# US 2022/0032129 A1 · Multi-piece solid golf ball

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- Number: US 2022/0032129 A1
- Document ID: US20220032129A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/372,611
- Filed: 2021-07-12
- Published: 2022-02-03
- Earliest claimed: 2020-07-29
- Assignees: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hideo Watanabe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220032129A1

## CPC

- A63B 37/0076: {Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers}
- A63B 37/0033: {Thickness}
- A63B 37/0045: {Thickness}
- A63B 37/0063: {Hardness gradient}
- A63B 37/0064: {Diameter}
- A63B 37/0065: {Deflection or compression}
- A63B 37/008: {Diameter}
- A63B 37/0084: {Initial velocity}
- A63B 37/0087: {Deflection or compression}
- A63B 37/00922: {whereby hardness of the cover is lower than hardness of the intermediate layers}
- A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H)

## Abstract

A golf ball is provided that achieves a satisfactory distance on full shots with an iron, is superior in the short game, and has a good feel at impact and a good durability. The golf ball has a core formed of a rubber composition as one or more layer, an envelope layer formed of a resin material as one or more layer, an intermediate layer formed of a resin material as one layer, and a cover formed of a resin material as one layer having a thickness of not more than 1.0 mm. The layers of the ball have Shore C hardnesses at the respective surfaces thereof which together satisfy certain conditions, and the core and the ball have respective deflections which satisfy certain other conditions.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A multi-piece solid golf ball comprising a core, an envelope layer, an intermediate layer and a cover, wherein the core is formed of a rubber composition as one or more layer; the envelope layer is formed of a resin material as one or more layer; the intermediate layer is formed of a resin material as one layer; the cover is formed of a resin material as one layer having a thickness of not more than 1.0 mm; the Shore C hardness at a surface of the core, the Shore C hardness at a surface of the sphere obtained by encasing the core with the envelope layer (envelope layer-encased sphere), the Shore C hardness at a surface of the sphere obtained by encasing the envelope layer-encased sphere with the intermediate layer intermediate layer-encased sphere) and the Shore C hardness at a surface of the ball together satisfy the conditions (Shore C hardness at surface of envelope layer-encased sphere)>(Shore C hardness at core surface) and (Shore C hardness at surface of intermediate layer-encased sphere)>(Shore C hardness at ball surface); and, letting C be the deflection of the core in millimeters when compressed under a final load of 1,275 N (130 kgf) from an initial load of 98 N (10 kgf) and B be the deflection of the ball in millimeters when compressed under a final load of 1,275 N (130 kgf) from an initial load of 98 N (10 kgf), B≥3.0 and 2.5≤C−B≤4.3.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the Shore C hardness at the surface of the envelope layer-encased sphere and the Shore C hardness at the surface of the intermediate layer-encased sphere together satisfy the condition:
(Shore C hardness at surface of intermediate layer-encased sphere)>Shore C hardness at surface of envelope layer-encased sphere).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the layers have respective thicknesses which together satisfy the condition:
(cover thickness)<(intermediate layer thickness)≤(total thickness of envelope layer).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the layers have respective thicknesses which together satisfy the condition:
(total thickness of envelope layer)/(cover thickness+intermediate layer thickness)≥1.0.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the ball has an initial velocity of at least 76.8 m/s.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has a diameter and the ball has a diameter which together satisfy the condition:
0.65≤(core diameter)/(ball diameter)≤0.80.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has an internal hardness which satisfies the condition:
(Cs−Cm)/(Cm−Cc)≥1.1,
where Cc is the Shore C hardness at a center of the core, Cs is the Shore C hardness at the core surface, and Cm is the Shore C hardness at the midpoint between the core surface and the core center.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the envelope layer is formed of at least two layers that include an inner envelope layer and an outer envelope layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the Shore C hardnesses at the surfaces of the respective layers satisfy the condition:
(Shore C hardness at ball surface)<(Shore C hardness at surface of intermediate layer-encased sphere)>(Shore C hardness at surface of outer envelope layer-encased sphere)≥(Shore C hardness at surface of inner envelope layer-encased sphere)>(Shore C hardness at core surface).

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The golf ball of claim 8 which satisfies the condition:
1.0≤(OE vh+IE vh)/Core vh≤2.3,
where Core vh is the product of the core volume (mm3) multiplied by the Shore C hardness Cm at the midpoint between the core surface and the core center, IE vh is the product of the inner envelope layer volume (mm3) multiplied by the Shore C hardness at the surface of the inner envelope layer-encased sphere, and OE vh is the product of the outer envelope layer volume (mm3) multiplied by the Shore C hardness at the surface of the outer envelope layer-encased sphere.