Abstract: A luminescent or phosphorescent golf ball, which emits a luminescent glow, is provided, for ease of finding the ball in the dark. A method of manufacture is also provided. Three embodiments are disclosed. In one embodiment, the golf ball includes a flexible core which has a primer coat disposed over the core outer surface and, a luminescent or phosphorescent coating is applied thereto followed by encapsulating the flexible core with its luminescent outer coating with a transparent, hard plastic cover. A second embodiment uses any conventional golf ball and applies the primer coat and luminescent coat thereto. The third embodiment provides a luminescent outer plastic cover that encapsulates a flexible core. A phosphorescent glow is emitted from the golf ball after directly applying on the golf ball one of light and heat energy for a sufficient period of time and after removing the source of said energy.
Abstract: A phosphorescent golf ball, which emits a glow of light, is provided, for ease of finding the ball in the dark. A method of manufacture is also provided. In the preferred embodiment, the golf ball includes a flexible core member having phosphorescent glow-in-the-dark glowing means to generate a glow of light and for emitting the glow of light that is visible in a dark environment after receiving at least one of light and heat energy and a transparent cover means encircling the flexible core member with its phosphorescent glow-in-the-dark glowing means for permitting the phosphorescent glow to pass through the transparent cover means to make the golf ball more visible. A phosphorescent core for a glow-in-the-dark golf ball is also disclosed which comprises a mixture of phosphorescent glow-in-the-dark materials and a flexible material such as rubber.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 21, 1992
Date of Patent:
July 20, 1993
Assignee:
Sports Glow, Inc.
Inventors:
James D. Gulick, H. Lee B. Hollingsworth
Abstract: A luminescent or phosphorescent golf ball, which emits a luminescent glow, is provided, for ease of finding the ball in the dark. A method of manufacture is also provided. Three embodiments are disclosed. In one embodiment, the golf ball includes a flexible core which has a primer coat disposed over the core outer surface and, a luminescent or phosphorescent coating is applied thereto followed by encapsulating the flexible core with its luminescent outer coating with a transparent, hard plastic cover. A second embodiment uses any conventional golf ball and applies the primer coat and luminescent coat thereto. The third embodiment provides a luminescent outer plastic cover that encapsulates a flexible core.