Method of making color golf ball and resulting color golf ball

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9238160-B2
Application number	US-201313958884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2013
Priority date	Jul 3, 2007
Publication date	Jan 19, 2016
Grant date	Jan 19, 2016

Abstract

A method and golf ball incorporating a surface penetrating color composition comprising a colorant (e.g. dyes, tints, color effects, etc.) in a portion (surface or region) of a golf ball component or coating (substrate). The substrate is formed from a homogenous composition having a color C 1 which may comprise any color within the spectrum of visible light, or be clear colorless, and alternatively, may also be opaque, translucent, or clear colored, for example. An outer surface of the substrate is treated with or otherwise exposed to a surface penetrating color composition having a C 2 that is different than C 1 in some respect such as hue, chroma, saturation and/or opacity. The surface penetrating color composition penetrates the golf ball substrate surface to a target depth and becomes embedded within the surface, thereby forming a surface penetrating color composition-treated component or coating having a treated region and an untreated region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A golf ball comprising:
a core and a cover disposed about the core;
said core comprising a geometric center and an outer surface;
wherein the core is formed from a homogenous composition throughout having a first color;
wherein the outer surface has a treated region that is treated with and comprises a surface penetrating color composition having a second color different than the first color; and
wherein the geometric center is not treated with and does not comprise the surface penetrating color composition and has the first color; and
wherein the color penetrating composition comprising the second color is diffused across a depth or thickness within the treated region extending from the outer surface inward, such that the treated region has a graduated chroma and/or saturation across the depth or thickness.

2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the surface penetrating color composition comprises a fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt colorant composition.

3. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the core comprises a thermoset composition.

4. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the core comprises a thermoplastic composition.

5. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the core comprises an ionomer composition.

6. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface that is treated with and comprises the surface penetrating color composition comprises a treated outer core region having a uniform depth inward from the outer surface.

7. The golf ball of claim 6 , wherein the ratio of the depth of the treated outer core region to the radius of an untreated region extending from the geometric center to the treated outer core region is from about 1:1 to about 1:2000.

8. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface that is treated with and comprises the surface penetrating color composition comprises a treated outer core region having a non-uniform depth inward from the treated outer surface.

9. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the surface penetrating color composition is opaque.

10. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the surface penetrating color composition is translucent and the homogenous composition is one of clear colorless, clear colored, opaque, and translucent.

11. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the surface penetrating color composition is clear colored and the homogenous composition is one of clear colorless, clear colored, opaque, and translucent.

12. A golf ball comprising:
a core having an outer surface and a geometric center and a radius R c ;
the core comprising a homogenous composition throughout having a color C 1 ;
the core having a treated outer core region and an untreated core region;
the treated outer core region extending from the core outer surface toward the geometric center a penetration depth D Tr ;
the untreated core region extending radially from the geometric center toward the treated outer core region and having a depth (D UTr )=(R c )−(D Tr ),
wherein the treated outer core region is treated with and comprises a surface penetrating color composition having a color C 2 ; and
wherein the untreated core region is not treated with and does not comprise the surface penetrating color composition and has the color C 1 ; and
wherein the color penetrating composition comprising C 2 is diffused across the penetration depth D Tr such that the treated region has a graduated chroma and/or saturation across D Tr .

13. The golf ball of claim 12 , wherein the surface penetrating color composition comprises a fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt colorant composition.

14. The golf ball of claim 13 , wherein the core comprises a thermoset composition.

15. The golf ball of claim 13 , wherein the core comprises a thermoplastic composition.

16. The golf ball of claim 13 , wherein the core comprises an ionomer composition.

17. The golf ball of claim 13 , wherein D Tr is substantially uniform.

18. The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein the ratio of D Tr to D UTr is from about 1:1 to about 1:2000.

19. The golf ball of claim 13 , wherein D Tr is non-uniform.

20. The golf ball of claim 13 , wherein the surface penetrating color composition is opaque.

21. The golf ball of claim 13 , wherein the surface penetrating color composition is translucent and the homogenous composition is one of clear colorless, clear colored, opaque, and translucent.

22. The golf ball of claim 13 , wherein the surface penetrating color composition is clear colored and the homogenous composition is one of clear colorless, clear colored, opaque, and translucent.

23. A golf ball comprising:
a core and a cover disposed about the core;
the cover having a thickness Tcv and comprising a homogenous composition throughout having a color C 1 cv;
the cover having an inner surface adjacent the core and a cover outer surface surrounding the inner surface;
the cover having a treated cover region that extends inward from the cover outer surface toward the cover inner surface a penetration depth D CVosTr ;
the cover further having an untreated cover region disposed between the core and the treated cover region, the untreated cover region having a depth (D CVisUTr )=(Tcv)−(D CVosTr );
wherein the treated cover region is treated with and comprises a surface penetrating color composition having a color C 2 cv that is different than C 1 cv; and
wherein the untreated cover region is not treated with and does not comprise the surface penetrating color composition and has the color C 1 cv; and
wherein the color penetrating composition having the color C 2 cv is diffused across the penetration depth D CVosTr such that the treated region has a graduated chroma and/or saturation across D CVosTr .

24. The golf ball of claim 23 , wherein the surface penetrating color composition comprises a fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt colorant composition.

25. The golf ball of claim 24 , wherein D CVosTr is substantially uniform.

26. The golf ball of claim 25 , wherein the ratio of D CVosTr to D CVisUTr is from about 1:1 to about 1:2000.

27. The golf ball of claim 24 , wherein D CVosTr is non-uniform.

28. A golf ball of the invention comprises a core;
a cover disposed about the core; and
a coating surrounding the cover, the coating having a thickness T Ct and comprising a homogenous composition throughout having a color C 1CT ;
the coating having a treated coating region extending inward from a coating outer surface and toward the cover a penetration depth D CtosTr ;
the coating having an untreated coating region disposed between the treated coating region and the cover and having a depth (D CtUTr )=(T Ct )−(D CtosTr );
wherein the treated coating region is treated with and comprises a surface penetrating color composition having a color C 2CT that is different than C 1CT ; and
wherein the untreated coating region is not treated with and does not comprise the surface penetrating color composition and has the color C 1CT ; and
wherein the color penetrating composition comprising C 2 is diffused across the penetration depth D CtosTr such that the treated region has a graduated chroma and/or saturation across D CtosTr .

29. The golf ball of claim 28 , wherein the surface penetrating color composition comprises a fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt colorant composition.

30. The golf ball of claim 29 , wherein D CtosTr

Assignees

• Acushnet Co

Inventors

• Zieske Nathan
• Kuntimaddi Manjari
• Hogge Matthew F
• Sullivan Michael J
• Binette Mark L
• Comeau Brian

Classifications

• A63B43/008

  with means for improving visibility, e.g. special markings or colours (illuminating or reflecting means A63B43/06) · CPC title

• A63B37/0064

  Diameter · CPC title

• A63B45/02

  Marking of balls · CPC title

• A63B37/0039

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• A63B37/0024

  Materials other than ionomers or polyurethane · CPC title