Golf Club Head Bonding Fixture With Ribbed Shaft Pressure Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for adhesively bonding parts of a golf club head are time-consuming, expensive, and unreliable.
Innovation Solution
A head fixture with a bottom and top portion, featuring pressure applicators with ratcheting mechanisms and ribbed shafts, is used to efficiently and reliably bond parts of a golf club head, assisted by robotic arms and a fixture-setting device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional adhesively bonding methods are used, then the process is simple, but it is time-consuming and unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure applicators incorporate ratcheting mechanisms that allow dynamic adjustment of pressure during the bonding process. The ribbed shafts can be selectively moved into position to apply pressure and then non-movably fixed to maintain consistent pressure throughout adhesive curing, ensuring reliable bonding while optimizing time through controlled pressure application.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the pressure parameter applied to the bonded parts during the adhesive bonding process. By using ratcheting mechanisms with detent balls, the system can apply and maintain specific pressure levels, transforming the bonding process from a static to a controlled variable pressure process, thereby improving reliability without significantly increasing time.
2Reliability
If conventional adhesively bonding methods are used, then the equipment is simple, but it is expensive and unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The bonding system is segmented into multiple independent pressure applicators, each with its own ratcheting mechanism and ribbed shaft. This segmentation allows the system to apply pressure at multiple locations simultaneously, improving bonding reliability across the entire joint while distributing the mechanical complexity across modular units that can be manufactured independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The ratcheting mechanisms are designed to be self-locking through detent balls that automatically engage with the ribbed shafts at predetermined positions. This self-service feature eliminates the need for continuous external control or monitoring during the bonding process, reducing operational complexity and cost while maintaining reliable pressure application.
3Reliability
If pressure is applied during adhesive bonding, then bonding reliability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous mechanical control system is replaced with a ratcheting mechanism that uses discrete mechanical elements (detent balls, ribs, and valleys) to control pressure. This substitution simplifies the control architecture by eliminating the need for continuous actuators, sensors, and control systems while maintaining reliable pressure application through pure mechanical means.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressure applicators with ratcheting mechanisms are designed as disposable or limited-life components. The head fixture assembly with integrated pressure applicators can be discarded after a certain number of uses or when wear occurs, eliminating the need for complex maintenance, calibration, or repair systems and reducing overall device complexity.
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
The system provides a cost-effective, time-saving, and accurate method for adhesively bonding golf club head parts, applicable to various types of golf club heads.
Implementation Method 1
The ratcheting mechanism includes a detent ball that is selectively movable into valleys defined between adjacent ones of the plurality of ribs to non-movably fix the ribbed shaft relative to the body retainer
Implementation Method 2
The ratcheting system further includes a spring engaged with the housing and biasing the housing into the first position
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a head fixture for adhesively bonding a part of a golf club head to a body of the golf club head. The head fixture includes a bottom portion, including a body retainer, and a top portion, selectively attachable to the bottom portion and including pressure applicators spaced apart about the top portion. Each one of the pressure applicators comprises a ratcheting mechanism and a ribbed shaft engaged with the ratcheting mechanism such that, when the top portion is selectively attached to the bottom portion, the ribbed shaft is movable away from the body retainer into a position, associated with a pressure applied to the part of the golf club head by the ribbed shaft, and the ribbed shaft is non-movably fixable, relative to the body retainer, in the position.