Acushnet Company

Manjari Kuntimaddi

Shenshen Wu

Murali Rajagopalan

Matthew F Hogge

Erin C McDermott

Kevin M Harris

Michael Michalewich

Dennis Britton

Shawn Ricci

Mitchell E Lutz

Brian Comeau

David A Bulpett

Nicholas M Nardacci

Michael J Sullivan

Michael R Madson

Peter L Serdahl

Mark L Binette

William E Morgan

Douglas E Jones

Scott Cooper

Doug Goguen

Nathan Zieske

Erin C Mcdermott

Glenn D Oliveira

Derek A Ladd

Edmund A Hebert

Robert Blink

Laurent C Bissonnette

Vincent Simonds

Michael Allen Mayo

Steven R Zawacky

Edward Costa

Craig Moreira

Golf balls having core layers with individual hardness gradients are provided. The cores have at least one layer with an increased 'positive' hardness gradient (or a “hard-to-soft” hardness) where the outer surface of the core is harder than the center. The increased positive hardness gradient can be achieved by introducing a water-releasing agent into the core rubber formulation during the curing process. The cores may also have a “zero” hardness gradient in another layer. By utilizing different hardness gradients in the core layers, the present disclosure allows for the properties of the final golf ball to be manipulated to produce desired performance characteristics.

Golf balls having core layers with individual hardness gradients

Golf ball comprising a layer formed from a vanadium dioxide nano-particle composition; wherein the vanadium dioxide nano-particle composition comprises a polymer composition and one of a plurality of vanadium dioxide composite nano-particles, a vanadium dioxide composite nano-particle slurry, or a mixture of a polymer emulsion and the vanadium dioxide composite nano-particle slurry. Non-limiting examples of suitable polymer compositions include latexes, lacquers, enamels, acrylics, an epoxies, polyesters, urethane acrylates, polyester acrylates, alkyds, thermoset polyurethane compositions, thermoplastic polyurethane compositions, and/or ionomer compositions. The vanadium dioxide composite nano-particle slurry may be formed from a plurality of vanadium dioxide composite nano-particles that are dispersed throughout a dispersion medium. The polymer emulsion may comprise an aqueous dispersion or an emulsion of polymer resin.

Golf ball and method of making same

Compositions including a hardness agent, a water releasing agent, and a complexing agent and golf ball cores made from such compositions having a tailored hardness gradient are disclosed. The type and concentration of the components in the composition affect the hardness, hardness gradient, and compression of cores made from the composition and, thus, can be used to produce a golf ball having desirable performance characteristics.

Golf ball with increased core hardness gradient and reduced spin

A golf ball includes a core, a cover layer, and a chromogenic polymer incorporated into at least one of the cover layer or a coating layer applied to the cover layer. The chromogenic polymer causes the golf ball to exhibit a color-shift effect upon application of an external stimulus. The color-shift effect can be measured as a deltaE of greater than 2 when the external stimulus is within a target range. The external stimulus may be different depending on the type of chromogenic polymer, and, as a result, the target range depends on the type of external stimulus.

Golf balls having chromogenic polymers in one or more layers

A golf ball includes a composition producing a unique visible effect to enhance a performance parameter of the golf ball. The golf ball includes a color-shifting cover surrounding a core. The color-shifting cover includes a cover material mixed with a colorant. The cover material includes at least one of a thermoset polyurethane, cast urethane, or ionomer material. The colorant includes one or more of a flake, pigment, or dye. The color-shifting cover includes a visible shift in color based on a change in at least one of incidence of light, temperature, or pressure.

Golf balls having unique effect pigments in one or more layers

Thermoplastic and thermoset compositions including hydroxyurethane linkages, golf ball components formed using such thermoplastic or thermoset compositions, and golf balls including such golf components.

Golf ball components formed from hydroxyurethane compositions

Coating compositions including hydroxyurethane linkages, coating layers formed from such coating compositions, and golf balls including such coating layers.

Golf ball coatings formed from hydroxyurethane compositions

Golf balls having cores with increased hardness gradients are provided. The cores have an increased 'positive' hardness gradient (or a “hard-to-soft” hardness) where the outer surface of the core is harder than the center. The increased positive hardness gradient can be achieved by introducing a water-releasing agent into the core rubber formulation during the curing process. The resulting golf balls have reduced spin and sufficient impact durability.

Golf balls having cores with increased hardness gradient

Compositions including a water releasing agent and golf ball cores made from such compositions having a high hardness gradient are disclosed. The type and concentration of the components in the composition, including the water releasing agent, affect the hardness and hardness gradient of cores made from the composition and, thus, can be used to produce a golf ball having desirable performance characteristics. Cores made from the composition may be cured using infrared radiation to further increase the hardness and hardness gradient of such cores. Cores cured using infrared radiation may have a center and a skin with hardness greater than the hardness of the center to produce a high hardness gradient.

High hardness gradient golf ball cores and methods of making same

The present disclosure provides methods of reducing center shifting of golf ball components, which, in turn, improves concentricity of the resulting golf balls. The methods include extruding a golf ball component material through an extruder to form an extrudate having a first temperature, cutting the extrudate at a second temperature to form a component prep, and molding the component prep into the golf ball component. The preps formed by the methods of the present disclosure include surfaces having reduced or no concavity.

Methods of reducing center shift of golf ball components and improving concentricity

Golf ball comprising core; casing layer; cover layer; and plurality of outer coating layers. Casing layer comprises an ionomer blend of at least one ionomer and a color concentrate resin that is included in an amount of 3-10 wt. % of the ionomer blend. Cover layer is transparent and comprises thermoplastic/thermoset urethane composition. First outer coating layer is adjacent to cover layer and comprises clear water-borne or solvent-borne primer; and second outer coating layer is adjacent to first outer coating layer and comprises gold pearl primer, white sparkle primer, or combination thereof; third outer coating layer is adjacent to second outer coating layer and comprises a clear topcoat. Alternatively, second outer coating layer comprises matte topcoat, clear glossy topcoat, or combination thereof. In all embodiments, first outer coating layer and/or second outer coating layer may be colorless.

Colored golf ball and method of making same

Compositions including a hardness agent and a water releasing agent and golf ball cores made from such compositions having a tailored hardness gradient are disclosed. The type and concentration of the components in the composition, including a hardness agent and a water releasing agent, affect the hardness, hardness gradient, and compression of cores made from the composition and, thus, can be used to produce a golf ball having desirable performance characteristics.

Golf ball core hardness gradient manipulation using hardness agent and water releasing agent

A golf ball and golf ball composition are disclosed. The golf ball may include a core layer. The golf ball may further include a cover layer. The golf ball may contain any layer that includes a Zylon based material.

Zylon based materials in golf ball

Golf ball having at least one layer formed from a thermoset or thermoplastic composition comprising one or more free radical scavengers selected from lignosulfonates, hydroxycarboxylic acids, carbohydrates, superplasticizers, or combinations thereof.

Golf ball comprising one or more layers and/or indicia formed from a fluorescent composition comprising: a base polymer; and a colorant; wherein the colorant is a small-molecule ionic isolation lattice formed from one or more fluorescent dye and one or more cyanostar macrocycles. The one or more fluorescent dyes may include at least one dye selected from xanthenes, oxazines, styryls, cyanines, trianguleniums, or mixtures thereof. The colorant may be a dispersion of the small-molecule ionic isolation lattice in a carrier medium or a powder. In particular embodiments, at least one of the one or more layers is a cover layer and/or a coating layer.

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Plymouth, MA, United States of America

Manjari Kuntimaddi