Soft-Iron Golf Club Head With Harder Hosel for Angle Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Iron-type golf club heads provide a soft feel at impact but are prone to permanent deformation near the hosel portion due to repeated ball hits, leading to alterations in loft and lie angles, thus compromising durability.
Innovation Solution
The golf club head is designed with a face portion and a hosel portion made of soft iron, integrally formed by forging or casting, where the hosel portion has a higher hardness than the face portion to enhance durability while maintaining a soft feel at impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the golf club head is made of soft iron with uniform hardness, then a soft feel at impact is achieved, but the hosel portion is prone to permanent deformation due to repeated ball hits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different hardness levels to different portions of the golf club head. The face portion is made with lower hardness (first hardness) to provide a soft feel at impact, while the hosel portion is made with higher hardness (second hardness) to resist permanent deformation. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between soft feel and durability.
2Reliability
If the hosel portion is made with higher hardness to prevent deformation, then durability is improved, but the soft feel at impact may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent differentiates material properties between the face portion and hosel portion. The face portion maintains lower hardness for soft feel, while the hosel portion has higher hardness for durability. This localized quality assignment allows each portion to optimize its function without compromising the other.
3Ease of manufacture
If the golf club head is made of soft iron, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but the head is liable to be permanently deformed near the hosel portion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the hardness parameter of the soft iron material in different portions of the club head. By controlling the hardness parameter - lower in the face portion and higher in the hosel portion - the patent maintains the cost advantage of soft iron while improving durability through localized parameter optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
An iron-type golf club head comprises a face portion and a hosel portion which are integrally formed by forging or casting soft iron. The face portion has a face hardness hf (HV) which is defined by Vickers hardness at a depth of 4 mm from the hitting surface at a main impact point. The hosel portion has a reference hosel outer peripheral portion defining a hosel hardness hh (HV) which is an average value of Vickers hardness measured at positions around the hosel axis, and at a depth of 1 mm from the outer surface thereof. The hosel hardness hh is higher than the face hardness hf.