Bent Carbon Fiber Putter Tip for Easier Shaft Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing bent graphite and carbon fiber golf shafts is difficult and costly, and existing shafts with bends are susceptible to damage.
Innovation Solution
A carbon fiber tip with one or more bends is used to connect a straight carbon fiber golf shaft to a golf club head, allowing for easier and less expensive production of golf shafts with desired bend configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If bent graphite and carbon fiber golf shafts are manufactured directly, then the desired bend configuration is achieved, but manufacturing difficulty and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The golf shaft system is divided into three separate components: a straight carbon fiber shaft, a carbon fiber tip with the desired bend configuration, and a putter head. The bent tip is manufactured separately using automated fiber placement technology, then joined to the straight shaft. This segmentation allows the complex bent shape to be produced more easily and cost-effectively than manufacturing a complete bent shaft, while the straight shaft can be manufactured using standard processes.
2Shape
If bent graphite and carbon fiber golf shafts are manufactured directly, then the desired bend configuration is achieved, but the shafts become susceptible to damage
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the bent tip from the straight shaft, the critical bend region is isolated in a dedicated component that can be optimized for strength. The carbon fiber tip is manufactured with controlled fiber orientation and winding patterns that provide enhanced structural integrity at the bend, reducing stress concentration and damage susceptibility compared to a continuously bent shaft.
Solution Approach 2:
The carbon fiber tip utilizes composite material construction with strategically oriented carbon fiber layers and resin matrices designed to withstand the stresses at the bend. The composite structure provides both the desired bend configuration and enhanced durability, allowing the tip to resist damage while maintaining its shape.
3Ease of manufacture
If a carbon fiber tip with bends is used to connect the shaft and head, then production cost is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The carbon fiber tip serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the necessary bend configuration for putter performance, acts as a structural connector between the straight shaft and putter head, and offers a cost-effective manufacturing solution. By combining these functions into a single component, the overall device complexity is managed while achieving the desired cost reduction.
Data Source
AI summary
A carbon fiber tip to connect a straight carbon fiber golf shaft with a golf club head includes: a first end that is cylindrical and that is configured to be joined with the golf club head; a second end that opposite the first end, that is cylindrical, and that is configured to be joined with a tip end of the straight carbon fiber golf shaft; and a bend disposed between the first end and the second end that changes an axis along which the carbon fiber tip extends.