Narrow range ultraviolet stabilizers in golf ball coatings

Abstract

A golf ball having a fluorescent cover and an ultraviolet light blocking, visibly transparent top coat is disclosed. The cover can bear a fluorescent coating or be made of a fluorescent bulk material. The fluorescent material is selected and provided in an amount effective to fluoresce by absorbing at least some ultraviolet light having a wavelength exceeding about 320 nm and emitting visible light. The top coat contains a narrow-spectrum short-wave ultraviolet light absorber. The top coat absorbs more ultraviolet light having a wavelength of about 320 nm than ultraviolet light having a wavelength of about 350 nm, while transmitting a substantial proportion of at least some wavelengths of visible light and ultraviolet light having wavelengths greater than about 320 nm. One particular ultraviolet light blocking material contemplated herein consists essentially of an oxalanilide. This combination of a fluorescent substrate and a short-wave ultraviolet light absorbing top coat is also disclosed to have other utilities as a coating system. The fluorescent material and ultraviolet absorber can also be formulated in a single, substantially homogeneous composition.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.