Composite Golf Grip Material for Shock Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional golf club grips often fail to provide adequate traction, shock absorption, and comfort, leading to degraded swing technique and potential injury due to excessive shock transfer and inadequate vibration dampening.
Innovation Solution
A grip composition comprising a cross-linked mixture of viscoelastic rubber (such as butyl rubber, nitrile rubber, and ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer) combined with non-rubber viscoelastic materials (like EPDM, polyurethane, and cork, which offers superior vibration dampening and shock-absorbing properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional grip materials are used, then manufacturing cost is low, but shock absorption and vibration dampening are inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining butyl rubber (providing shock absorption) with EPDM (providing vibration dampening) in a single cross-linked composition. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by achieving superior shock absorption and vibration dampening properties while maintaining manufacturability through a unified material system rather than multiple layers or components.
2Ease of operation
If conventional grip materials are used, then manufacturing cost is low, but traction and comfort are inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The composite composition of butyl rubber and EPDM provides enhanced traction characteristics while maintaining ease of manufacture through a single-material construction. The synergistic properties of the composite material deliver superior user comfort and grip control without requiring complex multi-component manufacturing processes.
3Reliability
If conventional grip materials are used, then the grip structure is simple, but vibration dampening is inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the contradiction between simple structure and effective vibration dampening by using a composite material system where EPDM provides superior vibration dampening properties. The single cross-linked composition maintains structural simplicity while the composite nature of the material delivers enhanced vibration dampening performance.
4Reliability
If conventional grip materials are used, then material cost is low, but shock-absorbing characteristics are inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The composite composition of butyl rubber and EPDM achieves superior shock-absorbing characteristics through the synergistic properties of the two materials. While the material cost increases compared to conventional single-material grips, the enhanced shock absorption performance justifies the investment by preventing injury and improving user experience.
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 composition provides improved grip performance with enhanced traction, comfort, and vibration dampening, maintaining superior properties even after extensive use and cleaning, thereby reducing the risk of injury and improving golfing experience.
Implementation Method 1
a cross-linked composition of from about 5% by weight to about 40% by weight of one or a combination of a viscoelastic rubber selected from the group consisting of butyl rubber, nitrile rubber, ethylene propylene rubber and chloroprene rubber, and from about 10% by weight to about 80% by weight of one or a combination of a non-rubber viscoelastic material
Data Source
AI summary
A composition for use in grips is disclosed. The composition may be used, for example, in making a golf club grip. The disclosed grip provides for improved shock absorption and other beneficial properties. In one embodiment the comprises a cross-linked composition of from about 40% by weight to about 80% by weight of one or a combination of a first material selected from the group consisting of butyl rubber, nitrile rubber, ethylene propylene rubber and chloroprene rubber, and from about 10% by weight to about 50% by weight of one or a combination of a second material selected from the group consisting of ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer (EPDM), polyurethane, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polypropylene and cork.