Angled Variable Thickness Golf Club Face Plate for CT Consistency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Golf club heads exhibit inconsistent ball flight characteristics due to variations in characteristic time (CT) across the face plate, necessitating a solution that maintains flexibility and consistency while adhering to USGA conformance limits.
Innovation Solution
A golf club head with a variable thickness face plate featuring a central region of maximum thickness, a transition region, and a peripheral region of minimum thickness, angled to normalize CT values across the face.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the face plate thickness is increased to ensure high CT regions remain below the USGA limit, then the CT consistency is improved, but the flexibility and energy transfer are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The face plate employs variable thickness design where different regions have different thicknesses. The center region has greater thickness to control CT values, while the perimeter regions have reduced thickness to maintain flexibility and energy transfer. This local differentiation allows simultaneous optimization of CT consistency and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The face plate is divided into distinct regions: a central region with greater thickness and peripheral regions with reduced thickness. This segmentation allows each region to be optimized independently - the center region controls CT consistency while the perimeter regions maintain flexibility and energy transfer characteristics.
2Strength
If the face plate is made thinner to improve flexibility, then the energy transfer is improved, but the CT values in high CT regions exceed the USGA limit
Solution Approach 1:
The face plate uses variable thickness where the center region has greater thickness specifically to control and reduce CT values in high-CT areas, while the perimeter regions maintain thinner profiles to preserve flexibility and energy transfer. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between flexibility and CT consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The thickness parameter of the face plate is changed spatially - greater thickness at the center to reduce CT values and thinner sections at the perimeter to maintain flexibility. This parameter variation allows simultaneous satisfaction of USGA CT limits and flexibility requirements.
3Ease of manufacture
If a uniform thickness face plate is used, then the manufacturing is simplified, but the CT variation across the face plate causes inconsistent ball flight
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniform thickness, the face plate implements variable thickness with the center region thicker than the perimeter regions. This local quality variation is designed to normalize CT values across the face plate, reducing CT variation from approximately 15-20% to within 5-10%, thereby improving ball flight consistency while remaining manufacturable.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a golf club heads having a body portion and a face portion, wherein the face portion comprises a variable thickness profile disposed at an angle on the rear surface of the face plate.