Adjustable-Height Golf Cup with Removable Inner Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional golf cups require frequent removal and replacement for maintenance, which can be difficult and imprecise, leading to inconsistencies in height relative to the surrounding turf, affecting gameplay.
Innovation Solution
A golf cup device with an outer sleeve and inner cup assembly connected by a height adjustment mechanism, allowing precise adjustment of the inner cup's height relative to the outer sleeve, using various mechanisms such as stepped areas, set screws, resilient rings, helical threads, pins, clamps, and magnets, enabling easy installation and alignment with the turf.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If traditional golf cups are buried in the ground with the top edge even with the surrounding turf, then the cup is stable and fixed in position, but the cup requires frequent removal and replacement for maintenance which is difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The golf cup is divided into two main segments: an outer sleeve that remains buried in the ground and an inner cup assembly that can be independently removed and reinstalled. This segmentation allows the inner cup assembly to be easily extracted and replaced for maintenance purposes while the outer sleeve stays in place, significantly reducing the time and effort required for maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner cup assembly is nested within the outer sleeve, with the inner cup assembly having an outer diameter less than the inner diameter of the outer sleeve. This nested configuration allows the inner cup assembly to be easily inserted into and removed from the outer sleeve without disturbing the outer sleeve's position in the ground, facilitating quick maintenance while maintaining system stability.
2Ease of repair
If the cup is removed and replaced, then maintenance can be performed, but achieving the exact same height of the cup's top edge with the replaced soil is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The outer sleeve is pre-installed in the ground at the correct height and position before the inner cup assembly is inserted. This preliminary action establishes a fixed reference structure that eliminates the need to precisely reposition the entire cup assembly during replacement. The inner cup assembly simply needs to be inserted to the appropriate depth, with the outer sleeve's position ensuring consistent height alignment with the surrounding turf.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer sleeve acts as an intermediary structure between the ground and the inner cup assembly. It provides a stable, pre-positioned interface that mediates the connection, allowing the inner cup assembly to be easily replaced while maintaining precise height control. The outer sleeve's fixed position in the ground serves as a reference that ensures consistent alignment without requiring precise repositioning during maintenance.
3Ease of operation
If the cup top edge is not at the exact height of the surrounding turf, then installation is simpler, but the golf ball may not roll into the cup as expected affecting gameplay
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the cup into an outer sleeve and inner cup assembly, the system allows the outer sleeve to be installed at a slightly lower height for ease of installation, while the inner cup assembly can be precisely positioned within the outer sleeve to achieve the correct top edge height. This segmentation separates the installation convenience function from the gameplay precision function.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner cup assembly is designed to be dynamically adjustable within the outer sleeve, allowing it to be positioned at different heights. This dynamic positioning capability enables the inner cup assembly to be precisely adjusted to achieve the correct top edge height that ensures golf balls roll into the cup as expected, while the outer sleeve remains fixed for installation stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A golf cup device that can be easily removed and replaced at a desired height or elevation relative to surrounding turf includes an outer sleeve and an inner cup assembly that slides into the outer sleeve. A height adjustment mechanism connects the inner cup assembly to the outer sleeve, allowing a user to mount the inner cup assembly at various heights/elevations relative to the outer sleeve. This allows the outer sleeve to be initially buried within the ground and then the inner cup assembly to be positioned within the installed outer sleeve.