Two-Piece Putter Head With Lightweight Crown for Stable Roll
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Solution Overview
Problem
Golf club heads, particularly putter-type clubs, twist upon off-center hits, causing the ball to travel in unintended directions and skid rather than roll smoothly.
Innovation Solution
A putter-type golf club head design featuring a two-piece construction with a central portion made of aluminum and a steel frame, incorporating a lightweight crown and strategically positioned weights to enhance moment of inertia, particularly around the Z-axis, and a cup alignment indicia for improved accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the club head is made of traditional solid construction, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the moment of inertia is insufficient causing excessive twisting on off-center hits
Solution Approach 1:
The club head is divided into two separate pieces: a central portion and a frame portion, which are then assembled together. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for moment of inertia while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through modular construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The club head combines different materials in a composite structure - the central portion is made of one material while the frame is made of another, allowing optimization of each material's properties to maximize moment of inertia while controlling overall weight and complexity.
2Reliability
If weights are added to increase moment of inertia, then ball motion consistency improves, but the overall weight of the club head increases
Solution Approach 1:
Weight is not distributed uniformly throughout the club head but is strategically concentrated in specific locations within the frame portion, particularly around the perimeter, to maximize moment of inertia while minimizing overall weight addition.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adding weight in a single dimension, the frame structure distributes weight across multiple dimensions (perimeter locations), creating a three-dimensional weight distribution that optimizes moment of inertia without proportionally increasing total weight.
3Strength
If the central portion extends toward the rear portion, then the moment of inertia increases, but the center of gravity shifts affecting ball trajectory
Solution Approach 1:
The frame and central portion are designed with asymmetric weight distribution, concentrating mass in specific asymmetric locations rather than symmetrically, allowing independent optimization of moment of inertia and center of gravity position for precise trajectory control.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame structure acts as a counterbalancing element to the extended central portion, with strategic weight placement in the frame compensating for the center of gravity shift caused by the extended central portion, thereby maintaining trajectory control while preserving moment of inertia benefits.
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 increases the consistency and accuracy of ball motion by reducing twisting and promoting smooth rolling, enhancing the golfer's ability to align the ball and maintain a straight trajectory.
Implementation Method 1
incorporating a lightweight crown and strategically positioned weights to enhance moment of inertia, particularly around the Z-axis
Data Source
AI summary
A golf club head is provided having a club body having a front portion, a rear portion, a toe portion, and a heel portion. The club head also having a central portion connected with the front portion. A frame is connected with the central portion configured to provide a lightweight crown portion being located above an offset plane.