Golf Club Shaft Reinforcement Using Nested Composite Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Golf clubs with lightweight shafts tend to break due to low strength, especially at the hosel area, and existing solutions either compromise on bonding strength or increase the club's mass by adding reinforcing elements that extend upwardly from the shaft tip.
Innovation Solution
A golf club design featuring a tubular shaft with a reinforcing member having a specific gravity of not more than 2.0, integrated into the shaft's cavity, which includes a first portion positioned between the hosel and shaft tip to reduce bending deformation and a second portion extending downwardly to minimize mass increase, along with a vent passage for improved assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a lightweight shaft is used to maximize carry distance, then the mass of the golf club is reduced, but the shaft strength decreases and breakage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft is constructed as a composite structure combining a lightweight tubular shaft main body with a reinforcing member having specific gravity not more than 2.0. This composite design allows the shaft to maintain low mass while achieving sufficient strength through the combination of different materials with complementary properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcing member is inserted into and nested within the cavity of the tubular shaft main body. This nested configuration provides internal reinforcement without adding external mass, as the reinforcing member utilizes the existing internal space of the shaft structure.
2Strength
If a reinforcing pipe continuously extends upwardly from the tip end of the shaft main body, then the shaft strength is improved, but the total mass of the golf club increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing member is positioned strategically with its uppermost edge located at a specific distance (5-50 mm) downward from the top end of the hosel, rather than extending continuously to the top. This localized reinforcement approach provides strength where most needed (near the hosel where bending deformation occurs) while minimizing unnecessary mass addition in upper regions.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of providing continuous reinforcement throughout the entire shaft length, the reinforcing member is positioned to provide partial reinforcement only in the critical region near the hosel. This partial action is sufficient to prevent breakage at the vulnerable location without the mass penalty of full-length reinforcement.
3Weight of moving object
If a tubular hosel is used with a lightweight shaft, then the mass is reduced, but large bending deformation occurs at the top end of the hosel causing shaft breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcing member is positioned in advance within the shaft cavity at the critical location before impact occurs. Its presence beforehand provides structural support that cushions and reduces the bending deformation that would otherwise occur at the hosel during ball impact, preventing shaft breakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcing member is specifically positioned at the critical region where bending deformation occurs (with its uppermost edge 5-50 mm below the top end of the hosel). This localized placement provides targeted reinforcement exactly where needed to resist bending forces during impact, improving reliability without adding mass throughout the entire shaft.
Data Source
AI summary
A golf club includes a club head, and a shaft. The club head includes a hosel formed into a tubular body having a top end and a shaft insertion hole extending downwardly from the top end. The shaft includes a shaft main body and a reinforcing member. The shaft main body is formed into a tubular shape having a tip end, and an internal surface surrounding cavity therein. The reinforcing member has a specific gravity of not more than 2.0 and is fixed in the cavity of the shaft main body. The reinforcing member includes a first portion fitting the internal surface of the shaft main body. The first portion includes an uppermost edge positioned upwardly with respect to the top end of the hosel, and a lowermost edge positioned between the top end of the hosel and the tip end of the shaft main body.