IP Library Granted Patent US 12,343,597
Granted Patent B2
US 12,343,597 · App. 18/471,429 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Multi-piece solid golf ball

Inventor: Hideo Watanabe (Chichibu, JP)
Assignee: BRIDGESTONE SPORTS CO., LTD.
A63B37/0084A63B37/0047A63B37/0065A63B37/0068A63B37/0076A63B37/0082A63B37/00922C08K13/02
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,343,597
App. No.
18/471,429
Granted
Jul 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The golf ball includes a core having an inner layer core and an outer layer core, a single-layered intermediate layer and cover, wherein the inner layer core is formed of a rubber composition, the intermediate layer and the cover are formed of a resin composition, and a relationship between an initial velocity of the inner layer core, an initial velocity of the entire core, an initial velocity of an intermediate layer-encased sphere, and an initial velocity of a ball satisfies the following conditions: (initial velocity of ball)<(initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere) (initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere)−(initial velocity of entire core)≤0.70 (m/s) (initial velocity of entire core)−(initial velocity of inner layer core)≥0.20 (m/s) and a specific gravity of the intermediate layer and a deflection of the golf ball when compressed under a predetermined load are set within specific ranges.

Claims (29)

1. A multi-piece solid golf ball comprising a multi-layer core each having at least an inner layer core and an outer layer core, a single-layer intermediate layer, and a single-layer cover, wherein the inner layer core is formed of a rubber composition, the intermediate layer and the cover are both formed of a resin composition, and a relationship among an initial velocity of the inner layer core, an initial velocity of an entire core, an initial velocity of a sphere (intermediate layer-encased sphere) obtained by encasing core with the intermediate layer, and an initial velocity of a sphere (ball) obtained by encasing the intermediate layer-encased sphere with the cover satisfies the following three conditions:

(initial velocity of ball)<(initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere)

(initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere)−(initial velocity of entire core)≤0.70 (m/s)

(initial velocity of entire core)−(initial velocity of inner layer core)≥0.20 (m/s)

and a specific gravity of the intermediate layer is at least 1.05, and a deflection (mm) when the golf ball is compressed under a final load of 1,275 N (130 kgf) from an initial load of 98 N (10 kgf) is not more than 3.0 mm, and

wherein the following condition is satisfied:

1.00≤(initial velocity of intermediate layer-encased sphere)−(initial velocity of inner layer core)≤1.60 (m/s).

2. The multi-piece solid golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the following condition is satisfied:

0.50≤(initial velocity of entire core)−(initial velocity of inner layer core)≤1.00 (m/s).

3. The multi-piece solid golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the following condition is satisfied:

ball surface hardness<surface hardness of intermediate layer-encased sphere>outer layer core surface hardness>inner layer core surface hardness

(where the surface hardness of each sphere means Shore C hardness).

4. The multi-piece solid golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer contains an inorganic particulate filler.

5. The multi-piece solid golf ball of claim 1 , wherein a difference between a specific gravity of the cover and the specific gravity of the intermediate layer is not more than 0.15.

6. The multi-piece solid golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the resin composition of the intermediate layer contains a high-acid ionomer resin having an acid content of at least 16 wt %.

7. The multi-piece solid golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the outer layer core is formed of a resin composition.

8. The multi-piece solid golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the following condition is satisfied:

cover thickness<intermediate layer thickness≤outer layer core thickness.

9. The multi-piece solid golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the core has a hardness profile in which, letting Cc be a Shore C hardness at the center of the core, C m be a Shore C hardness at a midpoint M between the center and the surface of the core, Cm−2, Cm−4, and Cm−6 be respective Shore C hardnesses at positions 2 mm, 4 mm, and 6 mm inward from the midpoint M, Cm+2, Cm+4, and Cm+6 be respective Shore C hardnesses at positions 2 mm, 4 mm, and 6 mm outward from the midpoint M, and Cs be a Shore C hardness at the surface of the core, the following surface areas A to F are defined:

½×2×( Cm− 4 −Cm− 6)  surface area A:

½×2×( Cm− 2 −Cm− 4)  surface area B:

½×2×( Cm−Cm− 2)  surface area C:

½×2×( Cm+ 2 −Cm )  surface area D:

½×2×( Cm+ 4 −Cm+ 2)  surface area E:

½×2×( Cm+ 6 −Cm+ 4)  surface area F:

and the following condition is satisfied:

(surface area E +surface area F )−(surface area A +surface area B )≥1.0.

10. The multi-piece solid golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the following formula is satisfied:

[surface hardness of intermediate layer-encased sphere(Shore C )−center hardness of inner layer core(Shore C )]≥35.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2023
From: WATANABE, HIDEO
To: BRIDGESTONE SPORTS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 064984/0074 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-152311 · Sep 26, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240100401A1 · Mar 28, 2024
References Cited (24)
US 20040142770A1 · Watanabe · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20070281802A1 · Watanabe et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20070287557A1 · Watanabe et al. · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20080102987A1 · Watanabe et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20090111610A1 · Watanabe et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20140194221A1 · Watanabe et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20150258388A1 · Watanabe · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20160008667A1 · Watanabe · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20160151677A1 · Watanabe et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160151679A1 · Watanabe · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20160175661A1 · Watanabe · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20170182372A1 · Watanabe · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20210162267A1 · Watanabe · 2021 [cited by examiner]
JP 2004097802A · 2004 [cited by applicant]
JP 2007319667A · 2007 [cited by applicant]
JP 2007330789A · 2007 [cited by applicant]
JP 2008068077A · 2008 [cited by applicant]
JP 2009095358A · 2009 [cited by applicant]
JP 2009095364A · 2009 [cited by applicant]
JP 2012071163A · 2012 [cited by applicant]
JP 2014132955A · 2014 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016101254A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016101256A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016116627A · 2016 [cited by applicant]