# US 11,077,622 B2 · Method of golf ball manufacture employing ultrasonic welding, and resulting golf ball and golf ball components and/or layers

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,077,622 B2
- Document ID: US11077622B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/201,962
- Filed: 2018-11-27
- Published: 2020-05-28
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2018-11-27
- Assignees: Masion de Golf; Qingdao Sm Parker Golf Co., Ltd
- Applicants: Masion de Golf; Qingdao SM Parker Golf Ltd.
- Inventors: Hyun Jin Kim; Ki Jung Kim; Deuk Ho Song
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077622B2

## CPC

- B29C 65/08: using ultrasonic vibrations {(non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645)}
- B29C 66/636: {using a support which remains in the joined object}
- A63B 37/0024: {Materials other than ionomers or polyurethane}
- A63B 37/0033: {Thickness}
- A63B 37/0039: {characterised by the material}
- A63B 37/0045: {Thickness}
- B29C 65/088: {using several cooperating sonotrodes, i.e. interacting with each other, e.g. for realising the same joint}
- B29C 66/00145: {Vacuum, e.g. partial vacuum}
- B29C 66/1312: {Single flange to flange joints, the parts to be joined being rigid (the parts to be joined being flexible B29C66/133)}
- B29C 66/342: {Preventing air-inclusions}
- B29C 66/54: {Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles}
- B29C 66/71: {characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined (welding bar compositions B29C65/125)}
- B29C 66/81423: {being concave}
- B29C 66/8242: {Pneumatic or hydraulic drives (using fluid pressure directly acting on the parts to be joined B29C66/8266)}
- B29C 66/8322: {Joining or pressing tools reciprocating along one axis}
- A63B 37/0004: {Surface depressions or protrusions}
- A63B 37/0075: {Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core}
- A63B 37/0076: {Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers}
- A63B 2102/32: Golf
- B29C 66/73921: {characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics}
- B29C 66/8432: {Machines for making separate joints at the same time mounted in parallel or in series}
- B29C 66/949: {characterised by specific time values or ranges}
- B29C 66/9513: {characterised by specific vibration frequency values or ranges}
- B29L 2031/546: {Golf balls}
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H)
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES

## Abstract

A method of producing a golf ball applies ultrasonic welding on two half shells to form at least one intermediate layer, at least one cover layer, or at least one intermediate layer and at least one cover layer. The ultrasonic welding may include pressing the two half shells together, delivering a high power electrical signal to a welding stack, and converting the high power electrical signal at the welding stack to ultrasonic energy. The converting may include converting the high power electrical signal into a mechanical vibration, modifying an amplitude of the mechanical vibration to generate a modified mechanical vibration, and applying the modified mechanical vibration to an interface of the two half shells to weld them together ultrasonically. Aspects also relate to golf balls, or one or more layers thereof, made using ultrasonic welding.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of producing a golf ball, the method comprising:
performing ultrasonic welding on two half shells to form a layer selected from the group consisting of at least one intermediate layer, at least one cover layer, or at least one intermediate layer and at least one cover layer, wherein the intermediate layer and/or cover layer comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic resin, resin mixture, reactive resin, resin blended with reactive chemicals to bring a crosslinking, or resin having diene group in a structure mixed with free-radical initiators and/or crosslinking chemicals,
wherein the performing the ultrasonic welding comprises:
a. positioning two half shells around a core or mantle so that the core or mantle portion is substantially centered relative to the two half shells;
b. positioning two half shells with the core or mantle between two half shell cavities on respective mold plates;
c. closing the mold plates to press the two half shells in half shell cavities together;
d. making half shell material contact the surface of top portion of one half shell cavity along the circumference of one half shell cavity and the surface of top portion of another half shell cavity along the circumference of another half shell cavity; and
e. applying ultrasonic energy to at least one of the respective mold plates to weld the two half-shells together ultrasonically.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the performing comprises applying ultrasonic energy at frequencies greater than 10 kHz.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the performing comprises applying ultrasonic energy at frequencies greater than 15 kHz.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the performing comprises applying ultrasonic energy at frequencies greater than 20 kHz.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the performing comprises applying the ultrasonic energy for a duration from 0.1 sec. to 60 sec.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the performing comprises applying the ultrasonic energy for a duration from 0.3 sec. to 40 sec.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the performing comprises applying the ultrasonic energy for a duration from 0.5 sec. to 30 sec.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the performing comprises applying the ultrasonic energy for a duration from 1 sec. to 20 sec.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the applying comprises applying ultrasonic energy to both of the mold plates.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the applying comprises:
i. delivering an electrical signal; and
ii. converting the electrical signal to produce the ultrasonic energy.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the converting comprises:
1. converting the high power electrical signal into a mechanical vibration;
2. modifying an amplitude of the mechanical vibration to generate a modified mechanical vibration; and
3. applying the modified mechanical vibration to an interface of the two half shells to weld them together ultrasonically.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the performing comprises welding the two half shells together around the circumference of the half shells to form the cover layer, and wherein the method further comprises forming dimples on the cover layer by compression molding.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the performing comprises welding the two half shells together around the circumference of the half shells to form the at least one intermediate layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the performing comprises welding two pairs of nested half shells together along the circumference of the half shell cavities to form the at least one intermediate layer and the cover layer over the at least one intermediate layer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the method further comprises forming dimples on the cover layer by compression molding.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the performing further comprises ultrasonically welding the two half shells around the at least one intermediate layer to form the cover layer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the method further comprises forming dimples on the cover layer by compression molding.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

A method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising forming a cover layer over the at least one intermediate layer by one of compression molding, injection molding, or casting.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the intermediate layer is a first intermediate layer formed over a core layer, the method further comprising ultrasonically welding two additional half shells over the first intermediate layer to form a second intermediate layer.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

A method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising ultrasonically welding two further half shells over the second intermediate layer to form a cover layer.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the performing comprises welding two pairs of nested half shells together to form a first intermediate layer and a second intermediate layer.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the performing comprises welding a plurality of pairs of half shells to form a corresponding plurality of cover layers of a corresponding plurality of different golf balls.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the performing comprises welding a plurality of pairs of half shells to form a corresponding plurality of intermediate layers of a corresponding plurality of different golf balls.

### Claim 24

A method of producing a golf ball, the method comprising:
inserting a core or a core with at least one intermediate layer between two half shells;
positioning the two half shells with the core or the core with the at least one intermediate layer between a top half shell cavity on a top mold plate and a bottom half shell cavity on a bottom mold plate;
closing the top mold plate and the bottom mold plate, so as to bring the two half-shells together at respective circumferences thereof; and
performing ultrasonic welding on the two half shells along their respective circumferences to form a layer selected from the group consisting of the at least one intermediate layer, at least one cover layer, or the at least one intermediate layer and at least one cover layer.