Golf ball

• US 20060035726A1
• Filed: 08/11/2004
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Katsunori, Watanabe, Hideo, Kasashima, Atsuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,108,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/383
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0006 Arrangement or layout of dimples
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0007 Non-circular dimples
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0018 Specified number of dimples
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00215 Volume ratio
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0089 Coefficient of drag
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/009 Coefficient of lift
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0094 Rebound resilience
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0096 Spin rate

Abstract

A golf ball composed of an elastic solid core and a resin cover enclosing said core and having a number of dimples in the surface thereof, which is characterized in that said elastic solid core has resilience such that the deformation is 3.0 to 5.0 mm when the load is increased from 98 N (10 kgf) to 1275 N (130 kgf), said cover has a gage of 1.2 to 2.1 mm and a Shore D hardness of 60 to 75, and said dimples are formed in two or more different patterns, with their number amounting to 250 to 370. This golf ball is superior in flight performance.

Claims

1. A golf ball composed of an elastic solid core and a resin cover enclosing said core and having a number of dimples in the surface thereof, which is characterized in that said elastic solid core has resilience such that the deformation is 3.0 to 5.0 mm when the load is increased from 98 N (10 kgf) to 1275 N (130 kgf), said cover has a gage of 1.2 to 2.1 mm and a Shore D hardness of 60 to 75, and said dimples have two or more different patterns, with their number amounting to 250 to 370, and

wherein said dimples are so formed as to satisfy the following equation:

{(A-B)/A}×

100=1.1 to 1.6%

where, A denotes the hypothetical volume of the golf ball which is calculated on the assumption that the golf ball is a true sphere without dimples in its surface, and B denotes the actual volume of the golf ball.

3. The golf ball as defined in claim 1, wherein said dimples each are circular in plan view.

4. The golf ball as defined in claim 1, wherein said dimples each are non-circular in plan view.

5. The golf ball as defined in claim 1, wherein said dimples each are both circular in plan view and non-circular in plan view in combination.

6. The golf ball as defined in claim 4, wherein said dimples each are divided by edges whose cross sections are formed almost uniform.

7. The golf ball as defined in claim 1, wherein said resin cover is formed from a resin compound containing organic short fibers dispersed therein.

2. (canceled)

8. A golf ball composed of an elastic solid core and a resin cover enclosing said core and having a number of dimples in the surface thereof, which is characterized in that said elastic solid core has resilience such that the deformation is 3.0 to 5.0 mm when the load is increased from 98 N (10 kgf) to 1275 N (130 kgf), said cover has a gage of 1.2 to 2.1 mm and a Shore D hardness of 60 to 75, and said dimples have two or more different patterns, with their number amounting to 250 to 370.

wherein said resin cover is formed from a resin compound which is composed of (a) at least one component selected from olefin-unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer, olefin-unsaturated carboxylic acid-unsaturated carboxylate ester copolymer, and ion-neutralized products of these copolymers, and (b) a binary copolymer composed of a polyolefin component and a polyamide component.

9. The golf ball as defined in claim 8, wherein said polyamide in the component (b) is in fibrous form.

11. The golf ball as defined in claim 8, wherein said dimples each are circular in plan view.

12. The golf ball as defined in claim 8, wherein said dimples each are non-circular in plan view.

13. The golf ball as defined in claim 8, wherein said dimples each are both circular in plan view and non-circular in plan view in combination.

14. The golf ball as defined in claim 12, wherein said dimples each are divided by edges whose cross sections are formed almost uniform.

15. The golf ball as defined in claim 8, wherein said resin contains organic short fibers dispersed therein.

10. A golf ball composed of an elastic solid core and a resin cover enclosing said core and having a number of dimples in the surface thereof, which is characterized in that said elastic solid core has resilience such that the deformation is 3.0 to 5.0 mm when the load is increased from 98 N (10 kgf) to 1275 N (130 kgf), said cover has a gage of 1.2 to 2.1 mm and a Shore D hardness of 60 to 75, and said dimples have two or more different patterns, with their number amounting to 250 to 370,

wherein the golf ball, after being hit, produces an aerodynamic effect such that the coefficient of lift (CL) at a Reynolds number of 70000 and a spin of 2000 rpm is larger than 70% of that at a Reynolds number of 80000 and a spin of 2000 rpm, and the coefficient of drag (CD) at a Reynolds number of 180000 and a spin of 2520 rpm is not greater than 0.225.

16. The golf ball as defined in claim 10, wherein said dimples each are circular in plan view.

17. The golf ball as defined in claim 10, wherein said dimples each are non-circular in plan view.

18. The golf ball as defined in claim 10, wherein said dimples each are both circular in plan view and non-circular in plan view in combination.

19. The golf ball as defined in claim 17, wherein said dimples each are divided by edges whose cross sections are formed almost uniform.

20. The golf ball as defined in claim 10, wherein said resin cover is formed from a resin compound containing organic short fibers dispersed therein.