Patents Assigned to SRI Sports Limited
  • Golf ball
    Patent number: 8592526
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an environmentally safe golf ball having excellent resilience. The present invention provides a golf ball having constituting members, wherein at least a part of the constituting members is formed from a rubber composition containing (a) a base rubber, (b) a co-crosslinking agent, (c) a crosslinking initiator, and (d) an organic sulfur compound, wherein the organic sulfur compound includes a disubstituted compound of thiophenol, disulfide and/or thiophenol metal salt with Br, F or CF3 only at ortho positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Fushihara, Yumi Kanemitsu, Mikio Yamada
  • Golf club head and method for manufacturing the same
    Patent number: 8579723
    Abstract: A golf club head has a clubface for striking a ball, wherein face grooves are formed by pressing a die; a metallic skin is forming on the clubface including the interior surfaces of the face grooves so that the surface roughness Ral of the interior surfaces of the face grooves becomes not more than 0.20 micrometers; the interior surface of the face grooves is masked with a masking agent; the clubface is provided with a surface roughness of more than 0.20 micrometers by blasting abrasive; and then the masking agent is removed from the face grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Takashi Nakamura
  • Golf ball
    Patent number: 8574097
    Abstract: A golf ball 2 includes a spherical core 4, a mid layer 6 positioned outside the core 4, and a cover 8 positioned outside the mid layer 6. The core 4 includes a spherical center 10 and an envelope layer 12 positioned outside the center 10. The center 10 has a diameter of 1 mm or greater and 15 mm or less. The center 10 has a JIS-C hardness H1, at its central point, of 20 or greater and 50 or less. The difference (H4?H3) between the JIS-C hardness H4 of the core 4 at its surface and the JIS-C hardness H3 of the envelope layer 12 at its innermost portion is equal to or greater than 10. The cover 8 has a flexural modulus of 300 MPa or greater and 1000 MPa or less, and has a tensile modulus of 400 MPa or greater and 1500 MPa or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventors: Hirotaka Nakamura, Keiji Ohama, Kazuhiko Isoagawa, Satoko Okabe
  • Golf club head
    Patent number: 8574095
    Abstract: A golf club head comprises has an inner surface including a back surface of the face portion that is provided with a crown-side thick-walled rib and a sole-side thick-walled rib. The crown-side thick-walled rib includes an upper face rib disposed in the face portion and extending from the central thick-walled part to a peripheral edge of the back surface of the face portion on a crown portion side, and a crown rib disposed in the crown portion and extending backwardly of the head from the upper face rib. The sole-side thick-walled rib includes a lower face rib disposed in the face portion and extending from the central thick-walled part to a peripheral edge of the back surface of the face portion on a sole portion side, and a sole rib disposed in the sole portion and extending backwardly of the head from the lower face rib.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Tomoya Hirano
  • Method for fitting golf club
    Patent number: 8574100
    Abstract: A fitting method includes steps of preparing a relationship C of a shaft flex point Y and a face angle X before impact or at impact; measuring a subject's face angle X before impact or at impact by using a test club; and selecting a shaft fitted to the subject on the basis of the measured face angle X and the relationship C. The relationship C is created by using correlation R of the face angle before impact or at impact and a hitting result. The correlation R is based on hitting results of a plurality of golf clubs having different shaft flex point rates. Preferably, the relationship C is a relational expression F1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hasegawa, Masahide Onuki
  • Process for designing rugged pattern on golf ball surface
    Patent number: 8571836
    Abstract: A process for designing the rugged pattern includes the steps of: assuming a plurality of states; assuming a large number of cells on a spherical surface; assigning any one of the plurality of states to each cell; assigning, as an attribute, any one of INSIDE, OUTSIDE and BOUNDARY to the each cell based on the state of the each cell and states of a plurality of cells located adjacent to the each cell; assuming craters based on the attributes of the large number of cells; and updating the attribute of the each cell so as to enlarge the areas of the craters, based on the attribute of said each cell and the attributes of the plurality of cells located adjacent to the each cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Hyoungchol Kim
  • GOLF CLUB HEAD
    Publication number: 20130281228
    Abstract: A hollow golf club head includes a sole, a crown, a skirt, and a striking face. The golf club includes a junction interconnecting the sole, crown, and skirt to the striking face, the junction including at least one stiffening member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: SRI SPORTS LIMITED
    Inventors: Robert J. HORACEK, Nathaniel J. RADCLIFFE, John J. RAE, Michael J. WALLANS, Sam G. LACEY
  • Golf club head
    Patent number: 8562456
    Abstract: A golf club head 2 includes a face line 8 having a depth of D1 (mm) and a land area LA. When a boundary point between the land area LA and the face line 8 in a section line of a surface of the face line 8 is defined as Pa; a point of which a depth is T1 (mm) is defined as Pb; and a curvature radius of the section line between the point Pa and the point Pb is defined as R1 (mm), the golf club head 2 satisfies the following formulae (1) and (2): R1>T1??(1) 0.10?T1?0.5??(2) Preferably, a ratio (R1/T1) is greater than 1.0 and is equal to or less than 3.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Yasushi Sugimoto
  • Curing type polyurethane aqueous golf ball paint and painted golf ball using the same
    Patent number: 8563639
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball which is excellent in the gloss and the evenness of the paint film and a golf ball aqueous paint therefor. The golf ball of the present invention has a paint film which is formed from a curing type polyurethane aqueous golf ball paint, comprising (A) an aqueous polyol composition and (B) an aqueous polyisocyanate, wherein (A) the aqueous polyol composition contains (a-1) an aqueous acrylic polyol, (a-2) an aqueous urethane polyol and (a-3) an aqueous polyurethane resin; a molar ratio (NCO/OH) of an isocyanate group of (B) the aqueous polyisocyanate to a hydroxyl group of (A) the aqueous polyol composition ranges from 1.25 to 2.50; and a content of a high boiling point solvent having a boiling point of 150° C. or more in the aqueous golf ball paint is more than 0 mass % and 10 mass % or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignees: SRI Sports Limited, Shinto Paint Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Tarao, Kuniyasu Horiuchi, Hirokazu Okamoto, Masahiko Shiraishi
  • Golf club
    Patent number: 8561876
    Abstract: A preferable golf club 2 is provided with a head 4, a shaft 6, a sleeve 8, and a screw 10. The head 4 is provided with a head body 14 and an engaging member 16. The head body 14 is formed by joining a plurality of members. The plurality of members includes a face member 112, a crown member 110, a sole member 114, and a hosel member 116. Preferably, the face member 112, the crown member 110, and the sole member 114 are produced by press processing a rolled material. Preferably, a through hole 130 into which a lower end part of the hosel member 116 can be fitted is formed in the sole member 114. In the golf club 2, the head body 14 and the shaft 6 are detachably mounted to each other without destruction of a bonding agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Akio Yamamoto
  • Golf ball
    Patent number: 8563654
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the cover is made from a cover composition containing, as a resin component, a thermoplastic polyurethane (A) and a polyisocyanate mixture (B) in which a urethane prepolymer (b-1) having at least two isocyanate groups is dispersed in a thermoplastic resin (b-2) which does not substantially react with an isocyanate group; and wherein the cover composition has a slab hardness of more than 60 and not more than 75, and the cover has a thickness of 2.5 mm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventors: Tsutomu Hirau, Toshiyuki Tarao
  • PUTTER-TYPE GOLF CLUB HEAD
    Publication number: 20130274029
    Abstract: A golf club head according to one or more aspects of the present invention may include a body comprising a front surface, having an opening therein for receiving a primary insert. One or more secondary inserts may be disposed in the primary insert and may include a leading surface and a trailing surface. The trailing surface may be physically exposed to the elements and the leading surface may be physically exposed and/or visually exposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Applicant: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventors: Jimmy H. KUAN, Michael D. SANDOVAL, Adam K. SHELDON
  • Method for evaluating hit feeling
    Patent number: 8550939
    Abstract: A valuation method of the present invention quantitatively estimates hit feeling of a sport hitting tool. The evaluation method includes: a first step of using a measuring means M1 capable of measuring forces F acting between a swing subject and the sport hitting tool or specific directional components F1 thereof to obtain values of the forces F or the components F1 at times after impact; and a second step of deciding the hit feeling based on the value of the force F or the component F1 at at least one of the times. Preferably, the values of the forces F or the components F1 in a specified period Z12 between a time T1 and a time T2 after the impact are obtained in time series in the first step. Preferably, the hit feeling is evaluated based on an integrated value Sf of the forces F or the components F1 in the specified period Z12 in the second step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignees: SRI Sports Limited, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoyoshi Ueda, Masahiko Ueda, Takeshi Asakura
  • GOLF BALL
    Publication number: 20130252763
    Abstract: Golf ball 2 has spherical core 4, cover 6 situated on the external side of the core 4, and paint layer 8 situated on the external side of the cover 6. The cover 6 has a Shore D hardness of no greater than 61. The paint layer 8 has a Martens hardness of no greater than 2.0 mgf/?m2. The base polymer of the paint layer 8 is a polyurethane obtained by a reaction of a polyol with a polyisocyanate. The polyisocyanate contains a buret-modified form of hexamethylene diisocyanate. The cover 6 has a thickness of 0.3 mm or greater and 1.0 mm or less. The paint layer 8 has a thickness of 5 ?m or greater and 40 ?m or less.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventors: Kazuhiko ISOGAWA, Keiji OHAMA, Yoshiko MATSUYAMA, Seiichiro ENDO
  • GOLF CLUB HEAD
    Publication number: 20130244809
    Abstract: A golf club may include a front surface, a rear surface having a recess, and an insert at least partially disposed in the recess. The insert may comprise a durometer hardness of less than about 95 Shore A and a cavity having a reinforcement member disposed therein. Preferably, the durometer hardness of the reinforcement member is also less than about 95 Shore A. The insert may further comprise an anterior perimetric boundary having a first length and a posterior perimetric boundary having a second length. The ratio of the first length to the second length may be less than 1 and greater than 0.5. In one example, the insert may have a triangular front profile and a triangular side profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventors: Andrew P. Chick, Christopher R. Cooper, Sharon J. Park, Kevin R. Tassistro
  • Shaft fitting system
    Patent number: 8535174
    Abstract: A method of selecting a preferred golf shaft for a player who uses an existing golf shaft, according to one or more aspects of the present invention, may comprise gathering a plurality of empirical data sets, each data set corresponding to an individual golf shaft selected from a plurality of golf shafts; providing a plurality of specification codes, each associated with an individual empirical data set of the plurality of empirical data sets; from the plurality of specification codes, identifying a first specification code associated with the existing golf shaft; gathering feedback associated with the existing golf shaft from the player; and using the feedback to select, from the plurality of specification codes, a second specification code corresponding to the preferred golf shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventors: Dustin J. Brekke, Matthew R. Daraskavich, Nathaniel J. Radcliffe
  • Golf club shaft and golf club
    Patent number: 8535175
    Abstract: A shaft 6 includes a textile layer. The textile layer has a biaxial textile 20 composed of warps and wefts. The warp is oriented substantially parallel to an axial direction of the shaft. The weft is oriented substantially perpendicularly to the axial direction of the shaft. When a tensile elastic modulus of the warp is defined as ET (tf/mm2) and a tensile elastic modulus of the weft is defined as EY (tf/mm2), the tensile elastic modulus ET is smaller than the tensile elastic modulus EY. Preferably, the warp is a PAN carbon fiber and the weft is a pitch carbon fiber. Preferably, when a tensile strength of the warp is defined as ST (kgf/mm2) and a tensile strength of the weft is defined as SY (kgf/mm2), the tensile strength ST is greater than the tensile strength SY.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventor: Masatoshi Kato
  • Golf ball
    Patent number: 8530603
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball that has excellent abrasion resistance and spin performance without sacrificing the processability of the cover, in a golf ball having a cover for which a crosslinkable thermoplastic polyurethane is used as a resin component. The present invention provides a golf ball comprising: a core; and a cover covering the core, wherein the cover is formed from a cover composition containing a thermoplastic polyurethane that has, as a constituting component, a chain extender having an unsaturated carbon-carbon bond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventors: Kazuyoshi Shiga, Tetsuro Abe, Takashi Sasaki
  • Golf club head
    Patent number: 8529369
    Abstract: An exemplary golf club head having an increased amount of discretionary mass may be realized by utilizing improved drop angles, an improved average crown height, and/or articulation points. The discretionary mass may be placed low and deep in the club head to improve the location of the center of gravity as well as the inertial properties. A preferred break length may also be utilized to further improve the depth of the center of gravity. In one example, the center of gravity may be positioned to substantially align the sweet spot with the face center of the club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: SRI Sports Limited
    Inventors: John J. Rae, Nathaniel J. Radcliffe, Daniel J. Stone, Trent E. Garner, Brad S. Hooley, Robert J. Horacek, Sam G. Lacey, Jeff D. Brunski, Kevin Schaeffer, Scott A. Carlyle, Stephen C. Chien, Craig R. Schnell, Douglas E. Roberts, Dan S. Nivanh, Michael J. Wallans
  • Golf swing analysis method using attachable acceleration sensors
    Patent number: 8523696
    Abstract: A swing analysis method of the present invention includes steps of: preparing a radio type acceleration measuring device 4 capable of measuring respective accelerations in three axis directions; mounting the acceleration measuring device 4 to a golf player's body t1; receiving measured data from the acceleration measuring device 4 during a swing through radio communication; and analyzing a golf swing based on the acceleration data. Preferably, the acceleration measuring device is attached to each of two or more portions of the tester t1. Preferably, an attached position of the acceleration measuring device is any part selected from the group consisting of a head, a neck, a shoulder, a back, a waist and a wrist. Preferably, a weight of the acceleration measuring device is equal to or more than 10 g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignees: SRI Sports Limited, Bycen Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Kamino, Keiji Moriyama, Yasushi Chida