Golf Club Hosel Support Rod for Stress Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing golf club heads face stress issues during hosel bending processes, leading to unwanted warping or breakage of the composite crown and failure of adhesive materials, while increasing hosel durability raises the center of gravity and affects mass properties.
Innovation Solution
A golf club head design featuring a hollow interior with a support rod or ring disposed behind the hosel, which redistributes bending forces away from the crown and adhesive areas, using a combination of materials with varying densities for the body, hosel, and crown to maintain lightweight and durable construction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If extra material is placed at the hosel to increase durability, then the hosel strength is improved, but the center of gravity of the club head rises and mass properties are negatively affected
Solution Approach 1:
A support rod is introduced as an intermediary element within the hollow interior of the club head body, positioned to provide structural support to the hosel region without adding external mass. This internal support structure acts as a mediator that strengthens the hosel area while maintaining the overall lightweight design and desired center of gravity position.
Solution Approach 2:
The support rod is strategically positioned within the hollow interior at specific locations where stress concentration occurs during hosel bending. This local reinforcement approach provides enhanced strength precisely where needed without uniformly increasing the mass of the entire club head, thus maintaining optimal mass properties and center of gravity.
2Strength
If extra material is placed at the hosel to increase durability, then the hosel strength is improved, but the mass properties of the golf club head are negatively affected
Solution Approach 1:
The support rod serves as an internal intermediary structure that provides the necessary reinforcement to the hosel region without requiring additional external material. By placing this support element within the existing hollow interior, the design achieves enhanced durability while maintaining favorable mass properties.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of uniformly increasing the mass of the club head, the support rod is positioned locally within the hollow interior at specific stress-prone areas. This localized reinforcement provides the necessary strength enhancement without adversely affecting the overall mass properties and weight distribution of the golf club head.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the hosel is bent to adjust lie, loft, or face angle, then the club fit is improved, but the composite crown experiences warping or breakage and adhesive material fails
Solution Approach 1:
The support rod acts as an internal mediator that distributes and redirects the bending forces generated during hosel adjustment away from the composite crown and adhesive bonds. By providing this internal structural intermediary, the design enables successful club fit adjustment while protecting the vulnerable crown areas from warping or breakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The support rod creates a segmented stress distribution pattern within the hollow interior, separating the force transmission path from the composite crown and adhesive layers. This segmentation allows the hosel bending process to occur independently without directly transmitting harmful forces to the crown, thus maintaining crown integrity during fit adjustment.
Data Source
AI summary
A golf club head having a hosel, a hollow interior, and a support structure disposed within the hollow interior proximate a flange region is disclosed herein. In particular, the present invention is directed to a fairway wood head comprising a body with a front wall, an upper opening, a return portion between the front wall and the upper opening, a hosel, an interface between the hosel and the heel side of the body, and a hosel support ring or support rod, and a composite crown affixed to the body to close the upper opening and define a hollow interior. The support structure reduces the stresses placed on, for example, the crown during hosel bending processes.