Golf Club Head Flexure for Ball Speed Consistency
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
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 inconsistent performance and vulnerability of thinner faces to failure.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a flexure in the golf club head constructed from a β-Ti alloy with a lower Young's modulus than the sole, tuned to vary sinusoidally in width across the face-to-aft direction at frequencies between 2900 Hz to 4000 Hz, providing additional vibration modes that enhance face flexibility and energy transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the club face is made thinner to increase flexibility and coefficient of restitution, then ball speed and distance are improved, but the structural integrity and resistance to permanent deformation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The club head employs a composite construction combining titanium alloy (providing strength and rigidity) with stainless steel (providing flexibility and elasticity). The titanium alloy shell forms the main body while stainless steel components are strategically positioned to create a multi-material structure that simultaneously achieves both high ball speed and structural integrity, resolving the contradiction between thin face design and durability
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the club head are assigned different material properties - the face and flexure areas use more flexible materials (stainless steel) to maximize deformation and energy return, while the main body uses stronger materials (titanium alloy) for structural support. This localized differentiation allows the face to be effectively thinner without compromising overall strength
2Use of energy by moving object
If the club face flexibility is increased to maximize coefficient of restitution, then energy transfer to the ball is improved, but the vulnerability to permanent deformation and failure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The club head incorporates a dynamic flexure mechanism that allows controlled deformation during impact. The flexure is designed to flex elastically under impact loads and then return to its original position, enabling the club face to dynamically adapt its flexibility during the collision event while maintaining structural integrity throughout the impact cycle
Solution Approach 2:
The design utilizes materials with specific elastic properties and designs the flexure geometry to achieve optimal deformation parameters. By carefully selecting material compositions and structural dimensions, the club head achieves maximum elastic deformation for energy storage and release while staying within the elastic limit to prevent permanent deformation
3Loss of energy
If the club head is designed to allow more face deformation during impact, then viscoelastic relaxation losses are minimized and ball velocity is increased, but the structural loads and risk of failure increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flexure is designed to vibrate at specific frequencies during impact, creating controlled mechanical oscillations that facilitate energy transfer to the ball. This vibrational mechanism helps convert impact energy efficiently into ball velocity while the controlled nature of the vibration prevents excessive structural loads that would lead to failure
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 increases the coefficient of restitution (COR) and ball speed consistency across the club face, particularly for off-center impacts, while maintaining structural integrity and durability.
Implementation Method 1
The flexure is constructed of a material having a lower Young's modulus than the crown, sole, side wall, or face. The flexure is tuned so that the width across the flexure in a face-to-aft direction varies sinusoidally, immediately after impact, at a frequency of about 2900 Hz to about 4000 Hz.
Implementation Method 2
The flexure is tuned so that the width across the flexure in a face-to-aft direction varies sinusoidally, immediately after impact, at a frequency of about 2900 Hz to about 4000 Hz.
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, and is tuned to vibrate, immediately after impact, at a predetermined frequency. In addition to the above, the golf club head in accordance with the present invention may also have flexures on or around the striking face portion to further improve performance.