Golf Ball Cover With Polyrotaxane Resin For Wet Weather Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Golf balls currently lack optimal performance in flight distance, feel at impact, and controllability, especially in wet conditions, due to issues like flyer occurrence and inconsistent spin rates.
Innovation Solution
A golf ball design featuring a core with an outer-hard/inner-soft structure, a mid layer with specific Shore D hardness and thickness, and a cover made from a resin composition including polyurethane and polyrotaxane, which meets certain mathematical formulas to achieve balanced hardness and deformation, enhancing flight performance, feel, and controllability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the core hardness is increased to improve flight distance, then flight performance is improved, but feel at impact becomes harder
Solution Approach 1:
The core is designed with non-uniform hardness distribution, having higher hardness at the center and lower hardness at the outer layer. This local quality variation allows the core to provide high initial acceleration for flight distance while the softer outer region cushions the impact feel.
Solution Approach 2:
The core is segmented into different hardness zones - a harder central region and a softer outer region. This segmentation enables different parts of the core to perform different functions: the center provides power for distance while the outer layer provides comfort for feel.
2Strength
If the cover hardness is decreased to improve feel at impact, then feel becomes softer, but flight distance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed with specific hardness characteristics that balance feel and flight performance. The cover's hardness profile is optimized to provide soft feel at impact while maintaining sufficient rigidity for aerodynamic stability and distance.
3Reliability
If water is present between clubface and ball in wet conditions, then spin rate decreases causing flyer, but controllability is improved
Solution Approach 1:
The cover material parameters are specifically selected and optimized to maintain appropriate friction characteristics in wet conditions. The hardness and surface properties of the cover are tuned to prevent excessive water interference that would reduce spin and cause flyer, while maintaining controllability.
Data Source
AI summary
A golf ball 2 includes a core 4, a mid layer 6, and a cover 8. A difference DH in hardness between a surface and a central point of the core 4, a thickness Tm and a hardness Hm of the mid layer 6, a thickness Tc and a hardness Hc of the cover 8, and an amount of compressive deformation Sb of the golf ball 2 meet the following mathematical formulas (DH*Hm)/(Hc*Tc)>80 and ((Sb*Tc)/(Hc*Hm*Tm))*1000>0.75. A hardness Hc of the cover 8 is equal to or less than 40. A material of the cover 8 is a resin composition. The resin composition includes a polyurethane (A) and a polyrotaxane (B).