Nike, Inc.

Feng Tay Enterprises Co., Ltd.

Chen-Tai Liu

Chien-Hsin Chou

Hideyuki Ishii

Yasushi Ichikawa

Arthur Parker Molinari

Jun Ichinose

Chin-Shun Ko

Nicholas Yontz

Nicholas A Leech

Chia-Chyi Cheng

Hsin Cheng

Shih-Kai Lin

Aaron Bender

Thomas J Kennedy, Iii

Hui-Kai Liao

Chung-Yu Huang

Che-Ching Lin

Takahisa Ono

Yutaka Kabeshita

Shi-Hsien Yeh

Ying-Kai Wang

Chun-Ting Chiang

Chun-Te Hung

Cheng-Hao Liao

Chen-Hsin Chou

A golf ball core for use in a multi-piece golf ball includes a solid sphere and between 100 and 300 spaced polygonal protrusions extending from the solid sphere in a radially outward direction. The sphere is substantially formed from an ionomeric material, and has a diameter (D) of between 24 mm and 32 mm. The polygonal protrusions extend from the sphere by a maximum distance of between 0.15 mm and 1.0 mm.

Golf ball core

A multi-layer golf ball includes a core, an intermediate layer surrounding the core, and a cover layer surrounding the intermediate layer. The core defines an outer surface that includes a plurality of polygonal land portions substantially aligned on a common sphere, which has a diameter of between 22 mm and 32 mm. The intermediate layer has a radially inward-facing surface that is flush with the outer surface of the core, and has a radial thickness of between 4 mm and 9 mm. The outer surface of the core defines a first set of annular grooves disposed about a first axis, and a second set of annular grooves disposed about a second axis. Each of the first and second set of annular grooves extend radially inward from the common sphere, and the first axis and the second axis are orthogonal.

Multi-layer golf ball

A thermoplastic multi-layer golf ball has a core center including a first thermoplastic material, a core layer including a second thermoplastic material, and a cover including a third thermoplastic material. The core center has a diameter of 21-29 mm and a surface Shore D hardness H1 of less than about 50. The core layer is at least about 5 mm thick with an outer surface Shore D hardness H2 of more than about 50. The cover has an outer surface Shore D hardness H3 of more than about 60. H3 is up to about 20 Shore D units higher than H2, and H2 is up to about 10 Shore D units higher than H1. The core layer has a specific gravity that is at least 0.1 g/cmgreater than the specific gravity of the core center.

Thermoplastic multi-layer golf ball

A mold for manufacturing hemispherical sections for a golf ball includes a mold plate and a movable insert. The mold plate includes a first surface. The movable insert includes a second surface. The moveable insert is connected to the mold plate. The first surface of the mold plate and the second surface of the movable insert may move relative to one another during molding of the hemispherical section for a golf ball.

Mold plate and method of molding golf ball core

A golf ball having an inner core layer, an outer core layer enclosing the inner core layer, and a cover layer enclosing the outer core layer. The inner core layer includes a blend of a first highly neutralized acid polymer having a first Vicat softening temperature and a first specific gravity, a second highly neutralized acid polymer having a second Vicat softening temperature and a second specific gravity, and an ionomer-based masterbatch comprising an additive and an ionomer resin having a third Vicat softening temperature and a third specific gravity. The absolute values of the differences among the Vicat softening temperatures is no more than about 15&#xb0; C. and the absolute value of the difference between the specific gravities is no more than about 0.015. The cover layer may include an inner cover layer enclosing the outer core layer and an outer layer enclosing the inner cover layer.

Golf ball including a blend of highly neutralized acid polymers and method of manufacture

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.

A multi-layer golf ball includes a core having an outer surface, and intermediate layer surrounding the core, and a cover surrounding the intermediate layer. The intermediate layer defines a radially inward facing surface that is flush with the outer surface of the core, and the cover defines the outermost surface of ball. The outer surface of the core includes a plurality of polygonal land portions aligned on a common sphere. The outer surface of the core further defines a first plurality of annular grooves disposed about a first axis, a second plurality of annular grooves disposed about a second axis, and a third plurality of annular grooves disposed about a third axis. The first axis, the second axis, and the third axis are mutually orthogonal, and each groove respectively extends from the common sphere and is concave relative to the core.

A multi-layer golf ball includes a core, and intermediate layer, and a cover. The core has an outer surface that includes a plurality of depressions extending from a spherical land portion. Each depression has a maximum depth relative to the spherical land portion of between 0.15 mm and 2.0 mm. The intermediate layer surrounds the core and has a radially inward surface that is flush with the outer surface of the core. The cover layer surrounds the intermediate layer and defines an outermost portion of ball.

The disclosure provides a method of making a golf ball with a reduced gate defect. The method may include using a mold that has a mold cavity with a mold chamber with a surface and a parting edge disposed along the perimeter of mold chamber. At least one gate may be disposed on the parting edge to provide a path for a cover material to be injected into the mold chamber. The gate may include a flat middle surface connected by a first side surface and a second side surface disposed opposite the first side surface. A round having a radius of curvature ranging from about 0.2 mm to about 0.5 mm may be disposed along a middle gate edge of middle surface and/or a side gate edge of one of the first side surface and the second side surface.

Method of making a golf ball

The present disclosure is directed to a golf ball and a method for providing a golf ball that is customizable by a golfer to achieve a golfer's desired playing characteristics. The customizable golf ball includes multiple layers of customizable thermoplastic or thermoset materials in varying hardness levels that may be assembled by the golfer to achieve a desired feel in play. After play, the customizable golf ball may be disassembled to again vary the playing characteristics of the ball by substituting layers of varying hardness levels, or to simply replace old or worn out parts.

Customizable golf ball and method of providing a customizable golf ball

A golf ball having an inner core layer, an outer core layer essentially enclosing the inner core layer, an inner cover layer essentially enclosing the outer core layer, and an outer cover layer essentially enclosing the inner cover layer. The golf ball includes a blend of at least first and second highly neutralized acid polymers, each having a Vicat softening temperature and a specific gravity. The absolute value of the difference between the Vicat softening temperatures is no more than about 15&#xb0; C. and the absolute value of the difference between the specific gravities is no more than about 0.015. Also, the method of making the blend and the golf ball is disclosed.

A thermoplastic multi-layer golf ball has a core center having a shell from about 1-6 mm thick defining an interior space about 12-24 mm in diameter, a core layer at least about 5 mm thick outward from the core center, and a cover. The shell includes a first thermoplastic material with first flexural modulus less than about 15,000 psi. The core layer includes a second thermoplastic material with second flexural modulus up to about 15,000 psi and greater than the first flexural modulus and a specific gravity of at least about 1.5 g/cm. The cover includes a third thermoplastic material with a third flexural modulus that in a first embodiment is up to about 5,000 psi and less than the first flexural modulus and in a second embodiment is least about 40,000 psi.

A multilayer solid golf ball may include a core formed from a highly neutralized polymer and a cover surrounding the core. The ball may also include an enclosing layer disposed between the core and the cover, the enclosing layer having a thermal conductivity of 0.12 W/m-K or less.

Growing community of inventors

Yun-Lin Hsien, Taiwan

Chen-Tai Liu