Radioluminescent golf ball

• US 20040053708A1
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ascuhnet Company
• Original Assignee: Ascuhnet Company
• Inventors: Hebert, Edmund A.
• Application Number:
  US10/242,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20040053708A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/353
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0078 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/06 with illuminating devices ; with reflective surfaces

Abstract

The invention is directed to a golf ball including a core and a cover, wherein at least one of the core or the cover includes a radioluminescent material; and, additionally, a golf ball including a core having a diameter of between about 1.5 and 1.59; a cover containing a radioluminescent powder, and a thermoplastic material. The radioluminescent powder is present in an amount sufficient to emanate light without activation with UV or visible light.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least one of the core or the cover comprises a radioluminescent material.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the radioluminescent material comprises tritium or a tritium-based material.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises the radioluminescent material.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the radioluminescent material is present in an amount sufficient to emanate light without activation by UV or visible light.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the radioluminescent material is blended with a thermoplastic, thermoset, or thermoplastic elastomeric material.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the radioluminescent material further comprises polyurethanes, polyurethane-ureas, polyurea-urethanes, polyureas, polyurethane-ionomers, epoxies, silicones, and unsaturated polyesters.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a center and an outer core layer.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has a surface coated with the radioluminescent material.

10. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the cover is optically transparent.

11. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the golf ball has a coefficient of restitution of greater than about 0.78.

12. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover has an outer surface comprising an indicia formed from the radioluminescent material.

13. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the cover is coated with a radioluminescent material.

14. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the radioluminescent material is present in an amount sufficient to emanate light without activation by UV or visible light.

15. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the cover coating comprises paint, ink, paste, clearcoat, primer, or a mixture thereof.

16. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the cover coating is further coated with a clearcoat.

17. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the core comprises a center and an outer core layer.

18. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the cover comprises an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer.

19. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the golf ball has a coefficient of restitution of greater than about 0.78.

20. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein:

the core has a diameter of between about 1.5 and 1.59;

the cover comprises a radioluminescent powder and a thermoplastic material; and

the golf ball has a coefficient of restitution of greater than about 0.78;

and wherein the radioluminescent powder is present in an amount sufficient to emanate light without activation with UV or visible light.