System and method for painting golf balls
A golf ball painting system and method comprising: providing at least one golf ball, the cover having an outer surface comprising a surface area S a ; masking a portion P 1 of surface area S a with at least one masking part MA 1 , portion P 1 having a surface area S b that is less than surface area S a ; applying paint having a color C 1 onto an unmasked portion P 2 of surface area S a , portion P 2 having a surface area S c that is less than surface area S a and such that S c +S b +S n =S a wherein n is the number of masking parts; masking surface area S c with a masking part MA 2 ; removing MA 1 from S b ; painting S b a color C 2 wherein C 2 is different than C 1 ; forming a painted golf ball having an overall color appearance of at least two different colors.
1. A golf ball painting system and method for applying and patterning at least two different paint colors onto a golf ball outer surface comprising:
providing at least one golf ball to be painted comprising a core and a cover disposed about the core, wherein the cover has an outer surface comprising a surface area S a ;
masking a portion P 1 of surface area S a with at least one masking part MA 1 , portion P 1 having a surface area S b that is less than surface area S a ;
applying paint having a color C 1 onto an unmasked portion P 2 of surface area S a , portion P 2 having a surface area S c that is less than surface area S a and such that S c +S b +S n =S a wherein n is the number of masking parts;
masking surface area S c with a masking part MA 2 ;
removing MA 1 from S b ;
painting S b a color C 2 wherein C 2 is different than C 1 ; and
forming a painted golf ball having an overall color appearance of at least two colors;
wherein C 1 is translucent.
2. The golf ball painting system and method of claim 1 , wherein C2 is opaque.
3. The golf ball painting system and method of claim 1 , wherein C2 is translucent.
4. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein surface area S b <S c .
5. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein surface area S b >S c .
6. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein surface area S b ≧0.50×(S a ).
7. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein surface area S b ≧0.25×(S a ).
8. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein surface area S b ≧0.33×(S a ).
9. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein surface area S b ≧0.10λ(S a ).
10. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein surface area S b is up to about 0.10×(S a ).
11. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein surface area S c <S b .
12. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein surface area S c >S b .
13. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein surface area S c =0.95×(S b ).
14. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein surface area S c =0.75×(S b ).
15. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein surface area S c =0.50×(S b ).
16. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein surface area S c =0.25×(S b ).
17. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein surface area S c =0.33×(S b ).
18. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein masking part MA 1 has a surface area that is greater than surface area S b .
19. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein masking part MA 2 has a surface area that is greater than surface area S c .
20. The golf ball of claim 1 , comprising masking part MA n having a surface area that is greater than S n .
21. A golf ball painting system and method for applying and patterning at least two different paint colors onto a golf ball outer surface comprising:
placing a multitude golf balls to be painted on an endless conveyer, each golf ball comprising a core and a cover disposed about the core, wherein the cover has an outer surface comprising a surface area S a and having an opaque color C 1 ;
masking a portion P 1 of surface area S a with masking part MP 1 , portion P 1 having a surface area S b that is less than surface area S a ;
applying paint having color C 2 onto the outer surface wherein C 2 is different than C 1 and forming an unmasked painted portion P 2 having golf ball surface area S c wherein S a =S b +S c ; and
removing masking part MP 1 from portion P 1 thereby forming a painted golf ball having an overall color appearance such that:
(i) S b has the color appearance of C 1 ; and either
(ii) S c has the color appearance of C 2 where C 2 is opaque; or
(iii) S c has the color appearance C 3 where C 2 is translucent, wherein C 3 is different than C 1 and C 2 .
22. A golf ball painting system and method for applying and patterning at least two different paint colors onto a golf ball outer surface comprising:
(a) placing a multitude golf balls to be painted on an endless conveyer, each golf ball comprising a core, and a cover disposed about the core, the cover having an outer surface comprising a surface area S a and being an opaque or translucent color C 1 ;
(b) masking a portion P 1 of surface area S a with masking part MA 1 , portion P 1 having a surface area S b that is less than surface area S a ;
(c) applying paint having color C 2 onto the outer surface wherein C 2 is different than C 1 and forming an unmasked painted portion P 2 having golf ball surface area S c wherein S a =S b +S c ;
(d) removing masking part MA 1 from portion P 1 ; and
(e) repeating steps (a)-(d) using different masking parts MA t and different colors C t wherein t>1 and t represents the number of times steps (a)-(d) are repeated in order to form a golf ball having an overall visual appearance of a predetermined pattern having at least two different colors.
23. A golf ball painting system and method for applying and patterning at least two different paint colors onto a golf ball outer surface comprising:
placing a multitude golf balls to be painted on an endless conveyer, each golf ball comprising a core and a cover disposed about the core, wherein the cover has an outer surface comprising a surface area S a and being pre-painted an opaque color C 1 ;
masking a portion P 1 of surface area S a with masking part MP, portion P 1 having a surface area S b that is less than surface area S a ;
applying paint having color C 2 onto the outer surface wherein C 2 is different than C 1 and forming an unmasked painted portion P 2 having golf ball surface area S c wherein S a =S b +S c ; and
removing the masking part from about portion P 1 and forming a painted golf ball having an overall color appearance such that:
(i) S b has the color appearance of C 1 ; and either
(ii) S c has the color appearance of C 2 where C 2 is opaque; or
(iii) S c has the color appearance C 3 where C 2 is translucent, wherein C 3 is different than C 1 and C 2 .
24. A golf ball painting system and method for applying and patterning at least two different paint colors onto a golf ball outer surface comprising:
(a) placing a multitude golf balls to be painted on an endless conveyer, each golf ball comprising a core, and a cover disposed about the core, the cover having an outer surface comprising a surface area S a and being a color C 1 ;
(b) masking a portion P 1 of surface area S a with masking part MA 1 , portion P 1 having a surface area S b that is less than surface area S a ; said masking part MA 1 having n non-masking cut-outs that are arranged in a predetermined pattern, wherein n≧1;
(c) applying paint having color C 2 onto the outer surface wherein C 2 is different than C 1 and forming an unmasked painted portion P 2 having golf ball surface area S c wherein S a =S b +S c ;
(d) removing masking part MA 1 from about portion P 1 ; and
(e) repeating steps (a)-(d) using different masking parts MA t and different colors C t wherein t>1 and t represents the number of times steps (a)-(d) are repeated in order to form a golf ball having an overall visual appearance of a predetermined pattern having a plurality of different colors.