Golf Club Face Plate Lattice Structure for Weight-Strength Balance

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current golf club head technologies face challenges in enhancing playability characteristics while managing weight and mass distribution, particularly at locations of high stress and limited thickness, without compromising structural resilience.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a golf club face plate with an internal cell lattice structure, comprising an inner skin, an outer skin, and a midsection with a cell lattice bounded between them, formed through a diffusion bonding process, which allows for weight reduction without compromising strength or introducing detrimental stress concentrations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Weight of moving object

If weight is reduced in the face plate to improve playability characteristics, then weight redistribution is enhanced, but structural resilience may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveface plate weightVSAvoidstructural resilience

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The face plate incorporates a cell lattice structure with controlled porosity, creating a network of cells throughout the midsection. This porous architecture reduces overall weight while the interconnected cell walls maintain structural integrity and resilience, resolving the contradiction between weight reduction and strength preservation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The face plate is constructed as a composite structure with an inner skin, outer skin, and midsection containing the cell lattice. This composite design allows optimization of each component - the skins provide surface strength while the lattice midsection provides weight reduction, achieving both lightweight and structurally resilient properties

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Weight of moving object

If mass is redistributed at locations of high stress to enhance playability, then weight optimization is improved, but stress concentration risks increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemass distributionVSAvoidstress concentration

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cell lattice structure is configured with varying cell sizes, densities, or orientations in different regions of the face plate midsection. This local variation allows optimization of mass distribution in high-stress areas while maintaining adequate structural support, preventing stress concentration while achieving weight optimization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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

This design achieves a weight reduction of up to 8-25% in the face plate while maintaining durability and structural integrity, allowing for improved playability characteristics and the redistribution of weight for enhanced performance.

Implementation Method 1

Bounding the midsection can comprise diffusion bonding the inner skin, the midsection, and the outer skin together, including the first and second midsection layers, into a single integral piece of material that is substantially seamless between the inner skin and the midsection and between the midsection and the outer skin.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDiffusion bonding: Diffusion Welding

Data Source

PatentUS11247104B2Golf club face plates with internal cell lattices and related methods

Publication Date: 2022.02.15 KARSTEN MFG CORP

AI summary

Embodiments of golf club face plates with internal cell lattices are presented herein. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.