Golf Club Head Crown Radial Thickness Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Reducing the thickness of the crown portion in golf club heads to minimize weight while maintaining durability and increasing the horizontal moment of inertia is challenging, as it can lead to cracking and difficulty in distributing weight effectively.
Innovation Solution
A golf club head design featuring a crown portion with a first region of larger thickness and multiple second regions of smaller thickness, distributed radially, where the width of the first region increases towards the peripheral portion, and transition portions between these regions, allowing for weight distribution and improved impact resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the thickness of the crown portion is reduced to decrease weight, then the weight of the crown portion is reduced, but the durability of the golf club head deteriorates due to cracking risk
Solution Approach 1:
The crown portion is designed with non-uniform thickness distribution, featuring a thick first region (0.5-0.8mm for titanium alloy) at the peripheral portion and thinner second regions (0.2-0.6mm for titanium alloy) distributed radially from an origin near the center of gravity. This local quality variation allows weight reduction in specific areas while maintaining sufficient thickness for durability in critical load-bearing regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The crown portion is segmented into multiple functional regions: a first region with larger thickness at the peripheral portion, and multiple second regions with smaller thickness distributed in a radiating fashion from an origin. This segmentation enables differentiated thickness control to simultaneously achieve weight reduction and durability maintenance.
2Device complexity
If the thickness of the crown portion is reduced to increase the horizontal moment of inertia, then the moment of inertia is increased, but the durability deteriorates due to reduced structural strength
Solution Approach 1:
By implementing local quality variation with different thickness regions, the design achieves optimized moment of inertia distribution. The thinner second regions contribute to increased moment of inertia while the thicker first region at the peripheral portion maintains structural strength for withstanding impact forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from uniform thickness (one-dimensional parameter) to variable thickness distribution (two-dimensional spatial variation). The thickness varies both radially (from origin to peripheral portion) and in width (increasing toward peripheral portion), creating a complex three-dimensional geometry that simultaneously optimizes moment of inertia and structural strength.
3Weight of moving object
If the crown portion is designed with multiple thickness regions to reduce weight, then the weight is reduced, but the manufacturing complexity increases due to precise thickness control requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process controls multiple geometric parameters simultaneously: thickness (varying from 0.2-0.8mm), width of first region (1-8mm at origin side to 5-20mm at peripheral side), and radial distribution pattern. These parameter variations are integrated into a single casting or forming operation, achieving weight reduction without proportionally increasing manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a golf club head enables increased moment-of-inertia and improved durability. The golf club head's crown portion has a first region having a first thickness and multiple second regions having a second thickness that is smaller than the first thickness. The second regions are distributed in a radiating fashion so as to extend from an origin toward a peripheral portion of the crown portion excluding the face side, the origin being located within 15 mm of the center of gravity of the golf club head in the toe-heel direction and also being located in the vicinity of the face side in the face-back direction in a plan view.