Golf ball having visible non-spherical insert

• US 7,435,192 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2007
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Michael J., Lacy, William B., Boehm, Herbert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): GORDEN, RAEANN
• Application Number:
  US11/690,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20070287558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 473/378, 473/373, 473/374
• US Class Current: 473/378
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0022 Coatings, e.g. paint films; Markings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/005 Cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0054 Substantially rigid, e.g. metal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0055 with non-spherical insert(s)
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0066 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0091 Density distribution amongst the different ball layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/02 Special cores balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball cores A63B37/005
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/008 with means for improving visibility, e.g. special markings or colours illuminating or reflecting means A63B43/06

Abstract

A golf ball comprising a pre-formed non-spherical inner core insert; an outer core molded about the insert to form a sphere having an outer surface; and a cover disposed about the outer core, the cover having an outer dimpled surface; wherein the outer core and cover are optically transparent or translucent.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a pre-formed single, solid, non-spherical inner core insert having unitary construction;

an outer core molded about the insert to form a sphere having an outer surface; and

a cover disposed about the outer core, the cover having an outer dimpled surface;

wherein the outer core and cover are optically transparent and wherein the outer core has a first refractive index and the cover has a second refractive index that differs from the first by 0.05 or more.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the wherein the outer core and cover are formed from polymers having a refractive index of between 1.20 and 1.70.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein at least one of the non-spherical inner core insert or the outer core comprises a partially- or fully-neutralized ionomer.

4. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein at least one of the non-spherical inner core insert or the outer core comprise a partially-neutralized ionomer which has been neutralized by at least 70%.

5. The golf ball of claim 4, wherein at least one of the non-spherical inner core insert or the outer core comprise a partially-neutralized lonomer which has been neutralized by at least 80%.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the non-spherical inner core insert comprises a pigment or a dye.

7. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein the dye is a fluorescent dye comprising a thioxanthene, xanthene, perylene, perylene imide, coumarin, thioindigo, naphthalimide, rhodamine, or methine dye.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein at least one of the non-spherical inner core insert, core layer, or cover layer comprise reflective fillers, fibers, flakes, pigments, dyes, or pearlescents.

9. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the reflective filler comprises metal flakes, iridescent glitters, metallized films, or colored polyester foils.

10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a partially- or fully-neutralized ionomer, a polyurethane, a polyurea, or a polyurethane/polyurea hybrid.

11. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the cover comprises a thermosetting polyurethane or polyurea.

12. A golf ball comprising:

a pre-formed single, solid, non-spherical inner core insert having unitary construction;

an outer core molded about the insert to form a sphere having an outer surface; and

a cover disposed about the outer core, the cover having an outer dimpled surface;

wherein the outer core and cover are optically transparent and wherein the outer core has a first refractive index and the cover has a second refractive index that differs from the first by 0.05 or less.

13. A golf ball comprising:

a pre-formed selectively-weighted inner core insert comprised of a hub having a specific gravity of greater than 1.2 and a plurality of outer elements connected to the hub and having a specific gravity of less than 0.9;

an outer core molded about the insert to form a sphere having an outer surface; and

a cover disposed around the outer core, the cover having an outer dimpled surface;

wherein the outer core and cover are optically transparent or translucent.

14. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein at least one of the non-spherical inner core insert or the outer core comprises a partially- or fully-neutralized ionomer.

15. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the cover comprises a thermosetting polyurethane or polyurea.

16. A golf ball comprising:

a pre-formed selectively-weighted inner core insert comprised of a hub having a specific gravity of less than 0.9 and a plurality of outer elements connected to the hub and having a specific gravity of greater than 1.2;

an outer core molded about the insert to form a sphere having an outer surface; and

a cover disposed around the outer core, the cover having an outer dimpled surface;

wherein the outer core and cover are optically transparent or translucent and the outer core has a first refractive index and the cover has a second refractive index that differs from the first by at least 0.01.

17. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein at least one of the non-spherical inner core insert or the outer core comprises a partially- or fully-neutralized ionomer.

18. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the cover comprises a thermosetting polyurethane or polyurea.