Golf Club Crown Alignment Visual Reference Guides
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing golf club designs lack effective visual reference guides to consistently and accurately set the clubface for different types of shots, such as fade, draw, and straight shots, particularly for non-putter clubs like drivers, fairway woods, and rescue/utility clubs.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a vertical line and sets of diagonal lines on the club head's crown, which are entirely straight and converge towards the heel end and diverge towards the toe end, allowing golfers to adjust the clubface angle for various shots by providing visual reference guides that indicate the alignment and intended flight path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional golf club designs are used, then the club structure remains simple, but the ability to accurately set clubface angle for different shots is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment aid on the club crown is segmented into multiple diagonal lines representing different clubface angles (e.g., straight, fade, draw shots). Each line segment provides a specific alignment reference, allowing golfers to select the appropriate line based on the desired shot type. This segmentation enables precise angle measurement without requiring complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary visual reference system (diagonal lines on the crown) that mediates between the golfer's intent and the physical clubface alignment. These lines serve as a intermediary guide that translates abstract angle concepts into concrete visual targets, improving alignment precision without adding mechanical complexity to the club structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple alignment lines are added to the crown, then shot shaping capability is improved, but the visual guide complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the crown are assigned different diagonal lines with specific angles, creating local quality variations. Each line is positioned and angled specifically to represent a particular shot type (e.g., straight shot line, fade shot line, draw shot line). This local differentiation enables the club to adapt to multiple shot requirements while maintaining a relatively simple overall design.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment lines are arranged asymmetrically on the crown, with diagonal lines at different angles rather than symmetric patterns. This asymmetric arrangement allows for representation of different shot types (fade, draw, straight) with distinct visual patterns, enhancing shot type adaptability while avoiding the complexity of symmetric multi-component systems.
3Measurement precision
If diagonal lines converging toward heel and diverging toward toe are used, then clubface angle indication is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The diagonal lines are pre-configured during club manufacturing to converge toward the heel end and diverge toward the toe end at specific angles. This preliminary action of setting the lines during production establishes the angle reference system before use, ensuring that the convergence and divergence patterns are built-in rather than requiring complex real-time adjustments during play.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes in the line configuration (angle, convergence point, divergence pattern) to encode different clubface angle information. By varying these geometric parameters of the diagonal lines, the system achieves precise angle indication while the manufacturing process standardizes these parameters to control precision requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A golf club head of a non-putter golf club comprising a crown and a sole located opposite the crown, a heel end and a toe end located opposite the heel end, a striking surface, and a design applied to the crown, which design comprises: a vertical line parallel to the striking surface, and a first set of diagonal lines consisting of one or more entirely straight lines, wherein: a) none of the lines of the first set of diagonal lines is parallel or perpendicular to the vertical line, b) no two lines of the first set of diagonal lines are parallel or perpendicular to each other, c) each line of the first set of diagonal lines forms an acute angle with a plane parallel to the striking surface, which plane passes through the endpoint of said line located nearer to the striking surface, and d) the lines of the first set of diagonal lines converge towards the heel end, and diverge towards the toe end.