GOLF BALL CORE

• US 20150011330A1
• Filed: 07/05/2013
• Published: 01/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Feng TAY Enterprises Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Ishii, Hideyuki, Bender, Aaron, Leech, Nicholas A., Yontz, Nicholas, Ichinose, Jun, Chou, Chen-Hsin, Liu, Chen-Tai, Lin, Shih-Kai
• Granted Patent: US 10,155,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/371
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0005 Protrusions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0009 Polygonal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0011 Grooves or lines
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0012 Dimple profile, i.e. cross-sectional view
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0016 Specified individual dimple volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0019 Specified dimple depth
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/002 Specified dimple diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0051 Materials other than polybutadienes; Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0059 Ionomer
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0069 Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29

Abstract

A golf ball core for use in a multi-piece golf ball includes a solid sphere and between 100 and 300 spaced polygonal protrusions extending from the solid sphere in a radially outward direction. The sphere is substantially formed from an ionomeric material, and has a diameter (D) of between 24 mm and 32 mm. The polygonal protrusions extend from the sphere by a maximum distance of between 0.15 mm and 1.0 mm.

Claims

1. A golf ball core for use in a multi-piece golf ball, the core comprising:

a solid sphere substantially formed from an ionomeric material, the solid sphere having a diameter (D) of between 24 mm and 32 mm; and

between 100 and 300 spaced polygonal protrusions, each being substantially formed from the ionomeric material and respectively extending from the solid sphere in a radially outward direction by a maximum distance of between 0.15 mm and 1.0 mm.

2. The core of claim 1, wherein the solid sphere and the polygonal protrusions cooperate to define an outer surface having a surface area;

and

wherein the outer surface area is between 5% and 25% greater than π

*D².

3. The core of claim 1, wherein each of the polygonal protrusions has a perimeter shape selected from the group of a triangle, a quadrilateral, a pentagon, a hexagon, and an octagon;

and

wherein at least two of the polygonal protrusions have a different perimeter shape.

4. The core of claim 1, wherein each protrusion extends from the solid sphere by a maximum distance that is substantially the same.

5. The core of claim 1, wherein each protrusion includes a central portion that is substantially aligned on a single outer sphere that is disposed radially outward from the solid sphere.

6. The core of claim 1, wherein the solid sphere and the polygonal protrusions cooperate to define a geometric center and a center of mass that are coincident.

7. The core of claim 1, wherein the solid sphere and polygonal protrusions cooperate to define a plurality of grooves that separate the respective polygonal protrusions.

8. The core of claim 7, wherein each of the grooves respectively includes a radius of curvature that transitions from a sidewall of the respective groove to at least one of the solid sphere and a central portion of the protrusion;

and

wherein the radius of curvature is between about 0.25 mm and about 2.0 mm.

9. The core of claim 7, wherein each of the grooves respectively includes a sidewall that is at an oblique angle to at least one of a radial direction originating from a geometric center of the solid sphere and a central portion of an adjacent polygonal protrusion.

10. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the oblique angle is an angle of between about 40°

and about 70°

relative to a radial axis.

11. The core of claim 7, wherein the plurality of grooves includes a first set of annular grooves disposed about a first axis, a second set of annular grooves disposed about a second axis, and a third set of annular grooves disposed about a third axis;

wherein the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis are mutually orthogonal.

12. The core of claim 11, wherein the first, second, and third sets of annular grooves cooperate to define at least eight triangle sections, each respective triangle section including at least three polygonal protrusions having a perimeter shape selected from the group of a triangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, or an octagon.

13. The core of claim 12, wherein greater than 80% of the polygonal protrusions have a quadrilateral-shaped perimeter.

14. The golf ball of claim 11, wherein each groove of the first, second, and third set of annular grooves has a depth relative to a central portion of an adjacent polygonal protrusion, and a width measured in a tangential direction between adjacent protrusions;

and

wherein each groove of the first, second, and third set of annular grooves has a width/depth ratio of between 2 and 8.

15. The core of claim 1, wherein the ionomeric material has a flexural modulus of less than 10,000 psi.

16. A golf ball core comprising:

a solid sphere substantially formed from an ionomeric material, the solid sphere having a diameter (D) of between 24 mm and 32 mm;

between 100 and 300 spaced polygonal protrusions, each being substantially formed from the ionomeric material and respectively extending from the solid sphere in a radially outward direction by a maximum distance of between 0.15 mm and 1.0 mm;

wherein the solid sphere and polygonal protrusions cooperate to define a plurality of grooves that separate the respective polygonal protrusions;

wherein the solid sphere and the polygonal protrusions cooperate to define an outer surface having a surface area; and

wherein the outer surface area is between 5% and 25% greater than π

*D².

17. The core of claim 16, wherein each of the polygonal protrusions has a perimeter shape selected from the group of a triangle, a quadrilateral, a pentagon, a hexagon, and an octagon;

and

wherein at least two of the polygonal protrusions have a different perimeter shape.

18. The core of claim 16, wherein each protrusion extends from the solid sphere by a maximum distance that is substantially the same.

19. The core of claim 16, wherein each protrusion includes a central portion that is substantially aligned on a single outer sphere that is disposed radially outward from the solid sphere.

20. The core of claim 16, wherein each of the grooves respectively includes a radius of curvature that transitions from a sidewall of the respective groove to at least one of the solid sphere and a central portion of the protrusion;

and

wherein the radius of curvature is between about 0.25 mm and about 2.0 mm.

21. The core of claim 16, wherein each of the grooves respectively includes a sidewall that is at an oblique angle to at least one of a radial direction originating from a geometric center of the solid sphere and a central portion of an adjacent polygonal protrusion.

22. The golf ball of claim 21, wherein the oblique angle is an angle of between about 40°

and about 70°

relative to a radial axis.

23. The core of claim 16, wherein the plurality of grooves includes a first set of annular grooves disposed about a first axis, a second set of annular grooves disposed about a second axis, and a third set of annular grooves disposed about a third axis;

wherein the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis are mutually orthogonal.

24. The core of claim 23, wherein the first, second, and third sets of annular grooves cooperate to define at least eight triangle sections, each respective triangle section including at least three polygonal protrusions having a perimeter shape selected from the group of a triangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, or an octagon.

25. The core of claim 23, wherein greater than 80% of the polygonal protrusions have a quadrilateral-shaped perimeter.

26. The core of claim 16, wherein each groove of the first, second, and third set of annular grooves has a depth relative to a central portion of an adjacent polygonal protrusion, and a width measured in a tangential direction between adjacent protrusions;

and

wherein each groove of the first, second, and third set of annular grooves has a width/depth ratio of between 2 and 8.