Multi-layer golf ball

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9586095-B2
Application number	US-201615013462-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2016
Priority date	Nov 21, 2013
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

A multi-layer golf ball includes a core formed from an ionomer, an intermediate layer surrounding the core, and a cover surrounding the intermediate layer. The core has a material hardness measured on the JIS-C scale of from about 34 to about 70, and has an outer surface that includes a plurality of land portions aligned on a common sphere, and a plurality of grooves separating the respective land portions and extending radially inward from the sphere. The plurality of grooves includes both a first set of grooves, and a second set of grooves that are perpendicular to each other. The intermediate layer is formed from a rubber material and has a radial thickness measured from the common sphere of from about 4.0 mm to about 9.0 mm. Additionally, the core has a 10-130 kg compression deformation of from about 3.5 to about 5.5 mm.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multi-layer golf ball comprising:
a core formed from an ionomer, the core being the innermost layer of the multi-layer golf ball, the core having an outer surface that includes:
a plurality of land portions aligned on a common sphere having a diameter of from about 22 mm to about 32 mm; and
a plurality of grooves separating the respective land portions and extending radially inward from the common sphere;
wherein the plurality of grooves includes a first set of grooves and a second set of grooves; and
wherein each groove of the first set of grooves is perpendicular to each groove of the second set of grooves;

an intermediate layer surrounding the core and having a radially inward surface that is bonded to the outer surface of the core across the entire outer surface, the intermediate layer being formed from a rubber material and having a radial thickness measured from the common sphere of from about 4.0 mm to about 9.0 mm; and
a cover surrounding the intermediate layer and defining an outermost portion of the golf ball, the cover including an ionomer resin, polyethylene, a polyester resin, or a mixture thereof.

2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the core has a 10-130 kg compression deformation ranging between 3.5 mm and 5.5 mm, and wherein the core and the intermediate layer define an intermediate ball, and the intermediate ball has a 10-130 kg compression deformation of greater than about 3.0 mm, but less than the 10-130 kg compression deformation of the core.

3. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein a radius of the common sphere, multiplied by a total surface area of the core, and divided by a total volume of the core is from about 3.1 to about 3.8.

4. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein each groove of the plurality of grooves has a maximum depth measured in a radial direction relative to the common sphere, the maximum depth of each groove is from about 0.2 mm to about 2.0 mm.

5. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein each groove of the plurality of grooves has a maximum depth measured in a radial direction relative to the common sphere that is substantially the same.

6. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the rubber material includes: a main rubber containing a polybutadiene; an unsaturated carboxylic acid and/or a metal salt thereof; and an organic peroxide.

7. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein each of the grooves has: a depth measured in a radial direction relative to the common sphere, a width measured in a tangential direction relative to the common sphere, and a width/depth ratio of between 2 and 8.

8. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein at least 80% of the land portions have a perimeter that is a quadrilateral.

9. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein a total number of the land portions is between 100 and 300.

10. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein each groove of the plurality of grooves has a maximum depth measured in a radial direction relative to the common sphere, and the maximum depth of each groove ranges between 0.2 mm and 0.6 mm.

11. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first set of grooves and the second set of grooves includes at least three grooves.

12. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second sets of grooves includes at least two grooves that are separated by a distance of from about 8.0 mm to about 16.0 mm.

13. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of grooves is at least partially defined by a sloping sidewall and a central portion connected to the sloping sidewall.

14. The golf ball of claim 13 , wherein the sloping sidewall is connected to at least one of the land portions, and a rounded edge interconnects the sloping sidewall to the at least one of the land portions.

15. The golf ball of claim 14 , wherein the rounded edge is a first rounded edge, and a second rounded edge interconnects the central portion to the sloping sidewall.

16. The golf ball of claim 15 , wherein the first rounded edge and the second rounded edge each has a radius ranging between 0.4 mm and 0.8 mm.

17. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of grooves includes a third set of grooves, and each groove of the third set of grooves is perpendicular to each groove of the first and second sets of grooves.

18. A multi-layer golf ball comprising:
a core formed from an ionomer, wherein the core is an innermost layer of the multi-layer golf ball, and the core has an outer surface that includes:
between 100 and 300 land portions aligned on a common sphere; and
a plurality of grooves separating the respective land portions and extending radially inward from the common sphere;
wherein the plurality of grooves includes a first set of grooves and a second set of grooves; and
wherein each groove of the first set of grooves is perpendicular to each groove of the second set of grooves;

an intermediate layer surrounding the core and having a radially inward surface that is bonded to the outer surface of the core across the entire outer surface, wherein the intermediate layer is formed from a rubber material; and
a cover surrounding the intermediate layer and defining an outermost portion of the golf ball.

19. The golf ball of claim 18 , wherein the core has a 10-130 kg compression deformation ranging between 3.5 mm and 5.5 mm, and wherein the core and the intermediate layer define an intermediate ball, and the intermediate ball has a 10-130 kg compression deformation of greater than about 3.0 mm, but less than the 10-130 kg compression deformation of the core.

20. The golf ball of claim 18 , wherein a radius of the common sphere, multiplied by a total surface area of the core, and divided by a total volume of the core is from about 3.1 to about 3.8.

21. The golf ball of claim 18 , wherein each groove of the plurality of grooves has a maximum depth measured in a radial direction relative to the common sphere, and the maximum depth of each groove is from about 0.2 mm to about 2.0 mm.

22. The golf ball of claim 18 , wherein each groove of the plurality of grooves has a maximum depth measured in a radial direction relative to the common sphere that is substantially the same.

23. The golf ball of claim 18 , wherein the rubber material includes: a main rubber containing a polybutadiene; an unsaturated carboxylic acid and/or a metal salt thereof; and an organic peroxide.

24. The golf ball of claim 18 , wherein the intermediate layer is bonded to the core through an adhesive layer.

25. The golf ball of claim 18 , wherein the cover includes an ionomer resin, polyethylene, a polyester resin, or a mixture thereof.

26. The golf ball of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of grooves includes a third set of grooves, and each groove of the third set of grooves is perpendicular to each groove of the first and second sets of grooves.

27. The golf ball of claim 18 , wherein each of the plurality of grooves is at least partially defined by a sloping sidewall and a central portion connected to the sloping sidewall.

28. The golf ball of claim 27 , wherein the sloping sidewall is connected to at least one of the land portions, and a rounded edge interconnects the sloping sidewall to the at least one of the land portions.

29. The golf ball of claim 28 , wherein the rounded edge is a first rounded edge, and a second rounded edge interconnects the central portion to the sloping sidewall

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Ishii Hideyuki
• Ichinose Jun
• Liu Chen-Tai

Classifications

• A63B37/0059

  Ionomer · CPC title

• A63B37/005

  Cores · CPC title

• A63B37/0065

  Deflection or compression · CPC title

• A63B37/0092 Primary

  Hardness distribution amongst different ball layers · CPC title

• A63B37/0043

  Hardness · CPC title