Fluid or liquid filled non-wound golf ball

• US 5,683,312 A
• Filed: 03/11/1996
• Issued: 11/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Morgan, William E., Cavallaro, Christopher, Boehm, Herbert C., Harris, Kevin M., Pasqua, Samuel A. Jr., Reid, Walter L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US08/615,346
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 473/354, 473/377, 473/376, 473/378
• US Class Current: 473/354
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2037/085 liquid, jellylike
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2037/087 Wound cores or layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0039 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0052 Liquid cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0096 Spin rate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/08 Liquid cores; Plastic cores
• 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 43/027 having an axis of symmetry B29C43/102 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/146 for making multilayered articles
• 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: B29L 2031/54 Balls
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/545 Football balls

Abstract

A golf ball having a diameter of approximately 1.68 to 1.90 inches and comprising:

a fluid mass at the center of the ball;

a first, solid, non-wound mantle layer surrounding the fluid mass comprised of a polymer material selected from the group of thermoset rubber material, thermoplastic elastomeric material and plastic and having an inner diameter in the range of 30 to 70% of the ball diameter;

a second, solid, non-wound mantle layer surrounding and abutting the first mantle layer and being a polymer material selected from the group of thermoset rubber material and thermoplastic elastomeric material and having an outer diameter in the range of 80 to 98% of the ball diameter, a hardness of approximately 30 to 95 Shore C and a resiliency greater than 40 bashore; and

a cover surrounding the second mantle layer.

Claims

1. A golf ball having a diameter and being comprised of a core and a cover, wherein the core is further comprised of a fluid mass at the center of the ball, a first mantle layer surrounding the fluid mass and a second, solid, non-wound mantle layer surrounding and abutting the first mantle layer, wherein the first mantle layer has an inner diameter of 30 to 70% of the ball diameter and is a polymer material selected from the group of thermoset rubber, plastic, and thermoplastic elastomeric material and the second mantle layer has an outer diameter of 80 to 98% of the ball diameter and the second mantle layer is a polymer material selected from the group of thermoset rubber materials and thermoplastic elastomeric materials.

2. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the golf ball diameter is at least 1.68 inches.

3. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the cover is comprised of a polymer selected from the group of ethylene, propylene, butene-1 and hexane-1 based monomers.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover is comprised of a material selected from the group of polyether and polyester thermoplastic urethane, thermoset polyurethane, ionomer resins, low modulus ionomers, high modulus ionomers and blends thereof.

5. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the golf ball diameter is approximately 1.68 inches and the first mantle layer has an inner diameter of approximately 0.5 to 1.18 inches.

6. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the golf ball diameter is approximately 1.68 inches and the first mantle layer has an inner diameter of approximately 0.75 to 1.1 inches.

7. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the golf ball diameter is approximately 1.68 inches the first mantle layer has an inner diameter of approximately 0.9 to 0.95 inches.

8. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the golf ball diameter is approximately 1.68 inches and the second mantle layer has an inner diameter of approximately 0.55 to 1.45 inches.

9. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the golf ball diameter is approximately 1.68 inches and the second mantle layer has an inner diameter of approximately 0.8 to 1.3 inches.

10. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the golf ball diameter is approximately 1.68 inches and the second mantle layer has an outer diameter of approximately 1.3 to 1.65 inches.

11. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the golf ball diameter is approximately 1.68 inches and the second mantle layer has an outer diameter of approximately 1.45 to 1.62 inches.

12. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the second mantle layer is comprised of more than one layer.

13. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the fluid has a specific gravity of greater than 1.2 and a viscosity of less than or equal to 100 cps.

14. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the fluid has a specific gravity of approximately 1.3 to 1.55 and a viscosity of less than or equal to 10 cps.

15. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the fluid has a specific gravity of less than or equal to 1.2 and a viscosity greater than 100 cps.

16. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the fluid has a specific gravity of approximately 1.15 to 1.2 and a viscosity of approximately 100 to 1500 cps.

17. The golf ball of claim 16 wherein the fluid has a viscosity of approximately 500 cps.

18. A golf ball having a diameter of approximately 1.68 to 1.90 inches and comprising:

a fluid mass at the center of the ball;

a first, solid, non-wound mantle layer surrounding the fluid mass comprised of a polymer material selected from the group of thermoset rubber material, thermoplastic elastomeric material and plastic and having an inner diameter in the range of 30 to 70% of the ball diameter;

a second, solid, non-wound mantle layer surrounding and abutting the first mantle layer and being a polymer material selected from the group of thermoset rubber material and thermoplastic elastomeric material and having an outer diameter in the range of 80 to 98% of the ball diameter, a hardness of approximately 30 to 95 Shore C and a resiliency greater than 40 bashore; and

a cover surrounding the second mantle layer.

19. The golf ball of claim 18 wherein the cover is comprised of a material selected from the group of ethylene, propylene, butene-1 and hexane-1 based homopolymers and copolymers.

20. The golf ball of claim 18, wherein the cover is comprised of a material selected from the group of polyether and polyester thermoplastic urethane, thermoset polyurethane, ionomer resins, low modulus ionomers, high modulus ionomers and blends thereof.