Multi-Material Golf Club Face Resolving COR and Durability Trade-Off
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing golf club heads face challenges in creating a striking face that saves weight, improves Coefficient of Restitution (COR), and maintains durability without sacrificing sound and feel, as previous solutions either compromise on weight, durability, or alter the acoustic properties.
Innovation Solution
A golf club head design featuring a striking face with a perimeter made of a high-density material and a central portion filled with a lighter material of lower density, utilizing a dual-layered construction and composite materials to enhance weight savings and durability while maintaining desirable acoustic characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If a thinner striking face is used to improve Coefficient of Restitution (COR), then energy transfer is improved, but durability is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The striking face is constructed as a composite structure with a thin front surface made of a first material and a rear surface made of a second material with different mechanical properties. This allows the front surface to be thin for high COR while the rear surface provides structural support for durability, resolving the contradiction between energy transfer and reliability.
2Use of energy by moving object
If weight is removed from the striking face to improve COR and distance, then energy transfer is improved, but strength is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The striking face uses a composite construction with a thin, lightweight front surface for high energy transfer and a stronger rear surface for structural integrity. This composite approach allows weight reduction while maintaining strength, as each layer performs its specific function optimally.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the striking face have different material properties - the front surface is optimized for lightweight and flexibility while the rear surface is optimized for strength and support. This local differentiation allows the structure to be lightweight overall while maintaining necessary strength where required.
3Use of energy by moving object
If composite materials are used to save weight and improve COR, then energy transfer is improved, but sound and feel are altered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes specific parameters of the composite structure including the thickness of each layer, the material composition, and the bonding interface to control vibration characteristics. By carefully adjusting these parameters, the design achieves high energy transfer while maintaining desirable sound and feel properties that golfers expect.
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 weight reduction, improved COR, and enhanced durability while maintaining a desirable sound and feel, as evidenced by increased Characteristic Time (CT) and peak frequency to volume ratios, indicating better energy transfer and acoustic performance.
Implementation Method 1
The pocket at the frontal portion of the striking face may be filled with a material having a different density than the material used to form the remainder of the striking face. The multi-material striking face may utilize a lighter second material having a second density to fill in the pocket
Implementation Method 2
The COR between a golf club and a golf ball may generally relate to a fractional value representing the ratio of velocities of the objects before and after they impact each other. A golf club head utilizing a thinner striking face may deflect more when impacting a golf ball to result in a higher COR
Implementation Method 3
Hitting a golf ball straighter will generally require an improvement in the ability of the golf club to keep the golf ball on a relatively straight path even if the golf ball is struck off-center. U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,895 to Igarashi goes into more detail on this concept by discussing the advantages of creating a golf club with a higher Moment of Inertia (MOI), which is a way to quantify the ability of a golf club to resist rotational twisting
Data Source
AI summary
A golf club head with a multi-material face is disclosed herein. The layers of the multi-material face are preferably attached to the club head using adhesive and mechanical methods.