Golf Club Head Face Reinforcement for Low-Swing-Speed Ball Speed
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Solution Overview
Problem
Golf club manufacturers design clubs that accommodate a wide range of swing speeds, leading to suboptimal performance for golfers with low and moderate swing speeds, resulting in reduced impact efficiency and ball travel distance.
Innovation Solution
Designing lightweight golf club heads with a thin crown, thin sole, and thin faceplate, incorporating a variable face thickness profile and bridges to control characteristic time properties, specifically targeting golfers with swing speeds under 85 mph, to enhance performance and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If golf club heads are designed with mass-intensive features to accommodate high swing speeds, then durability is improved, but ball speed and travel distance are reduced for low and moderate swing speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The faceplate is designed with non-uniform thickness, featuring a thin central region (0.030-0.060 inches) for enhanced flex and ball speed, while maintaining thicker peripheral regions for structural durability. This local quality variation allows the face to flex more efficiently at impact points while preserving overall structural integrity without requiring mass-intensive features throughout the entire club head.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the faceplate by reducing its thickness in specific regions compared to conventional club heads. The faceplate thickness is varied from 0.030 to 0.060 inches in the central region, creating a lighter, more flexible structure that increases ball speed for low and moderate swing speeds while maintaining adequate durability through strategic thickness distribution.
2Productivity
If the faceplate is made thinner to increase flex and ball speed, then ball speed is improved, but structural strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The faceplate employs local quality variation with different thickness zones: a thin central region (0.030-0.060 inches) for maximum flex and ball speed generation, transitioning to progressively thicker peripheral regions that provide structural support and durability. This localized thickness optimization allows the thin face to achieve high ball speeds while the thicker periphery maintains structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The club head utilizes composite construction combining the thin faceplate material with the club head body material, creating a composite structure where the thin face can flex efficiently while being supported by the more rigid body structure. This composite approach enables the thin faceplate to achieve enhanced ball speed without compromising overall structural strength.
3Ease of manufacture
If golf club heads are designed with uniform thickness for simplicity, then manufacturing is easier, but impact efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The faceplate is manufactured with varying thickness across its surface area, with the central impact region being thinner (0.030-0.060 inches) than the peripheral regions. This local quality variation optimizes impact efficiency by allowing greater flex at the impact point while maintaining structural integrity at the edges, achieving superior performance compared to uniform thickness designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a thickness dimension variation to the faceplate design, transitioning from a two-dimensional uniform surface to a three-dimensional variable thickness structure. This dimensional change allows the face to have different structural properties at different locations, optimizing both impact efficiency and structural performance simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments of the lightweight golf clubs described herein include a thin crown, a thin sole, a mass efficient weight system, and a thin faceplate to maximize performance gains (e.g., ball travel distance, impact efficiency, and ball speed) targeted to individuals with swing speeds less than 85 mph. As will be further described below, in order to achieve a lightweight golf club head (having a thin crown, a thin sole, a mass efficient weight system, and a thin faceplate), the golf club head further comprises a crown-to-faceplate bridge and a sole-to-faceplate bridge to control the characteristic time (CT) properties of the golf club head.