Color-shifting formulations and golf balls including same

Abstract

Color-shifting formulations and golf balls including color-shifting formulations where the color-shifting formulations produce a golf ball with a color appearance that differs from the color appearance of the subassembly and the color appearance of the color-shifting formulation and also exhibits an angular color shift.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf ball, comprising:
 a subassembly having a first color appearance defined by a first set of CIELAB coordinates a s * and b s * for a plurality of incident angles, wherein a s * for each incident angle within the plurality are substantially the same, and wherein b s * for each incident angle within the plurality are substantially the same for each of the incident angles within the plurality; and   a layer disposed on the subassembly formed from a color-shifting formulation, wherein the color-shifting formulation comprises a color concentrate and a base polymer,   wherein the golf ball has a second color appearance defined by a second set of CIELAB coordinates a o * and b o * for the plurality of incident angles in an area of measurement, wherein a o * for at least two incident angles within the plurality are different from each other by at least about 2, or wherein b o * for at least two incident angles within the plurality are different from each other by at least about 2.   
     
     
         2 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of incident angles comprises at least four angles that each differ by at least 10°. 
     
     
         3 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein both a o * for at least two incident angles within the plurality are different from each other by at least about 2, and wherein b o * for at least two incident angles within the plurality are different from each other by at least about 2. 
     
     
         4 . The golf ball of  claim 3 , wherein a o * for at least two incident angles within the plurality are different from each other by at least about 3, and wherein the b o * for at least two incident angles within the plurality are different from each other by at least about 3. 
     
     
         5 . The golf ball of  claim 4 , wherein the a o * for at least two incident angles within the plurality are different from each other by at least about 5, and wherein the b o * for at least two incident angles within the plurality are different from each other by at least about 5. 
     
     
         6 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the color-shifting formulation comprises reflective particulates. 
     
     
         7 . The golf ball of  claim 6 , wherein the reflective particulates comprise interference particulates, nanostructures, microstructures, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the base polymer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyurethanes, polyureas, and hybrids, copolymers, and blends thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the base polymer comprises an ionomer material. 
     
     
         10 . A golf ball, comprising:
 a subassembly having a first color appearance defined by a first set of CIELAB coordinates a c * and b c *; and   a layer disposed on the subassembly formed from a color-shifting formulation, wherein the color-shifting formulation comprises a color concentrate and a base polymer and creates an interference pattern upon reflection of incident electromagnetic radiation, wherein the layer has an angular color shift of at least 2 over a plurality of incident angles ranging from −15 degrees to 110 degrees at a first area of measurement on a flat plaque, wherein each angle of incidence θ differs from the other angles of incidence by at least 10°.   
     
     
         11 . The golf ball of  claim 10 , wherein the angular color shift is at least 5. 
     
     
         12 . The golf ball of  claim 10 , wherein the angular color shift satisfies √((a θ1 *−a θ2 *) 2 )>2 and √((b θ1 *−b θ2 *) 2 )>2, wherein a θ1 * represents a* at a first incident angle θ 1  and a θ2 * represents a* at a second incident angle θ 2 , and wherein b θ1 * represents b* at the first incident angle θ 1  and b θ2 * represents b* at the second incident angle θ 1 . 
     
     
         13 . The golf ball of  claim 10 , wherein the golf ball has a plurality of color appearances, each color appearance in the plurality defined by CIELAB coordinates a o * and b o * obtained at from a distinct area of measurement and different from at least one other color appearance in the plurality by at least 5. 
     
     
         14 . The golf ball of  claim 10 , wherein the base polymer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyurethanes, polyurea, and hybrids, copolymers, and blends thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The golf ball of  claim 10 , wherein the subassembly comprises a core and a casing layer disposed on the core. 
     
     
         16 . The golf ball of  claim 15 , wherein the casing layer comprises an ionomeric material. 
     
     
         17 . A golf ball, comprising:
 a subassembly having a first color appearance defined by a first set of CIELAB coordinates a s * and b s *; and   a layer disposed on the subassembly formed from a color-shifting formulation, wherein the color-shifting formulation comprises a color concentrate and a base polymer,   wherein the golf ball has a second color appearance characterized by CIELAB coordinates a o1 * and b o1 * at a first area of measurement and first angle of incidence and a third color appearance in the area of measurement and at a second angle of incidence characterized by CIELAB coordinates a o2 * and b o2 *, and wherein the first, second, and third color appearances differ from each other.   
     
     
         18 . The golf ball of  claim 17 , wherein the first angle of incidence is different from the second angle of incidence by at least 10°, wherein a o1 * is different from a o2 * by at least 2, or wherein b o1 * is different from b o2 * by at least 2. 
     
     
         19 . The golf ball of  claim 17 , wherein the first angle of incidence is different from the second angle of incidence by at least 10°, wherein a o1 * is different from a o2 * by at least 2, and wherein b o1 * is different from b o2 * by at least 2. 
     
     
         20 . The golf ball of  claim 17 , wherein the golf ball has a fourth color appearance in the area of measurement and at a third angle of incidence characterized by CIELAB coordinates a o3 * and b o3 *, and wherein the fourth color appearance is different from the second and third color appearances. 
     
     
         21 . A golf ball, comprising:
 a subassembly having a first color appearance defined by a first set of CIELAB coordinates a c * and b c *; and   a layer disposed on the subassembly formed from a color-shifting formulation, wherein the color-shifting formulation comprises a color concentrate and a base polymer,   wherein the golf ball has a plurality of color appearances at a plurality of incident angles ranging from −15 degrees to 110 degrees, each defined by a second set of CIELAB coordinates a oθ * and b oθ * for a single incident angle θ and within a first area of measurement and a third set of CIELAB coordinates a o1 * and b o1 * outside of the first area of measurement,   wherein a oθ * differs for each incident angle θ by 2 or more using the using the equation √((ao θ1 *−ao θ2 *) 2 ), with ao θ1 * representing a o * at a first incident angle and ao θ2 * representing a o * at a second incident angle,   wherein b o0 * differs for each incident angle by 2 or more using the equation √((bo θ1 *−bo θ2 *) 2 ), with bo θr * representing b o * at the first incident angle and bo θ2 * representing b o * at the second incident angle,   wherein a o1 * differs from any a oθ * by at least 5, and   wherein b o1 * differs from any b oθ * by at least 5.   
     
     
         22 . The golf ball of  claim 21 , wherein each incident angle θ differs by at least 10°.