Translucent Golf Ball Cover Resin Composition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Golf balls with clear outermost layers suffer from dimple-shaped shadows and light-reflecting effects under strong light conditions, affecting play and maintaining opacity, while using inorganic fillers or white pigments like titanium oxide can lead to deterioration and loss of stylishness.
Innovation Solution
A golf ball with a core and cover structure featuring an ionomer resin composition including olefin-α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymers, oxazoline group-containing polymers, inorganic fillers, and fluorescent dyes or pigments in specific ranges, forming a translucent outermost layer that maintains color stability under sunlight exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If a clear outermost layer is used to achieve a luminous and stylish appearance, then the decorative appeal is improved, but dimple-shaped shadows and light-reflecting effects occur under strong light conditions, adversely affecting play
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a multi-layer structure where only the outermost layer is translucent while inner layers can be opaque. This allows the ball to have a stylish translucent appearance from the outside while the inner layers block light to prevent dimple shadows and excessive reflections, thus resolving the contradiction between aesthetic appeal and playability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by combining translucent resin in the outermost layer with opaque or differently colored resin in inner layers. This composite structure enables the ball to exhibit both the desired translucent appearance and the light-blocking properties needed to minimize dimple shadows and reflections under strong light.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If inorganic filler is added to the cover-forming resin material to lower transparency, then the opacity is improved, but a highly opaque appearance results that lacks stylishness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by restricting inorganic fillers to inner layers while keeping the outermost layer free of such fillers. This allows the outermost layer to maintain its translucent, stylish appearance while inner layers use inorganic fillers to control transparency and block light, thus resolving the contradiction between opacity control and aesthetic appeal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by creating a multi-layer structure where the outermost layer consists of translucent resin without inorganic fillers, while inner layers contain opaque resin with inorganic fillers. This composite approach enables the ball to achieve both the desired translucent appearance and effective transparency control.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If white pigment such as titanium oxide is added to minimize transparency, then the opacity is improved, but the titanium oxide reacts sensitively to light and heat, causing deterioration of the resin material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by placing white pigments like titanium oxide only in inner layers rather than the outermost layer. This positioning allows the pigments to effectively minimize transparency where needed while protecting them from direct exposure to light and heat, thereby preventing resin deterioration and maintaining material stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the multi-layer structure as an intermediary solution, where the translucent outermost layer acts as a protective barrier that reduces direct light and heat exposure to the inner layers containing temperature-sensitive white pigments. This intermediary structure allows the pigments to perform their opacity function while being protected from conditions that would cause resin deterioration.
4Reliability
If fluorescent dye or pigment is added to the resin composition, then the color stability under sunlight exposure is improved, but the manufacturing precision and composition control become more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating fluorescent dyes or pigments specifically in the outermost layer rather than distributing them throughout all layers. This localized approach ensures that the fluorescent properties are displayed where most visible while simplifying manufacturing control, as the fluorescent additives only need to be precisely controlled in one layer rather than multiple layers.
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 suitable level of translucency and resistance to color change, enhancing both weather resistance and decorative appeal.
Implementation Method 1
a colorant comprising a fluorescent dye or a fluorescent pigment
Data Source
AI summary
In a golf ball having a core of at least one layer and a cover of at least one layer, an outermost layer of the cover is formed of an ionomer resin composition which includes specific amounts of (a) an olefin-α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer and/or a metal ion neutralization product thereof, or an olefin-α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid-α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester copolymer and/or a metal ion neutralization product thereof, (b) an oxazoline group-containing polymer, (c) an inorganic filler, and (d) a colorant which includes a fluorescent dye or a fluorescent pigment. This golf ball has a translucent appearance that holds down transparency of the ball surface to a suitable level and undergoes relatively little change in color when fading occurs due to sunlight exposure, and is thus both weather resistant and decorative.