Adjustable Golf Club Head Weight Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional adjustable golf clubs require reinforcement of the club head's sole and track surfaces to withstand the stress of set screws, adding weight and manufacturing costs, and limiting the ability to precisely adjust the center of gravity for optimal spin and trajectory.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable golf club head with open-ended tracks on the sole that use weights with a screw system where the screw does not directly contact the track, allowing weights to be securely positioned and adjusted without stressing the track surfaces, using a clip to prevent separation and alignment features to maintain proper orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a set screw weight design is used where the set screw presses directly on the track bottom surface, then the weight can be securely positioned, but the track surface must be reinforced to bear the stress, adding weight and manufacturing costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a track insert as an intermediary component between the set screw and the club head sole. The insert is positioned within the track and provides a dedicated bearing surface for the set screw, eliminating the need to reinforce the sole itself. This mediator distributes the stress from the set screw across a larger area within the insert structure rather than concentrating it on the sole, thereby reducing the need for reinforcement and minimizing added weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The weight adjustment system is segmented into distinct functional components: the track insert, the set screw, and the weight. The track insert serves as a separate structural element that isolates the stress-bearing function from the club head sole. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the insert handles the mechanical stress while the sole maintains its primary function of supporting the club structure.
2Reliability
If the track bottom surface is reinforced to bear set screw stress, then the weight positioning is reliable, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The track insert acts as a pre-fabricated intermediary component that can be manufactured separately and then installed into the track. This approach simplifies the manufacturing process compared to reinforcing the entire sole structure, as the insert can be produced using standard machining or molding techniques and only requires insertion into the track groove, reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional weight screws are used for adjustment, then the club can be adjusted, but significant weight must be added and subtracted which has undesirable effects on performance
Solution Approach 1:
The track insert serves as a mediator that enables precise weight positioning without requiring large weight changes. By providing a dedicated track structure with proper depth and width, the insert allows for fine-tuned adjustment of weight position and distribution, enabling golfers to optimize their clubs with minimal weight addition or removal, thereby maintaining performance characteristics while achieving adaptability.
Data Source
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AI summary
An adjustable golf club head and weight structure is disclosed. The adjustable golf club head can include a crown, a toe, a hosel, and a sole. The sole of the club head may have one or more tracks located thereon. Each of the one or more tracks can have one or more weights secured therein. Each of the one or more weights can include an upper weight portion, and a lower weight portion. A screw can be positioned to adjoin the upper weight portion and the lower weight portion. The weight can also include a clip fastened to the screw such that the clip retains the screw within bores located in the upper and lower weight portions. In order to prevent the upper and lower weight portions from rotating with respect to one another, the weight can include an alignment portion and an alignment receptacle.