Multi-material Golf Club Head Mass Redistribution
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing golf club designs struggle to reduce unnecessary mass while maintaining the sound and feel, as lightweight materials used to create discretionary mass often degrade the acoustic properties and structural integrity of the club head.
Innovation Solution
A golf club head design featuring a multi-layered structure with a titanium base layer and a lightweight cover layer, where the cover layer has a high internal exposure percentage through cutouts, providing structural support and mass savings without compromising sound and feel, achieved by using materials like ThinPreg™ 120 EPHTg-402/CF and maintaining specific thickness and fiber areal weight ranges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If lightweight materials are used to replace metallic materials at various portions of the golf club head, then discretionary mass is increased, but the sound and feel of the golf club significantly degrade
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using different materials at different portions of the golf club head. Specifically, lightweight materials (such as carbon fiber composites) are used at portions where mass reduction is desired to increase discretionary mass, while metallic materials are retained at portions where sound and feel are critical. This localized material selection allows the design to optimize both weight distribution and acoustic properties simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes composite materials, particularly carbon fiber reinforced polymers, to create a multi-material construction. These composite materials provide the necessary strength and rigidity while maintaining low weight, enabling the creation of discretionary mass without completely replacing metallic components. The composite structure allows for tailored mechanical properties in different regions of the club head.
2Reliability
If metallic materials are used throughout the golf club head, then sound and feel are maintained, but discretionary mass is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by strategically selecting metallic materials only at specific portions of the golf club head where acoustic properties are most important, rather than using them throughout the entire structure. This localized metallic reinforcement maintains sound and feel characteristics while allowing lightweight materials to be used in other areas to maximize discretionary mass.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the golf club head into multiple portions with different material compositions. By dividing the club head structure into distinct regions, the design can optimize each segment's material selection based on its specific functional requirements - acoustic sensitivity, weight distribution, structural integrity - thereby balancing sound and feel with discretionary mass availability.
Data Source
AI summary
A golf club head made out of multi-material is disclosed herein. More specifically, the golf club head in accordance with the present invention has at least a portion of the body of the golf club head that is further comprised out of a base layer and a lightweight cover layer. The base layer may have a plurality of cutouts to help reduce unnecessary mass and the lightweight cover layer may be made out of an ultra-lightweight material to further reduce the unnecessary mass. In alternative embodiments of the invention, the base layer may have one or more ribs to provide structural rigidity to the base layer.