Method of making a golf ball with a multi-layer core

• US 7,014,573 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2001
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Dalton, Jeffrey L., Cavallaro, Christopher, Boehm, Herbert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vidovich, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunter, Jr, Alvin A.
• Application Number:
  US09/948,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,653 Days
• Field of Search: 473351-377, 473/398, 264/157
• US Class Current: 473/371
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0024 Materials other than ionomers or polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0034 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0045 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00621 Centre hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• 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 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/3644 Vacuum bags; Details thereof, e.g. fixing or clamping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/146 for making multilayered articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/18 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. compression moulding around inserts or for coating articles B29C43/206 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/305 Making multilayered articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/70 Completely encapsulating inserts B29C70/86 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0042 Producing plain balls hollow balls B29D22/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/256 Sheets, plates, blanks or films
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/52 : Sports equipment ; Games; Articles for amusement; Toys B29L2031/54 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/54 : Balls
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 21/00 : Compositions of unspecified rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/02 : containing two or more polymers of the same C08L -group
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/03 : containing three or more polymers in a blend
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0869 : Acids or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0876 : Neutralised polymers, i.e. ionomers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 : Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/06 : Homopolymers or copolymers of unsaturated hydrocarbons; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/08 : Homopolymers or copolymers according to C08L7/00 - C08L21/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/20 : Macromolecular compounds having nitrogen in the main chain according to C08L75/00 - C08L79/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/24 : Graft or block copolymers according to groups C08L51/00, C08L53/00 or C08L55/02; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 51/00 : Compositions of graft polymers in which the grafted component is obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds for ABS polymers C08L55/02; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/00 : Compositions of block copolymers containing at least one sequence of a polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 : Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 9/00 : Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons

Abstract

A method for making a multilayer golf ball including a solid center having a center hardness, a plurality of laminates cut into a plurality of shapes formed around the center to create an inner ball, and a cover formed around the inner ball, wherein the plurality of layers can include at least a first layer having a hardness greater than the center hardness and a second layer having a hardness greater than the first layer hardness, and optionally a third layer disposed between the first and the second layers having a hardness greater than the first layer hardness.

Claims

1. A method of making a golf ball comprising the steps of:

forming a laminate;

cutting the laminate into a plurality of patterns;

forming the plurality of patterns around a center having a center hardness; and

forming a cover thereon,

wherein the golf ball has a compression of about 85 or less; and

wherein the laminate comprises a plurality of layers comprising at least a first layer having a first hardness, a second layer having a second hardness, and a third layer disposed between the first and second layers having a third hardness greater than the first hardness, and wherein each layer is formed from a thermoset material and having a thickness of about 0.1 inches or less.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of patterns are substantially figure 8-shaped.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the thickness is about 0.05 inches or less.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hardness is from about 70 to about 75 Shore C, the second hardness is from about 75 to about 80 Shore C, and the third hardness is from about 72 to about 77 Shore C.

5. A method of making a golf ball comprising the steps of:

forming a laminate;

cutting the laminate into a plurality of patterns;

forming the plurality of patterns around a center having a center hardness; and

forming a cover thereon,

wherein the laminate comprises a plurality of layers, each layer having a thickness of about 0.1 inches or less, the plurality of layers comprise at least a first layer having a first hardness, a second layer having a second hardness, a third layer disposed between the first and second layers having a third hardness greater than the first hardness.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first layer is disposed between the center and the third layer.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second layer is disposed between the center and the third layer.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first layer is adjacent the center, and wherein the first hardness is greater than the center hardness.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the second layer is adjacent the center, and wherein the second hardness is less than the center hardness.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the first layer comprises a thermoplastic material and the second layer comprises a thermoset material.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the thermoset material is polybutadiene.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the thermoplastic material has a flexural modulus of about 10,000 psi or less.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the second layer is formed of a composition comprising at least one ionomer resin.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second layer is disposed between the center and the third layer.

15. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of patterns are substantially figure 8-shaped.

16. The method of claim 5, wherein the thickness is about 0.05 inches or less.

17. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of forming the plurality of patterns around a solid center comprises compression molding.

18. The method of claim 5, wherein the golf ball has a compression of 85.

19. A method of making a golf ball comprising the steps of:

forming a center having a center hardness;

forming a laminate, wherein the laminate comprises;

a plurality of layers comprising a first layer having a first hardness and comprising at least one thermoplastic material, a second layer having a second hardness and comprising at least one thermoset material, and a third layer disposed between the first and second layers having a third hardness greater than the first hardness, wherein the first hardness is from about 70 to about 75 Shore C, the second hardness is from about 75 to about 80 Shore C, and the third hardness is from about 72 to about 77 Shore C;

cutting the laminate into a plurality of patterns;

forming the plurality of patterns around the center; and

forming a cover thereon,

wherein the step of forming the plurality of patterns around the center comprises vacuum forming at least one laminate to a top mold cavity and at least one other laminate to a bottom mold cavity.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of patterns are substantially figure 8-shaped.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the first and second layers each have a thickness of about 0.1 inches or less.

22. The method of claim 19, the step of forming a cover comprises compression molding the cover around the golf ball.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the first layer is adjacent the center and has a first hardness greater than the center hardness and the second layer is adjacent the cover and has a second hardness greater than the first hardness.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the first layer is adjacent the center and has a first hardness less than the center hardness and the second layer is adjacent the cover and has a second hardness less than the first hardness.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one thermoset material comprises polybutadiene.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one thermoset material has a flexural modulus of about 50,000 psi or greater.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the cover is formed of a composition comprising at least one castable reactive liquid material.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one castable reactive liquid material is thermoset cast polyurethane.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the golf ball has a compression from about 75 to about 85.

30. A method of making a golf ball comprising the steps of:

forming a center having a center hardness;

forming a laminate, wherein the laminate comprises;

a plurality of layers comprising a first layer having a first hardness and comprising at least one thermoplastic material, a second layer having a second hardness and comprising at least one thermoset material, and a third layer disposed between the first and second layers having a third hardness greater than the first hardness;

cutting the laminate into a plurality of patterns;

forming the plurality of patterns around the center; and

forming a cover thereon,

wherein the step of forming a cover comprises injection molding the cover around the ball.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the first hardness is from about 70 to about 75 Shore C, the second hardness is from about 75 to about 80 Shore C, and the third hardness is from about 72 to about 77 Shore C.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the plurality of patterns are substantially figure 8-shaped.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the first and second layers each have a thickness of about 0.1 inches or less.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the first hardness is less than the center hardness and the second layer is adjacent the cover and has a second hardness less than the first hardness.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein the first layer is adjacent the center and has a first hardness less than the center hardness and the second layer is adjacent the cover and has a second hardness greater than the first hardness.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein the at least one thermoset material has a flexural modulus of about 50,000 psi or greater.

37. The method of claim 30, wherein the golf ball has a compression from about 75 to 85.