GOLF BALL LAYER INCORPORATING INHOMOGENEOUS MATERIALS
A golf ball of the present invention comprises a core of one or more layers and a cover of one or more layers surrounding the core. At least one of the core layers is comprised of a surface region. The surface region is a composite of cured core material and non-reactive particles. The non-reactive particles are comprised of ground cured-rubber or ground thermoplastic polymer.
1 . A golf ball, comprising:
a core of one or more layers and a cover of one or more layers surrounding the core;
wherein at least one of the core layers comprises a surface region which is a composite of cured core material and non-reactive particles comprised of ground cured-rubber or ground thermoplastic polymer.
2 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the core layer comprises an outer core layer having a thickness of 0.03 to 0.5 inches.
3 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the core layer is a center having a diameter of less than 1.6 inches.
4 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the size of non-reactive particles are less than 0.0083 inches.
5 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the size of non-reactive particles are less than 0.0059 inches.
6 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the size of non-reactive particles are less than 0.0049 inches.
7 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the surface region is less than half the a thickness of the core layer.
8 . The golf ball of claim 7 , wherein the thickness of the surface region is between 5 and 20% of the thickness of the core layer.
9 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the surface region has a thickness of 0.005 to 0.025 inches.
10 . The golf ball of claim 2 , wherein the hardness of the surface region is harder than the hardness of a non-surface region of the outer core layer.
11 . The golf ball of claim 2 , wherein the hardness of the surface region is softer than the hardness of the a non-surface region of the outer core layer.
12 . The golf ball of claim 3 , wherein the hardness of the surface region is harder than the hardness of a non-surface region of the center.
13 . The golf ball of claim 3 , wherein the hardness of the surface region is softer than the hardness of a non-surface region of the center.
14 . A method of forming a golf ball comprising the steps of:
forming non-reactive particles of less than 0.0083 inches from a cured rubber composition or thermoplastic polymer having a melt flow rate of less than 10 g/10 min at 190° C./2.16 kg;
forming a prep of a rubber composition comprising polybutadiene, a co-agent in the amount of less than 15 to 45 pph of the polybutadiene, a density adjusting filler in the amount of 0 to 35 pph of the polybutadiene, a peroxide initiator in the amount of 0.05 to 5 pph of the polybutadiene;
coating the prep with the non-reactive particles;
compression molding the prep to form a golf ball core layer; and
forming a cover over the golf ball core layer.
15 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the core layer having the surface region comprises an inner region radially inward from the surface region in which the inner region is free of the non-reactive particles.
16 . The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the core layer having the surface region is formed by coating a prep with the non-reactive particles and compression molding the prep to form the core layer with the surface and inner regions.