Golf ball having thin intermediate layer and methods of manufacture
AssigneeTaylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
InventorsHyun Jin Kim, Dean A. Snell, Eric Loper
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Abstract
A golf ball has a thin intermediate layer, within specified thickness and hardness, situated between a ball core and cover layer. The thin intermediate layer provides for a ball having superior ball spin performance without loss of ball speed. Particular compositions for the intermediate layer, along with methods for spray-coating of a ball core, compression molding over a ball core, and grinding down of a thick intermediate layer that are particularly suited for making this thin intermediate layer, also are disclosed.
Claims14
A golf ball comprising a core, a cover layer on the outer surface of the golf ball, and an intermediate layer between the core and the cover layer, wherein the intermediate layer is situated immediately over a solid surface, comprises an elastomeric material, and has a thickness of from about 0.1 to about 1.0 mm and a Shore A hardness of from about 30 to about 100, wherein the elastomeric material comprises a block copolymer having at least one polymer block comprising an aromatic vinyl compound and at least one polymer block comprising a conjugated diene compound and having a hydroxyl group at a terminal block copolymer, or its hydrogenation product.
A golf ball as defined in claim 6, wherein the intermediate layer has a Shore A hardness of from about 60 to about 100.
A golf ball comprising a core, an intermediate layer situated immediately over a solid surface of the core, and an outer cover layer, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a polyether amide block copolymer and has a thickness of about 0.3 mm, and wherein the cover layer comprises an amide block copolymer and an ionomer.
A golf ball comprising a core, an intermediate layer situated immediately over a solid surface of the core, and an outer cover layer, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a polyether amide block copolymer and has a thickness of about 0.3 mm, and wherein the cover layer comprises:
- a block copolymer having at least one polymer block comprising an aromatic vinyl compound and at least one polymer block comprising a conjugated diene compound and having a hydroxyl group at a terminal block copolymer, or its hydrogenation product;
- and an ionomer.
A golf ball comprising a core, an intermediate layer situated immediately over a solid surface of the core, and an outer cover layer, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a block copolymer having at least one polymer block comprising an aromatic vinyl compound and at least one polymer block comprising a conjugated diene compound and having a hydroxyl group at a terminal block copolymer, or its hydrogenation product, and the intermediate layer has a thickness of about 0.5 mm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.