Cue Shaft Tip Insert with Aligning Protrusions
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cue stick tip attachments are prone to detachment due to uneven bonding and increased weight at the tip end, leading to cue ball deflection and material failure during high-impact shots.
Innovation Solution
A cue shaft tip assembly with a cavity and a tip insert featuring aligning protrusions for consistent bonding, made from fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate sheets, which reduces weight and enhances durability by providing a robust bond between the tip and the shaft, using an epoxy reservoir and a ferrule to secure the tip in place.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a plug is used to attach the tip to the shaft, then the bonding strength is improved, but the weight at the tip end increases causing cue ball deflection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by using fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate instead of traditional wood or plastic plugs, achieving both high strength and reduced weight. The composite material provides superior bonding strength while being lighter than conventional materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The tip insert is made from fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate sheets, creating a composite material structure that combines the high strength of fibers with the bonding properties of epoxy resin, achieving optimal balance between strength and weight.
2Weight of moving object
If the tip is directly bonded to the shaft without a plug, then the weight is reduced, but the bonding strength decreases and the tip detaches
Solution Approach 1:
The tip attachment system is segmented into multiple functional components: the tip itself, the tip insert made of composite material, and the ferrule. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while working together as a integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The tip insert acts as an intermediary component between the tip and the shaft, providing a bonding surface that distributes loads evenly and prevents direct stress concentration on the shaft, thereby maintaining bonding strength without requiring a heavy plug.
3Weight of moving object
If the tip is attached to a composite shaft surface, then the weight is reduced, but the bonding fails due to incompressibility mismatch
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses the incompressibility mismatch by changing the material parameters of the tip insert to include compressible fiber-reinforced composite material that can deform under load, matching the compressibility characteristics of the composite shaft surface and ensuring reliable bonding.
Solution Approach 2:
The tip insert provides localized compliance at the bonding interface, allowing the composite material to deform locally under impact loads while maintaining overall structural integrity, thus preventing bonding failure at the critical interface between tip and shaft.
4Reliability
If a traditional plug is used, then the tip is secured, but uneven bonding occurs causing premature detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The bonding interface is segmented into multiple contact points through the ferrule structure, which distributes the bonding load across several areas rather than relying on a single plug-bonding interface, thereby achieving more uniform stress distribution and preventing premature detachment.
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 solution provides a durable and weight-efficient attachment that minimizes cue ball deflection and prevents material failure, ensuring consistent performance and extended lifespan of the cue stick.
Implementation Method 1
an epoxy reservoir formed around the one or more aligning protrusions by at least the bonding surface and the inner surface of the cavity
Implementation Method 2
made from fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate sheets
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A tip insert for a cue shaft having a cavity at the tip has a tip disc to support a tip for striking a ball and an inwardly extending section for bonding to the inside surface of the cavity. The inwardly extending section includes one or more centering flanges and a bonding surface, the centering flanges interfacing with the inner surface of the cavity and enabling a substantially consistence bond distance between the bonding surface and the inner surface of the cavity. The tip insert can be machine from a single piece of material comprising glass fiber-reinforced epoxy laminate sheets, where the individual sheets of the material are oriented perpendicular to the longitude axis of the tip insert to increase the durability and performance of the tip insert when transferring the force from the tip striking a ball.