Golf Club Head Flexure with Beta-Ti Alloy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional golf club heads face challenges in achieving a larger 'sweet zone' with uniform high initial ball speed, as they are prone to permanent deformation and have varying ball speed outcomes depending on impact location, due to material limitations and design constraints.
Innovation Solution
The golf club head incorporates a flexure component made of a β-Ti alloy with a lower Young's modulus, strategically positioned between the face and rear body to enhance compliance and energy transfer, allowing for greater flexibility and reduced viscoelastic relaxation, thereby increasing the coefficient of restitution (COR) and ball speed consistency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the club face is made thinner to increase flexibility and energy return, then the coefficient of restitution improves, but the club head becomes more prone to permanent deformation and structural failure
Solution Approach 1:
The club head combines a thin face made of high-strength material with a compliant rear body portion, creating a composite structure that achieves both high coefficient of restitution and structural integrity. The face can be made thinner to improve energy return while the compliant rear body provides structural support to prevent permanent deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameters of the rear body portion to be more compliant (lower stiffness) compared to conventional club heads. This allows the face to be thinner and more flexible for improved COR while the compliant rear body absorbs and distributes stresses to prevent structural failure.
2Speed
If the club face is made more flexible to increase ball speed, then energy transfer to the ball improves, but the club head exhibits greater vibration and energy loss
Solution Approach 1:
The compliant rear body portion is designed with specific material parameters (lower stiffness, higher damping) to reduce vibration and energy loss. This allows the face to be more flexible for improved ball speed while the compliant rear body minimizes parasitic vibrations and energy dissipation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts what would normally be harmful vibrations and energy losses into beneficial compliance. The compliant rear body portion allows controlled deformation that absorbs vibration energy rather than dissipating it as unwanted heat, thereby reducing energy loss while maintaining high ball speed.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional materials are used in the club head, then manufacturing and structural requirements are met, but the club head has limited compliance and smaller sweet zone
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses composite construction with a thin face and compliant rear body portion made from materials with different mechanical properties. This allows the club head to meet standard manufacturing requirements while achieving superior compliance characteristics and a larger sweet zone that conventional homogeneous materials cannot provide.
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 implementation of a β-Ti alloy flexure component improves the club's ability to maintain energy transfer and reduce backspin, resulting in a larger 'sweet zone' with consistent high ball speeds across different impact locations, enhancing overall performance and distance.
Implementation Method 1
The flexure is constructed of a second material having a second Young's modulus that is lower than the first Young's modulus, and at least a portion of the flexure is constructed of a β-Ti alloy
Implementation Method 2
allowing for greater flexibility and reduced viscoelastic relaxation, thereby increasing the coefficient of restitution (COR) and ball speed consistency
Data Source
AI summary
A golf club head including a crown, a sole, a hosel, a face and a flexure. The flexure provides compliance during an impact between the golf club head and a golf ball. The flexure is tuned to vibrate, immediately after impact, at a predetermined frequency.