or shapes.

[0047] The position adjustment tool 105 of this embodiment employs, for example, a ball screw mechanism. Specifically, the position adjustment tool 105 includes a frame 106 extending vertically, a pair of support blocks 107 disposed above and below the frame 106, a pair of guide shafts 108 fixed between the pair of support blocks 107, 107, a screw shaft 109 rotatably supported between the pair of support blocks 107, 107, a nut portion 110 engaged with the guide shaft 108 and the screw shaft 109 and movable up and down, and an operation knob 111 for rotating the screw shaft 109. The support piece 102 is fixed to the nut portion 110.

[0048] In the position adjustment tool 105 described above, the screw shaft 109 rotates when the operation knob 111 is rotated, and the nut part 110, whose rotation is restricted by the guide shaft 108, moves up and down. This makes it possible to adjust the up and down position of the support piece 102 fixed to the nut part 110, for example, steplessly.

[0049] The position adjustment tool 105 is not limited to the ball screw mechanism of this embodiment, and various mechanisms or structures can be adopted as long as they can adjust the vertical position of the support piece 102.

[0050] Moreover, the position adjustment tool 105 of this embodiment is detachably fixed to the base part 101. As shown in FIG. 4, the position adjustment tool 105 of this embodiment includes, for example, a support pin 120 protruding downward from the frame 106. Furthermore, the base part 101 is formed with a plurality of mounting holes 121 in the x and y directions into which the support pins 120 can be inserted. Therefore, by inserting the support pin 120 into any one of the mounting holes 121, the horizontal position of the support piece 102 can be appropriately adjusted according to the size and shape of the head 10A. The horizontal position adjustment mechanism of the position adjustment tool 105 is not limited to the insertion type as in this embodiment, and various mechanisms or structures such as a slide type can be adopted.

[0051] Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of the nut portion 110 of the position adjustment tool 105. As shown in Fig. 6, the support piece 102 is desirably fixed to the position adjustment tool 105 in a detachable manner, for example. The support piece 102 in this embodiment is fixed to a groove-shaped attachment portion 123 provided in the nut portion 110 by a screw (preferably a wing bolt) 122. This makes it possible to repair or replace only the support piece 102 when it is worn or damaged.

[0052] It is also desirable to prepare a plurality of different shapes of the support piece 102 in advance. In this case, the support piece 102 can be replaced with one having an optimum shape depending on the head 10A to be supported. In the example of Fig. 6, a plurality of types (three types in this example) of support pieces 102A, 102B, and 102C having different shapes of the support surface 103 are shown as the support piece 102.

[0053] 4 and 5 show an example in which the head 10A is supported by three support pieces 102, but four support pieces 102 may be used for support. The positions at which the head 10A is supported by the support pieces 102 are not particularly limited. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, on the toe T side of the head 10A, two support pieces 102 directly support the hitting surface 11, while on the heel H side of the head 10A, one support piece 102 supports a portion of the head 10A other than the hitting surface 11 (in this embodiment, the vicinity of the hosel). In this way, as long as the head 10A can be adjusted to a desired position, the positions at which the head 10A is supported by the support pieces 102 can be determined arbitrarily.

[0054] 7 and 8 show a case where the head 10A is an iron type. In the embodiment of Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, the head 10A is supported by four support pieces 102. In this example, one of the support pieces 102 supports the hosel portion 12 of the head 10A from below, at a position other than the hitting surface 11.

[0055] FIG. 9 shows yet another embodiment of the device 1 of the present invention. The device 1 of the embodiment of FIG. 9 further includes a retriever 400 above the support portion 100 for retrieving the head 10A that has moved upward due to contact with the golf ball 20A.

[0056] The retriever 400 includes, for example, a case 401 that defines a space i for accommodating the head 10A. The case 401 has an inlet 402 formed on its lower surface.

[0057] The inlet 402 is positioned, for example, above the head 10A placed on the support 100. Fig. 10 shows a bottom view of the inlet 402. As shown in Fig. 10, the inlet 402 includes, for example, a plurality of elastically deformable cantilevers 403 divided by slits 404. The cantilevers 403 are formed, for example, from a rubber material. In this embodiment, the slits 404 extend radially, and as a result, the cantilevers 403 are formed in a substantially triangular shape.

[0058] The cantilever 403 is elastically deformed upward by a large amount when it collides with the head 10A moving upward at high speed, which allows the head 10A to pass through the entrance 402 and enter the space i of the recovery tool 400. The head 10A that has entered the space i collides with, for example, the wall surface of the case 401, and its kinetic energy is significantly reduced.

[0059] On the other hand, the cantilever 403 returns to its original shape after the head 10A passes through the entrance 402. Therefore, even if the head 10A falls onto the entrance 402 again in the space i, the cantilever 403 does not deform significantly, and the head 10A is held in the space i. In this manner, the recovery tool 400 can recover the head 10A in the space i. The case 401 may include an outlet 405 for taking out the head 10A recovered in the space i.

[0060] In a preferred embodiment, at least the surface of the case 401 facing the space i is desirably formed of a soft material that will not damage the head 10A even if it comes into contact with the head 10A, such as rubber, foam, etc. Furthermore, the wall surface of the case 401 itself may be made of a cushioning net or mat.

[0061] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above specific disclosure, and can be implemented in various modified forms within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1 device 10 Striking tool 10A Head 11 Striking surface 20 Collider 20A Golf Ball 100 Support part 102 Support piece 200 Launch Unit 400 Recovery Tool L orbit

Claims

1. A device for impacting an impact body against a striking surface of a striking tool, a support section for supporting the striking tool, and a launch section for launching the impact body toward the striking tool supported by the support section, The launching section is located below the support section and is configured to be able to launch the impact body upward, the support section includes a support piece for supporting the striking tool with the striking surface facing downward on the trajectory of the impact body launched from the launch section, The support piece supports the striking tool from below so as not to impede the upward movement of the striking tool, The impact tool further includes a recovery tool above the support part for recovering the impact tool that has moved upward due to contact with the impact body. Device.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the support portion includes a plurality of the support pieces that support the striking tool at different positions from each other.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the plurality of support pieces supports the striking surface.

4. The device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of support pieces supports a portion of the striking tool other than the striking surface.

5. 5. The device according to claim 2, wherein the height of each of the plurality of support pieces in the up-down direction is adjustable.

6. 6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the horizontal position of each of the plurality of support pieces is adjustable.

7. 7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the support piece that comes into contact with the striking tool is made of rubber or resin.

8. An apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the striking tool is a golf club head and the impact body is a golf ball.

9. A method for impacting an impact body against a striking surface of a striking tool, comprising: a first step of holding the striking tool from below with a support part so that the striking surface faces downward and so as not to impede upward movement of the striking tool; a second step of firing an impact body from below onto the striking surface of the striking tool held in the first step to collide with the striking surface; and recovering the striking tool that has moved upward due to contact with the impact body, by a recovery tool provided above the support part. method.

10. A third step of measuring the velocity of the impact body before and after the impact with the striking tool; The method according to claim 9, further comprising a fourth step of evaluating the resilience performance of the striking tool based on the velocity before and after the impact.

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