Three-piece solid golf ball

• US 5,899,822 A
• Filed: 11/21/1997
• Issued: 05/04/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Higuchi, Hiroshi, Yamagishi, Hisashi, Hayashi, Junji, Ishihara, Kunitoshi, Matsumura, Nobuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US08/976,090
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 473/373, 473/374, 473/376
• US Class Current: 473/374
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0035 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0045 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0047 Density; Specific gravity
• 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 37/00922 whereby hardness of the cover is lower than hardness of the intermediate layers

Abstract

In a three-piece solid golf ball of the three layer structure consisting of a solid core, an intermediate layer, and a cover, the solid core has a distortion of at least 2.5 mm under a load of 100 kg. The Shore D hardness of the intermediate layer is at least 13 degrees higher than the Shore D hardness of the cover. The ball as a whole has an inertia moment of at least 83 g-cm². The desirable properties of spin, feel, control and rolling are obtained.

Claims

1. A three-piece solid golf ball of the three layer structure consisting of a solid core, an intermediate layer, and a cover, wherein said solid core has a distortion of at least 2.5 mm under a load of 100 kg, the Shore D hardness of said intermediate layer is at least 13 degrees higher than the Shore D hardness of said cover, and the ball as a whole has an inertia moment of at least 83 g-cm².

2. The three-piece solid golf ball of claim 1 wherein said intermediate layer has a Shore D hardness of 60 to 70.

3. The three-piece solid golf ball of claim 1 wherein said cover has a Shore D hardness of 35 to 55.

4. The three-piece solid golf ball of claim 1 wherein said cover is mainly formed of a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer.

5. The three-piece solid golf ball of claim 1 wherein the specific gravity of said intermediate layer is lower than the specific gravity of said solid core and said cover.

6. The three-piece solid golf ball of claim 1 wherein said cover has a specific gravity of at least 1.05.

7. The three-piece solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein the inertia amount is in a range of 83.5 to 85.5 g-cm².

8. The three-piece of solid golf all of claim 1, wherein the inertia moment is in a range of 84 to 85.3 g-cm².

9. The three-piece solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein said solid core has a specific gravity in the range of 1.1 to 1.3.

10. The three-piece solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein said intermediate layer has a specific gravity in the range of 0.93 to 1.0.

11. The three-piece solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein said cover has a specific gravity in the range of 1.05 to 1.3.

12. The three-piece solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein said solid core has a diameter in the range of 33 to 38 mm.

13. The three-piece solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein said intermediate layer has a thickness in the range of 1.4 to 4.0 mm.

14. The three-piece solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein said cover has a thickness in the range of 1 to 3 mm.