Golf ball with high coefficient of restitution

• US 6,835,146 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2002
• Issued: 12/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Jordan, Michael D, Boehm, Herbert C, Sullivan, Michael J
• Primary Examiner(s): Gorden, Raeann
• Application Number:
  US10/241,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20030022731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 473/351, 473/377, 473/373, 473/374
• US Class Current: 473/377
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0005 Protrusions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0009 Polygonal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0027 Polyurea
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0052 Liquid cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0055 with non-spherical insert(s)
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0056 Hollow; Gas-filled
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0066 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0069 Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0078 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0087 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0092 Hardness distribution amongst different ball layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0097 Layers interlocking by means of protrusions or inserts, lattices or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/02 Special cores balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball cores A63B37/005

Abstract

A golf ball comprising an inner core, an outer core, and a cover is disclosed. The outer core surrounds the inner core, and the cover encases the cores. The inner core is preferably a pre-formed symmetrical, non-spherical insert, which may be made from a rigid material to improve the CoR and initial velocity of the ball at high impact speeds. The outer core is preferably over-molded around the pre-formed insert to form a spherical core.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising a core, which comprises a re-formed non-spherical insert embedded within a polymeric core material and is encased by a cover, wherein the golf ball has a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.810 at a collision speed of about 125 feet per second or higher and the non-spherical insert has a flexural modulus in the range of about 25,000 psi to about 250,000 psi.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the coefficient of restitution'"'"'s at least 0.790 at collision speed of about 140 feet per second or higher.

3. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the coefficient of restitution'"'"'s at least 0.760 at collision speed of about 160 feet per second or higher.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the pre-formed non-spherical insert has a flexural modulus in the range of about 75,000 psi to about 225,000 psi.

6. The golf ball of claim 5, wherein the pre-formed non-spherical insert has a flexural modulus in the range of about 80,000 psi to about 200,000 psi.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the pre-formed non-spherical insert is symmetrical.

8. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the insert comprises a central portion and a plurality of projections.

9. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the projections comprise a substantially conical head disposed at the distal end of each projection.

10. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein outermost surfaces of the conical heads lie on a spherical surface.

11. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the projections are separated by predetermined gaps.

12. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the insert comprises a plurality of connected rods and a plurality of balls disposed at the distal ends of the rods.

13. The golf ball of claim 7 wherein the insert comprises a plurality of connected rods and a plurality of mushroom-shaped heads disposed at the distal ends of the rods.

14. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the insert comprises a plurality of connected rods and a plurality of anchor-shaped heads disposed at the distal ends of the rods.

15. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the insert further comprises a hub connected to said rods.

16. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the insert comprises a plurality of rods connected to a central hub.

17. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the insert comprises a plurality of interconnected rings.

18. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein the insert further comprises a center.

19. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the insert comprises a plurality of interconnected disks.

20. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the insert comprises a hollow shell having openings on its surface.

21. The golf ball of claim 20, wherein the shell comprises rigid chambers on its surface.

22. The golf ball of claim 20, wherein the shell further comprises a center hub connected to the shells by rods.

23. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the pre-formed non-spherical insert has compression in the range of about 50 Atti to about 120 Atti.

24. The golf ball of claim 23, wherein the pre-formed non-spherical insert has compression in the range of about 60 Atti to about 110 Atti.

25. The golf ball of claim 24, wherein the pre-formed non-spherical insert has compression in the range of about 80 Atti to about 100 Atti.

26. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the flexural modulus of the polymeric core material is at least about 500 psi less than the flexural modulus of the pre-formed non-spherical insert.

27. The golf ball of claim 26, wherein the flexural modulus of the polymeric core material is at least about 1000 psi less than the flexural modulus of the pre-formed non-spherical insert.

28. The golf ball of claim 27, wherein the flexural modulus of the polymeric core material is about 20,000 psi to about 50,000 psi less than the flexural modulus of the pre-formed non-spherical insert.

29. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the flexural modulus of the polymeric core material is at least about 100,000 psi less than the flexural modulus of the pre-formed non-spherical insert.

30. The golf ball of claim 23, wherein the compression of the polymeric core material is about 5 to 100 Atti less than the compression of the pre-formed non-spherical insert.

31. The golf ball of claim 30, wherein the compression of the polymeric core material is about 20 to 80 Atti less than the compression of the pre-formed non-spherical insert.

32. The golf ball of claim 31, wherein the compression of the polymeric core material is about 30 to 60 Atti less than the compression of the pre-formed non-spherical insert.

33. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the pre-formed non-spherical insert has a durometer value of greater than about 40 Shore D.

34. The golf ball of claim 33, wherein the preformed non-spherical insert has a durometer value of greater than about 60 Shore D.

35. The golf ball of claim 34, wherein the pre-formed non-spherical insert has a durometer value of greater than about 65 Shore D.

4. A golf ball comprising a core, which comprises a pre-formed non-spherical insert having a flexural modulus in the range of about 25,000 psi to about 250,000 psi embedded within a polymeric core material and is encased by a cover, wherein the golf ball has a first coefficient of restitution of at least 0.810 1 at a collision speed of about 160 feet per second or higher against a flexible impact surface, wherein the impact surface has a second coefficient of restitution of about 0.830.

36. A golf ball comprising a core encased by a cover, wherein the core comprises a pre-formed, symmetrical, non-spherical insert encased by a polymeric core material, wherein the insert has a flexural modulus in the range of about 25,000 psi to about 250,000 psi and the polymeric core material has a flexural modulus of at least about 500 psi less than the flexural modulus of the insert.

37. The golf ball of claim 36, wherein the flexural modulus of the insert is in the range of about 75,000 psi to about 225,000 psi.

38. The golf ball of claim 37, wherein the flexural modulus of the insert is in the range of about 80,000 psi to about 200,000 psi.

39. The golf ball of claim 36, wherein the polymeric core material has a flexural modulus of at least about 1000 psi less than the flexural modulus of the insert.

40. The golf ball of claim 39, wherein the polymeric core material has a flexural modulus of at least about 20,000 psi to about 50,000 psi less than the flexural modulus of the insert.

41. The golf ball of claim 39, wherein the polymeric core material has a flexural modulus of at least 100,000 psi less than the flexural modulus of the insert.

47. The golf ball of claim 36, wherein the insert is made from an un-foamed polymer and the polymeric core material is foamed.

48. The golf ball of claim 47, wherein the insert and the polymeric core material are made from the same polymer.

49. The golf ball of claim 36, wherein the insert is made from a polymer with its specific gravity reduced.

42. A golf ball comprising a core encased by a cover, wherein the core comprises a pre-formed, symmetrical, non-spherical insert encased by a polymeric core material, wherein the insert has a compression in the range of about 50 Atti to about 120 Atti and the polymeric core material has a compression of at least about 5 Atti to about 100 Atti less than the compression of the insert.

43. The golf ball of claim 42, wherein the compression of the insert is in the range of about 60 Atti to about 110 Atti.

44. The golf ball of claim 43, wherein the compression of the insert is in the range of about 80 Atti to about 100 Atti.

45. The golf ball of claim 42, wherein the polymeric core material has a compression of at least about 20 Atti to about 80 Atti less than the compression of the insert.

46. The golf club of claim 45, wherein the polymeric core material has a compression of at least about 30 Atti to about 60 Atti less than the compression of the insert.

50. A golf ball comprising a core encased by a cover, wherein the core comprises a pre-formed, symmetrical, non-spherical insert encased by a polymeric core material, wherein the insert has a flexular modulus in the range of 25,000 psi to about 250,000 psi and a Shore D hardness in the range of greater than about 40 and the polymeric core material has a Shore D hardness of at least about 1 less than the hardness of the insert.