Golf Ball Cover-Casing Crosslinking for Interlayer Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern multi-piece golf balls suffer from low adhesion strength between layers, leading to delamination under shear forces, which affects both appearance and performance.
Innovation Solution
The use of compositions for golf ball casing and cover layers that include carboxyl groups and adhesion promoters, such as silanes, to create crosslinks between the layers, enhancing adhesion strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional multi-piece golf ball construction is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but adhesion strength between layers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the cover and casing layer materials by incorporating carboxyl groups and adhesion promoters. This changes the chemical reactivity parameters to enable crosslinking reactions, thereby improving adhesion strength without fundamentally changing the multi-layer construction approach
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system where the cover layer and casing layer are chemically bonded through crosslinks formed by carboxyl groups and adhesion promoters. This composite structure integrates the layers at a molecular level, significantly enhancing interlayer adhesion while preserving the multi-piece construction benefits
2Strength
If adhesion promoters are added to compositions, then adhesion strength between layers is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the concentration parameters of adhesion promoters in the compositions to achieve effective crosslinking at lower levels. By carefully controlling the amount of carboxyl groups and adhesion promoter present, the patent achieves strong adhesion while minimizing material costs and avoiding excessive complexity in the formulation
3Reliability
If crosslinks are formed between layers, then shear durability is improved, but manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs self-service principles where the carboxyl groups and adhesion promoters in the compositions automatically form crosslinks during the manufacturing process itself. The chemical bonding occurs as an inherent part of the layer formation process, eliminating the need for separate adhesion treatment steps or additional manufacturing equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the adhesion promotion function with the base material composition. The carboxyl groups and adhesion promoters are integrated into the cover and casing layer formulations themselves, combining the structural material function with the adhesion function in a single unified material system, thereby simplifying the overall manufacturing process
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 crosslinked layers result in improved shear durability and adhesion strength, reducing delamination and maintaining golf ball integrity under impact.
Implementation Method 1
the cover composition includes functional groups crosslinked with the carboxyl groups
Data Source
AI summary
Casing compositions including carboxylic acid groups, cover compositions including an adhesion promoter with functional groups that crosslink with carboxylic acid groups, and golf balls made from such compositions that have crosslinks between functional groups of the cover compositions and the carboxylic acid groups. The type and concentration of the components in the casing and cover compositions, including the adhesion promoter, affect the adhesion between golf balls having components made from such compositions and, thus, can be used to produce a golf ball having increased durability. Additionally, methods of crosslinking casing and cover layers made from such casing and cover compositions to increase interlayer adhesion are disclosed.