Multi-Material Golf Club Head Lap Joint Bonding for Visual Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multi-material golf club heads face challenges in securely joining different components to withstand impact forces while maintaining aesthetic appeal, as lightweight materials often fail to bond well with metallic materials, leading to undesirable visual delineations.
Innovation Solution
A golf club head design that incorporates a lightweight crown portion made of fiber-reinforced plastic, bonded to a titanium body portion using a lap joint with strategically positioned overlaps and recesses, aligning the parting line with existing visual cues to minimize visual distractions and enhance bond strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If lightweight materials are used to reduce weight, then weight is reduced, but bond strength between materials deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials by bonding a lightweight crown portion (made of fiber-reinforced plastic or other lightweight materials) to a titanium body portion. This composite construction allows the golf club head to achieve reduced weight while maintaining structural integrity through the strategic bonding of dissimilar materials with complementary properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating a lap joint with strategically positioned overlaps and recesses at specific locations where the crown and body meet. The overlap length is carefully controlled (greater than about 12 mm and less than about 25 mm) to provide enhanced bond strength precisely where impact forces are most likely to occur, while keeping other areas lightweight.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple materials are used to improve performance, then performance is improved, but aesthetic appearance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses aesthetic concerns by carefully controlling the local quality at the material junction. The lap joint is designed with specific overlap dimensions and recesses that align with existing visual cues on the golf club head, ensuring that the boundary between materials is either invisible or aesthetically pleasing, thus maintaining visual uniformity while allowing multi-material construction for performance optimization.
3Weight of moving object
If lightweight materials are used to reduce weight, then weight is reduced, but reliability under impact deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent ensures reliability under impact by concentrating material and bond strength at critical locations. The lap joint with controlled overlap (greater than about 12 mm) provides enhanced structural integrity precisely at the crown-body interface where impact forces are most likely to occur, while keeping the rest of the structure lightweight. The recesses are strategically positioned to optimize both bond strength and impact resistance.
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 achieves a secure and aesthetically pleasing joint between materials, minimizing visual distractions and enhancing performance by aligning the parting line with existing visual cues, thus improving the overall appearance and functionality of the golf club head.
Implementation Method 1
bonded to a titanium body portion using a lap joint with strategically positioned overlaps and recesses
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-material golf club head wherein the junction between the two different components made from different materials are seamlessly incorporated within existing visual cues of a golf club head is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention adjusts the design of the bond between the two different components to reflect the needs of the golf club head at the various visual cues around the perimeter of the golf club head.