# US 2025/0082999 A1 · System for painting golf balls > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0082999 A1 - Document ID: US20250082999A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/367,148 - Filed: 2023-09-12 - Published: 2025-03-13 - Earliest claimed: 2023-09-12 - Assignees: Acushnet Company - Applicants: Acushnet Company - Inventors: Courtney N. Engle; Manjari Kuntimaddi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250082999A1 ## CPC - A63B 45/02: Marking of balls - B05B 12/004: {comprising sensors for monitoring the delivery, e.g. by displaying the sensed value or generating an alarm (B05B12/08 takes precedence; registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus in general G07C3/00)} - B05B 12/006: {Pressure or flow rate sensors} - B05B 12/082: {responsive to a condition of the discharged jet or spray, e.g. to jet shape, spray pattern or droplet size} - B05B 12/084: {responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material already sprayed on the target, e.g. coating thickness, weight or pattern} - B05B 12/12: responsive to conditions of ambient medium or target, e.g. humidity, temperature {position or movement of the target relative to the spray apparatus (B05B12/082, B05B12/084 take precedence)} - B05B 12/122: {responsive to presence or shape of target (B05B12/124 takes precedence)} - B05B 12/126: {responsive to target velocity, e.g. to relative velocity between spray apparatus and target (B05B9/06 takes precedence)} - B05B 12/1418: {for supplying several liquids or other fluent materials in selected proportions to a single spray outlet (controlling ratio of two or more flows of fluid G05D11/02)} - B05B 13/0228: {the movement of the objects being rotative (B05B13/0242 takes precedence)} - B05B 13/0278: {Arrangement or mounting of spray heads (B05B13/0207 takes precedence)} - B05B 13/0405: {with reciprocating or oscillating spray heads (B05B13/0436, B05B13/0442, B05B13/0447, B05B13/0468 take precedence)} - B05B 15/68: Arrangements for adjusting the position of spray heads (B05B15/628, B05B15/652, B05B15/656 take precedence) - A63B 37/0022: {Coatings, e.g. paint films; Markings} - A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H) - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) ## Abstract A golf ball painting system encompassing a spray system having a spray gun configured to spray paint in a spray pattern toward an application area having one or more golf balls to be painted. The spray gun has one or more spray gun settings configured to be adjusted to thereby change the spray pattern of the sprayed paint. A spray control system is connected to the spray system. The spray control system has a spray gun control system configured to adjust or signal for adjustment of at least one of the one or more spray gun settings and a spray detection system having a detector positioned between the spray gun and the application area and configured to non-invasively monitor the spray pattern and collect data indicative of at least one spray pattern parameter. A device is configured to receive the at least one spray pattern parameter from the spray detection system and compare the at least one spray pattern parameter to a target value, and, if the at least one spray pattern parameter is outside of the target value, perform a corrective action. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A golf ball painting system comprising: a spray system comprising a spray gun configured to spray paint in a spray pattern toward an application area having one or more golf balls to be painted, wherein the spray gun has one or more spray gun settings configured to be adjusted to thereby change the spray pattern of the sprayed paint; and a spray control system connected to the spray system, the spray control system comprising: a spray gun control device configured to modify at least one of the one or more spray gun settings; a spray detection system comprising a detector positioned between the spray gun and the application area and configured to non-invasively monitor the spray pattern and collect data indicative of at least one spray pattern parameter, and a device configured to receive the at least one spray pattern parameter from the spray detection system and compare the at least one spray pattern parameter to a target value, and, if the at least one spray pattern parameter is outside of the target value, perform a corrective action. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The golf ball painting system of claim 1, wherein the spray pattern is generally elliptical with a major axis a satisfying 0.75d≤a≤4d and a minor axis b satisfying 0.2d≤b≤1.5d where d is the diameter of the golf ball. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The golf ball painting system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of golf balls, each supported on a spindle, wherein the spindles are configured to rotate the golf balls while in the application area. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The golf ball painting system of claim 1, wherein the corrective action is providing an alert to a user. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The golf ball painting system of claim 1, wherein the corrective action is adjusting the one or more spray gun settings. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The golf ball painting system of claim 5, wherein the spray gun comprises a mechanism for adjusting a volumetric flow rate to a nozzle of the spray gun, and the one or more spray gun settings include the volumetric flow rate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The golf ball painting system of claim 5, wherein the spray gun comprises a mechanism for adjusting an atomization pressure at a nozzle of the spray gun, and the one or more spray gun settings include the atomization pressure. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The golf ball painting system of claim 5, wherein the spray gun comprises a mechanism for turning off the spray gun, and the one or more spray gun settings comprise an on/off status of the spray gun. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The golf ball painting system of claim 1, wherein the spray pattern parameter is at least one of a flow parameter or shape parameter. ### Claim 10 A golf ball painting system comprising: a spray system comprising two or more spray guns, each configured to spray paint in a spray pattern toward an application area having a golf ball to be painted, wherein the spray patterns of the two or more spray guns are generally conical and have a region of overlap in the application area, wherein the region of overlap has a width w given by 0.05d≤w≤0.25d, where d is the diameter of the golf ball, and wherein each spray gun has one or more spray gun settings configured to be adjusted to thereby change the spray pattern of the sprayed paint; and a spray control system connected to the spray system, the spray control system comprising: a spray gun control device configured to adjust at least one of the one or more spray gun settings of each spray gun, a spray detection system comprising at least one detector positioned between the spray guns and the application area and configured to non-invasively monitor the spray patterns of the two or more spray guns and collect data indicative of at least one spray pattern parameter, a device configured to receive the at least one spray pattern parameter from the spray detection system and compare the at least one spray pattern parameter to a target value, and, if the at least one spray pattern parameter is outside of the target value, perform a corrective action. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The golf ball painting system of claim 10, wherein the spray detection system comprises two or more detectors, at least one for each of the two or more spray guns. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The golf ball painting system of claim 10, wherein the golf ball is positioned on a spindle configured to rotate about an axis, and wherein the region of overlap is coincident with an area surrounding the great circle lying in the plane that is orthogonal to the axis of rotation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The golf ball painting system of claim 12, wherein the at least one spray parameter is a coordinate spacing between the spray patterns produced by the two spray guns, wherein the spacing occurs prior to the region of overlap. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The golf ball painting system of claim 12, wherein the at least one spray parameter is a combination of a cross-sectional shape of the spray patterns produced by the individual spray guns and the combined cross-sectional shape including the region of overlap. ### Claim 15 A spray control system for a golf ball painting system, the spray control system comprising: a spray gun control device comprising a spray gun comprising a spray nozzle and configured to produce a spray pattern dependent on at least one spray gun setting; a spray detection device configured to collect data indicative of the spray pattern; a feedback device configured to determine a spray pattern parameter based on the collected data; and a user device configured to compare the spray pattern parameter to a target value, and, if the at least one spray pattern parameter is outside of the target value, perform a corrective action. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The spray control system of claim 15, wherein the user device is configured to determine a spray pattern algorithm based on a relationship between the at least one spray gun setting and the spray pattern parameter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The spray control system of claim 16, wherein the feedback device is further configured to receive a coating parameter from a coating analysis device; and the user device is further configured to include the coating parameter in the spray pattern algorithm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The spray control system of claim 17, wherein the coating parameter is a quantitative and/or qualitative metric of a sprayed coating applied to a golf ball. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The spray control system of claim 18, wherein the coating parameter is at least one of a coat weight or a coat thickness. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The spray control system of claim 17, wherein the user device is configured to determine a spray control algorithm based on a relationship between the at least one spray gun setting, the spray pattern parameter, and the coating parameter.