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

• US 7,935,288 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2006
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• 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., Brum, William, Cavallaro, Christopher, Boehm, Herbert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Del Sole; Joseph S
• Assistant Examiner(s): SANDERS, JAMES M
• Application Number:
  US11/642,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20070102851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 264/250, 264/297.8, 264/320
• US Class Current: 264/250
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0037 Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0039 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0045 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0047 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0049 Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0061 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00621 Centre hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0066 Density; Specific gravity
• 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 37/0087 Deflection or compression
• 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 2043/023 having a plurality of grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/3644 Vacuum bags; Details thereof, e.g. fixing or clamping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2791/001 : Shaping in several steps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/0022 : Multi-cavity moulds B29C33/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/027 : having an axis of symmetry B29C43/102 takes precedence
• 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 43/46 : Rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1671 : with an insert
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/02 : Combined thermoforming and manufacture of the preform
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/14 : using multilayered preforms or sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 51/16 : Lining or labelling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 63/22 : using layers or sheathings having a shape adapted to the shape of the article B29C63/26 and B29C63/38 take precedence
• 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 2101/10 : Thermosetting resins
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/12 : Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/256 : Sheets, plates, blanks or films
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 : Layered products
• 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: B29L 2031/545 : Football balls
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 1/00 : Layered products having a non-planar shape
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2274/00 : Thermoplastic elastomer material thermoplastic elastomer fibres B32B2262/0215, thermoplastic elastomer particles B32B2264/0221, thermoplastic elastomer foam B32B2266/0292
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/536 : Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/546 : Flexural strength; Flexion stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/04 : comprising rubber as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material next to a layer of a particular substance B32B9/043; next to a bituminous or tarry layer B32B11/044; next to a water setting substance layer B32B13/042; next to a metal layer B32B15/06; next to a glass layer B32B17/063; next to a layer formed of natural mineral fibres or particles B32B19/043; next to a wood layer B32B21/045; next to a cellulosic plastic layer B32B23/046
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/16 : comprising polydienes homopolymers or poly-halodienes homopolymers B32B25/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/327 : comprising polyolefins obtained by a metallocene or single-site catalyst
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/40 : comprising polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/022 : Mechanical properties
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 210/02 : Ethene
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 220/06 : Acrylic acid; Methacrylic acid; Metal salts or ammonium salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 220/12 : of monohydric alcohols or phenols
• 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 23/08 : Copolymers of ethene C08L23/16 takes precedence
• 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 2666/04 : Macromolecular compounds according to groups C08L7/00 - C08L49/00, or C08L55/00 - C08L57/00; Derivatives thereof
• 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 2666/14 : Macromolecular compounds according to C08L59/00 - C08L87/00; 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 51/006 : grafted on to block copolymers containing at least one sequence of polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• 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 53/02 : of vinyl-aromatic monomers and conjugated dienes
• 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 core having a core hardness;

providing a roll stock comprising a first layer having a first hardness, a second layer having a second hardness, and a third layer having a third hardness, wherein at least one of the first, second, and third layers is formed of a thermoset material, wherein the thermoset material comprises a thermoset polybutadiene material and wherein at least one of the first, second, and third layers is formed from a thermoplastic material, and wherein the first, second, and third hardnesses differ by about 3 Shore D to about 20 Shore D, and wherein the first hardness is greater than the core hardness;

heating the roll stock to a softening point;

forcing the roll stock against a plurality of molds;

cooling the plurality of molds;

removing the roll stock from the plurality of molds to form a plurality of shells;

positioning two of the plurality of shells to surround the core; and

forming a cover from a castable reactive liquid material.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of forcing comprises forcing the roll stock against each of the plurality of molds by vacuum or pressure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a mold cycle occurs from the step of forcing to the step of removing, and wherein the mold cycle is about 30 seconds or less.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the formed cover has a thickness of about 0.05 inches or less.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the golf ball has a compression of about 85 or less.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming a cover comprises casting the cover around the golf ball.

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

forming a core;

providing a roll stock comprising at least two layers wherein at least one of the two layers is formed of a thermoset material, wherein the thermoset material is polybutadiene;

wherein the roll stock further comprises at least one sheet of material formed from a thermoplastic material;

heating the roll stock to a softening point;

engaging in a mold cycle comprising the steps of;

forcing the roll stock against a plurality of molds;

cooling the plurality of molds;

removing the roll stock from the plurality of molds to form a plurality of shells, wherein the mold cycle is about 30 seconds or less;

positioning two of the plurality of shells to surround the core; and

forming a cover disposed about the shells comprising a castable reactive liquid material having a hardness of less than 60 Shore D.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the cover comprises an inner layer and an outer layer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the outer layer is cast.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the cover has a thickness of 0.05 inches or less.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the inner layer comprises an ionomer resin.