Vibration Dampening Iron Design for Golf Balls
Vibration dampening is an important consideration when it comes to designing and manufacturing golf clubs. Vibrations transmitted through the club during ball striking can have an adverse effect on performance and accuracy if not properly addressed. In the past decade, golf club designers have been tackling this issue which has led to developments in vibration dampening and related materials.
Karsten Manufacturing, the creator of PING golf clubs, recently disclosed a patent application which showcased a club head design that the company was working on. This club head is expected to work wonders in reducing the issue of head vibration. A club head comprises of a strike face, back face, heel region, toe region, opposite the strike face and opposite the heel region. It also includes a cavity which is integral for the toe region and extends parallel to the strike face. This cavity also comprises of a vibration dampening material.
Golf club heads are often designed to accommodate the preferences of the individual as well as his or her ability and skill. Nevertheless, most golfers can agree experiencing vibration in the club after they hit the ball is not desirable. To prevent this from happening, manufacturers use vibration dampening materials to lessen the impact of vibration during golf play, while making sure that they maintain the necessary elements to assist individuals in their game.
Of particular importance in Karsten Manufacturing’s design is cavity 110, which extends from the heel region to the toe region. This cavity is used to cover the opening between the toe region and the opening in the heel region. Other examples also have cavities in a single opening at the toe region or the heel region.
According to the figures attached with the patent reports, the cavity is slightly smaller in size than the filler material which inserts into the cavity. Yet other examples use injectable devices which can be used to inject an expandable type of filler. In such embodiments, the cavity can be closed at both ends, except for the single access point/ opening which can be located in the toe region or the heel region. This cavity can be configured to meet the exact needs of the golfer. It comprises of a tube-shaped cylinder that extends from the heel to toe and comprises of a wall which defines a portion of the cavity and extends from the back face of the club head towards the sole. The filler material that is used to fill the cavity offers the vibration dampening functions that many golfers look for in their club heads. It makes use of materials that are dense and soft such as high density thermoplastics or composite materialswhich can dampen vibrations transmitted through the club head. Moreover, these vibration dampening materials can be in a solid state or can be injected, sprayed, molded or poured into the cavity.
One example of embodiment shows the filler material consisting of an elastomer composite made using a rubber-type material having metal ball bearings to create a rubber-metal matrix. In other examples, the filler material occupies only one portion of the cavity and a honeycomb-type material that is full of air pockets is placed in the cavity so that it doesn’t entirely fill the cavity. Yet other examples use two filler densities, wherein the first extends from the heel region to the center line while the second extends from the toe region to the center line. Other vibration damping material possibilities include metal powder filled heavy plastics to injection mold to form.
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