Grip End Cap Venting for Electronic System Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Golf grips with integrated electronic systems face installation difficulties due to the obstruction of vent openings, making it hard or impossible to install the grip on a shaft while the electronic system is in place.
Innovation Solution
A grip design featuring an end cap with vent openings and paths that allow for fluid communication between the shaft cavity and the exterior, enabling air to escape during installation while accommodating an electronic system within the grip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an electronic system is installed in the grip, then the grip can provide electronic functionality (e.g., sensor data), but the vent opening becomes obstructed making installation difficult or impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The end cap is divided into functional zones: a base region containing vent openings for air escape, a side wall with vent paths, and an interior cavity for housing the electronic system. This segmentation allows air to escape through designated vent paths while the electronic system occupies the interior cavity without obstructing the venting function.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the end cap have different functions: the base provides vent openings, the side wall provides vent paths with specific geometry, and the interior cavity houses the electronic system. This local differentiation allows each region to optimize its specific function while working together as a whole.
2Reliability
If the electronic system is placed within the grip body, then electronic components are protected, but air escape paths are blocked during installation
Solution Approach 1:
The vent paths act as intermediary channels that connect the interior cavity to the exterior environment. These paths allow air to escape during installation while the electronic system remains protected within the interior cavity, mediating between the need for protection and the need for air escape.
Solution Approach 2:
The vent paths extend in a specific geometric configuration through the side wall, creating a three-dimensional escape route for air that bypasses the electronic system. This spatial arrangement allows air to escape through paths that do not intersect with the electronic component volume.
3Ease of manufacture
If the grip is designed with traditional molding methods, then manufacturing is simple, but adding electronic systems requires complex modifications
Solution Approach 1:
The grip is segmented into a main body and an end cap assembly, where the end cap can be separately molded or attached. This allows the electronic system to be integrated into the end cap module, which can then be attached to the main body, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while accommodating electronic components.
Solution Approach 2:
The end cap serves multiple functions: it closes the end of the grip, houses the electronic system, and provides venting pathways. This multi-functionality consolidates several features into a single component, reducing overall complexity while achieving the desired functionality.
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
Facilitates easy installation of the grip on a shaft by allowing air to escape through the venting system, ensuring the grip can be installed with the electronic system in place without obstruction.
Implementation Method 1
the base comprises one or more vent openings to one or more vent paths... each of the one or more vent paths provides fluid communication between at least one of the one or more vent openings and at least one of one or more vent holes
Data Source
AI summary
Grip with electronic system and exterior venting. In an embodiment, the grip comprises a main body comprising a shaft cavity extending from an open first end to a second end. The grip also comprises an end cap that is attached to the second end of the main body. The end cap comprises a base adjacent to the second end of the main body, which comprises one or more vent openings to one or more vent paths. The end cap also comprises a side wall extending from the base and defining an interior cavity. The end cap further comprises one or more vent paths. Each vent path provides fluid communication between at least one of the vent opening(s) and at least one of one or more vent holes in an exterior surface of the side wall. An electronic system is positioned within the interior cavity of the end cap.