Nike, Inc.

Feng Tay Enterprises Co., Ltd.

Feng Tay Enterprise Co., Ltd.

Chien-Hsin Chou

Chen-Tai Liu

Yasushi Ichikawa

Hideyuki Ishii

Arthur Parker Molinari

Jun Ichinose

Chin-Shun Ko

Hsin Cheng

Nicholas Yontz

Thomas J Kennedy, Iii

Nicholas A Leech

Chia-Chyi Cheng

Shih-Kai Lin

Hui-Kai Liao

Aaron Bender

Chung-Yu Huang

Takahisa Ono

Yutaka Kabeshita

Che-Ching Lin

Chun-Ting Chiang

Provided is a foam blend incorporating a phase change material for foaming and making a foamed shoe body, comprising a thermoplastic material, a blowing agent, a crosslinking agent and a phase change material; the phase change material is added in an amount based on the total content of the thermoplastic material, and is mixed with the thermoplastic material in an amount of no more than 15 phr, wherein the transition temperature of the phase change material is 45° C.-100° C. Another embodiment provides a method for making a foamed shoe body from a foam blend, comprising the steps of filling the foam blend into a mold for heating and foaming to form a semi-finished product of the foamed shoe body, and placing the semi-finished product of the foamed shoe body in an aging environment for shrinking and molding into a finished product of the foamed shoe body. The method thus can shorten the time of cooling and shrinkage of the foamed shoe body and save energy consumption in the manufacturing process.

Foam blend incorporating phase change material and method for making foamed shoe body using the same

A thermoplastic vulcanizate composition, a method for forming a thermoplastic vulcanizate with the composition and a product thereof are disclosed. The thermoplastic vulcanizate composition includes a thermoplastic polyurethane, a rubber, a vulcanizing agent for crosslinking the rubber, and an additive. Wherein, a hardness of the thermoplastic polyurethane is at least 19A greater than a hardness of the rubber, and the hardness of the thermoplastic polyurethane is equal to or greater than 70A. A weight ratio of the thermoplastic polyurethane to the rubber is from 30:70 to 70:30. The crosslinked rubber is dispersed in a continuous phase constituted by the thermoplastic polyurethane.

Thermoplastic vulcanizate composition, method of forming the same and product thereof

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 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.

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.

Multilayer solid golf ball

A golf ball has a relatively light core center. The golf ball may have a thermoplastic core center with diameter about 28-35 mm and flexural modulus under about 15,000 psi; a thermoplastic core layer with flexural modulus &#x2266;about 15,000 psi and &#x3e;the core center's flexural modulus; and a cover &#x2267;about 2 mm thick with specific gravity &#x2267;about 2 g/cmand flexural modulus &#x2267;about 15,000 psi. Alternatively, the core center has diameter about 21-29 mm, flexural modulus &#x3c;about 15,000 psi, and specific gravity &#x2266;about 0.95 g/cm; the core layer has specific gravity &#x2267;about 1.1 g/cmand flexural modulus &#x2266;about 15,000 psi and &#x3e;the core center flexural modulus; and the cover is &#x2267;about 1 mm thick, has specific gravity &#x2267;about 1.1 g/cm, and flexural modulus &#x2267;about 15,000 psi.

A solid multi-layer golf ball includes a core, a mantle layer, and a cover layer. The cover layer and the mantle layer are both made of a thermoplastic polyurethane material. The cover layer is softer than the mantle layer and provided with an optimal thickness for spin and durability. The mantle layer is relatively thin compared to the cover layer and the volume of the ball as a whole. The mantle layer is also harder than the cover layer.

Growing community of inventors

Yun-Lin Hsien, Taiwan

Chien-Hsin Chou