Golf Ball Cover Brightness via Fluorescent Pigment Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing golf balls lack a sufficiently bright and appealing appearance, especially for women golfers, due to insufficient brightness and inappropriate compounding of fluorescent pigments, which affects their visibility and aesthetic appeal.
Innovation Solution
A two-piece golf ball design featuring a single-layer core and cover with specific formulations of resin, titanium oxide, and fluorescent pigments, optimized for bright, fluorescent colors and improved aerodynamics, including a core with a high cis-1,4-polybutadiene content and a cover with judiciously selected fluorescent pigments to achieve a bright, conspicuous appearance and soft feel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If fluorescent pigment is included in the cover material to create a colored ball, then the appearance becomes more attractive and distinctive, but the brightness and appeal are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the amount of fluorescent pigment (0.1 to 2 parts by weight per 100 parts resin) and adjusting the resin material composition to achieve optimal brightness. The core formulation also specifies precise parameters for rubber content (40-80 parts), metal salt (5-40 parts), and inorganic filler (10-40 parts) to maximize light reflection and core brightness, thereby resolving the contradiction between achieving bright appearance and manageable manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining resin material with specific fluorescent pigments and titanium oxide in the cover, while the core uses a composite of rubber, metal salt of unsaturated carboxylic acid, organic peroxide, and inorganic filler. This multi-component composite approach creates synergistic effects that enhance brightness and aesthetic appeal while maintaining manufacturability through established material science principles.
2Illumination intensity
If the core is made white to achieve bright appearance, then the ball looks appealing, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the cost-brightness contradiction by optimizing the parameter composition of the core material. Specifically, it uses 40-80 parts of rubber, 5-40 parts of metal salt of unsaturated carboxylic acid, 0.1-5 parts of organic peroxide, and 10-40 parts of inorganic filler. This parameter optimization achieves sufficient core brightness (L value ≥ 82) without requiring expensive white materials, as the combination of these components naturally produces a bright core appearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the principle of using cost-effective materials by replacing expensive white pigments or materials with a economical composite formulation of rubber, metal salt, peroxide, and inorganic filler. This combination provides the necessary brightness at lower cost, making the golf ball affordable while maintaining aesthetic appeal.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If fluorescent pigment is added to the cover to enhance visibility, then the ball becomes more conspicuous in poor weather, but the compounding becomes inappropriate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the visibility-precision contradiction by establishing specific parameter ranges for fluorescent pigment (0.1 to 2 parts by weight per 100 parts resin) and resin material composition. These parameter specifications ensure that the pigment compounding achieves optimal visibility enhancement while remaining within controllable manufacturing tolerances. The precise parameter definition allows for consistent quality control and reduces the difficulty of achieving appropriate compounding accuracy.
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 golf ball achieves a distinctive, bright appearance that is highly visible in poor weather, combined with a soft feel and improved distance, through synergistic effects between the core and cover materials, enhancing both aesthetic appeal and performance.
Implementation Method 1
from 0.1 to 2 parts by weight of a fluorescent pigment selected from the group consisting of yellow, orange, peach and red
Implementation Method 2
from 0 to 0.5 part by weight of titanium oxide
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a two-piece golf ball having a single-layer core, a single-layer cover and a surface on which a plurality of dimples are formed. The cover is made of a material which includes 100 parts by weight of a resin material, from 0 to 0.5 part by weight of titanium oxide, and from 0.1 to 2 parts by weight of a fluorescent pigment selected from the group consisting of yellow, orange, peach and red. The ball surface has a lightness L value, expressed in the Lab color system, of at least 50. The core surface has an L value of at least 82 and a chroma C, defined as (a2+b2)1/2, of 10 or less. The golf ball exhibits a brightly colored surface, is highly fashionable, and is readily visible during play.