Bendable Core Insert for Graphite Golf Club Shafts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current manufacturing methods cannot produce golf club shafts with bend profiles using non-metallic, polymer- and/or carbon-based materials, as the materials lack the necessary flexibility to accommodate bends without compromising quality and consistency.
Innovation Solution
A bendable core insert with a relief tube and coupling tubes is used, coated with a polymer material, and attached to a mandrel to form a shaft insert assembly, which is then covered with composite or polymer material and cured, allowing for the creation of golf club shafts with defined bend profiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If non-metallic, polymer- and/or carbon-based materials are used for golf-club shafts, then weight reduction and material innovation are achieved, but the ability to create bent shaft profiles is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft is divided into two functional segments: a bendable core insert that provides the bent profile, and an outer non-metallic shaft material that provides weight reduction. The core insert acts as an independent structural element embedded within the lighter non-metallic material, allowing each component to fulfill its specific function without compromise
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure combining a metallic or polymer core insert with non-metallic shaft material (graphite, carbon fiber, or other composite materials). This composite construction allows the shaft to simultaneously achieve the weight benefits of non-metallic materials while incorporating a bendable core that enables bent shaft profiles
2Adaptability or versatility
If metallic materials are used for bent golf-club shafts, then bent shaft profiles can be created through mechanical manipulation, but weight reduction and material innovation are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The bend profile capability is extracted as a separate functional component (the bendable core insert) from the main shaft structure. This allows the non-metallic shaft material to be optimized for weight reduction while the extracted core insert provides the bending functionality that would otherwise require heavier metallic materials
3Adaptability or versatility
If a bendable core insert is introduced into non-metallic shafts, then bent shaft profiles become possible, but manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bendable core insert is pre-formed with the desired bent profile before being inserted into the non-metallic shaft material. This preliminary preparation of the core insert allows for precise control of the bend profile while simplifying the final assembly process, as the bending geometry is already established rather than requiring complex forming operations on the completed shaft
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the production of golf club shafts with customizable bend profiles using non-metallic materials, enhancing playability and performance while maintaining quality and consistency, previously unachievable with existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
covered with composite or polymer material and cured
Data Source
AI summary
A bendable core insert configured for manufacturing a golf-club shaft. The bendable core includes a bendable relief tube having a first end attached to a top coupling tube and a second end attached to a bottom coupling tube. The bendable relief tube, the top coupling tube, and the bottom coupling tube have respective channels that are aligned to form a continuous channel through opposing ends of the bendable core insert. The length of the bendable core insert corresponds to a length of a corresponding segment of the golf-club shaft. The bendable relief tube is configured to be bent in one or more directions to define a bend profile of the corresponding segment of the golf-club shaft.