Adaptive golf ball

• US 8,617,006 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2011
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jay Vandelden
• Original Assignee: Jay Vandelden
• Inventors: VanDelden, Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Gorden, Raeann
• Application Number:
  US13/152,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20110250993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 473/409
• US Class Current: 473/409
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2024/0037 on a target surface or at impact on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/08 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0052 Liquid cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/10 Golf tees
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3658 Means associated with the ball for indicating or measuring, e.g. speed, direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49712 Ball making

Abstract

The present invention relates to a smart golf ball comprised of one or more mantle layers juxtaposed between an inner core and outer cover, where the core, the mantle layer(s), and/or the cover are further comprised of a ferrofluid, a magnetorheological fluid, an inverse magnetorheological fluid, and/or a magnetorheological elastomer, in any of its construction. These nano-engineered materials make possible a golf ball with heretofore-unprecedented levels of adaptive play.

Claims

1. A method of utilizing a golf ball comprising:

a) providing a golf ball comprising a magnetic fluid;

b) providing a golf club;

c) moving a portion of the golf club into contact with the golf ball; and

d) effecting a magnetic interaction between the golf ball and a magnet external to the golf ball,

wherein the golf ball comprises;

an inner core; and

one or more mantle layers surrounding the inner core; and

an outer cover surrounding the mantle layer(s), wherein the inner core is further comprised of a permanent magnet immersed in a ferrofluid, and the ferrofluid is further comprised of a colloidal suspension of nanometer-sized, single-domain, magnetic particles immersed in a carrier liquid.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic particles comprise ferromagnetic, anti-ferromagnetic, or ferrimagnetic substances.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the ferromagnetic, anti-ferromagnetic, or ferrimagnetic substances comprise iron, cobalt, nickel, magnetite, maghemite, cobalt ferrite, manganese ferrite, carbonyl iron, or combinations thereof.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the carrier liquid comprises water, animal oil, mineral oil, vegetable oil, synthetic oil, petroleum oil, petroleum distillates, alcohol, glycol, glucose, or combinations thereof.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the carrier liquid further comprises anti-oxidizing, anti-corrosion, anti-wear, anti-agglomeration, anti-settling agents, or combinations thereof.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic particles have a diameter of about 2 nm to about 10 nm.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the permanent magnet is magnetically-levitated and self-centered within the ferrofluid.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the permanent magnet has a spherical shape.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the permanent magnet comprises Alnico, NdFeB, SmCo, FeCrCo, BaO:

Fe₂O₃, SrO;

Fe₂O₃, MnO;

Fe₂O₃, Pb;

Fe₂O₃, Nd₂Fe₁₄B, Sm₂Fe₁₇N₃, Sm₂Co₁₇, SmCo₅, BaFe₁₂O₁₉, or combinations thereof.

10. A method of utilizing a golf ball comprising:

providing a golf ball comprising a magnetic fluid disposed therein;

providing a magnetic medium external to the golf ball;

striking the golf ball with a golf club head while the golf ball is magnetically interacting with the magnetic medium external to the golf ball,

wherein the golf ball comprises;

an inner core;

one or more mantle layers surrounding the inner core; and

an outer cover surrounding the mantle layer(s),

wherein the inner core is further comprised of a permanent magnet immersed in a ferrofluid, and the ferrofluid is further comprised of a colloidal suspension of nanometer-sized, single-domain, magnetic particles immersed in a carrier liquid.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the magnetic particles comprise ferromagnetic, anti-ferromagnetic, or ferrimagnetic substances.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the magnetic particles have a diameter of about 2 nm to about 10 nm.