Golf Shaft Connector with Hosel Adapter and Compression Nut
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing golf club connectors alter the design dynamics and feel of the club when used, and require modification of the hosel bore to accommodate the connector and shaft, limiting customization and interchangeability.
Innovation Solution
A connector system comprising a shaft adapter and a hosel adapter with anti-rotation features and a compression nut that securely engages the shaft and club head without modifying the existing components, allowing for rapid assembly and disassembly while maintaining the original feel and dynamics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a connector is inserted into the hosel bore to join the shaft and club head, then rapid and removable assembly is achieved, but the hosel bore must be modified or bored out to accommodate the connector
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is nested within the shaft tip end, with the shaft tip end inserted into the connector's shaft receiving portion. This nesting arrangement allows the connector to be accommodated within the existing shaft-hosel interface without requiring modification of the hosel bore, while still enabling rapid and removable assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is divided into distinct segments: a connector body, a shaft receiving portion, and a hosel receiving portion. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates assembly without requiring hosel bore modification, as each segment can be sized and shaped to fit within the existing standardized interface.
2Reliability
If the shaft is surrounded by the connector within the hosel, then secure joining is achieved, but the design dynamics and feel of the club are altered
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft tip end is extracted from the traditional epoxy-based joining method and inserted into the connector's shaft receiving portion instead. This extraction allows the shaft to be securely joined through the connector's mechanical retention features while minimizing interference with the shaft's natural vibration characteristics and the club's overall dynamics.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector acts as an intermediary component between the shaft and club head, providing secure joining through its mechanical retention features while being designed to minimize interference with the shaft's natural vibration characteristics. The intermediary connector transfers forces and maintains alignment without significantly altering the club's overall dynamics or feel.
3Ease of operation
If the hosel bore is increased to accommodate both the connector and shaft, then assembly is simplified, but standardization and interchangeability are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is designed with universal compatibility features, including a standardized hosel receiving portion that can accommodate various hosel sizes and shapes, and a shaft receiving portion that interfaces with different shaft tip end configurations. This universality allows the same connector design to be used across multiple club head and shaft combinations, maintaining interchangeability while simplifying assembly through a single standardized component.
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
Enables secure, rapid, and customizable assembly of golf club shafts and club heads without altering the original design dynamics or feel, and allows for standardization of components without modifying the hosel bore, enhancing user experience and manufacturing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a compression nut threadably engaging the hosel adapter, the compression nut engaging the shaft adapter to axially bias the shaft adapter into engagement with the hosel adapter
Data Source
AI summary
A connector of a golf club is provided. The connector includes a shaft adapter and a hosel adapter. A compression nut fits over both adapters to secure them against one another. The hosel adapter advantageously fits over the hosel, thereby allowing the bore of the hosel to remain unmodified from its original design. The connector also includes an anti-rotation arrangement to prevent relative rotation between the shaft adapter and the hosel adapter. Further, the tip end of the club shaft passes entirely through the connector and seats within the hosel as it normally would in the absence of the connector. The connector does not surround the tip end of the shaft where it seats in the hosel, giving the club an unaltered feel, despite the inclusion of the connector.