Putter Sightline Aperture and Sole Plate Weight Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional golf putters lack effective visual aids for proper alignment and weight distribution, which can affect the golfer's ability to consistently strike the ball accurately and maintain traditional form as per USGA rules.
Innovation Solution
A golf putter design featuring a body and sole plate with strategically placed apertures and sightline projections that extend above the upper surface, allowing for improved alignment and weight distribution through varying densities and colors, with the sole plate being less dense than the body and incorporating weight members for increased moment of inertia.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional putters are used without visual aids, then the structure remains simple and traditional, but the golfer's ability to align the putter properly is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color changes by incorporating sightlines with contrasting colors (e.g., red sightlines on a silver putter body) to enhance visual visibility and alignment capability. The sightlines extend from the striking face through the body to the sole plate, creating a visible reference for golfers to align their putts accurately.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the putter into distinct functional components: the body, the sole plate, and the sightlines. The sightlines are separate elements that extend through apertures in the body and connect to the sole plate, allowing each component to serve its specific function while maintaining overall structural integrity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If weight members are added to increase moment of inertia, then stability during off-center strikes is improved, but the overall weight and complexity of the putter increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by integrating the weight members directly into the sole plate structure. The weight members are formed as integral parts of the sole plate or attached to its undersurface, combining the functions of structural support and weight distribution in a single unified component, thereby increasing moment of inertia without proportionally increasing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by positioning weight members at specific locations on the sole plate (such as heel and toe areas) to strategically increase moment of inertia where needed for stability during off-center strikes, rather than uniformly distributing weight throughout the entire putter structure.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the sole plate is made with different density than the body, then weight distribution and moment of inertia are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by using different materials for the body and sole plate. The body is typically made from one material (e.g., stainless steel or aluminum) while the sole plate is made from a different material with different density properties, allowing optimized weight distribution and moment of inertia. This creates a composite structure where each material is selected for its specific properties.
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
Enhances the golfer's ability to align the putter properly and maintain consistent striking, improving mechanical attributes and adherence to traditional form by providing visible sightlines and adjustable weight distribution.
Implementation Method 1
The sole plate includes a sightline projection that extends into the aperture to form a sightline on the putter that is visible to the player in the address position
Implementation Method 2
Some putters that are heel-toe weighted are designed for maximum moment of inertia so that when the ball is struck on a location that is offset from the center of the face, the putter resists rotating
Data Source
AI summary
A putter having a body with a striking surface, an upper surface that is visible to a player when in the address position and a sole plate that is coupled to a bottom surface of the body. The upper surface includes at least one aperture and the sole plate includes a sightline projection that extends into the aperture to form a sightline on the putter that is visible to the player.