Artificial Shuttlecock Feather with Edge Concave for Aerodynamic Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional artificial shuttlecocks made of soft nylon or plastic feathers exhibit poor flight performance and lack the impact sensation of natural feather shuttlecocks, due to their structure and material properties.
Innovation Solution
The design features a feather with a concave formed by defining an overlapped outline, a reference point, and cutting along a reference outline on the second portion, creating an irregular shape that enhances aerodynamic stability and flight performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional artificial shuttlecocks use soft nylon ball skirt or plastic feathers, then the shortage of natural feathers is solved and manufacturing is simplified, but the flight performance and hitting impact sensation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The feather is designed with different structural characteristics in different regions: the first portion has openings for weight reduction and airflow, while the second portion has a concave structure for aerodynamic stability. This local differentiation allows the artificial feather to achieve natural feather-like flight performance while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The feather employs asymmetric design with the first and second portions having different structures - the first portion with openings and the second portion with concave. This asymmetry creates differential aerodynamic forces that improve flight stability and hitting impact sensation, resolving the contradiction between simple manufacturing and reliable performance.
2Strength
If plastic feathers are made thicker to simulate natural feather structure, then the hitting impact sensation is improved, but the flight performance deteriorates due to increased air resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The first portion of the feather incorporates openings that create a porous structure, reducing overall weight and air resistance while maintaining sufficient structural integrity for hitting impact. This porous design allows the feather to be less dense than solid plastic feathers, improving flight performance without sacrificing impact sensation.
Solution Approach 2:
The feather's physical parameters are optimized by controlling the size, shape, and distribution of openings in the first portion and the concave in the second portion. These parameter adjustments enable the feather to achieve the right balance between thickness for impact sensation and aerodynamic efficiency for flight performance.
3Reliability
If natural feathers are used, then excellent flight performance and hitting impact are achieved, but the screening procedures become complicated and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The artificial feather copies the essential structural features of natural feathers - the asymmetric shape, the presence of openings, and the concave structure - to replicate their aerodynamic properties. This copying approach achieves natural feather performance without requiring complex screening procedures, as the structure is inherently built into the manufacturing process.
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 irregular feather configuration improves the aerodynamic stability and flight performance of the shuttlecock, making it closer to natural feather shuttlecocks in terms of hitting impact and control.
Implementation Method 1
the concave is located at an outer edge of the second portion... the irregular feather configuration improves the aerodynamic stability and flight performance
Data Source
AI summary
An artificial shuttlecock, a feather and a preparation method thereof are provided. The feather includes a connecting portion, a first portion, a second portion and a concave. The first portion and the second portion are disposed on the opposite sides of the connecting portion. The concave is located at an outer edge of the second portion. The concave is formed by the following steps of: defining an overlapped outline, which is the outline of the adjacent feather overlapping on the second portion; defining a reference point, which is a point where the overlapped outline is closest to the connecting portion; defining a shifting reference line, which passes through the reference point and is parallel to the connecting portion; defining a reference outline, which is located outside the shifting reference line; and cutting the reference outline to form the concave.