Golf Tee Stability on Hard Mats via Segmented Base
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional golf tees are fragile and unable to pierce hard surfaces, such as concrete golfing mats, leading to instability and potential damage when practicing swings, as they cannot elevate the ball sufficiently or maintain it in place without risking harm to the golfer or club.
Innovation Solution
A golf tee design featuring a support platform with a smaller area than the base, elevated by a vertical support projection, and ventilated with buttresses for stability and reduced spin, along with grip projections for traction on hard surfaces, allowing the ball to be elevated and securely held.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a conventional golf tee with a wide platform and thin shank is used, then it can be easily manufactured and inserted into soft ground, but it becomes fragile and cannot support the ball on hard surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The golf tee is divided into distinct functional segments: a wide base portion for stability and surface contact, a vertical support projection for elevation, and a top platform for ball support. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall structural integrity on hard surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the golf tee have different structural properties tailored to their functions: the base portion has maximum width for stability, the support projection provides vertical rigidity, and the top platform offers a controlled contact area. This local differentiation of structural quality enables the tee to reliably support balls on hard surfaces without being fragile.
2Device complexity
If a conventional golf tee is used on hard surfaces, then it can be simple in design, but it cannot pierce the surface and becomes top-heavy causing instability
Solution Approach 1:
The golf tee transitions from a two-dimensional flat platform design to a three-dimensional structure with a wide base, vertical support, and elevated top platform. This dimensional change allows the tee to achieve both simplicity in concept and stability in practice by distributing weight and contact points across multiple spatial dimensions.
3Length of stationary object
If the ball is placed directly on the mat or elevated with improvised objects, then elevation is achieved, but it causes harm to the golfer and club by risking club striking the surface
Solution Approach 1:
The golf tee acts as an intermediary device between the hard mat surface and the golf ball, providing a controlled elevation that prevents direct contact between the club and mat. The structured design with base, support, and platform creates a safe intermediate zone that eliminates the harmful effects of improper ball placement while maintaining proper elevation.
Data Source
AI summary
A golf tee is disclosed that provides stability and promotes less spin on a struck golf ball. The tee may be beneficial for use on mats at a driving range. The golf ball may be elevated from the ground surface to help avoid the club head from contacting the ground thereby avoiding injury to the golfer and damage to the club.