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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9643063-B2
Application number	US-201514819511-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2015
Priority date	Aug 6, 2015
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

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 manufacturing a golf balls comprising a single layer T hmpl 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 the 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′ .

2. The method of forming a golf ball of claim 1 , wherein heated mixture P cs and heated mixture P cs′ are propelled/directed onto the outer surface separately and propelling of each is timed or coordinated such that heated mixture P cs and heated mixture P cs′ at least partially mix onto the outer surface when forming single layer T hmpls .

3. The method of forming a golf ball of claim 1 , wherein T hmpl has a uniform thickness T and comprises P cs and P cs′ in a ratio P cs :P cs′ that varies throughout T.

4. The method of forming a golf ball of claim 1 , wherein T hmpl has a uniform thickness T and comprises P c and P c′ in a ratio P c :P c′ that varies throughout T.

5. The method of forming a golf ball of claim 1 , wherein T hmpl has a non-uniform thickness T and comprises P cs and P cs′ in a ratio P cs :P cs′ that varies throughout T.

6. The method of forming a golf ball of claim 1 , wherein T hmpl has a non-uniform thickness T and comprises P c and P c′ in a ratio P c :P c′ that varies throughout T.

7. The method of forming a golf ball of claim 1 , wherein heated mixture P cs and heated mixture P cs′ at least partially mix while being propelled onto the outermost surface.

Assignees

• Acushnet Co

Inventors

• Hebert Edmund A

Classifications

• A63B45/00 Primary

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

• B05D2201/02

  Polymeric substrate · CPC title

• B05D5/00

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

• A63B37/0038

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

• A63B37/0022

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