Golf Club Face Insert Structure for Stress and Weight Balance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing golf club heads with thinned faces and thickened perimeter regions do not optimize weight distribution and stress reduction effectively, leading to localized benefits and potential manufacturing challenges.
Innovation Solution
A golf club head design featuring a thickened central region, a central transition region, a thinned intermediate region, a thickened stress reducing region, and a thinned perimeter region, with a gasket separating the face insert from the perimeter ledge, creating a thickened stress reducing region that protrudes rearward, optimizing weight distribution and stress reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the striking face is thinned out to improve ball speed, then ball speed increases, but the striking face becomes more susceptible to stress and potential failure
Solution Approach 1:
The striking face is designed with non-uniform thickness distribution, featuring a thickened central region and thinned peripheral regions. This local quality variation allows the central area to provide structural strength while peripheral areas reduce weight and increase flexibility for ball speed enhancement.
Solution Approach 2:
The striking face is segmented into distinct thickness zones including a thickened central region, intermediate regions, and thinned perimeter regions. This segmentation allows different areas to serve different functions - the central region for strength and the peripheral regions for speed and flexibility.
2Strength
If a thickened perimeter region is added to improve durability and ball speed, then durability increases, but unnecessary weight is added to the extremities
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly thickening the entire perimeter region, the invention applies localized thickening only in specific areas where stress concentrations occur. This selective approach provides durability enhancement while minimizing unnecessary weight addition to the face insert.
Solution Approach 2:
The thickened region is applied partially rather than completely across the perimeter, targeting only the areas that benefit most from stress reduction. This partial action avoids the excessive weight that would result from complete perimeter thickening.
3Strength
If the thickened perimeter region extends to the extreme perimeter, then durability is maximized, but manufacturing complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The thickened region is localized to specific areas rather than extending uniformly to the extreme perimeter throughout. This local quality approach simplifies manufacturing by reducing the complexity of forming and bonding operations while still providing durability where most needed.
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 achieves a lighter face insert with improved stress reduction, enhancing performance by minimizing unnecessary mass while maintaining structural rigidity and reducing stress concentrations.
Implementation Method 1
The perimeter ledge, the gasket, and a perimeter of the face insert may combine to create a thickened stress reducing region located radially outward from a geometric center of the striking face portion
Data Source
AI summary
A golf club head with improved striking face is disclosed. For example, the golf club head may include a body portion, including a pocket, and a striking face portion. The pocket may include a perimeter ledge receiving a gasket bonded thereon. The golf club head may include a face insert bonded to the body portion via the gasket. The face insert may include a thickened central region having a first thickness. The perimeter ledge, gasket, and perimeter of the face insert may combine to create a thickened stress reducing region with a second thickness greater than the first thickness.