Solid golf ball

• US 6,461,251 B1
• Filed: 01/20/2000
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co Limited (Bridgestone Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamagishi, Hisashi, Masutani, Yutaka, Maruko, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Mark S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GORDEN, RAEANN
• Application Number:
  US09/487,779
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 473/376, 473/373, 473/378, 473/371, 473/377, 473/374, 473/367, 473/368, 473/369
• US Class Current: 473/376
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0062 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00921 whereby hardness of the cover is higher than hardness of the intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/04 Rigid cores

Abstract

In a solid golf ball of four or multi-layer construction, comprising a center core, an outer core, an intermediate layer, and a cover, the outer core has a higher Shore D hardness than the center core, and the solid core has a diameter of up to 27 mm. The ball has improved feel, click, durability and flight performance.

Claims

1. A solid golf ball of multilayer construction of at least four layers, comprising a solid core consisting of a center core and an outer core around the center core, an intermediate layer of at least one layer enclosing the solid core, said intermediate layer closely enclosing the surface of said solid core and being formed of a resin base composition, and a cover enclosing the intermediate layer, wherein said outer core is formed of a thermoplastic resin base composition and has a Shore D hardness higher than said center core, and said solid core has a diameter of up to 27 mm, and said intermediate layer closely enclosing the surface of said solid core has a Shore D hardness which is at least 8 units higher than said center core.

2. The solid golf ball of claim 1 wherein the Shore D hardness of said outer core is from 55 to 85.

3. The solid golf ball of claim 1 wherein the Shore D hardness of said outer core is at least 5 units higher than the Shore D hardness of said center core.

4. The solid golf ball of claim 1 wherein at least one layer of said intermediate layer has a lower Shore D hardness than said outer core.

5. The solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the center core is from 3 mm to 25 mm.

6. The solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein the Shore D hardness of the center core is from 10 to 50.

7. The solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein the Shore D hardness of the outer core is higher than the Shore D hardness of the center core and the hardness difference is from 5 to 60.

8. The solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein the Shore D hardness of the outer core is higher than the Shore D hardness of the center core and the hardness difference is from 18 to 60.

9. The solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein the outer core has a gage of from 1 mm to 10 mm.

10. The solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein the solid core has a diameter of from 5 mm to 27 mm.

11. The solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover has a Shore D hardness of up to 65.

12. The solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer closely enclosing the surface of the solid core is formed of a resin base composition selected from polyamide resins, ionomer resins, polyester resins, polycarbonate resins, polyarylate resins, ABS resins, and mixtures thereof.

13. The solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein the center core is formed of a thermoplastic resin base composition.

14. The solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein the Shore D hardness difference between the intermediate layer closely enclosing the surface of the solid core and the center core is up to 45 units.

15. The solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein the Shore D hardness difference between the intermediate layer closely enclosing the surface of the solid core and the center core is up to 40 units.

16. The solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein the Shore D hardness of the outer core is higher than the Shore D hardness of the center core and the hardness difference is from 33 to 60.

17. The solid golf ball of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer has two layers of a first intermediate layer and a second intermediate layer.