Golf Ball Core Composition for Flight Performance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current golf ball designs fail to achieve optimal flight performance, particularly in terms of distance and resilience, due to limitations in core composition and crosslinking agents.
Innovation Solution
A golf ball with a spherical core formed from a rubber composition containing a base rubber, α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid or its metal salt as a co-crosslinking agent, a crosslinking initiator, and an unsaturated fatty acid or its metal salt, with specific ratios and types of carbon-carbon double bonds, enhancing resilience and flight performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a core having a high resilience is used, then a golf ball initial speed is enhanced, but flight performance is not optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the rubber composition by introducing specific co-crosslinking agents (α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid and/or its metal salt) and controlling the ratio of carbon-carbon double bonds. This modifies the crosslinking density and structure of the core, enabling simultaneous optimization of initial speed and flight performance through precise parameter control rather than simply increasing resilience.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite rubber composition system combining base rubber with multiple functional additives including co-crosslinking agents, crosslinking initiators, and specific unsaturated fatty acids. This composite material approach allows different components to contribute distinct properties: the base rubber provides resilience, while the co-crosslinking agents and fatty acids optimize flight characteristics, achieving a balance between speed and flight performance.
2Reliability
If a core having a hardness distribution is used, then launch angle and spin rate are improved, but resilience is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a hardness distribution within the core through the use of co-crosslinking agents that concentrate at specific locations during molding. The α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid and/or its metal salt form a higher hardness layer near the core surface while maintaining a softer center, providing both improved launch angle/spin rate control and preserved resilience through the softer inner region.
3Strength
If conventional crosslinking agents are used, then core strength is achieved, but flight performance is not optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the type of crosslinking agents used, replacing conventional sulfur-based systems with a dual system comprising α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid and/or its metal salt as co-crosslinking agents combined with unsaturated fatty acids. This chemical parameter change creates a different crosslinking network structure that simultaneously provides core strength and optimizes flight performance through controlled elasticity and energy return.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The described golf ball composition achieves improved resilience and flight performance by optimizing the core's structure, leading to increased distance and durability.
Implementation Method 1
the spherical core is formed from a rubber composition containing (a) a base rubber, (b) an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and/or a metal salt thereof as a co-crosslinking agent, (c) a crosslinking initiator
Implementation Method 2
the ratio ((d)/(b)) of a total of carbon-carbon double bonds in (d) the unsaturated fatty acid and/or the metal salt thereof to the total of carbon-carbon double bonds in (b) the α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and/or the metal salt thereof ranges from 0.01 to 0.20
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball having an excellent flight performance on driver shots. The present invention provides a golf ball comprising a spherical core and at least one cover covering the spherical core, wherein the spherical core is formed from a rubber composition containing (a) a base rubber, (b) an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and/or a metal salt thereof as a co-crosslinking agent, (c) a crosslinking initiator, and (d) an unsaturated fatty acid and/or a metal salt thereof excluding an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and/or a metal salt thereof, and provided that the rubber composition further contains (f) a metal compound if only an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms is present as (b) the co-crosslinking agent.