MULTILAYER GOLF BALL

• US 20130281232A1
• Filed: 05/29/2013
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Morgan, William E., Boehm, Herbert C., McNamara, Michael, Serino, Donald A., Correia, Diomar
• Granted Patent: US 9,199,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/354
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2037/085 liquid, jellylike
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0039 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0045 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0052 Liquid cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0056 Hollow; Gas-filled
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0066 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0078 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/08 Liquid cores; Plastic cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/023 having a plurality of grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/0022 Multi-cavity moulds B29C33/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/00 Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor by liberation of internal stresses B29C61/006
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/027 having an axis of symmetry B29C43/102 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/146 for making multilayered articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 63/22 using layers or sheathings having a shape adapted to the shape of the article B29C63/26 and B29C63/38 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/00 : Joining or sealing of preformed parts , e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor general aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts B29C66/00; using porous material formed by internal pressure generated therein for joining preformed parts B29C44/1228, B29C44/326
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/02 : by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/48 : using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/483 : Reactive adhesives, e.g. chemically curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4835 : Heat curing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/485 : Multi-component adhesives, i.e. chemically curing as a result of the mixing of said multi-components
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1142 : Single butt to butt joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/124 : Tongue and groove joints
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/12443 : having the tongue substantially in the middle
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/12461 : being rounded, i.e. U-shaped or C-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1248 : Interpenetrating groove joints interpenetrating fingered joints B29C66/139
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/221 : being in the form of a sinusoidal wave B29C66/2272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/54 : Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 : characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73755 : the to-be-joined area of at least one of the parts to be joined being fully cured, i.e. fully cross-linked, fully vulcanized
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73756 : the to-be-joined areas of both parts to be joined being fully cured
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73774 : the to-be-joined areas of both parts to be joined being semi-crystalline
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73776 : the to-be-joined areas of both parts to be joined being crystalline
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7392 : characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoplastic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 : characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7394 : characterised by the material of at least one of the parts being a thermoset
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73941 : characterised by the materials of both parts being thermosets
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/8322 : Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/83221 : cooperating reciprocating tools, each tool reciprocating along one axis
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 22/04 : Spherical articles, e.g. balls B29D22/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0042 : Producing plain balls hollow balls B29D22/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2009/06 : SB polymers, i.e. butadiene-styrene polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2021/00 : Use of unspecified rubbers as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 : PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 : Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2071/00 : Use of polyethers , e.g. PEEK, i.e. polyether-etherketone or PEK, i.e. polyetherketone or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 : Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/02 : Polyureas
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/54 : Balls
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/545 : Football balls

Abstract

A method of making a ball, comprising: forming an inner core having a diameter of about 0.5 inches or lower; forming a plurality of outer core parts from an elastomeric material, each outer core part having an inner surface, an outer surface and at least one non planar mating surface, wherein the inner surface is concentrically disposed within the outer surface and comprises a cavity for receiving the inner core, and wherein the at least one nonplanar mating surface extends radially between the inner surface and the outer surface and comprises a plurality of mating ridges which extend from the inner surface to the outer surface; forming an outer core by mating the outer core parts about the inner core and joining the nonplanar mating surfaces by meshing the mating ridges to form a multi-layer core having a nonplanar parting line which extends about the outer surface circumferentially and intersects with the mating ridges at the outer surface; and molding a cover about the inner core, wherein the elastomeric material has a cohesive strength and the parting line has a mated strength equal to or greater than the cohesive strength.

Claims

1. A method of making a ball, comprising:

a) forming an inner core having a diameter of about 0.5 inches or lower;

b) forming a plurality of outer core parts from an elastomeric material, each outer core part having an inner surface, an outer surface and at least one non planar mating surface,

wherein the inner surface is concentrically disposed within the outer surface and comprises a cavity for receiving the inner core, and

wherein the at least one nonplanar mating surface extends radially between the inner surface and the outer surface and comprises a plurality of mating ridges which extend from the inner surface to the outer surface;

c) forming an outer core by mating the outer core parts about the inner core and joining the nonplanar mating surfaces by meshing the mating ridges to form a multi-layer core having a nonplanar parting line which extends about the outer surface circumferentially and intersects with the mating ridges at the outer surface; and

d) molding a cover about the inner core, wherein the elastomeric material has a cohesive strength and the parting line has a mated strength equal to or greater than the cohesive strength.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the inner core comprises a liquid encased by a shell.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the inner core comprises a solid.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the outer core parts comprise an elastomeric material.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming an outer core further comprises applying an adhesive to the mating surfaces.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of molding a cover about the inner core comprises curing the golf ball for up to about 20 minutes at a temperature of from about 300°

F. to about 350°

F.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the inner core is hollow.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the inner core comprises a fluid mass selected from the group consisting of a gas, a liquid, a gel, a paste or a combination thereof.