Golf Club Head Plate Stiffeners for Low-Stress Face Impact
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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
The method involves co-casting a plate or solid rods within the golf club head body using standard casting and/or wax-welding processes, positioning them between the crown and sole portions to create a hollow interior, thereby reducing stress on the striking face without increasing the club's mass.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If interior structures are added to reduce stress on the striking face, then stress distribution improves, but mass of the golf club head increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a hollow interior structure within the golf club head body, creating a porous or cavity-based design that reduces the need for solid material while maintaining structural integrity. This hollow configuration allows stress-reducing features to be implemented without proportionally increasing the overall mass of the club head.
Solution Approach 2:
The golf club head is divided into distinct functional zones including a striking face section, sole section, return section, and hollow interior. This segmentation allows strategic placement of stress-reducing features in specific locations without requiring uniform reinforcement throughout the entire structure, thereby minimizing unnecessary mass addition.
2Speed
If stress-reducing features are added to enhance ball speed, then performance improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process merges the creation of the hollow interior and the integration of stress-reducing features into a single co-casting operation. By combining these functions into one manufacturing step rather than requiring separate assembly operations, the patent reduces overall manufacturing complexity while achieving the desired performance enhancements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes composite construction by integrating different material properties within the club head body, combining regions of varying thickness and density to optimize both stress distribution and manufacturing efficiency through standard casting processes.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of manufacturing a golf club head with one or more stiffening members proximate the face, and particularly solid rods or a plate with one or more cutouts, is disclosed herein. One method includes the steps of preparing a wax mold of a golf club head including a plate stiffening member with excess material, casting the golf club head, and machining away the excess material. Another method includes the steps of casting a golf club body, providing a plate stiffening member, providing a face component such as a face cup, tack welding the plate stiffening member and the face component to the golf club body, and welding these parts together.