Games using tangible projectile – Golf – Ball
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-12
2002-09-17
Vo, Peter (Department: 3729)
Games using tangible projectile
Golf
Ball
C101S033000, C101S035000, C101SDIG029, C106S001150, C106S403000, C106S415000, C106S417000, C273S280000, C273S280000, C273S237000, C273S237000, C473S378000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06450900
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a marked golf ball and a method for marking a golf ball. More particularly, it relates to an improvement in an appearance of a golf ball having a mark superior in metallic luster as well as durability.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In general, a golf ball is marked with a pattern consisting of letters, numerals, a trade name, a logotype, and the like with a single or multiple color. As a method for marking golf balls, various techniques known including a direct printing technique as typified by a pad printing technique, a transfer printing technique stamping a solid transfer printing film with a die, a thermal transfer printing technique using a transfer printing film having a desired pattern of transfer ink layer on a base film, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. 63137/1978. Other miscellaneous transfer printing techniques which do not employ thermal transfer printing technique have also been used. As ink used in such a marking method, printing ink has been widely used which is a mixture of an organic or inorganic pigment and an ink medium.
In recent years, customers' tastes have been diversified and consequently customers have been in want of golf balls which are distinct from others in a golf ball market. More particularly, for the marking of the golf balls, there are needs of the golf ball having a mark distinct and excellent in an appearance. Therefore, providing such a golf ball will attract customer interest and contribute to stimulate the golf ball market.
However, since conventional printing ink used for the marking can only adjust hue by changing a ratio of pigments, such printing ink cannot have been sufficiently agreeable to the golf ball market needs.
Considering the golf ball is mainly used outdoor in day, the mark of the golf ball may be more desirable which shines notably under the sunlight and is clearly distinguished from others during playing golf.
As the golf ball is characterized by use outdoor, ink can be prepared containing metal particles such as aluminum particles, copper particles and the like, and a metallic mark with such ink may be applied to the golf ball in order to obtain the mark having luster under the sunlight. However, as an ink varnish (resin) is generally not compatible with the metal particles, such ink is inferior in compatibility, mixing ability, and dispersive ability and is difficult to be uniformed. Therefore, such ink is difficult to be prepared and consequently adjusted precisely to printing conditions. Both a direct printing and a transfer printing to the ball cause a problem so that an excellent result cannot be provided. Especially, for a transfer printing technique, a pattern is printed on a base film such as a polypropylene film, thereafter the pattern is transferred by hot-pressing to a surface of the golf ball. Consequently, a poor aptitude for printing happens twice when the pattern is printed to the base film and the pattern is transferred to the golf ball as described above. As a result, dissatisfaction is increased because of the influences of such a poor aptitude of printing.
Even if the mark can be printed on the surface of the golf ball with the ink containing the metal particles, such a mark generally tends to be chipped because of incompatibility between the ink varnish and the metal particles and tends to be inferior in durability to a mark of the golf ball with the conventional ink in the present situation.
As a result of earnest studies to develop a golf ball which has an appearance unrealizable by only changing the tint, preferably a method for marking the golf ball with a mark having an excellent appearance by reflecting sunlight and the like and the golf ball having such a mark, the present inventors conceived of the present invention in consideration of this situation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a preferred mode of the present invention, a golf ball is provided having a mark of desired pattern applied with an ink composition containing a component which can afford to develop luster.
The ink composition contains 15 to 250 parts by weight of the luster developing component relative to 100 parts by weight of an ink resin.
The ink composition contains 5 to 150 parts by weight of the luster developing component relative to 100 parts by weight of an ink medium. The ink medium is an intermediate of printing ink and has a sufficiently printable function as ink by only coloring the ink medium. In general, the ink medium contains an ink resin, a plasticizer, a filling material such as an extender pigment and a filler, a solvent and the like.
For the golf ball having a mark superior in light reflectiveness as well as durability, the luster developing component as described above is a flake or scale-like, crystalloid or non-crystalloid nucleus coated with a light reflective material.
In a preferred mode of the present invention, the nucleus is a mica, the light reflective material is metal oxide or metal nitride, and suitably the metallic oxide is an iron oxide.
On the other hand, for a method of marking a mark of a desired pattern on a surface of the golf ball, the ink composition is produced by mixing the luster developing component and the ink medium, then the ink composition is applied on the surface of the golf ball.
For such a method as described before, the ink composition is applied in the desired pattern on a base film for a transfer printing film to form an ink layer on the base film, thereafter the ink layer is positioned on the golf ball surface, then the ink layer is hot-pressed against the golf ball to transfer the ink layer to the golf ball surface.
The ink composition is applied in the desired pattern on a printing plate for a pad printing, thereafter the ink composition is adhered to the pad by pressing the pad to the printing plate. Thereafter, the pad is pressed to the golf ball surface to transfer the ink composition to a surface of the golf ball.
The desired pattern on the printing plate for a screen printing is formed, then the printing plate is faced to the golf ball surface. Thereafter, the ink composition is squeegeed on the printing plate to transfer the ink composition to a surface of the golf ball.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
According to the preferred mode of the present invention, the luster of the marking of the golf ball is enhanced, and consequently, the luster is excellent because the marking consists of the ink composition incorporating the luster developing component. As a result, the golf ball has the distinct appearance from the conventional golf balls, which cannot be provided by only changing tint.
The degree of the luster is varied according to the reflected amount of incident light. Therefore, when such a golf ball is used under the sunlight in day, the appearance is notably enhanced and clearly distinguished from others.
In this case, the ink composition contains 15 to 250 parts by weight of the luster developing component relative to 100 parts by weight of the ink resin. The luster developing component with less than 15 parts by weight gives rise to only unsatisfactory effect of an increase in luster, whereas even the luster developing component exceeding 250 parts by weight decreases the adhesion of the ink layer against the surface of the golf ball.
An amount of the luster developing component is more preferably 20 to 150 parts by weight, and most preferably 30 to 100 parts by weight relative to 100 parts by weight of the ink resin.
On the other hand, the ink composition contains 5 to 150 parts by weight of the luster developing component relative to 100 parts by weight of the ink medium. A luster developing component with less than 5 parts by weight gives rise to only unsatisfactory effect of the increase in luster, whereas a luster developing component exceeding 150 parts by weight decreases the adhesion of the ink layer against the surface of the golf ball.
The amount of the luster developing component is more preferably 10 to 80 parts by weight, and most preferably 20 to 60 parts
Kametani Ryuhei
Muta Susumu
Ohira Takashi
Kametani Sangyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Kim Paul
Vo Peter
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