Golf ball

• US 6,102,816 A
• Filed: 11/09/1998
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Spalding Sports Worldwide, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Michael J., Binette, Mark, Nesbitt, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Assistant Examiner(s): GORDEN, RAEANN
• Application Number:
  US09/188,205
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 473/374, 473/377, 473/384
• US Class Current: 473/374
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0004 Surface depressions or protrusions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0006 Arrangement or layout of dimples
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0021 Occupation ratio, i.e. percentage surface occupied by dimples
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0062 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/008 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0083 Weight; Mass
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/02 Special cores balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball cores A63B37/005
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/12 Special coverings , i.e. outer layer material balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball covers A63B37/0023

Abstract

A golf ball having an outside diameter of at least 1.70 inches which includes a core, an inner cover, or mantle, and an outside cover. The mantle and the outer cover have a different Shore D hardness. Dimples cover at least seventy percent of the outer surface area of the ball. In one embodiment, the mantle has a Shore D hardness between 50 and 60 and the cover has a Shore D hardness of 65 or less with the mantle hardness being greater than the cover hardness. In another embodiment, the mantle has a Shore D hardness of 65 or less and the cover has a Shore D hardness between 50 and 60, with the cover hardness being greater than the mantle hardness.

Claims

1. A golf ball of improved playing characteristics, comprising

(a) a spherical core;

(b) a mantle layer surrounding said core and having a Shore D hardness of 50 to 60;

(c) an outer cover layer surrounding said core and said mantle layer, said cover layer having a Shore D hardness of 65 or less, said mantle layer Shore D hardness being greater than said cover layer Shore D hardness; and

(d) said cover layer containing a dimple pattern covering at least 65% of the surface of the ball, the ball having an outer diameter of substantially 1.70 to 1.80 inches and a weight no greater than 1.62 ounces.

2. A golf ball of improved playing characteristics, comprising

(a) a spherical core;

(b) a mantle layer surrounding said core and having a Shore D hardness of 65 or less;

(c) an outer cover layer surrounding said core and said mantle layer, said cover layer having a Shore D hardness of 55 to 60 said cover layer Shore D hardness being greater than said mantle layer Shore D hardness; and

(d) said cover layer containing a dimple pattern covering at least 65% of the surface of the ball, the ball having an outer diameter of substantially 1.70 to 1.80 inches and a weight no greater than 1.62 ounces.