Method of making golf ball with thermal sprayed layer
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsSeisuke Tomita, Arthur Molinari, Takahisa Ono, Michael Wallans
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of manufacturing a golf ball with a deposited layer is disclosed. The deposited layer is not produced by a molding process, such as injection molding or compression molding. Instead, the deposition process is produced by another process, such as thermal spraying. The deposited layer may include partially fused particulate material. The deposited layer may be added to a golf ball design as one or more supplemental layers. The deposited layer may also be provided in a golf ball design as a substitute for one or more layers. A golf ball may further include a combination of one or more supplemental deposited layers and one or more substituted deposited layers.
Claims20
A method of making a golf ball, comprising:
- providing a golf ball component;
- depositing a first layer onto the golf ball component by a thermal spraying process, wherein the thermal spraying process includes providing heat to a solid material to form molten or semi-molten droplets which are deposited onto a surface of the golf ball component;
- and
- providing the first layer with dimples and lands located between the dimples, and including pits on a surface of at least one of the dimples and the lands.
A method of making a golf ball comprising:
- forming a first layer;
- depositing particles onto the first layer and forming a sprayed layer on the first layer, wherein the particles are droplets formed by a thermal spraying process;
- fusing the particles together, wherein the fusing step occurs as the particles cool;
- and
- depositing a second layer onto the sprayed layer by a sintering process, wherein the second layer includes pores that are voids located between adjacent particulates of fused particulate material.
A method of making a golf ball comprising:
- forming a first layer;
- depositing particles onto the first layer, wherein the particles are droplets formed by a thermal spraying process forming a sprayed layer;
- fusing the particles together, wherein the fusing step occurs as the particles cool;
- and depositing a second layer onto the sprayed layer by a sintering process,
- wherein the second layer includes pores that are voids located between adjacent particulates of fused particulate material.
A method of making a golf ball, comprising:
- providing a golf ball component;
- coating the golf ball component with particulate material;
- fusing the particulate material together to form a deposited layer, wherein the fusing step occurs as the particulate material cools,
- wherein the deposited layer includes partially fused particulate material;
- and
- providing the deposited layer with dimples and lands located between the dimples, and including pits on a surface of at least one of the dimples and the lands.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.