Patents Examined by Alvin A. Hunter, Jr.
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Patent number: 7192366Abstract: The present invention provides a three-piece solid golf ball, of which flight distance is improved by accomplishing high launch angle and low spin amount in initial flight performance, while maintaining soft and good shot feel when hitting at low head speed. The present invention relates to a three-piece solid golf ball comprising a center, intermediate layer and cover, wherein the center has a deformation amount of 3.5 to 5.5 mm, a hardness difference (HS?HC) from a central point hardness (HC) of 10 to 40 and a surface hardness HS of 36 to 50, base resins of the intermediate layer and cover are formed from thermoplastic resin, and the intermediate layer has a hardness HM of 36 to 50, the cover has a hardness HL of 58 to 69, a hardness difference (HS?HM) is 0 to 15, and (HL?HM) is 10 to 28.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2002Date of Patent: March 20, 2007Assignee: SRI Sports LimitedInventors: Seiichiro Endo, Keiji Ohama
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Patent number: 7189165Abstract: A golf club head comprises: a hollow main body made of at least one metal material and provided in at least one of a crown portion and a sole portion of the head with an opening; and an FRP part covering said opening and made of at least one resinous material reinforced with fibers, wherein the fibers include: longitudinal fibers oriented in a direction substantially parallel to the front-back direction of the head; and traversal fibers oriented in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front-back direction, and the longitudinal fibers are less than the traversal fibers with respect to a total weight of fibers in a unit area and/or a total of tensile elastic moduli of fibers in a unit area.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2005Date of Patent: March 13, 2007Assignee: SRI Sports LimitedInventor: Akio Yamamoto
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Patent number: 7186190Abstract: One embodiment of a golf club head having movable weights includes a body with a face plate positioned at a forward portion of the golf club head, a sole positioned at a bottom portion of the golf club head, a crown positioned at a top portion of the golf club head and a skirt positioned around a periphery of the golf club head between the sole and the crown. Two or more weight ports are formed in the body and at least two weights are configured to be retained at least partially within the weight ports.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2005Date of Patent: March 6, 2007Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Todd P. Beach, Bing-Ling Chao, Mark Greaney, Marc Kronenberg, Thomas Olsavsky, Benoit Vincent, Ian Wright, Kraig Willett, Gery Zimmerman
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Patent number: 7182702Abstract: A golf ball with at least one moisture vapor barrier layer is disclosed. In accordance to one aspect of the invention, the moisture vapor barrier layer may comprise butyl rubber. The butyl rubber may also be a halogenated butyl rubber such as bromobutyl rubber or chlorobutyl rubber. The butyl rubber may also be a sulfonated butyl rubber. The butyl rubber may be blended with other polymers. In accordance to another aspect of the invention, the moisture vapor barrier layer is placed on to a core subassembly and cured by infrared radiation (IR). IR-curable moisture vapor barrier materials include, but not limited to, butyl rubber, polysulfide rubber and single-pack castable polymers, among others. In accordance to another aspect of the invention, an outer layer of the golf ball may comprise a polymer that has a cured temperature greater than the softening temperature or melting temperature of the encased subassembly. Such outer layer may be cured by IR.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2005Date of Patent: February 27, 2007Assignee: Acushnet CompanyInventors: Matthew F Hogge, Mitchell E Lutz, Michael J Sullivan
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Patent number: 7182700Abstract: Golf ball 1 has a core 2, a mid layer 3 and a cover 4. The mid layer 3 comprises a matrix of which base material is a rubber or a synthetic resin, and solid particles which are dispersed in this matrix. Hardness Hg of the solid particles is greater than hardness Hm of the matrix. Difference between both hardness (Hg?Hm) is greater than 5. Particle size D of the solid particles is 0.5 mm or greater. A ratio “D/T”, i.e., a ratio of the particle size D of the solid particles to the thickness T of the mid layer is equal to or greater than 0.1. A proportion of the solid particles occupied in the mid layer 3 is 5% by weight or greater and 50% by weight or less. Hardness Hg of the solid particles is equal to or greater than 40. Hardness Hm of the matrix is equal to or greater than 30.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2003Date of Patent: February 27, 2007Assignee: SRI Sports LimitedInventors: Seiichiro Endo, Keiji Ohama
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Patent number: 7179175Abstract: A golf club head is characterized by stepped grooves in the striking face thereof. The grooves may have a V-shape or a U-shape. The V-shaped grooves have side walls that intersect at the bottom of the grooves, while the U-shaped grooves have side walls that terminate at opposite ends of a bottom wall, which preferably is parallel to the striking face. At least one side wall of the grooves contains at least one step portion, so that the grooves have a stepped configuration. The stepped grooves impart more consistent spin to a golf ball when struck by the club head.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2006Date of Patent: February 20, 2007Assignee: Callaway Golf CompanyInventor: Thomas J. Kennedy, III
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Patent number: 7179177Abstract: A golf ball (20) having a plurality of standard dimples (33) and a plurality of covered dimples (31) is disclosed herein. Each of the plurality of covered dimples (31) has at least one overhang land area portion (50) that covers a portion of a concavity (55) of the covered dimple (31). A covered region (70) under the overhang land area portion (50) generates eddy currents during the flight of the golf ball (20) which creates greater turbulence at the surface (22) of the golf ball (20) allowing for greater distance.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2004Date of Patent: February 20, 2007Assignee: Callaway Golf CompanyInventor: Thomas J. Kennedy, III
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Patent number: 7175545Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of forming a golf ball that contains an interpenetrating polymer network, or IPN, which includes at least two polymeric components, in one or more of the layers. In one preferred embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method of forming an intermediate or cover layer that contains an IPN.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2003Date of Patent: February 13, 2007Assignee: Acushnet CompanyInventors: Manjari Kuntimaddi, David A. Bulpett
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Patent number: 7175544Abstract: A multi-piece solid golf ball comprising a solid core and a cover of two inner and outer layers surrounding the core. The outer cover layer has a surface formed with a plurality of dimples such that the product of the Shore D hardness of the inner cover layer and the outer cover layer, a proportion VR (%) of the total of the volumes of dimple, and the distortion of the core have a predetermined relationship. The dimples include at least three types of dimples which are different in at least one of a diameter, a depth, and a value V0 which is the volume of one dimple space defined below a plane circumscribed by the dimple edge divided by the volume of a cylinder whose bottom is the plane and whose height is the maximum depth of the dimple from the bottom.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2001Date of Patent: February 13, 2007Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hisashi Yamagishi, Hiroshi Higuchi, Junji Hayashi, Akira Kawata
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Patent number: 7172519Abstract: A golf club head composed of a damascene patterned metal, such as a Damascus steel, is disclosed. The golf club head may be a putter head or an iron-type club head with a majority of the club head body formed of the damascene patterned metal, or a wood-type club head or an iron-type club head with a damascene patterned metal face insert.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2006Date of Patent: February 6, 2007Assignee: Callaway Golf CompanyInventors: Wayne H. Byrne, Ronald K. Hettinger, Uday V. Deshmukh, Herbert Reyes
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Patent number: 7169062Abstract: A golf club head includes a golf club head body, a striking plate and a plurality of equal-length buffers. In assembling, the striking plate mechanically connects to a front side of the golf club head body. Each of the equal-length buffers radially extends from an outer periphery to a center portion on a rear surface of the striking plate, and performs identical elastic deformation. Each of the equal-length buffers has an inner end adapted to commonly delimit a configuration for a striking zone substantially similar to that of the outer periphery of the striking plate.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2004Date of Patent: January 30, 2007Assignee: Fu Sheng Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventor: Yun-Fang Chen
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Patent number: 7169066Abstract: Golf ball 1 has a large number of dimples 2 on its surface. A surface area occupation ratio Y of these dimples 2 is equal to or greater than 75%. A ratio R1 of the diameter of the maximum dimple dmax to the diameter D of this golf ball 1 is 11.0% or greater and 18.0% or less. Total number N of the dimples is equal to or less than 320. A ratio R2 of number of dimples 2 having a diameter d accounting for 11.0% or greater and 18.0% or less of the diameter D, occupied in total number N is equal to or greater than 20%. A mean occupation ratio y which is a value calculated by dividing the surface area occupation ratio Y by total number N is equal to or greater than 0.22%. A summation X of the contour length x of the dimples 2 and the surface area occupation ratio Y satisfy the relationship represented by the following formula (I). X?38.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2003Date of Patent: January 30, 2007Assignee: SRI Sports LimitedInventor: Takahiro Sajima
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Patent number: 7169065Abstract: This invention relates to a multi-layered, multi-piece golf ball that comprises a core, an intermediate layer, and a cover, wherein the core comprises a spherical body and ribs that are arranged on the surface of the spherical body and that have almost the same height as the thickness of the intermediate layer, wherein the intermediate layer fills a plurality of concave portions formed on the surface of the spherical body while being surrounded by the ribs. This arrangement enables the golf ball to have both high ball bounce resilience and a soft feel when hit.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2004Date of Patent: January 30, 2007Assignee: Mizuno CorporationInventors: Norikazu Ninomiya, Kenji Onoda, Masao Ogawa, Yuri Naka
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Patent number: 7163470Abstract: A golf club head (20) having optimized inertial properties and center of gravity is disclosed. The golf club head (20) preferably has a volume between 300 cubic centimeters and 500 cubic centimeters. The golf club head (20) has a center of gravity located less than 1.7 inches from an exterior surface of a front wall (30). The positioning of the center of gravity of the golf club head (20) and the optimized inertial properties provide the golf club with greater ball spin robustness and better performance.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2004Date of Patent: January 16, 2007Assignee: Callaway Golf CompanyInventors: J. Andrew Galloway, Alan Hocknell, Matthew T. Cackett
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Patent number: 7163467Abstract: A golf club head that includes several slotted apertures that extend through the body of the club head, the slotted apertures being defined by several generally parallel, spaced-apart elongated spring members, the spring members can be used to create a lower stiffness at their mid-section rather than their ends.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2003Date of Patent: January 16, 2007Inventors: Dong Chang, Michael Chang, Brian Chang
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Patent number: 7160204Abstract: A golf club head includes a body and a striking plate. The body includes a recess in a front side thereof. A plurality of positioning protrusions project from a perimeter of the striking plate. When the striking plate is inserted into the recess of the body, the positioning protrusions plastically deform and engage with an inner perimeter delimiting the recess, thereby positioning the striking plate in the recess and simplifying assembling and positioning for a subsequent welding procedure. In another embodiment, the positioning protrusions project from the inner perimeter delimiting the recess, and when the striking plate is inserted into the recess of the body, the positioning protrusions plastically deform and engage with the perimeter of the striking plate.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2004Date of Patent: January 9, 2007Assignee: Fu Sheng Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventor: Chun-Yung Huang
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Patent number: 7160205Abstract: A golf club head whose head volume is in a range of from 355 to 450 cc comprises a hollow body comprising a face portion and sole portion each made of a metal material, and the hollow body has a structure producing a ball-hitting sound whose maximum sound pressure level occurs around 6.3 kHz.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2003Date of Patent: January 9, 2007Assignee: SRI Sports LimitedInventor: Akio Yamamoto
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Patent number: 7160208Abstract: A three-piece solid golf ball comprising a rubber-based core inner layer, a rubber-based core outer layer, and a polyurethane elastomer-based cover, wherein the core inner layer has a JIS-C hardness of 50–85, the core outer layer has a JIS-C hardness of 70–90, the JIS-C hardness of the core outer layer at its surface minus the JIS-C hardness of the core inner layer at its center is 20–30, and the cover has a Shore D hardness of 46–55 and a gage of 1.1–2.1 mm is improved in rebound, travel distance, controllability, feel on impact and durability.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2002Date of Patent: January 9, 2007Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., LtdInventor: Hideo Watanabe
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Patent number: 7153220Abstract: A golf club head includes a body having at least one recessed portion for securely receiving at least one weight member. The weight member includes a lid with a plurality of protrusions respectively received in receiving portions of the recessed portion. At least one of the protrusions has a weight different from those of other protrusions. The lid has a symmetric shape the same as that of the recessed portion of the body, allowing the lid to be mounted in the recessed portion in one of at least two orientations that correspond to at least two different locations of a center of gravity of the golf club head, thereby allowing rapid change in the center of the gravity of the golf club head.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2004Date of Patent: December 26, 2006Assignee: Fu Sheng Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventor: Lai-Fa Lo
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Patent number: 7153219Abstract: An iron type golf club head includes a primary club head body composed of metal. The primary club head body includes a striking face and a facing wall opposite the striking face. The club head also includes a polymeric body secured to the facing wall of the primary club head body, wherein the polymeric body is secured opposite the striking face of the primary club head body.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2004Date of Patent: December 26, 2006Assignee: Adams Golf IP, L.P.Inventors: Tim Reed, Michael Vrska, Oliver G. Brewer, III