Games using tangible projectile – Golf – Ball
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-08
2001-08-21
Ricci, John A. (Department: 3712)
Games using tangible projectile
Golf
Ball
C473S353000, C473S354000, C473S365000, C473S377000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06277037
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As indicated in the September, 1996 issue of “Golf Digest”, hitting golf balls into the water occurs with a great degree of frequency. As a result, an entire industry has developed in the recovery of golf balls which are then resold despite the fact that the ball has spent a fair amount of time in the water. While the golf ball cover seems to be fairly impervious, the question has become as to the effect of the immersion of the ball over a number of days at the bottom of a pond laying in the mud.
As will be appreciated, golf balls come in two varieties, a three-piece ball and a two-piece ball. According to the above article, when such balls were tested using a robotic hitting machine and a standard length metal driver with a 9.53 degree loft and an extra stiff shaft, with a club head speed 93.7 miles per hour and a launch angle of 90 degrees and with a spin rate of 2,800 rpm, the result for a three-piece ball was a difference in carry of 6 yards after an eight day immersion, a 12 yard loss after three months a 15 yard loss after six months.
For a two-piece ball, the amount of carry was 6 yards shorter and after having been immersed for eight days, and an additional 3.3 yards after three months, for a total of 9.1 yards. While for two-piece balls being in the water typically makes the ball harder in terms of compression, it also slows down the coefficient of restitution or the ability of the ball to regain its roundness after impact. The above factors make the ball fly shorter. Three-piece balls have been found to get softer in terms of compression, but they also fly shorter according to the above-mentioned article.
The problem therefore becomes one of being able to determine when a golf ball has been immersed so that it may be rejected in favor of a new golf ball.
Note that golf ball construction is shown in the following
U.S. Pat. Nos.:
5,609,953;
5,586,950;
5,538,794;
5,496,035;
5,480,155;
5,415,937;
5,314,187;
5,096,201;
5,006,297;
5,002,281;
4,690,981;
4,984,803;
4,979,746;
4,955,966;
4,931,376;
4,919,434;
4,911,451;
4,884,814;
4,863,167;
4,848,770;
4,792,141;
4,715,607;
4,714,253;
4,688,801;
4,683,257;
4,625,964;
4,483,537;
4,436,276;
4,431,193;
4,266,772;
4,065,537;
3,784,209;
3,572,722;
3,264,272.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to alleviates the problem of having to deal with balls which may have been immersed and recovered, in the subject invention a golf ball is provided which changes color or has some other indicia which changes after immersion to indicate that the ball has been immersed.
In the present invention, in one embodiment, encapsulated dyes are utilized as a means of creating a golf ball which irreversibly changes its color when it is exposed to water for long periods of time. The invention is thus used as an indicator of balls previously exposed to water for one to several days in the bottom of a lake, pond, pool or other body of water. Such an indicator is used to alert golfers to potential changes in ball properties due to long water exposure times.
In one embodiment, the composition of the golf ball is that of traditional two or three piece golf balls. A two piece golf ball is one with a solid rubber core and an outer shell made from a hard resin such as an ionomer resin. Three piece balls are those consisting of a solid or liquid core material, a wound or molded rubber outer core, and an in ionomer or polybutadiene or poly trans isoprene rubber shell referred to as balata ball. In both cases, in one embodiment, the encapsulated dye is included in an overcoating of polymer resin containing the dye encapsulant, followed by a final gloss coating. Alternatively, the dye may be blended, either directly or in an encapsulated form, with the golf ball balata or ionomer shell and a single gloss coating may be added. In both cases, diffusion of water through the gloss coating, followed by diffusion through the encapsulant overcoating or the shell, initiates slow diffusion of a water soluble dye from the microencapsulated particles. The water soluble dye gradually colors the ionomer or polybutadiene shell, leaving a permanently stained ball. The time frame for diffusion may be tailored by adjusting the thickness of the polymer film coatings and the type and size of the polymer microencapsulant, dye and the gloss coatings used.
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Hammond Paula T.
Winskowicz Robert T.
Hale and Dorr LLP
Performance Dynamics LLC
Ricci John A.
LandOfFree
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