Golf Ball With Aggregated Layer Core And Method Of Making

Abstract

A golf ball is provided capable of having various characteristics based on having an aggregated layer core. The golf ball includes an inner core, an outer shell enclosing the inner core, and an intermediate core enclosing the inner core. The intermediate core includes sublayers thermoplastically fused together to form an aggregated intermediate core layer having overall characteristics formed as a combination of the sublayer characteristics. A method of forming a golf ball core having an aggregated layer core can include forming a first and second stack of nested cups, thermoplastically bonding each of the stacks to each other to form first and second aggregated cups, arranging the aggregated cups around a golf ball inner core, and bonding the aggregated cups to each other. In some configurations, the sublayers can include ultrathin sublayers less than 20 microns thick, and in some configurations, the sublayers can include injection molded sublayers.

1 - 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A method of forming a golf ball core, the method comprising: forming a first stack of ultrathin nested cups; thermoplastically bonding the first stack of ultrathin nested cups to each other to form a first aggregated cup; forming a second stack of ultrathin nested cups; thermoplastically bonding the second stack of ultrathin nested cups to each other to form a second aggregated cup; arranging the first and second aggregated cups around a golf ball inner core; and bonding the first and second aggregated cups to each other around the golf ball inner core to form a golf ball core. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the steps of forming the first stack of ultrathin nested cups and forming the second stack of ultrathin nested cups comprises: providing a mold core with a projection having a size and shape substantially matching the golf ball inner core; depositing first thermoplastic material on the mold core over the projection to form a first ultrathin cup having a thickness less than 20 microns; depositing second thermoplastic material on the first ultrathin cup to form a second ultrathin cup having a thickness less than 20 microns, the second ultrathin cup covering the first ultrathin cup in a nested arrangement; depositing third thermoplastic material on the second ultrathin cup to form a third ultrathin cup having a thickness less than 20 microns, the third ultrathin cup covering the first ultrathin cup in a nested arrangement; and depositing fourth thermoplastic material on the third ultrathin cup to form a fourth ultrathin cup having a thickness less than 20 microns, the fourth ultrathin cup covering the first ultrathin cup in a nested arrangement. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the steps of depositing first, second, third and fourth thermoplastic materials include a step selected from the group consisting of spray-molding and spin-molding the first, second, third and fourth thermoplastic materials. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising depositing fifth through fiftieth thermoplastic materials in sequence on the previously formed ultrathin cup to form fifth through fiftieth ultrathin cups each having a thickness less than 20 microns, the fifth through fiftieth ultrathin cups covering the previously formed ultrathin cups in a nested arrangement, wherein the first through fiftieth ultrathin cups form one of the first and second aggregated cups. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first and third thermoplastic materials have first properties, and the second and fourth thermoplastic materials have second properties different than the first properties. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising repeating a plurality of times in an alternating manner the steps of depositing third and fourth thermoplastic materials to form a stack of nested ultrathin cups having alternating properties throughout the stack. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first, second, third and fourth thermoplastic materials have first, second, third and fourth thermoplastic materials that are different from each other. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising repeating a plurality of times in a predetermined mixed manner the steps of depositing first, second, third and fourth thermoplastic materials to form a stack of nested ultrathin cups having predetermined mixed properties throughout the stack, wherein the first and second aggregated cups have predetermined complex overall properties formed from the aggregated predetermined mixed properties of the stack. 
     
     
         16 . A method of forming a golf ball core, the method comprising: forming a first and a second aggregated stack of intermediate core cups, for each of the first and second aggregated stacks, the step of forming comprising: molding a first elastomeric cup having first characteristics; molding a second elastomeric cup having second characteristics; stacking the second elastomeric cup over the first elastomeric cup to form a nested stack; and thermoplastically bonding the first elastomeric cup to the second elastomeric cup; arranging the first and second aggregated stack of intermediate core cups around a golf ball inner core; and bonding the first and second aggregated cups to each other around the golf ball inner core to form the golf ball core. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein: the step of molding the first elastomeric cup having first characteristics includes molding the first elastomeric cup according to a first mold flow path; and the step of molding the second elastomeric cup having second characteristics includes molding the second elastomeric cup according to a second mold flow path that is different than the first mold flow path. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first elastomeric cup is molded with a first elastomer impregnated with a first directional additive, the second elastomeric cup is molded with a second elastomer impregnated with a second directional additive, the first and second directional additives imparting characteristics according to theft orientation when molded. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first and second directional additives include elongate fibers. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first and second elastomers and the first and second directional additives are substantially the same, the first and second mold paths are different from each other, and the first and second characteristics of the first and second elastomeric cups are different from each other according to the different mold paths.