U.S. patent application number 14/816116 was filed with the patent office on 2016-06-02 for short game analysis system.
This patent application is currently assigned to Acushnet Company. The applicant listed for this patent is Acushnet Company. Invention is credited to Anthony J. Couto, Richard Daprato, Paul A. Furze, Glenn Grenier, William Souza, Michael J. Toupin.
Application Number | 20160151681 14/816116 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56078530 |
Filed Date | 2016-06-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160151681 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Daprato; Richard ; et
al. |
June 2, 2016 |
SHORT GAME ANALYSIS SYSTEM
Abstract
The present invention generally relates to lightweight, portable
robot for analyzing golf balls for short game performance
attributes. The preferred robot is specifically designed to be
lightweight and portable and to be able to hit a golf ball off of
the ground or a mat that simulates the ground such that realistic
short game performance of clubs and balls can be evaluated.
Inventors: |
Daprato; Richard; (Acushnet,
MA) ; Furze; Paul A.; (Tiverton, RI) ; Toupin;
Michael J.; (Fall River, MA) ; Grenier; Glenn;
(North Dartmouth, MA) ; Couto; Anthony J.;
(Fairhaven, MA) ; Souza; William; (Fall River,
MA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Acushnet Company |
Fairhaven |
MA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Acushnet Company
Fairhaven
MA
|
Family ID: |
56078530 |
Appl. No.: |
14/816116 |
Filed: |
August 3, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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14557688 |
Dec 2, 2014 |
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14816116 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
74/490.06 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 47/008 20130101;
G01L 1/00 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A63B 47/00 20060101
A63B047/00 |
Claims
1. A portable golf hitting robot, comprising: a frame, a drive
shaft coupled to the frame, a drive unit coupled to a first end of
the drive shaft for supplying torque thereto and a golf club
gripping member coupled to a distal end of the drive shaft, and the
robot further comprising a one-way clutch and a belt drive
juxtaposed between the drive unit and the golf club gripping
member, wherein the torque applied from the drive unit to the golf
club gripping member is at a ratio of less than 4-1.
2. The portable golf hitting robot of claim 1, wherein the golf
gripping member is coupled to face angle adjustment rotator such
that the face angle of a golf club can be adjusted.
3. The portable golf hitting robot of claim 1, wherein the gripping
member coupled to a club loft adjustment plate that is adjustably
coupled to the drive shaft such that the loft angle of the golf
club can be adjusted.
4. The portable golf hitting robot of claim 1, wherein the drive
unit is a pneumatic rotary actuator coupled to the drive shaft
through the belt drive to provide torque at a ratio of between
0.5-1 and 4-1.
5. The portable golf hitting robot of claim 1, wherein the drive
unit is a pneumatic rotary actuator coupled to the drive shaft
through the belt drive to provide torque at a ratio of between 1-1
and 2-1.
6. The portable golf hitting robot of claim 1, wherein the robot
further includes a disc brake coupled to the drive shaft, brake
calipers and a cam coupled to the drive unit for actuating the
brake calipers.
7. The portable golf hitting robot of claim 1, wherein the frame
includes a plurality of arms, each of the arms having an electric
motor at a first end and a ground abutting member at a distal
end.
8. The portable golf hitting robot of claim 4, wherein the robot
further comprises pneumatic controls for adjusting the amount of
force applied to the golf club by the drive unit.
9. The portable golf hitting robot of claim 1, wherein the frame is
comprised of aluminum and the robot weighs less than about 250
lbs.
10. A portable golf hitting robot system for swinging a golf club,
comprising: a frame, a drive shaft coupled to the frame, a
pneumatic rotary actuator coupled to a first end of the drive shaft
for supplying power thereto and a golf club gripping member
adjustably coupled to a distal end of the drive shaft for coupling
the golf club to the robot, wherein the torque ratio from the
pneumatic rotary actuator to the golf club gripping member is less
than 4-1, and wherein the golf club is rotated in a pendulum manner
about the drive shaft axis which extends within 8 to 18 inches from
a center of the gripping member.
11. The portable golf hitting robot of claim 10, wherein the golf
gripping member is coupled to face angle adjustment rotator such
that the face angle of a golf club can be adjusted.
12. The portable golf hitting robot of claim 10, wherein the
gripping member coupled to a club loft adjustment plate that is
adjustably coupled to the drive shaft such that the loft angle of
the golf club can be adjusted.
13. The portable golf hitting robot of claim 10, wherein the
pneumatic rotary actuator is coupled to the drive shaft through a
belt drive to provide torque at a ratio of between 1-1 and 2-1.
14. The portable golf hitting robot of claim 10, further comprising
at least three arms coupled to the frame and powered by individual
electric motors such that the length of each arm can be
independently adjusted.
15. The portable golf hitting robot of claim 10, further comprising
a laser safety scanner and a multi-button firing control.
16. A portable golf hitting robot system, comprising: a frame, a
drive shaft coupled to the frame, a drive unit, a belt drive
coupled to the drive unit and a first end of the drive shaft and a
golf club gripping member coupled to a distal end of the drive
shaft, and the robot further comprising a one-way clutch juxtaposed
between the drive unit and the golf club gripping member, wherein
the robot can swing a golf club attached thereto and impact a golf
ball off of a ground element; and wherein the ground element is a
hitting mat comprised of a turf layer, a foam layer coupled to a
bottom surface of the turf layer, a first structural layer coupled
to a bottom surface of the foam layer, a base, and a plurality of
springs juxtaposed the base and the first structural layer.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part of
co-pending U.S. Application Ser. No. 14/557,688, filed on Dec. 2,
2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its
entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally a short game
analysis system comprised of a portable hitting robot, a hitting
mat and an analysis launch monitor.
[0004] 2. Brief Review of the Related Art
[0005] The golf game is comprised of many facets: driving, fairway
metal shots, iron shots and putting. However, one of the most
important facets to scoring well is the short game, those wedge
shots that are about 125 yards and shorter. The short game also
includes very short shots from bunkers, rough, hard pan lies and
soft fairways. The short game, thus, comprises many different types
of shots from many different conditions and testing products to
confirm that they enable a player to have the best opportunities
for a good short game is very difficult.
[0006] In order to test golf products, many robots and launch
monitors have been designed. Hitting robots date back to at least
U.S. Pat. No. 3,373,612, which issued in 1968. This GolfCraft robot
was used by Acushnet Company for many years to demonstrate the
improvements and superior quality in the Acushnet golf balls over
the competition. The robot was relatively simple in that it had a
reverse motor that would move the club arm in correspondence to the
golfer's backswing and then automatically release the arm at the
end of the back swing. Potential energy storing means, a spring,
was energized through the backswing and then would apply a driving
force to the club arm to drive the club through the foreswing. The
robot further allowed the club to be manually cocked prior to the
backswing and then released so that the swing could mimic the wrist
action of a golfer.
[0007] Referring to FIG. 1, a prior art robot 10 is substantially
similar to that patented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,761, but it is
placed on a movable base 12. The robot 10 has base 12, a plurality
of wheels 14, a servomotor 16, a swing arm 18 and swing wrist 20.
The golf club 22 is coupled to the swing wrist 20. The swing arm 18
and the swing wrist 20 are powered by the servomotor 16 through a
gearbox such that the entire extent of the swing can be controlled
by a specified angular position and the torque of the servomotor
can be increased by a ratio of about 8-1. The swing arm 18 and the
servomotor 16 are coupled to the base 12 by a plurality of swivel
plates 24 and a plurality of mounting plates 26. The mounting
plates 26 can be rotated to adjust the robot around a plane
parallel to the object to be struck and the swivel plates 24 can be
adjusted to adjust the lie angle of the golf club. The robot, like
previous robots, is designed to swing a club so that it hits a golf
ball off of a tee. Due to the gearbox, any impact force felt from
the club has an extremely high reflective inertia force on the
motor. For example with a torque ratio of 8-1, the reflective
inertia torque from the golf club on the motor would be 64-1. Thus,
golf club impacts can severely damage the electric motor. Overall,
the robot, including the frame, swivel plates, mounting plates,
swing arm and swing wrist, is constructed primarily of structural
steel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention generally relates to lightweight,
portable robot for analyzing golf balls for short game performance
attributes. The preferred robot is specifically designed to be
lightweight and portable and to be able to hit a golf ball off of
the ground or a mat that simulates the ground such that realistic
short game performance can be evaluated.
[0009] The portable golf hitting robot according to the present
invention is comprised of a lightweight frame, a drive shaft
coupled to the frame, a drive unit coupled to a first end of the
drive shaft and a golf club gripping member coupled to a distal end
of the drive shaft. The golf club is attached to the golf club
gripping member and the drive unit provides the power to swing the
club. The robot further comprises a one-way clutch juxtaposed
between the drive unit and the golf club gripping member such that
the club can freely rotate after the drive unit has swung the club
through an impact location.
[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the golf gripping member forms a
lie adjusting plate such that the lie angle of a golf club can be
adjusted. The lie adjusting plate preferably includes an arcuate
shaped lie adjustment groove that allows the plate to be rotated
about an axis that is perpendicular to the drive shaft axis such
that the lie angle of the golf club can be adjusted. Preferably,
the drive shaft axis extends through or approximate to the golf
club grip and the golf club is rotated in a pendulum manner about
the drive shaft axis.
[0011] The preferred drive unit is a pneumatic rotary actuator and
the robot further includes an air reservoir. The pneumatic rotary
actuator preferably has sufficient torque to rotate the club head
using less than a 4-1 torque ratio and preferably less than 2-1.
Most preferably, the pneumatic rotary actuator is coupled to the
golf club gripping member without any gear members such that the
torque ratio from the actuator to the golf club gripping member is
1-1. This minimizes the reflective inertia from the club impacting
a ground element. The robot further comprises pneumatic controls
for adjusting the amount of torque applied to the golf club by the
drive unit. The robot can further include a disc brake coupled to
the drive shaft and brake calipers for stopping the rotation of the
golf club. Preferably, a cam is coupled to the drive unit for
actuating the brake calipers, which are preferably operated by a
pneumatic actuation.
[0012] The frame is structurally small and lightweight. Preferably,
the frame includes a plurality of arms, each of the arms having a
pivot coupling at a first end to pivotally attach to the main body
member. The arms also include ground abutting members at the distal
ends. The ground abutting members can be pads, spikes or wheels,
for example. The robot frame is preferably comprised of aluminum
such that the entire robot weighs less than about 250 lbs, and more
preferably, less than 150 lbs. More preferably, the robot weighs
less than about 100 lbs.
[0013] The present invention is also directed to a portable golf
hitting robot system, comprising a robot and a ground simulating
element. The robot preferably includes a frame, a drive shaft
coupled to the frame, a drive unit coupled to a first end of the
drive shaft for supplying power thereto and a golf club gripping
member coupled to a distal end of the drive shaft. The robot
further comprises a one-way clutch juxtaposed between the drive
unit and the golf club gripping member. The ground simulating
element is a hitting mat that is comprised of a turf layer, a foam
layer coupled to a bottom surface of the turf layer, a first
structural layer coupled to a bottom surface of the foam layer, a
base, and a plurality of springs juxtaposed the base and the first
structural layer. The mat is designed to flex such that when a golf
ball is struck off of the mat, the forces from the mat on the ball
simulate the forces from the ground.
[0014] The present invention also contemplates a portable golf
hitting robot system for swinging a golf club that comprises a
frame, a drive shaft coupled to the frame, a pneumatic rotary
actuator coupled to a first end of the drive shaft for supplying
power thereto and a golf club gripping member coupled to a distal
end of the drive shaft for coupling the golf club to the robot. The
torque ratio from the pneumatic rotary actuator to the golf club
gripping member is preferably less than 2-1, and more preferably
1-1. Thus, the golf club can be rotated in a pendulum manner
directly about the drive shaft axis which extends proximate a grip
portion of the golf club and impact a ground element and the
reflective inertia from the impact will be minimized.
[0015] The present invention is also directed to a portable golf
hitting robot and a method of using the robot. In order to simulate
short game conditions, a golf ball is placed on the ground or on a
ground simulating mat and struck with a golf club having 48 degrees
of loft or more. Preferably, the golf club is not attached to the
robot through a swing arm and/or swing wrist, but rather is coupled
to a club gripping member that is rotated about the axis of a drive
shaft. Thus, the robot is comprised of a frame, a drive shaft
coupled to the frame, a drive unit coupled to a first end of the
drive shaft for supplying power thereto and a golf club gripping
member coupled to a distal end of the drive shaft such that the
torque ratio is 1-1. The club is thus rotated in a pendulum manner
about the drive shaft axis which extends proximate the golf club
grip. The robot can further include a one-way clutch juxtaposed
between the drive unit and the golf club gripping member and a disc
brake for stopping the rotation of the golf club. Preferably, the
ground element is a hitting mat that simulates the forces on the
golf ball when struck and includes a force measuring device to
measure the contact force between the club and the mat.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The novel features that are characteristic of the present
invention are set forth in the appended claims. However, the
preferred embodiments of the invention, together with further
objects and attendant advantages, are best understood by reference
to the following detailed description in connection with the
accompanying drawings in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a prior art robot;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a front, right side perspective view of a robot
according to the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a side view of a robot according to the present
invention;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a back, right side perspective view of a robot
according to the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a hitting mat according to
the present invention
[0022] FIG. 6 is a front, right side perspective view of a robot
according to the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 7 is a front, right side close-up view of the robot in
FIG. 6; and
[0024] FIG. 8 is a side view of the robot according to FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] Using golf ball hitting robots to evaluate golf balls and
golf clubs is not new. Robots are particularly useful in that they
can apply a very repeatable swing so that different golf balls or
clubs can be compared. Launch monitors such as that disclosed in US
Publication No. 2005/0272516 can be used to detect variations
associated with club, ball and robot performance. Hitting robots
have heretofore been designed to hit drivers and other clubs.
However, their primary use is to evaluate club and ball performance
for longer shots. Thus, the robots include a hitting arm such that
the golf swing is imitated as much as possible. The robots are not
used for short game performance evaluation. One reason is that the
short game, hitting wedges of 48 degrees or more, generally
involves hitting down on the ball and pinching the ball between the
club and the ground.
[0026] The present invention generally relates to lightweight,
portable robot for analyzing golf balls for short game performance
attributes. The preferred robot is specifically designed to be
lightweight and portable and to be able to hit a golf ball off of
the ground or a mat that simulates the ground such that realistic
short game performance can be evaluated.
[0027] Referring to FIGS. 2-4, the preferred portable golf hitting
robot 100 is designed to hit a golf club 102 under short game
conditions. Accordingly, the robot 100 is comprised of a
lightweight frame 104. The frame includes a main body member 106
and a plurality of arms 108. The arms 108 are preferably coupled to
the main body member 106 by pivot couplings 110. With each arm 108
independently coupled to the main body member 106, they can be
independently adjusted so that the robot 100 can be used on uneven
terrain, such as a fairway with undulation or even in a sand trap.
At the distal ends of the arms 108 are ground abutting pads 112.
Wheels can be added at the distal end of the arms 108 for increased
mobility. However, pads 112 are preferred for stability when the
club head contacts the ground during the hitting motion. For
increased adjustability, the arms 108 can be made to telescope or
arm extensions that telescope can be added to the ends of the
arms.
[0028] The golf club 102 is powered by or swung in a pendulum
motion by the rotary actuating system 120. The system 120 is
comprised of a drive shaft 122 coupled to the frame's main body
member 106, a drive unit 124 coupled to a first end of the drive
shaft 122 for supplying power thereto and a golf club gripping
member 130 coupled to a distal end of the drive shaft 122. The golf
club 102 is attached to the golf club gripping member 130 and the
drive unit 124 provides the power to swing the club. The robot 100
further comprises a one-way clutch 126 juxtaposed between the drive
unit 124 and the golf club gripping member 130 such that the club
head can freely swing after the drive unit 124 has stopped
rotating.
[0029] In a preferred embodiment, the golf gripping member 130 is a
lie adjusting plate with a plurality of clamps 132 to secure the
club to the plate 130. Clamps 132 or other means to secure the club
such as a collet with a self-locking taper should make sure that
the club is still retained to the robot even if power is lost. The
clamps 132 allow for easy adjustment of the club face from a square
to open or closed position. The lie adjusting plate 130 preferably
includes an arcuate shaped lie adjustment groove 134 that allows
the plate to be rotated about an axis that is perpendicular to the
drive shaft axis 128 such that the lie angle of the golf club can
be adjusted. Identification marks on the plate 130 can be used to
confirm the lie angle relative to the robot. Preferably, the drive
shaft axis 128 extends through or approximate to the golf club grip
and the golf club 102 is rotated in a pendulum manner about the
drive shaft axis 128. Most preferably, a portion of the golf club
grip is located within 4 inches of the drive shaft axis 128. In
this embodiment of the invention, the weight associated with robot
swing arms and wrists is eliminated and the size of the drive unit
can be significantly reduced because less weight is being
rotated.
[0030] The preferred drive unit 124 is a pneumatic rotary actuator
such as a rack and pinion type series NRCA1 from SMC Corporation of
America. Different sizes can be selected depending on the amount of
force or torque desired and the angular rotation of the actuator.
The applicants have found that the 180 degree actuation angle is
more than sufficient. The robot further comprises pneumatic
controls 136 for adjusting the amount of force applied to the golf
club by the drive unit 124 and an air reservoir 138 coupled to the
pneumatic actuator 124. Different hitting conditions can also
affect the amount of pressure required. Also, if more club speed is
required based on the amount of force available from an actuator, a
swing arm, not shown, can be added to the system so that the club
head speed is increased. Preferably, a pneumatic rotary actuator
such as SMC's Rack & Pinion Type Series NCRA1BW80-190C is
directly coupled through the drive shaft to the golf club gripping
member such that the torque ratio is 1-1. Thus, when the club head
impacts the ground, the reflective inertia back to the pneumatic
rotary actuator is minimized. Further, a spring member can be
located in the drive shaft 122 such that it absorbs reflective
forces from the club head impacting the ground.
[0031] The robot can further include a disc brake 140 coupled to
the drive shaft 122 and brake calipers 142 for stopping the
rotation of the golf club. Preferably, a cam 144 is coupled to the
drive unit 124 or drive shaft 122 for actuating the brake calipers
142 after the club head has contacted the golf ball. Preferably,
the cam 144 hits a pneumatic actuation trigger or an electronic
trigger, not shown, and is coupled to be in a fixed angular
orientation relative to the drive unit 124. Thus, when the drive
unit 124 reaches the end of its rotation, preferably when the club
head 102 is approximately 10 to 90 degrees past the ball impact
location, the cam 144 actuates the trigger to actuate the disc
brake calipers 142.
[0032] The preferable frame 104 is structurally small and
lightweight. Preferably, the robot frame 104 is comprised of
aluminum such that the entire robot weighs less than about 150 lbs.
More preferably, the robot weighs less than about 100 lbs.
[0033] In another preferred embodiment, a spring member or shock
absorber can be juxtaposed the golf club and the golf club gripping
member such that the impact of the club head hitting the ground can
be partially absorbed and the reflective forces on the robot
reduced. For example, the gripping mechanism could allow motion of
the golf club in the axial direction and the spring could limit
twisting forces. Alternatively, a very stiff spring could be used
to couple the golf club to the robot to allow movement in all
directions.
[0034] The present invention also includes a ground simulating
hitting mat 200. Referring to FIG. 5, the mat preferably includes a
turf layer 202, a foam layer 204 coupled to a bottom surface of the
turf layer 202, a first structural layer 206 coupled to a bottom
surface of the foam layer 204, a base 208, and a plurality of
springs 210 juxtaposed the base 208 and the first structural layer
206. The base 208 and the first structural layer 206 are stiff
members and can be made from plywood or the like. The mat 200 is
designed to be flexible such that when a golf ball is struck off of
the mat 200, the forces from the mat on the ball simulate the
forces from the ground. In this manner, multiple hits can be made
off of the mat 200 without moving the robot 100 and the golf club
can still impact the golf ball at a downward angle such as that
used in real player shots. Preferably, either the club or the mat
can include stress and strain gages to measure the impact force and
torque between the mat and the club such that the force created by
different sole configurations can be measured. If the club is also
going to be tested in actual turf, it is better to have the force
measuring device directly coupled to the club. For example, sensors
can easily be coupled to the shaft of the club to measure impact
force and torque so that the force of impact can be measured and
compared.
[0035] The present invention is also directed to a method of
simulating short shot performance with a portable robot. In order
to simulate short game conditions, a golf ball is placed on the
ground or on a ground simulating mat and struck with a golf club
having 48 degrees of loft or more. Preferably, the golf club is not
attached to the robot through a swing arm and/or swing wrist, but
rather is coupled to a club gripping member that is rotated about
the axis of a drive shaft. Thus, the robot is comprised of a frame,
a drive shaft coupled to the frame, a drive unit coupled to a first
end of the drive shaft for supplying power thereto and a golf club
gripping member coupled to a distal end of the drive shaft such
that the torque ratio from the drive unit to the club gripping
member is 1-1. The club is thus rotated in a pendulum manner about
the drive shaft axis which extends proximate the golf club grip. By
rotating the club in a circular motion about the drive shaft, the
angle of impact with the ball and ground can be easily adjusted by
moving the ball with respect to the vertical plane that includes
the drive shaft axis. For example, if the ball is located directly
in the vertical plane, the club head can impact the ball at its
lowest point of the arc and have a flat impact direction. However,
if the ball is moved back relative to the vertical plane and the
height of the gripping member lowered, the club head can impact the
ball at a steep angle of attack to pinch the ball between the club
head and the ground as many players do. The robot can further be
comprised of a one-way clutch juxtaposed between the drive unit and
the golf club gripping member and a disc brake for stopping the
rotation of the club head. Preferably, the ground element is a
hitting mat that simulates the forces on the golf ball when struck
so that repeated shots from the same location can be made.
[0036] The robot can also be repositioned after impact by moving
the robot on wheels, tractor treads or rails. Directional wheels
such as Vex Mecanum Wheels or Vex Omni Wheels are preferred for
multidirectional control. A small motor can be used to adjust the
position of the robot, which can be moved with a joystick or a
stereo vision system or the like.
[0037] Referring to FIGS. 6-8, another embodiment of the preferred
portable golf hitting robot 300 is designed to hit a golf club
under short game conditions. Accordingly, the robot 300 is
comprised of a lightweight frame 304. The frame includes a main
body member 306 and a plurality of arms 308. In this embodiment,
the arms 308 are preferably coupled to the main body member 306 and
are powered by electric motors 310. With each arm 308 independently
coupled to the main body member 306, they can be independently
adjusted so that the robot 300 can be used on uneven terrain, such
as a fairway with undulation or even in a sand trap and can be
adjusted for different shots as discussed below. At the distal ends
of the arms 308 are ground abutting piston ends 312. Preferably,
wheels can be added at the piston ends 312 for increased mobility.
For increased adjustability, the piston ends 312 telescope within
the arms 308 and have a travel distance of between about 10 to 20
inches so that they can be made to extend to any desired length
independently by a remote controller. The robot 300 can be adjusted
for lie angle of the club by actuating the electric motors 310 in a
front-to-back manner. In other words, the front two piston ends
312(a) and 312(b) can be extended relative to the back piston end
312(c) to decrease the lie angle of the club to be hit. Conversely,
the rear piston end 312(c) can be extended relative to the front
piston ends 312(a) and (b) to increase the lie angle of the club.
The robot 300 can also be adjusted to manipulate the club angle of
decent by moving the ball relative to the front two pistons 312(a)
and 312(b). For example, by moving the ball closer to the arm end
312(a) on the right side of the hitting location, the club's angle
of decent can be decreased to have a flatter impact or to hit up on
the ball. Conversely, by moving the ball closer to the left piston
end 312(b) relative to the right piston end 312(a), the club's
angle of decent can be increased such that the club hits down on
the ball at a steeper angle.
[0038] Preferably, the robot includes several operating switches
for the arms 312. For example, a first switch can raise and lower
the front arms 312(a) and (b) simultaneously. A second and third
switch can raise and lower the front arms 312 (a) and (b)
respectively, so that they can be independently adjusted. Finally,
a fourth switch can raise and lower the back arm 312(c). Each of
the switches preferably includes a fast mode and a slow mode to
better operate the arms 312.
[0039] The golf club is powered by or swung in a pendulum motion by
the rotary actuating system 320. The system 320 is comprised of a
drive shaft 322 coupled to the frame's main body member 306, a
drive unit 324 coupled to a first end of the drive shaft 322 for
supplying power thereto and a golf club gripping member 330 coupled
to a distal end of the drive shaft 322. The golf club is attached
to the golf club gripping member 330 and the drive unit 324
provides the power to swing the club. The robot 300 further
comprises a one-way clutch 326 juxtaposed between the drive unit
324 and the golf club gripping member 330 such that the club head
can freely swing after the drive unit 324 has stopped rotating.
Preferably, the drive unit 324 rotates approximately 180 to 200
degrees and stops rotating when the club is just before or at
impact with the golf ball.
[0040] In a preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the golf
gripping member 330 is coupled to the drive shaft 322 through a
face angle adjustment rotator 332. The face angle of the club head
can be opened or closed by rotating the gripping member 330
relative to the face angle adjustment rotator 332 and then locking
it in place. Moreover, the gripping member 330 is coupled to a club
loft adjustment plate 334, which is rotatably attached to the arm
member 336 via a locking mechanism 338. The club loft adjustment
plate 334 rotates to increase or decrease the loft of the club head
to simulate different shots hit by golfers.
[0041] The preferred drive unit 324 is a pneumatic rotary actuator
such as a rack and pinion type series NRCA1 from SMC Corporation of
America. Different sizes can be selected depending on the amount of
force or torque desired and the angular rotation of the actuator.
The applicants have found that the 180 degree actuation angle is
more than sufficient. The robot further comprises pneumatic
controls for adjusting the amount of force applied to the golf club
by the pneumatic rotary actuator 324 and an air reservoir coupled
to the pneumatic rotary actuator 324. Different hitting conditions
can also affect the amount of pressure required. Also, if more club
speed is required based on the amount of force available from an
actuator, swing arm 336, can be added to the system so that the
club head speed is increased. Preferably, the swing arm 336 has a
fixed length or is adjustable such that the length between the
drive shaft axis 322 and the center of the gripping member 330 is
between about 4 to 20 inches, and more preferably, between about 8
and 18 inches. Most preferably, the length between the drive shaft
axis 322 and the center of the gripping member 330 is between about
10 and 12 inches.
[0042] A pneumatic rotary actuator such as SMC's Rack & Pinion
Type Series NCRA1BW100-190C, which can provide up to 1500 in*lbs of
torque from 150 psi, is coupled through the drive shaft 322 and to
the golf club gripping member 330 via a belt drive 350. The belt
drive 350 includes a first belt pulley 352 coupled to the drive
unit and a second belt drive pulley 354 that is coupled to the
drive shaft 322. The first and second belt drive pulleys are sized
to create a torque ratio that is between 0.5-1 to 4-1, and more
preferably, about 1-1 to 2-1. Thus, sufficient speed and force can
be applied to the club head, but when the club head impacts the
ground, the reflective inertia back to the pneumatic rotary
actuator is minimized. Further, the rubber belt 350 absorbs
reflective forces from the club head impacting the ground, acting
as a damper.
[0043] The robot can further include a disc brake 340 comprised of
one or more discs and calipers coupled to the drive shaft 322 for
stopping the rotation of the golf club. Preferably, a plurality of
disc brakes 340 are used and a cam is coupled to the drive shaft
322 for actuating the brake calipers after the club head has
contacted the golf ball. Preferably, the cam hits a pneumatic
actuation trigger and is coupled to be in a fixed angular
orientation relative to the drive shaft 322. Thus, when the drive
shaft 322 reaches a preselected end of its rotation, preferably
when the club head is approximately 10 to 90 degrees past the ball
impact location, the cam hits the pneumatic trigger to actuate the
disc brakes 340.
[0044] For operator safety, the robot can be fitted with a laser
safety scanner that can disable the electronic firing mechanism if
a person or object is too close to where the club will be swung.
For example a laser scanner such as a Keyence SZ-01S can scan 270
degrees and a distance of 4.2 meters. Thus, if a person accidently
walks into the robot area, the electronic firing mechanism can be
shut off. Further, the robot's electronic firing mechanism can
include a multi-button firing control. A radio remote control can
include an enable button as well as the swing button to actuate the
robot into swing mode. Furthermore, a master mode switch can
completely disable the firing circuits when the operator is setting
up the robot. The two modes for the master mode switch are
preferably run and setup to provide the operator an additional
safety mechanism.
[0045] While it is apparent that the illustrative embodiments of
the invention disclosed herein fulfill the objectives stated above,
it is appreciated that numerous modifications and other embodiments
may be devised by those skilled in the art. Therefore, it will be
understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all
modifications and embodiments which would come within the spirit
and scope of the present invention.
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