Patent Application
20250058178
None
Golf ball coatings are utilized to protect the underlying golf ball cover from scuffing and discoloration. The golf ball coatings are typically continuous across the surface of the golf ball. However, differential compression of the golf ball cover, depending upon the golf shot, would benefit from different surface interactions with the surface of the golf club in the golf ball.
Therefore, a coating system is sought where different characteristics of the surface coating on the golf ball will give different surface interactions with the golf club depending upon the type of golf shot team made.
Further, a method is desired to provide a surface coating on a golf ball that is not continuous but preferential the different portions of the golf ball surface.
The embodiment is the a multilayer coating where the land area of the golf ball is coated with a different material than the dimple area of the golf ball. The multilayer coating may be applied by a roll coating process.
The dimple area of the golf ball or the area that is formed by temples in the surface of the golf ball may be designated as the primary coating area.
The land area or outer area of the golf ball that is not dimpled may be designated as the secondary coating area.
The embodiment further comprises the application of a primary coating to the entire golf ball surface including the land area in the dimple area and then a secondary coating two only the land area where the secondary coating is on top of the primary coating.
The embodiment also further comprises the application of a primary coating to the entire golf ball surface and then the removal of the primary coating from only the land area through either a chemical or mechanical process such as solvent washing or centerless surface grinding, respectively. A secondary coating is then applied to only the land area of the golf ball where the primary coating has been removed.
The embodiment also further comprises a method for replying a primary coating and a secondary coating to a golf ball surface where the primary coating is applied by any one of conventional methods such as spray coating and the secondary coating is applied via a roll coating process where the golf ball with the primary coating in at least the dimple area or the entire surface is rolled down a trough or pipe or other type of contained area where the trough or pipe or other type of contained area includes a fluid polymeric material that adheres to the at least land area of the golf ball as the golf ball is rolled through the trough or pipe or other type of contained area containing the fluid polymeric material.
The foregoing aspects and other features of the disclosed embodiments are explained in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The embodiments described herein disclose a golf ball with at least a primary and secondary coating where the primary coating may be over the entire surface of the golf ball were only in the dimpled area of the golf ball and where the secondary coating is on top of the primary coating or the previously prepared land area of the golf ball and where the secondary coating is only on the land area of the golf ball or on the land area and a portion of the dimpled area. Tertiary and quaternary coating layers may also be added to further improve the control.
The embodiment also includes methods for applying a secondary coating onto the surface of a golf ball when the gospel is processed for coating, such as where the golf ball is rolled or otherwise conveyed across a confined area and where the confined area has a layer of fluid polymeric material that adheres to the at least land area of the golf ball as the golf ball is conveyed through the confined area. The embodiment further comprises rolling the golf ball down an inclined trough where the trough has a thin layer of fluid polymeric material that adheres to the at least land area of the golf ball as the golf ball is ruled through the fluid polymeric material.
The primary coating may also be applied to the golf ball through the use of location devices that allow only the dimple area to the coded or printed. This is also true for the secondary, tertiary, and quaternary coatings with the location of the dimple and land area being a primary importance so as to apply the correct coating layer correct spot of a golf ball surface.
The surface interaction of a golf ball with a golf club during a golf shot is of paramount importance for the integrity of the golf shot, the spin rate imparted to the golf ball by the interaction with the golf club, and ultimately the placement of the golf ball when the golf ball comes to rest after being struck by the golf club. Typically, golf balls have a polymeric plastic or polymeric cross-linked cover that is typically comprised of an ionomer material or a polyurethane material. The cover of the golf ball may be several thousands of an inch thick up to several hundred thousands of an inch thick. A typical golf ball cover is usually between 0.050 inches thick and 0.200 inches thick.
On the outer surface of the polymeric cover, there is typically a single or multiple layer coating system that protects the golf ball from scuffing and discoloration while providing a high-gloss aesthetically pleasing look to the golf ball.
As an example, many golf balls have a primer that is applied directly to the polymeric cover where the primer has the main function of adhesion to the polymeric cover surface. A second coating is applied over the primer coating to give the golf ball a finished, high-gloss look. The second, outer coating on the golf ball is typically very high in abrasion resistance while still being flexible so that it may protect the golf ball from abrasion during play while still adhering to the underlying primer on the golf ball polymeric cover.
The second outer coating may contain titanium dioxide, TiO2, to impart white color to the golf ball and to protect the cover material, typically a polyurethane, from discoloring.
These coatings, both the primer and the outer coating are continuous across the entire surface of the golf ball. This allows for uniform clause and protection of the golf ball surface.
A tertiary and quaternary coating may also be applied to the exterior of the golf ball. His tertiary and quaternary coatings are configured to impart other dynamic properties of the golf ball. As an example, tertiary coating is configured in the dimple area or the land area so as to provide a very soft interface when the golf club strikes the golf ball. This kind of process may be advantageous especially when the golf ball is putted and there is interaction of the tertiary coating with both the golf club face and with the grass of the putting surface. The quaternary coating may also be configured to provide interaction with both the golf club face and the putting surface so as to accelerate or slow down the role of the golf ball during the putt.
As well as roll coating, the primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary coatings may be applied by precision spraying or inkjet printing.
High-speed photography of the golf ball golf club face interaction show many phenomena as a result of the interaction of the golf ball coatings and the grooved and angled surface of the golf club. Part of this interaction is a slip-stick phenomena whereby the golf ball will slide up the angled face of the golf club or begin spinning immediately when struck by the golf club. The slip-stick phenomena is governed by the hardness of the polymeric cover on the golf ball and also by the type of coating on the polymeric cover.
The higher the energy of the golf ball and golf club interaction, such as a 9 iron through a 1 iron, the more the polymeric cover will dictate the slip-stick phenomena and the golf ball coating will have a lesser effect. The polymeric cover of the golf ball will actually fill the grooves on the golf club, to a degree that allows for more or less feeling of the grooves depending upon the viscoelastic properties of the cover, all allowing for an improved spin rate off of the golf club face.
The lower the energy of the golf ball golf club interaction, such as a wedge shot or less, the more the golf ball coating will have an effect on the slip-stick phenomena. In this instance, the golf ball coating will have a greater influence on the spin rate of the golf ball. The polymeric cover of the golf ball will not completely fill the grooves of the golf club face while the golf ball coatings will have an interaction with both the grooves and the non-grooved area on the golf club face.
With the polymeric cover material of the golf ball not completely filling the grooves of the golf club face, the coating in the dimple area of the golf ball cover will not have as much effect as the coating on the land area of the golf ball cover.
By modifying the viscoelastic properties of the primary golf ball coating in the dimple area and the viscoelastic properties of the secondary coating on the land area, improved spin characteristics may be achieved on the shorter golf club shots.
Through modification of the secondary, tertiary, and quaternary coatings on the land area, the spin rate of low energy shots off a full wedge club shot or less may be modified to increase or decrease the spin rate of the golf ball. This allows for finer spin control on short shots into the green.
The primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary coatings may also be configured to be coated in the dimple area of the golf ball.
The primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary coatings may also be configured to contain particles. These particles may have a higher hardness than the coating material or the particles may be lower in hardness than the coating material. Examples of these types of particles include abrasive particles that are harder than the coating material and that are included in the primary, secondary, tertiary and/or quaternary coatings. These abrasive particles may be configured to improve the spin rate of the golf ball when the golf ball interacts with the golf club face.
These particles may also have a lower hardness than the coating material. The second particles include foam particles, rubber particles and the like. The particles we also be hydrogels are hygroscopic and absorb water. Hygroscopic materials are especially important when the primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary coatings interface with the putting green. The absorption of water into the hydrogels will change the world characteristics of the golf ball on the green when the golf ball is putted.
The primary and secondary coatings on the golf ball may be accomplished via different operations. The primary coating may be applied via spray coating or other methods to completely cover the exterior of the golf ball. This coating may be a primer or a final coating. A second primary coating may be applied over the first primary coating, here also designated as the primer.
The secondary coating on the land area may be accomplished through roll coating. Here, the golf ball is rolled through a constrained area, such as a trough or a pipe, where the secondary coating, in the form of a polymeric fluid is available in a very thin layer on the trough or pipe. As the golf ball rolls through the trough or pipe, the polymeric fluid is transferred to only the land area of the golf ball. The coating process may include multiple angles and multiple troughs or pipes so as to completely cover the land area of the golf ball. For instance, there may be several 30° or 45° turns in the trough or pipe where the trough or pipe is at an angle such that the golf ball will roll through the trough or pipe.
Once the golf ball exits the trough or pipe area with a coating on the land area, the golf ball may be placed on a spindle so as to let the exterior secondary coating on the land area cure. This cure process may be accomplished via heat, air cure, UV cure, or other such curing methods. Here, curing means further polymerization of the coating or the elimination of solvent such that the polymeric fluid becomes a dried coating.
The tertiary and quaternary coatings may be applied to the exterior of the golf ball through the use of various means such as inkjet printing after location of the dimples and/or the land area so that the tertiary and quaternary coating materials are applied succinctly in the dimples or on the land area or both.
While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
