Golf Club Head Flexure for Energy Transfer and Structural Integrity
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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 due to variations in impact location on the club face, leading to inefficient energy transfer and reduced distance, and they struggle to maintain structural integrity with thinner faces.
Innovation Solution
The golf club head design incorporates a flexure that forms a recessed channel in the sole, allowing for increased flexibility and energy transfer, particularly in the fore/aft direction, which enhances the coefficient of restitution and reduces backspin, thereby increasing ball speed and distance.
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 transfer, then the coefficient of restitution and ball speed improve, but the structural integrity and resistance to permanent deformation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The club head incorporates regions of varying thickness and material properties: the face is thinned in specific zones to maximize flexibility and energy transfer, while thicker reinforcement zones are strategically positioned to maintain structural integrity. This local differentiation allows the club face to exhibit high coefficient of restitution where needed while resisting permanent deformation in critical structural areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The club head utilizes composite construction combining multiple materials with different mechanical properties. The face may incorporate high-strength, high-elasticity materials optimized for energy transfer, while reinforcement zones use materials with superior strength-to-weight ratios. This composite approach enables simultaneous optimization of both flexibility and structural integrity.
2Speed
If the club face is made thinner to reduce weight and increase flexibility, then ball speed improves, but the resistance to permanent deformation by material yield deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The club head incorporates regions of varying thickness and material properties: the face is thinned in specific zones to maximize flexibility and energy transfer, while thicker reinforcement zones are strategically positioned to maintain structural integrity. This local differentiation allows the club face to exhibit high coefficient of restitution where needed while resisting permanent deformation in critical structural areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs controlled variations in face thickness as a key parameter, transitioning from uniform thin faces to non-uniform thickness profiles. By carefully adjusting thickness parameters across different zones of the club face, the design achieves optimal balance between flexibility for ball speed and sufficient material volume to prevent yield deformation under impact loads.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the club face flexibility is increased to maximize energy transfer, then the coefficient of restitution improves, but the control over ball flight accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The club head incorporates regions of varying thickness and material properties: the face is thinned in specific zones to maximize flexibility and energy transfer, while thicker reinforcement zones are strategically positioned to maintain structural integrity. This local differentiation allows the club face to exhibit high coefficient of restitution where needed while resisting permanent deformation in critical structural areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The club head design incorporates dynamic flexibility that adapts to impact conditions. The face is engineered to exhibit appropriate stiffness and flexibility characteristics during the brief impact event, allowing maximum energy transfer while maintaining sufficient rigidity to control ball launch conditions and flight accuracy. The dynamic response is optimized through careful selection of face thickness, material properties, and reinforcement positioning.
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 flexure design in the golf club head improves ball speed and distance by allowing for more efficient energy transfer and reduced backspin, particularly for off-center impacts, while maintaining structural integrity through targeted flexibility and vibration modes.
Implementation Method 1
a golf club head having a compliant portion
Implementation Method 2
improves ball speed and distance by allowing for more efficient energy transfer
Data Source
AI summary
A golf club head including a crown, a sole, a hosel, a face, a flexure, and a weight member. The flexure provides compliance during an impact between the golf club head and a golf ball, and is tuned to vibrate, immediately after impact, at a predetermined frequency. The flexure is formed by a forward wall and a rearward wall that combine to form a recessed channel. The weight member is coupled to a weight mount at least partially disposed in the rearward wall of the flexure.