Golf Club Head Insert Segmentation for Tactile Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Perimeter-weighted golf club heads lack sufficient tactile feedback for distinguishing well-made shots from mediocre ones and still experience unfavorable dynamic-excitation-response modes, especially during extreme heel and toe mishits.
Innovation Solution
The golf club head design incorporates an insert with contact elements and a bridge member, along with auxiliary cavities and constrained-layer dampers, to enhance forgiveness, tactile feedback, and structural integrity, while reducing hook/slice tendencies by distributing mass and improving dynamic-excitation response.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a resilient insert is located in the rear cavity, then vibration damping is improved, but tactile feedback for distinguishing well-made shots is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The insert is divided into multiple contact elements (first contact element, second contact element, third contact element) that are spatially separated and positioned at different locations within the rear cavity. Each contact element independently contacts the base surface at different positions, allowing selective engagement based on ball impact location. This segmentation enables the insert to provide tactile feedback for well-made shots while damping vibrations from mishit shots.
Solution Approach 2:
The insert structure provides different functional properties at different locations within the rear cavity. The contact elements are positioned to engage with the base surface at specific locations, creating localized vibration damping zones. The bridge member connects these contact elements with different structural characteristics, allowing each region to respond differently to impact forces based on its local structural properties.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If constrained-layer dampers are used, then dynamic-excitation-response modes for range of mishit shots are abated, but unfavorable dynamic-excitation-response modes for extreme heel and toe mishits remain problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The insert is segmented into multiple contact elements positioned at different locations within the rear cavity. The first contact element is positioned to address heel mishits, the second contact element addresses center shots, and the third contact element addresses toe mishits. This spatial segmentation ensures that each region of the club head has dedicated vibration damping coverage, including extreme heel and toe mishits that were previously problematic.
3Stability of the object's composition
If perimeter-weighting element is added, then moment of inertia is elevated and head rotation is decreased, but mass distribution behind striking surface becomes substantial concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The perimeter-weighting element is segmented into multiple discrete weights positioned at different locations around the periphery of the club head. This segmentation allows for optimized mass distribution that increases moment of inertia for stability while avoiding excessive mass concentration in any single region, maintaining balance and control.
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 design provides improved forgiveness, enhanced tactile feedback, increased structural integrity, and reduced hook/slice tendencies, resulting in more accurate and confident shots, even on mishits.
Implementation Method 1
Some examples comprise a constrained-layer damper positioned behind the striking face within the rear cavity
Implementation Method 2
a variety of vibration-attenuation technologies have been proposed for cavity-back irons
Implementation Method 3
Others include a resilient insert centrally disposed in the rear cavity. Typically, such inserts are made from materials having vibration-damping characteristics
Implementation Method 4
the elevated moment of inertia generally associated with perimeter-weighted designs results in decreased head rotation when a ball is mishit
Implementation Method 5
an insert may be coupled to the base surface by an adhesive
Data Source
AI summary
An iron-type golf club head includes a striking face; a base surface opposite the striking face; and a perimeter weighting element surrounding the base surface and including a top-line portion, a sole portion, a heel portion, and a toe portion. A first auxiliary cavity is delimited by the perimeter weighting element and a first perimeter wall, the first perimeter wall coupled to the sole portion and to the heel portion of the perimeter weighting element. A second auxiliary cavity is delimited by the perimeter weighting element and a second perimeter wall, the second perimeter wall coupled to the sole portion and to the toe portion of the perimeter weighting element. A central cavity is at least partially delimited by the base surface, the perimeter weighting element, the first perimeter wall, and the second perimeter wall, and an insert is within the central cavity.