Method for improving adhesion between golf ball layers

• US 6,103,166 A
• Filed: 01/12/1998
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Morgan, William E., Dalton, Jeffrey L., Snell, Dean A., Cavallaro, Christopher, Boehm, Herbert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Silbaugh, Jan H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Edmund H.
• Application Number:
  US09/005,906
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 264/250, 264/255, 264/274, 264/279.1, 264/275, 425/542, 425/129.1, 473/368, 473/370, 473/371, 473/374
• US Class Current: 264/250
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0004 Surface depressions or protrusions
• 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 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/166 Roughened surface bonds
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/424 Moulding surfaces provided with means for marking or patterning for injection moulding B29C45/372
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1657 using means for adhering or bonding the layers or parts to each other mechanical anchoring B29C37/0082
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1671 with an insert
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/54 Balls
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/545 Football balls

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods for making golf balls having adhesion between adjacent layers. In particular, the golf balls of the present invention comprise a cover, a core and optionally one or more intermediate layers disposed between the cover and the core, wherein the outer surface of the core an intermediate layer(s) or both the core and the intermediate layer has a finely textured surface profile integrally molded in the outer surface thereof. The finely textured surface profile comprises a plurality of peaks having a plurality of heights with a maximum of said heights being between the range of about 2 mils to about 15 mils.

Claims

1. A method of forming a golf ball having interfacial adhesion, said method comprising:

(a) forming a first finely textured pattern on an interior surface of a mold cavity, wherein said first pattern comprises a plurality of depressions having depths, with all of said depths being between about 2 and 15 mils, and having a draft angle of less than about 10°

;

(b) introducing a core blend into said mold cavity having said first pattern;

(c) forming a core having a finely textured surface profile integrally molded in the outer surface thereof, wherein said surface profile is a corresponding image of said pattern and comprises a plurality of peaks having heights, with all of said heights being between about 2 and 15 mils; and

(d) applying a cover material to said textured core to form a cover surrounding said textured core such that the surface profile of said textured core promotes interfacial adhesion between the cover and said textured core.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the draft angle ranges from about 4°

to about 8°

.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said depressions having depths being between 3 mils and about 7 mils and wherein said peaks having heights being between 3 mils and about 7 mils.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said pattern has a depression density of about 45 to about 75 percent and said surface profile has a peak density of about 45 to about 75 percent.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said pattern comprises a random pattern of depressions having an irregular shape.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said pattern comprises a repeating pattern of depressions having a regular shape.

7. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

(a) forming a second finely textured pattern on an interior surface of a second mold cavity, wherein said second pattern comprises a plurality of depressions having depths, with all of said depths being between 2 and about 15 mils, and having a draft angle of less than about 10°

;

(b) placing said textured core in said second mold cavity;

(c) introducing an intermediate layer blend into said second cavity;

(d) forming an intermediate layer on the surface of said textured core, said intermediate layer having a second finely textured surface profile integrally molded in the outer surface thereof, wherein said second surface profile is a corresponding image of said second pattern and comprises a plurality of peaks having heights with all of said heights being between about 2 and 15 mils and, wherein said surface profile of said textured core promotes interfacial adhesion between the textured core and the intermediate layer; and

(e) applying said cover material to said textured intermediate layer to form said cover surrounding said intermediate layer such that the surface profile of said intermediate layer promotes interfacial adhesion between the cover and said intermediate layer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second patterns are substantially the same.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the draft angle of the first pattern and second pattern is about 4°

to about 8°

.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the depressions of the first pattern and second pattern having depths being between 3 mils and about 7 mils and the peaks of the first surface profile and second surface profile having heights being between 3 mils and about 7 mils.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the first pattern and second pattern have a depression density of about 45 to about 75 percent and the first surface profile and second surface profile have a peak density of about 45 to about 75 percent.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said second pattern comprises a random pattern of depressions having an irregular shape.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein said second pattern comprises a repeating pattern of depressions having a regular shape.

14. A method of forming a multilayer golf ball comprising a cover, a core and at least one intermediate layer interposed between said cover and core, said multilayer ball having interfacial adhesion between the layers of the multilayer ball, wherein the method comprises:

(a) forming a golf ball core;

(b) forming a finely textured pattern on the interior surface of a mold cavity, wherein said pattern comprises a plurality of depressions having depths, with all of said depths being between about 2 and 15 mils, and having a draft angle of less than about 10°

;

(c) placing the core in said textured mold cavity;

(d) introducing an intermediate layer blend into said textured mold cavity;

(e) forming an intermediate layer on the surface of said core, said intermediate layer having a finely textured surface profile integrally molded in the outer surface thereof, wherein said surface profile is a corresponding image of said pattern and comprises a plurality of peaks having heights, with all of said heights being between about 2 and 15 mils; and

(f) applying a cover material to said textured intermediate layer to form a cover surrounding said textured intermediate layer such that the surface profile of said textured intermediate layer promotes interfacial adhesion between the cover and said intermediate layer.