Piezoelectric Golf Club Head for Adjustable Loft and Stiffness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current golf club technologies lack fine-tunability and are cumbersome, limiting golfers' ability to adjust club characteristics to suit their specific swing tendencies and shot types.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of piezoelectric elements into golf club heads that can be selectively adjusted using an electric field to alter attributes such as groove configuration, stiffness, and loft, allowing for real-time adjustments to enhance ball striking performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional adjustable golf club features are implemented, then some level of customization is achieved, but the adjustability becomes cumbersome and lacks fine-tunability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical adjustment mechanisms with piezoelectric actuators that use electrical fields to deform and adjust club head characteristics. This substitution eliminates cumbersome mechanical parts while enabling fine-tuned, precise adjustments through electrical control, directly resolving the contradiction between adaptability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and properties of the club head by applying electrical voltage to piezoelectric materials, which deform to alter club characteristics such as loft, lie angle, and face orientation. This allows continuous, fine-grained parameter adjustment rather than discrete mechanical settings, achieving both high adaptability and ease of operation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If fixed golf club characteristics are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but the ability to suit specific swing tendencies and shot types is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical adjustment systems with piezoelectric actuators controlled by simple electrical signals. This reduces the physical complexity of the device while maintaining or enhancing adaptability, as electrical control is inherently simpler than mechanical linkages, gears, and fasteners.
Solution Approach 2:
The piezoelectric actuator system serves multiple functions simultaneously - adjusting loft, lie angle, face orientation, and potentially other club characteristics - through a single integrated mechanism. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity compared to separate mechanical adjustment systems for each parameter.
3Manufacturing precision
If piezoelectric elements are incorporated into golf club heads, then precise control over club attributes is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses piezoelectric materials to achieve precise control over club attributes by applying controlled electrical voltage that causes predictable, reversible deformation. This enables manufacturing precision at the level of arcminutes for angle adjustments, as the piezoelectric effect provides linear, controllable displacement proportional to the applied voltage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates piezoelectric elements into the club head structure, creating a composite system that combines traditional club head materials with piezoelectric actuators. This integration allows precise control while managing complexity through careful material selection and structural design that accommodates the piezoelectric components.
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
Enables precise control over golf club attributes, improving ball spin, trajectory, and overall performance by allowing golfers to customize settings based on their swing and shot requirements.
Implementation Method 1
at least one piezoelectric element associated with the iron-type golf club head body and configured to deform upon application of an electric field
Implementation Method 2
the configuration of the grooves in the iron-type golf club head may be controlled by the one or more piezoelectric members
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4A
Figure 4B
AI summary
A golf club head which may include a golf club head body, a ball striking face and a piezoelectric member in the golf club head, wherein the piezoelectric member is configured to be selectively adjusted by an input provided through a controller operably connected to the piezoelectric member. Further, the piezoelectric member may be capable of having a first configuration to provide the golf club head body with a first attribute and may also be capable of having a second configuration to provide the body with a second attribute in response to the input provided by the controller. Further, the second attribute may be different from the first attribute.