Golf Club Head Stiffening Members for Face Stress Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing golf club heads do not effectively reduce stress on the striking face section during impact with a golf ball while minimizing mass increase.
Innovation Solution
The method involves co-casting a plate or solid rods with a golf club head body using a wax-welding process, where the plate or rods are positioned between a return section and a sole section within the hollow interior, parallel to the striking face, to absorb stress without contacting the striking face, thereby reducing stress and maintaining minimal mass.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If interior structures are added to reduce stress on the striking face section, then stress reduction and ball speed improve, but the mass of the golf club head increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs thin plate-like stiffening members (0.020 inch to 0.160 inch thickness) positioned within the hollow interior of the club head body. These thin film structures provide stress reduction functionality while minimizing mass addition, as they extend between the return section and sole section without contacting the striking face section, thereby achieving stress management with minimal weight penalty
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes variable thickness design for the stiffening members, with thickness ranging from 0.020 inch to 0.160 inch. This parameter variation allows optimization of stress distribution while controlling mass, as the thinner regions provide sufficient structural support without excessive weight, and thicker regions provide enhanced stress relief where needed
2Stress or pressure
If interior structures are added to reduce stress, then manufacturing complexity increases, but stress reduction is achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the stiffening members directly into the casting process of the golf club head body. The wax patterns for the stiffening members are inserted into the wax mold before casting, allowing the metal to flow around and bond to them during co-casting. This merging of components into a single manufacturing step reduces assembly complexity and ensures precise positioning without requiring post-casting assembly operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent prepares the wax patterns for the stiffening members in advance and inserts them into the wax mold before the casting process begins. This preliminary positioning ensures that the stiffening members are correctly located within the hollow interior before metal injection, eliminating the need for complex alignment procedures during or after casting
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
This approach enhances ball speed by reducing stress on the striking face without increasing the golf club head's mass, improving performance and efficiency during impact.
Implementation Method 1
bonding the plate to the body with an adhesive material to form a combined wax mold
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a golf club head with a plurality of stiffening members proximate the face, and particularly solid rods or a plate with one or more cutouts, is disclosed herein. The method includes the steps of preparing a wax of a golf club head body having at least one through-hole, a hollow interior, and at least one receiving pocket, preparing waxes of one or more stiffening members, inserting the wax of the stiffening members into the through-hole and seating its opposite end in the receiving pocket, bonding each of the stiffening members to the body with an adhesive material to form a combined wax mold, and casting a golf club head from the combined wax mold.