Golf balls incorporating at least one thermosetand/or thermoplastic layer/coating/film via reactive spray

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017036072-A1
Application number	US-201514819511-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 6, 2015
Priority date	Aug 6, 2015
Publication date	Feb 9, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of forming a golf ball comprising at least one layer consisting of at least one of a thermoset or thermoplastic composition comprising the steps of: providing a subassembly having at least one of an innermost surface or an outermost surface; providing at least one polymeric mixture P c comprising a plurality of particles having a softening, melting and/or reacting temperature M p ; heating a fluid with a heat source that does not contact P c to a temperature M ph wherein M p ≦M ph to form a heated fluid; softening, melting and/or reacting the plurality of particles by mixing each polymeric mixture P c with at least one heated fluid and forming at least one heated mixture P cs ; and propelling each P cs onto at least one of the innermost surface or the outermost surface to form a thermoset and/or thermoplastic layer T mpl about the outermost surface which may be comprised of a heterogeneous composition. The thickness of T mpl may be from about 3 mils to about 0.10 in.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of forming a golf ball comprising at least one layer consisting of at least one of a thermoset or thermoplastic composition comprising the steps of:
providing a subassembly having an outermost surface; providing a polymeric mixture P c comprising a plurality of particles having a softening, melting and/or reacting temperature M p ; heating a fluid with a heat source that does not contact P c to a temperature M ph wherein M p ≦M ph to form a heated fluid; softening, melting and/or reacting the plurality of particles by mixing P c with the heated fluid and forming a heated mixture P cs ; and propelling P cs onto the outermost surface and forming at least one thermoset and/or thermoplastic layer T mpl about the outermost surface.

2 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 1 , wherein M ph is less than a melting/softening/reacting temperature M o of the outer surface.

3 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 1 , wherein M ph is equal to or greater than a softening, melting and/or reacting temperature M o of the outer surface and P cs has a temperature M cs that is less than M o when P cs is propelled onto the outermost surface.

4 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a gas.

5 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 1 , wherein T mpl has a thickness of from about 3 mils to about 0.10 in.

6 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 1 , wherein T mpl has a thickness of from about 3 mils to about 35 mils.

7 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 1 , wherein P c is selected from the group consisting of thermoset materials, thermoplastic materials, syntactic foams, or combinations thereof.

8 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 7 , wherein P c comprises a powder.

9 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the heat source comprises at least one of a flame-based heat source, a gas-based heat source or an electrical-based heat source.

10 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the heat source does not contact the outermost surface.

11 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 9 , wherein P c at least partially interacts with the outer surface when P cs contacts the outer surface.

12 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 11 , wherein the subassembly comprises at least one of: (i) a core; (ii) a core surrounded by at least one intermediate layer; (iii) a core surrounded by a cover; or (iv) a core, a cover and at least one coating layer surrounding the cover.

13 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 11 , comprising first and second layers T mpl1 and T mpl2 .

14 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 13 , wherein T mpl1 consists of a thermoset material and T mpl2 consists of a thermoplastic material.

15 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 13 , wherein T mpl1 and T mpl2 are comprised of different thermoset materials.

16 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 13 , wherein T mpl1 and T mpl2 are comprised of different thermoplastic materials.

17 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 13 , wherein T mpl1 and T mpl2 are adjacent and have different melting/softening/reacting temperatures.

18 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 13 , wherein T mpl1 and T mpl2 have at least one different layer disposed there between.

19 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 11 , wherein the subassembly is stationary while P cs is propelled onto the outermost surface.

20 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 11 , wherein the subassembly is at least partially rotating or is otherwise suspended while P cs is propelled onto the outermost surface.

21 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 11 , wherein the fluid is heated in a compartment that prevents P c and the outer surface from being exposed to the heat source.

22 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 11 , wherein T mpl is an outer core layer.

23 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 11 , wherein the subassembly comprises a core and T mpl is an intermediate layer.

24 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 11 , wherein the subassembly comprises an intermediate layer surrounding a core and T mpl is an inner cover layer.

25 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 11 , wherein P cs is propelled onto the outermost surface simultaneously with at least one different heated mixture P cs′ such that P cs at least partially mixes or blends with P cs′ to form T mpl .

26 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 25 , wherein T mpl has a uniform thickness T and comprises P cs and P cs′ in a wt. % ratio P cs :P cs′ that varies throughout T.

27 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 25 , wherein T mpl has a non-uniform thickness T′ and comprises P cs and P cs′ in a wt. % ratio P cs :P cs′ that varies throughout T′.

28 . A method of forming a golf ball comprising at least one layer consisting of at least one of a thermoset or thermoplastic composition comprising the steps of:
providing a first half shell mold having a first innermost surface and a second half shell having a second innermost surface; providing a polymeric mixture P c comprising a plurality of particles having a softening, melting and/or reacting temperature M p ; heating a fluid with a heat source that does not contact P c to a temperature M ph wherein M p ≦M ph to form a heated fluid; softening, melting and/or reacting the plurality of particles by mixing P c with the heated fluid to form a heated mixture P cs ; and propelling P cs onto the first innermost surface and the second innermost surface and forming at least one thermoset and/or thermoplastic layer T mpl on each innermost surface; and mating the first and second half shell molds about a subassembly.

29 . A method of manufacturing a golf balls comprising a single layer comprised of a heterogeneous thermoset and/or thermoplastic composition, comprising:
providing a subassembly having at least one of an innermost surface or an outermost surface; providing at least two polymeric mixtures P c and P c′ ;
wherein polymeric mixture P c comprises a plurality of particles that differ from a plurality of particles of polymeric mixture P c′ ; and
wherein polymeric mixture P c has a softening, melting and/or reacting temperature M p and polymeric mixture P c′ has a softening, melting and/or reacting temperature M p′ ;
heating at least one fluid, with a heat source that does not contact P c and P c′ , to a temperature M ph wherein M p ≦M ph and M p′ ≦M ph to form a heated fluid; softening, melting and/or reacting the plurality of particles of P c and P c′ by mixing P c and P c′ with the at least one heated fluid to form a heated mixture P cs and a heated mixture P cs′ ; and coordinating/timing propelling of heated mixture P cs and a heated mixture P cs′ onto at least one of the innermost surface or the outermost surface to form a single layer T hmpl comprised of a heterogeneous thermoset and/or thermoplastic composition about the outermost surface comprised of the plurality of particles of P c and P c′ .

30 . The method of forming a golf ball of claim 29 , wherein heated mixture P cs and heated mixture P cs′ at least partially mix whi

Assignees

• Acushnet Co

Inventors

• Hebert Edmund A

Classifications

• B05D5/00

  Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces to obtain special surface effects, finishes or structures · CPC title

• B05D2201/02

  Polymeric substrate · CPC title

• A63B45/00 Primary

  Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls (working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29) · CPC title

• A63B37/0022

  Coatings, e.g. paint films; Markings · CPC title

• A63B37/0038

  Intermediate layers, e.g. inner cover, outer core, mantle · CPC title