Golf Ball Resin Composition Stiffness Fluidity Trade-off
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Ionomer resins used in golf balls exhibit low fluidity and mechanical properties when attempting to improve stiffness, leading to difficulties in injection molding thin layers and compromising durability and resilience.
Innovation Solution
A golf ball resin composition combining a binary or ternary copolymer with a saturated and unsaturated fatty acid, where the fatty acids improve bending stiffness and rebound resilience, respectively, while maintaining fluidity and softness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If ionomer resin with high stiffness is used to improve golf ball travel distance, then flight distance is improved, but fluidity deteriorates making injection molding of thin layers difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite resin system combining ionomer resin with thermoplastic elastomer and thermoplastic resin components. This composite approach allows the ionomer to provide stiffness for flight distance while the elastomer and thermoplastic resin components provide fluidity for injection molding of thin cover and intermediate layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies precise compositional parameters: thermoplastic elastomer at 5-50 wt% and thermoplastic resin at 5-30 wt% relative to ionomer resin. By controlling these parameter ranges, the material achieves optimal balance between stiffness (for distance) and fluidity (for manufacturability of thin layers).
2Strength
If ionomer resin with high stiffness is used to improve golf ball travel distance, then flight distance is improved, but mechanical properties deteriorate compromising durability and resilience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite material system where ionomer resin provides stiffness for distance while thermoplastic elastomer (5-50 wt%) and thermoplastic resin (5-30 wt%) maintain mechanical properties. The elastomer component specifically preserves durability and resilience by providing elasticity and shock absorption capabilities that pure high-stiffness ionomer would lack.
3Strength
If ionomer resin with high stiffness is used to improve golf ball travel distance, then flight distance is improved, but softness and rebound resilience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines ionomer resin with thermoplastic elastomer (5-50 wt%) and thermoplastic resin (5-30 wt%) to create a composite that balances stiffness with softness. The elastomer component specifically contributes to rebound resilience by providing elastic recovery, while the thermoplastic resin adjusts the overall softness to achieve optimal shot feeling without sacrificing the stiffness needed for distance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls the ratio parameters of elastomer and thermoplastic resin relative to ionomer resin within specific ranges (5-50 wt% and 5-30 wt% respectively). This parameter control allows tuning of the material's softness and rebound resilience while maintaining sufficient stiffness, achieving both flight distance and shot feeling requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball resin composition excellent in resilience. Another object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball excellent in rebound resilience and shot feeling. The present invention provides a golf ball resin composition comprising: (A) at least one resin component selected from the group consisting of (a-1) a binary copolymer, (a-2) a binary ionomer resin, (a-3) a ternary copolymer, and (a-4) a ternary ionomer resin, (B) a saturated fatty acid, and (C) an unsaturated fatty acid, wherein a total content of (B) the saturated fatty acid and (C) the unsaturated fatty acid ranges from 100 parts by mass to 200 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of (A) the resin component.