Multi-piece Golf Ball Layer Hardness and Thickness Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-piece solid golf balls fail to achieve a balance between distance and controllability, particularly exhibiting high spin rates when hit with a driver, which limits the achievable distance for skilled golfers.
Innovation Solution
A multi-piece solid golf ball design featuring a core enclosed by three or more layers, where the intermediate layer is harder than the envelope layer and cover, and the envelope layer is softer than the intermediate layer, with specific thickness and hardness relationships optimized to reduce spin rates and enhance durability and scuff resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a multi-piece solid golf ball with optimized layer hardness relationships is used, then flight performance and controllability are improved, but spin rate on driver shots remains too high
Solution Approach 1:
The golf ball is divided into multiple layers (core, envelope layer, intermediate layer, cover) with distinct hardness characteristics. The intermediate layer is specifically designed to be harder than both the envelope layer and cover, creating a segmented structure that differentially affects spin rates for different shot types. This segmentation allows the ball to achieve low spin on driver shots while maintaining appropriate spin control on approach shots.
Solution Approach 2:
Different layers of the golf ball are assigned different local qualities in terms of hardness. The intermediate layer has a higher hardness value compared to the envelope layer and cover, creating localized hardness variations. This local quality differentiation enables the ball to exhibit low spin characteristics on driver shots while maintaining controllability on iron shots, resolving the contradiction between flight performance and spin rate.
2Speed
If layer thickness and hardness are optimized for low spin rate, then distance is improved, but durability to cracking and scuff resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes specific parameters including the thickness ratio between layers (envelope layer thickness divided by intermediate layer thickness between 2.0-10.0) and the hardness relationship (intermediate layer harder than envelope layer and cover). These parameter changes enable the ball to achieve low spin rates and increased distance while maintaining durability to cracking and scuff resistance through the protective function of the harder intermediate layer.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a four-layer construction is used, then layer construction can be varied to optimize performance, but balance between distance and controllability remains poor
Solution Approach 1:
The four-layer construction implements local quality differentiation by making the intermediate layer harder than both the envelope layer and cover. This specific hardness relationship creates a structured variation that balances distance and controllability. The harder intermediate layer provides structural support for distance while the softer envelope layer and cover maintain controllability, achieving the desired balance that previous four-layer designs failed to accomplish.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a multi-piece solid golf ball having a core, an envelope layer encasing the core, an intermediate layer encasing the envelope layer, and a cover which encases the intermediate layer and has formed on a surface thereof a plurality of dimples. The core is formed primarily of a rubber material, the envelope layer and the intermediate layer are each formed primarily of the same or different resin materials, and the cover is formed primarily of a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer. The envelope layer, intermediate layer and cover have thicknesses which satisfy the condition: cover thickness<intermediate layer thickness<envelope layer thickness, and the condition: (cover thickness+intermediate layer thickness)<envelope layer thickness. The core surface, envelope layer, intermediate layer and cover have Shore D hardnesses which satisfy the condition: core surface hardness≦envelope layer material hardness<intermediate layer material hardness>cover material hardness. The golf ball has an outstanding flight performance and controllability which are acceptable to professionals and other skilled players, in addition to which it has an excellent durability to cracking under repeated impact and an excellent scuff resistance.