Ball for ball game and method of manufacturing the same

• US 9,795,832 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Saegusa, Hiroshi, Shiota, Kumiko
• Primary Examiner(s): MENDIRATTA, VISHU K
• Application Number:
  US13/143,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20110275462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,506 Days
• Field of Search: 473378, 473379, 473380, 473381, 473382, 473383, 473384, 473385, 473570
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/16 Angular positions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/35 Spin
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0004 Surface depressions or protrusions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0005 Protrusions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00065 located around the pole or the equator
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0012 Dimple profile, i.e. cross-sectional view
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0056 Hollow; Gas-filled
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0074 Two piece balls, i.e. cover and core
• 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 37/0088 Frequency
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0096 Spin rate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/14 Special surfaces A63B37/0004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/004 electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29

Abstract

A golf ball including a spherical body, first regions, and second regions. The spherical body includes a core layer and a cover layer made from a synthetic resin covering the core layer. Dimples are formed in a surface of the cover layer. First regions that are electrically conductive are formed on a surface of the spherical body. The first regions are formed on a spherical surface having a center of the spherical body as a center. The first regions are positioned at six vertices of an imaginary regular hexahedron such that the vertices are positioned on the surface of the spherical body and, thus, six of the first regions are formed. The second regions are formed in areas of the surface other than where the first regions are formed. The second regions have a radio wave reflectance lower than that of the first regions.

Claims

1. A ball for a ball game, the ball comprising:

the ball is a spherical body,

a spherical core inside the spherical body, the spherical core being a sphere having a center of the spherical body as a center,

a spherical cover layer covering the spherical core, the spherical cover layer being a sphere having a center of the spherical body as a center,

first and second regions formed on;

a spherical surface of the spherical core;

or

an inner spherical surface of the spherical cover layer;

the first regions are formed of a first material, the first material being an electrically conductive material and having a radio wave reflectance, the first regions each having a diameter of not less than 2 mm and not more than 15 mm and the first material being a coating material, and

the second regions are formed of a second material in areas other than where the first regions are formed, the second material being an electrically non-conductive material and having a radio wave reflectance lower than the radio wave reflectance of the first material.

2. The ball for a ball game according to claim 1, wherein

three of the first regions are formed, and

the three of the first regions are positioned such that imaginary lines connecting the three first regions form an equilateral triangle including a diameter of the spherical body on a plane.

3. The ball for a ball game according to claim 2, wherein the first regions form a circle having a diameter that is not less than 2 mm and not more than 15 mm, or a regular polygon having a diameter of an inscribed circle that is not less than 2 mm and not more than 15 mm.

4. The ball for a ball game according to claim 2, wherein an angle formed by two straight lines passing through two mutually opposing positions of the first regions on the spherical surface and the center of the spherical body is not less than 5 degrees and not more than 45 degrees.

5. The ball for a ball game according to claim 2, wherein a surface resistance of the first regions is not more than 130 Ω

/sq.

6. The ball for a ball game according to claim 2, wherein the electrically conductive material is a coating material comprising a metal powder.

7. The ball for a ball game according to claim 2, wherein

the spherical core is solid, wherein

the spherical surface having the center of the spherical body as a center is an inner surface of the cover layer or a surface of the spherical core.

8. The ball for a ball game according to claim 2, wherein

the spherical core is solid and the at least one cover layer comprises a plurality of layers, wherein

the spherical surface having the center of the spherical body as a center is an inner surface of the outermost layer of the plurality of layers, an outer surface or an inner surface of the layer other than the outermost layer of the plurality of layers, or a surface of the spherical core.

9. The ball for a ball game according to claim 2, wherein

the spherical core is solid, wherein

the at least one spherical core comprises a spherical and solid inside core and an outside core that covers the inside core, and

the spherical surface having the center of the spherical body as a center is an outer surface of the inside core or an outer surface or an inner surface of the outside core, or an inner surface of the cover layer.

10. The ball for a ball game according to claim 2, wherein

the spherical core is hollow, wherein

the spherical surface having the center of the spherical body as a center is an inner surface of the cover layer.

11. The ball for a ball game according to claim 1, wherein the first regions are positioned at vertices of an imaginary regular polyhedron or a semiregular polyhedron such that the vertices are positioned on the spherical surface having the center of the spherical body as a center.

12. The ball for a ball game according to claim 11, wherein the first regions forms a circle having a diameter that is not less than 2 mm and not more than 15 mm, or a regular polygon having a diameter of an inscribed circle that is not less than 2 mm and not more than 15 mm.

13. The ball for a ball game according claim 11, wherein an angle formed by two straight lines passing through two mutually opposing positions of the first regions on the spherical surface and the center of the spherical body is not less than 5 degrees and not more than 45 degrees.

14. The ball for a ball game according to claim 11, wherein a surface resistance of the first regions is not more than 130 Ω

/sq.

15. The ball for a ball game according to claim 11, wherein the electrically conductive material is a coating material comprising a metal powder.

16. The ball for a ball game according to claim 11, wherein

the spherical core is solid, wherein

the spherical surface having the center of the spherical body as a center is an inner surface of the cover layer or a surface of the spherical core.

17. The ball for a ball game according to claim 11, wherein

the spherical core is solid and the at least one cover layer comprises a plurality of layers, wherein

the spherical surface having the center of the spherical body as a center is an inner surface of the outermost layer of the plurality of layers, an outer surface or an inner surface of the layer other than the outermost layer of the plurality of layers, or a surface of the spherical core.

18. The ball for a ball game according to claim 11, wherein

the spherical core is solid, wherein

the at least one spherical core comprises a spherical and solid inside core and an outside core that covers the inside core, and

the spherical surface having the center of the spherical body as a center is an outer surface of the inside core or an outer surface or an inner surface of the outside core, or an inner surface of the cover layer.

19. The ball for a ball game according to claim 11, wherein

the spherical core is hollow, wherein

the spherical surface having the center of the spherical body as a center is an inner surface of the cover layer.

20. The ball for a ball game according to claim 1, wherein the first regions form a circle having a diameter that is not less than 2 mm and not more than 15 mm, or a regular polygon having a diameter of an inscribed circle that is not less than 2 mm and not more than 15 mm.

21. The ball for a ball game according to claim 20, wherein a surface resistance of the first regions is not more than 130 Ω

/sq.

22. The ball for a ball game according to claim 20, wherein the electrically conductive material is a coating material comprising a metal powder.

23. The ball for a ball game according to claim 20, wherein

the spherical core is solid, wherein

the spherical surface having the center of the spherical body as a center is an inner surface of the cover layer or a surface of the spherical core.

24. The ball for a ball game according to claim 20, wherein

the spherical core is solid and the at least one cover layer comprises a plurality of layers, wherein

the spherical surface having the center of the spherical body as a center is an inner surface of the outermost layer of the plurality of the layers, an outer surface or an inner surface of the layer other than the outermost layer of the plurality of layers, or a surface of the spherical core.

25. The ball for a ball game according to claim 20, wherein

the spherical core is solid, wherein

the at least one spherical core comprises a spherical and solid inside core and an outside core that covers the inside core, and

the spherical surface having the center of the spherical body as a center is an outer surface of the inside core or an outer surface or an inner surface of the outside core, or an inner surface of the cover layer.

26. The ball for a ball game according to claim 20, wherein

the spherical core is hollow, wherein

the spherical surface having the center of the spherical body as a center is an inner surface of the cover layer.

27. The ball for a ball game according to claim 1, wherein an outer spherical surface of the spherical cover layer is a dimpled outer surface of the ball.

28. The ball for a ball game according to claim 1, wherein the first and second regions are obscured from view by the cover layer.