Golf Club Head Stiffening Structure for Face Stress Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing golf club heads do not effectively reduce stress on the striking face during impact with a golf ball while minimizing mass increase.
Innovation Solution
A method of manufacturing a golf club head with stress-reducing stiffening members, such as plates or rods, co-cast with the body using a wax-welding process, which connect the crown and sole portions via a hollow interior without contacting the striking face, thereby reducing stress during impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If interior structures are added to reduce stress on the striking face, then ball speed increases, but mass of the golf club head increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes a hollow interior structure within the golf club head body that contains stress-reducing members. This hollow configuration reduces the overall mass of the club head while the strategically positioned stiffening members (plates or rods) maintain structural integrity and reduce stress on the striking face during impact, thereby improving ball speed without significant mass penalty.
Solution Approach 2:
The stress-reducing members are specifically positioned within the hollow interior, connecting the crown and sole portions without contacting the striking face. This localized placement ensures that mass is added only where structurally necessary to reduce stress, rather than uniformly throughout the entire club head, thus minimizing overall mass increase while achieving the stress-reduction goal.
2Strength
If stiffening members are added to reduce stress, then manufacturing complexity increases, but stress reduction effectiveness improves
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the stress-reducing members with the golf club head body through co-casting, where the members are integrated into the hollow interior during the manufacturing process. This merging approach simplifies production by creating a single integrated component rather than requiring separate assembly steps, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining the stress-reduction functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow interior structure serves as an intermediary space that houses the stress-reducing members, allowing them to be positioned precisely between the crown and sole portions without directly contacting the striking face. This intermediary configuration enables effective stress reduction while simplifying the manufacturing process through co-casting integration.
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.