Golf Club Head Wedge Slider Weight With Low-Mass Channel Locking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adjustable weighting mechanisms in golf club heads consume significant discretionary mass, interfere with sound, and complicate the swing due to structural complexities, particularly with monolithic metal pieces.
Innovation Solution
A golf club head design featuring a channel with adjustable weight assembly using a screw, wedges, and a nut component that converts downward force into a side force to lock the weight within the channel, minimizing mass usage and structural interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If movable or slidable weights are used for adjustable weighting, then weight adjustability is improved, but device complexity increases due to monolithic metal pieces and support structures
Solution Approach 1:
The weight assembly is divided into separate components: a weight body, a screw mechanism, and wedge elements. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, reducing overall structural complexity while maintaining adjustability. The weight body can be separately optimized for mass properties, while the screw and wedges provide the adjustment mechanism without requiring a monolithic complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The wedge elements act as intermediaries between the screw mechanism and the weight body. When the screw is rotated, it pushes the wedges which in turn move the weight body along the channel. This intermediary mechanism simplifies the overall structure by using simple geometric shapes (wedges) to transmit force rather than requiring complex guidance structures or monolithic integrated designs.
2Stability of the object's composition
If support structures (ribs, support struts) are added to support weight positions, then weight positioning stability is improved, but discretionary mass is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The weight assembly is designed to be self-contained with all necessary support features integrated into the weight body and channel structure itself. The channel provides inherent guidance and positioning without requiring additional external ribs or support struts. The weight body's geometry and the channel's shape work together to stabilize the weight position through the natural interaction of these two components, eliminating the need for separate support structures that would consume discretionary mass.
Solution Approach 2:
The support functions are merged into the existing channel and weight body structures rather than being added as separate components. The channel's geometry inherently provides positioning stability, and the weight body's shape integrates with the channel to maintain the weight in its adjusted position. This merging eliminates the need for additional ribs or support struts that would reduce discretionary mass.
3Reliability
If additional structural support is added for weight adjustment mechanisms, then adjustment reliability is improved, but acoustic performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment mechanism is extracted from the monolithic metal piece approach and separated into distinct components (screw, wedges, weight body) that can be independently optimized. This extraction allows the use of simpler, less acoustically intrusive components while maintaining adjustment reliability. The wedge-based mechanism provides reliable adjustment without requiring large monolithic structures that would interfere with sound.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism transitions from a monolithic metal piece design to a multi-component design using simpler geometric elements (screw threads, wedge angles). This parameter change in the mechanism's physical characteristics reduces acoustic interference while maintaining reliability. The simpler geometry of the screw and wedges produces less acoustic disturbance compared to complex monolithic structures.
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 maintains adjustability while reducing the footprint, preserving mass properties and improving acoustic performance by eliminating the need for additional structural support, thus enhancing the golf club's performance.
Implementation Method 1
The first wedge and the second wedge are designed to convert a downward force of the screw into a side force to push the first wedge and the second wedge outward to lock the weight assembly within the channel
Data Source
AI summary
A weight assembly for a golf club head is disclosed herein. The weight assembly includes a screw, a first wedge, a second wedge, and a nut component. The first wedge and the second wedge are designed to convert a downward force of the screw into a side force to push the first wedge and the second wedge outward to lock the weight assembly within a channel of a golf club head by the first wedge and second wedge extending force against the interior walls.