Apparatuses and methods relating to findable balls
View Patent ↗Golf balls for use with a system for finding golf balls and methods for making such golf balls. In the case of one exemplary golf ball, the ball includes a shell, a core material and a tag having a diode which is coupled to an antenna which has at least a portion formed from an elastic conductive material, such as an elastic conductive ink. The core material may include a void for receiving at least part of the diode. Other golf balls are described and methods for making balls are also described.
1. A method of making a golf ball, said method comprising:
forming a first member having an outer surface, said first member forming a part of said golf ball, and forming said first member comprising forming a shape in said outer surface to define a template on said outer surface;
depositing a liquid material onto said outer surface of the first member in a pattern defined by the template, wherein the liquid material when dried forms at least one antenna which is electrically conductive; and
forming a second member which surrounds said at least one antenna.
2. The method as in claim 1 , further comprising:
curing said liquid material; and
coupling a diode to said at least one antenna.
3. The method as in claim 1 , wherein said at least one antenna is an elastic conductive material.
4. The method as in claim 3 , wherein said depositing comprises at least one of (a) painting said liquid material; (b) printing said liquid material; (c) jetting said liquid material through a nozzle; and (d) spraying said liquid material.
5. The method as in claim 1 , wherein said first member is a core material of said golf ball, said core material having a substantially spherical shape, and said second member is a layer of material which has a circular cross-sectional shape and which encases said first member and said at least one antenna.
6. The method as in claim 5 , wherein said second member is an outermost shell of said golf ball.
7. The method as in claim 5 , wherein said second member is an inner shell.
8. The method as in claim 3 , wherein said elastic conductive material is a conductive ink.
9. The method as in claim 1 , wherein
forming said shape in said outer surface comprises forming one or more grooves extending into said first member.
10. The method as in claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a void in said outer surface;
depositing at least a portion of a diode in said void; and
coupling said diode to said at least one antenna.
11. The method as in claim 1 , wherein said at least one antenna is patterned as a radial transmission line.
12. The method as in claim 1 , wherein said at least one antenna has at least one perforation which extends from a first surface of said at least one antenna to a second surface of said at least one antenna.
13. The method as in claim 1 , wherein said at least one antenna comprises an inductive element.
14. The method as in claim 1 , wherein said liquid material comprises a solvent, a polymer and metal particles dispersed in said polymer.
15. The method as in claim 1 , wherein said at least one antenna is part of a radio frequency tag which can be used to find said golf ball and wherein said golf ball has high durability.
16. A method of making a golf ball, said method comprising:
forming a first member having an outer surface;
forming independent tags comprising respective antennas on said outer surface, said outer surface forming at least a portion of a sphere's surface, and said independent tags being arranged in a substantially orthogonal manner relative to each other; and
forming a second member which surrounds said independent tags.
17. The method as in claim 16 , wherein said independent tags comprise three independent tags.
18. The method as in claim 16 , wherein each of said independent tags comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) integrated circuit.
19. The method as in claim 16 , wherein said antennas are formed from a liquid material which is dried.
20. A method for making a golf ball, said method comprising:
forming a first member having an outer surface;
forming an elastic antenna on a substrate;
coupling a diode to said elastic antenna on said substrate;
transferring said elastic antenna and said diode on said substrate to said outer surface of the first member; and
forming a second member which surrounds said elastic antenna and said diode.