Golf Club Head Sole Rib Welding for Sound and Appearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Golf club heads with thin-wall sole portions generate low hitting sound and suffer from aesthetic issues due to welding marks, which are difficult to hide without compromising design flexibility and productivity.
Innovation Solution
A golf club head design featuring a sole portion with a thin-wall and thick-wall structure, where a rib is intermittently welded to the inner surface of the thick-wall portion, enhancing rigidity and reducing vibration while preventing thermal effects from causing visible welding marks on the outer surface, allowing for a mirror finish without painting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a thin-wall sole portion is used to increase head volume within limited mass, then productivity and cost are improved, but hitting sound quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a thick-wall portion at the rib welding location with greater thickness than the surrounding thin-wall sole portion. This localized thickness increase provides sufficient thermal mass to absorb welding heat without transmitting it to the outer surface, thereby preventing welding marks while maintaining the overall thin-wall design for good hitting sound and reduced mass.
2Reliability
If a rib is welded to the inner surface of the thin-wall sole portion to improve hitting sound, then hitting sound quality is improved, but welding marks appear on the outer surface deteriorating appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a local thick-wall portion at the rib welding location that acts as a thermal buffer. This localized structural modification allows the rib to be welded to improve hitting sound while the increased thickness absorbs the welding heat, preventing thermal conduction to the outer surface and thus avoiding welding marks that would deteriorate appearance.
3Shape
If painting is applied to cover welding marks on the outer surface, then appearance is improved, but design flexibility and productivity are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potentially harmful welding process into a beneficial outcome by designing a thick-wall portion that absorbs welding heat. This transforms what would normally be a defect-causing process (welding that creates marks) into a solution that prevents defects, eliminating the need for painting and thereby improving productivity while maintaining design flexibility.
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
The design improves hitting sound quality by increasing rigidity and reducing vibration, maintains an excellent appearance by eliminating visible welding marks, and offers design freedom and productivity gains by eliminating the need for painting.
Implementation Method 1
the thermal energy applied from inside of the sole portion at the time of welding may change the metal structure of the outer surface of the sole portion
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a golf club head which produces an improved hitting sound obtained without impairing the appearance of the sole section. A golf club head having a hollow portion (i) formed therein has a sole portion (5) which forms the bottom surface of the head. The sole portion (5) includes a thin-wall portion (8) and a thick-wall portion (9) which has a greater thickness than the thin-wall portion (8). The golf club head is characterized in that a portion of the inner surface of the thick-wall portion (9), the portion facing the hollow section, has a rib (10) secured to the portion by welding.