Acushnet Company

Research Engineering & Manufacturing, Inc.

Edmund A Hebert

Michael J Sullivan

Derek A Ladd

Douglas E Jones

Murali Rajagopalan

Steven Aoyama

William E Morgan

Laurent C Bissonnette

David A Bulpett

Shenshen Wu

Peter R Voorheis

Mark N Wrigley

Nicholas M Nardacci

Brian Comeau

William Gobush

Michael D Jordan

Diane I Pelletier

Douglas C Winfield

Charles A Days

James Alan Silveira

Christopher Cavallaro

Mark L Binette

Antonio U DeSimas

Donald A Serino

Shawn Ricci

Herbert C Boehm

Dean A Snell

Kevin M Harris

Jeffrey L Dalton

Mitchell E Lutz

Thomas L Mydlack

Michael R Madson

Matthew F Hogge

Peter L Serdahl

John R Reynolds

Kenneth J Gomes

Dennis O Boyer

Manjari Kuntimaddi

Roman D Halko

William B Lacy

Randy Petrichko

Bobby Lee Budziszek

Mary Lou Bohn

Ryan B Bosanko

Donald A Fosmoen

Benjamin M Fosmoen

A combined thread forming and thread locking fastener is disclosed. A fastener includes three thread zones. A first thread zone utilizes a first thread forming thread profile with an increasing outer diameter. A second thread zone extends from the end of the first zone utilizing the first thread forming thread profile and continues with a constant diameter. The third thread zone utilizes a thread locking thread profile continuing along substantially the remainder of the shaft of a fastener.

Thread forming and thread locking fastener

Golf balls and golf ball components made using three-dimensional (3D) additive manufacturing systems are provided. The golf ball includes at least one three-dimensional piece. Preferably, a continuous liquid interface printing method is used to make the three-dimensional structure. Ultraviolet (UV)-light polymerizable materials are used in the method. The method may be used to make single-piece or multi-piece balls. For example, the ball may include an inner core produced by the liquid interface printing method. An outer core layer may be disposed about the inner core, and a cover comprising inner and outer cover layers may encapsulate the core assembly to form the finished golf ball. The outer core and cover layers may be made using conventional molding technologies or the methods of this invention.

Golf ball components made using three-dimensional additive manufacturing systems

Golf balls comprising a multi-layer core and a cover are disclosed. The multi-layer core comprises at least one intermediate core layer formed from a metallic, composite, or inorganic/organic hybrid composition.

Multi-layer core golf ball

Golf ball having at least three layers comprising ionomeric and/or HNP compositions, wherein for each two adjacent layers, a relationship is established between a ratio of the volumes of the two adjacent layers and a ratio of the percent neutralizations of those two layers such that the volumes and % neutralizations of all layers are interrelated and interdependent to produce unique and desirable playing characteristics. In one embodiment, a golf ball of the invention has T layers, wherein T&#x2265;3 and each of T layers has a different volume 'V' and comprises an ionomeric and/or HNP composition having a different % neutralization 'N'. Furthermore, each of n inner layers of the T layers (n&#x3c;T) has an adjacent surrounding layer n+1 such that a volume Vand a % neutralization Nof each inner layer and a volume Vand % neutralization Nof each adjacent surrounding layer n+1 satisfy the relationship (V&#x2212;V)/V&#x2265;(N&#x2212;N)/N.

Golf ball incorporating at least three adjacent ionomeric and/or HNP-based layers having multiple related property gradients there between

The present invention is directed to multi-layer golf balls including a layer formed from a composition comprising a relatively soft or low modulus HNP, a layer formed from a composition comprising a relatively hard or high modulus HNP, an inner cover layer formed from a thermoplastic composition, and an outer cover layer.

Multi-layer golf ball

Multi-layer golf balls having a hard, high compression center, a relatively soft intermediate layer, and a stiff outer cover layer, are provided. The outer surface hardness of the intermediate layer is less than that of both the center and the outer cover layer.

Methods for making golf balls and golf ball components using three-dimensional (3D) additive manufacturing systems are provided. The golf ball includes at least one three-dimensional piece. Preferably, a continuous liquid interface printing method is used to make the three-dimensional structure. Ultraviolet (UV)-light polymerizable materials are used in the method. The method may be used to make single-piece or multi-piece balls. For example, the ball may include an inner core produced by the liquid interface printing method. An outer core layer may be disposed about the inner core, and a cover comprising inner and outer cover layers may encapsulate the core assembly to form the finished golf ball. The outer core and cover layers may be made using conventional molding technologies or methods of this invention.

Methods for making golf ball components using three-dimensional additive manufacturing systems

Golf ball having at least three layers comprising an ionomeric and/or HNP composition, wherein for each two adjacent layers, a relationship is established between a ratio of the volumes of the two adjacent layers and a ratio of the percent neutralizations of those two layers such that the volumes and % neutralizations of all layers are interrelated and interdependent to produce unique and desirable playing characteristics. In one embodiment, each of T layers, wherein T&#x2265;3, has a different volume 'V' and comprises an ionomeric/HNP composition having a different % neutralization 'N'; and wherein each of n inner layers of the T layers (n&#x3c;T) has an adjacent surrounding layer n+1 such that a volume Vand a % neutralization Nof each inner layer and a volume Vand % neutralization Nof each adjacent surrounding layer n+1 satisfy the relationship (V&#x2212;V)/V&#x2264;(N&#x2212;N)/N.

The present invention is directed to multi-layer golf balls including a layer formed from a relatively soft or low modulus HNP composition and a layer formed from a relatively hard or high modulus HNP composition. Optionally, the soft (or low modulus) HNP composition and/or the hard (or high modulus) HNP composition is plasticized or is replaced with a different plasticized acid copolymer composition.

Golf ball having at least three layers comprising an ionomeric and/or HNP composition, wherein for each two adjacent layers there is a relationship between a ratio of the volumes of the two adjacent layers and a ratio of the percent (%) neutralizations of those two layers such that the volumes and % neutralizations of all layers are interrelated and interdependent to produce unique and desirable playing characteristics. In one embodiment, a golf ball of the invention has T layers, wherein T&#x2267;3 and each of the T layers has a different volume 'V' and comprises an ionomeric and/or HNP composition having a different % neutralization 'N'. Furthermore, each inner layer n of the T layers (n&#x3c;T) has an adjacent surrounding layer n+1 such that a volume Vand a % neutralization Nof each inner layer and a volume Vand % neutralization Nof each adjacent surrounding layer n+1 satisfy the relationship (V&#x2212;V)/V&#x2266;(N&#x2212;N)/N.

Growing community of inventors

Mattapoisett, MA, United States of America

Edmund A Hebert