JP7521247B2 - Golf ball - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a golf ball. In particular, the present invention relates to a colored ball having a marking layer.

The golf ball has marks printed on it. The marks include a brand and a ball number. A golf player can distinguish his/her ball from other people's balls by the brand. A golf player can also distinguish his/her ball from other people's balls by the ball number. The golf player approaches the ball and identifies it based on the marks.

A golf ball has a core and a cover. Typical golf balls are colored white. The coloring is achieved by dispersing a white pigment such as titanium dioxide in the cover. Golf balls with white colored covers usually have black marks printed on them.

There are golf balls whose surfaces are colored blue, red, etc., for the purposes of distinction and fashion. These golf balls are called "color balls" or "color golf balls." Golf players can see color balls from a distance and distinguish their balls from other people's balls by their color. The marks printed on color balls are often white or black.

JP 2008-253642 A (Patent Document 1) and Utility Model No. 3038312 (Patent Document 2) disclose colored balls with markings other than white and black.

In Patent Document 1, the lightness and chroma of the marked and unmarked parts are adjusted using the CIELAB display system. In this golf ball, the color of the unmarked parts is different from white, and the lightness is smaller than the lightness of the marked parts, and the chroma is larger than the chroma of the marked parts.

In Patent Document 2, the colors of the ball surface and the brand mark are adjusted using the L value and color difference according to the Lab method. The ball surface is colored a color other than white, and the color of the brand mark is similar to that of the ball surface but darker than the color of the ball surface.

JP 2008-253642 A Utility Model No. 3038312

When playing, golf players desire colored balls that are easy to spot from a distance. Golf players also desire colored balls with marks that make it easy to distinguish their own ball from other players' balls. However, there are colored balls that create a visual discomfort when addressing the ball due to the color scheme of the ball surface and marks. Golf players who feel a visual discomfort when addressing the ball lose concentration, which leads to an unstable shot.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a golf ball that reduces the discomfort felt when addressing the ball and is easy to spot from a distance.

The golf ball according to the present invention comprises a body and a mark layer covering a portion of the surface of the body. The area where the mark layer is present is called the marked portion. The area where the mark layer is not present is called the non-marked portion. On the outer surface of the golf ball, the non-marked portion exhibits a color other than white. The hue of the outer surface of the golf ball is indicated using an H value in the HSL color space. On this golf ball, the hue H1 of the marked portion and the hue H0 of the non-marked portion satisfy the following mathematical formula (1) or (2).
0≦｜H0-H1｜≦30 (1)
330≦｜H0-H1｜<360 (2)

In this golf ball, the saturation and brightness of the outer surface are expressed using S and L values, respectively, in the HSL color space. Preferably, the saturation S0 of the unmarked portion is 20 or more and 50 or less, and the brightness L0 of the unmarked portion is 40 or more and 70 or less. Preferably, the saturation S1 of the marked portion is 80 or more and 100 or less, and the brightness L1 of the marked portion is 25 or more and 60 or less.

Preferably, the body comprises a core and at least one cover layer. The hue, saturation and brightness of the outer surface of the core are expressed using H, S and L values in the HSL color space, respectively. Preferably, the hue H2 of the outer surface of the core is 35 or more and 65 or less, the saturation S2 of the outer surface of the core is 3 or more and 30 or less, and the brightness L2 of the outer surface of the core is 80 or more and 95 or less.

Preferably, the golf ball further includes a paint layer that covers the body and the mark layer. Preferably, the paint layer includes a photoluminescent material.

In the golf ball according to the present invention, the majority of its outer surface is a color other than white. This golf ball is a so-called color golf ball. In this golf ball, the hue H1 of the marked portion and the hue H0 of the unmarked portion on its outer surface satisfy the above-mentioned formulas (1) and (2). In this golf ball, the color of the marked portion and the color of the unmarked portion are similar colors. This golf ball has excellent visibility from a long distance. In this golf ball, the marked portion causes little discomfort. A golf player can hit this golf ball without being distracted by the mark when addressing the ball. This golf ball has excellent shot stability.

FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of a golf ball according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention will be described in detail below based on a preferred embodiment, with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In this specification, the hue (H value), saturation (S value), and brightness (L value) of the marked and unmarked parts refer to the hue (H value), saturation (S value), and brightness (L value) of the outer surface of the golf ball.

Figure 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of a golf ball 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The golf ball 2 includes a body 4, a mark layer 6, and a paint layer 8. The body 4 includes a spherical core 10 and a cover 12 located on the outside of the core 10. The body 4 may be composed of a single layer. The golf ball 2 includes dimples 14 and lands 16 on its surface. The golf ball 2 may include another paint layer between the cover 12 and the mark layer 6.

The diameter of the golf ball 2 is preferably 40 mm or more and 45 mm or less. From the viewpoint of satisfying the standards of the United States Golf Association (USGA), the preferred diameter is 42.67 mm or more. The mass of the golf ball 2 is preferably 40 g or more and 50 g or less. From the viewpoint of satisfying the standards of the USGA, the preferred mass is 45.93 g or less.

As shown in the figure, the mark layer 6 is formed so as to cover a portion of the surface of the main body 4. On the outer surface of the golf ball 2 (the surface of the paint layer 8 in this embodiment), the area where the mark layer 6 is present is referred to as the marked portion 18, and the area where the mark layer 6 is not present is referred to as the unmarked portion 20. In other words, on the outer surface of the golf ball 2, the area other than the marked portion 18 is the unmarked portion 20. The outer surface of the golf ball 2 is divided into the marked portion 18 and the unmarked portion 20. Preferably, the ratio of the area of the marked portion 18 to the total surface area of the golf ball 2 is 0.5% or more and 20% or less. The golf ball 2 may have multiple marked portions 18.

Most of the outer surface of this golf ball 2 is the unmarked portion 20. In this golf ball 2, the unmarked portion 20 is a color other than white. Therefore, a golf player who sees this golf ball 2 will recognize it as a colored ball. The golf player can find this golf ball 2 from a long distance.

In this golf ball 2, the hue of its outer surface is represented by an H value in the HSL color space. In this golf ball 2, the hue H1 of the marked portion 18 and the hue H0 of the unmarked portion 20 satisfy the following mathematical formula (1) or (2).
0≦｜H0-H1｜≦30 (1)
330≦｜H0-H1｜<360 (2)
In the formulas (1) and (2), |H0-H1| is the absolute value of the difference between the hue H1 of the marked portion 18 and the hue H0 of the unmarked portion 20.

In the golf ball 2 in which the absolute value |H0-H1| of the difference between the hue H1 of the marked portion 18 and the hue H0 of the unmarked portion 20 is 0 or more and 30 or less, or 330 or more and less than 360, the color of the marked portion 18 and the color of the unmarked portion 20 are similar colors. In this golf ball 2, the marked portion 18 is not overly emphasized in the unmarked portion 20. Therefore, the golf player does not feel a great sense of incongruity due to the marked portion 18 when addressing the ball. The golf player can maintain concentration on the shot without being distracted by the marked portion 18. According to this golf ball 2, the golf player can hit the ball in his/her own way without being overly distracted by the visual sense, so that the variation due to the shot is reduced. This golf ball 2 has excellent shot stability. In addition, the combination of similar colors improves the overall clarity of the golf ball 2 due to the overall effect. This golf ball 2 has excellent visibility from a long distance. Compared to the CIELAB display system and the Lab system, the hues represented by the HSL color space are closer to the colors humans can perceive, so they have the advantage of being easier to judge intuitively. Another advantage is that it corresponds to the RGB system output on a computer, making it easier to use in modern design.

From the viewpoint of minimizing the sense of incongruity, the absolute value of the difference |H0-H1| between the hue H1 of the marked portion 18 and the hue H0 of the non-marked portion 20 is preferably 25 or less, and more preferably 20 or less. From the viewpoint of visibility, the absolute value of this difference |H0-H1| is preferably 5 or more, and more preferably 10 or more. Alternatively, from the viewpoint of minimizing the sense of incongruity, the absolute value of the difference |H0-H1| between the hue H1 of the marked portion 18 and the hue H0 of the non-marked portion 20 is preferably 335 or more, and more preferably 340 or more. From the viewpoint of visibility, the absolute value of this difference |H0-H1| is preferably 355 or less, and more preferably 350 or less.

The hue H1 of the marked portion 18 and the hue H0 of the unmarked portion 20 are not particularly limited and are appropriately adjusted within a range that satisfies the above formula (1) or formula (2).

Preferably, in this golf ball 2, the saturation and brightness of its outer surface are expressed using S values and L values, respectively, in the HSL color space. From the viewpoint of visibility, the saturation S0 of the unmarked portion 20 is preferably 20 or more, more preferably 22 or more, and even more preferably 25 or more. The saturation S0 of the unmarked portion 20 is preferably 50 or less, more preferably 47 or less, and even more preferably 45 or less.

From the viewpoint of visibility, the luminance L0 of the non-marked portion 20 is preferably 70 or less, more preferably 68 or less, and even more preferably 65 or less. The luminance L0 of the non-marked portion 20 is preferably 40 or more, more preferably 41 or more, and even more preferably 42 or more.

From the viewpoint of visibility and distinguishability, the saturation S1 of the mark portion 18 is preferably 80 or more, more preferably 81 or more, and even more preferably 82 or more. The saturation S1 of the mark portion 18 is preferably 100 or less, more preferably 98 or less, and even more preferably 95 or less.

From the viewpoint of visibility and distinguishability, the luminance L1 of the mark portion 18 is preferably 25 or more, more preferably 27 or more, and even more preferably 29 or more. The luminance L1 of the mark portion 18 is preferably 60 or less, more preferably 55 or less, and even more preferably 53 or less.

In the present invention, the diameter and thickness of the body 4 (core 10 and cover 12), mark layer 6, and paint layer 8 of the golf ball 2 are not particularly limited, but the mark layer 6 and paint layer 8 are usually thin in the golf ball 2. Therefore, the color of the outer surface of the golf ball 2 is influenced by the color of the body 4. Also, in the body 4, when the thickness of the cover 12 is small relative to the diameter of the core 10, the color of the body 4 is influenced by the color of the core 10. From this perspective, in this golf ball 2, the hue, saturation, and brightness of the outer surface of the core 10 are preferably adjusted using the H value, S value, and L value, respectively, in the HSL color space.

From the viewpoint that the hue H1 of the marked portion 18 and the hue H0 of the unmarked portion 20 on the outer surface of the golf ball 2 are likely to satisfy the above-mentioned formula (1) or formula (2), the hue H2 of the outer surface of the core 10 is preferably 35 or more, more preferably 38 or more, and even more preferably 40 or more. The hue H2 of the outer surface of the core 10 is preferably 65 or less, more preferably 63 or less, and even more preferably 60 or less.

From the viewpoint of visibility and distinguishability, the saturation S2 of the outer surface of the core 10 is preferably 3 or more, more preferably 5 or more, and even more preferably 7 or more. The saturation S2 of the outer surface of the core 10 is preferably 30 or less, more preferably 28 or less, and even more preferably 25 or less. From the same viewpoint, the luminance L2 of the outer surface of the core 10 is preferably 80 or more, more preferably 82 or more, and even more preferably 85 or more. The luminance L2 of the outer surface of the core 10 is preferably 95 or less, more preferably 94 or less, and even more preferably 93 or less.

In a golf ball 2 in which the hue H2, saturation S2, and brightness L2 of the outer surface of the core 10 fall within the above ranges, the color of the core 10 does not significantly affect the color of the body 4 and the golf ball 2. In this golf ball 2, the colors of the cover 12 and the mark layer 6 can be reflected in the colors of the mark layer 18 and the unmark layer 20.

In this golf ball 2, the hue, saturation, and brightness of the outer surface of the main body 4 may be adjusted using the H value, S value, and L value in the HSL color space, respectively. The hue H3 of the main body 4 is appropriately adjusted so that the hue H1 of the marked portion 18 and the hue H0 of the unmarked portion 20 on the outer surface of the golf ball 2 satisfy the above-mentioned formula (1) or formula (2).

From the viewpoint of visibility and distinguishability, the saturation S3 of the main body 4 is preferably 15 or more, and more preferably 18 or more. The saturation S3 of the main body 4 is preferably 100 or less. From the same viewpoint, the luminance L3 of the main body 4 is preferably 15 or more, and more preferably 18 or more. The luminance L3 of the main body 4 is preferably 100 or less.

Color measurements are made using a spectrophotometer "CM-3500d" manufactured by Konica Minolta. The light receiving portion of this spectrophotometer is applied to the outer surface of the golf ball 2, the outer surface of the body 4, or the outer surface of the core 10, and measurements are made. "Standard light _D65 " is used as the light source. The color temperature of this light source is 6504k. A "2° visual field" is used as the spectral sensitivity. Other measurement conditions are as follows:
Measurement wavelength range: 360-740 nm
Measurement area (diameter): φ8mm
Measurement time: 1 second

This measurement gives the indices L ^* , a ^* , and b ^* in the CIELAB display system. These indices are converted using a known conversion tool to obtain the indices H, S, and L in the HSL color space. An example of this conversion tool is the color code conversion tool available at the URL "https://syncer.jp/color-converter" (April 2020).

Below, we will explain the preferred materials and configurations of the body 4 (core 10 and cover 12), mark layer 6, and paint layer 8 of this golf ball 2. Within the scope of the objectives of the present invention, the core 10 and cover 12 may be composed of two or more layers, and the golf ball 2 may further include layers made of other materials.

In this golf ball 2, the core 10 is formed by crosslinking a rubber composition. Examples of base rubbers for the rubber composition include polybutadiene, polyisoprene, styrene-butadiene copolymer, ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer, and natural rubber. Preferably, a co-crosslinking agent is used for the crosslinking. Preferably, the rubber composition contains an organic peroxide together with the co-crosslinking agent.

The rubber composition of the core 10 may contain a colorant. Examples of colorants include dyes and pigments. When the core 10 is colored white, the rubber composition may contain titanium dioxide as a white colorant. The color of the outer surface of the core 10 is adjusted by blending the colorant. The type and amount of colorant blended into the rubber composition are appropriately selected so as to obtain the above-mentioned preferred hue, etc.

The rubber composition of the core 10 may further contain additives such as fillers, sulfur, vulcanization accelerators, sulfur compounds, antioxidants, plasticizers, and dispersants, as long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Synthetic resin powder or crosslinked rubber powder may be blended into the rubber composition. From the viewpoint of forming a cover 12 of appropriate thickness, the preferred diameter of the core 10 is 30.0 mm or more and 42.0 mm or less.

The cover 12 is made of a resin composition. Thermoplastic or thermosetting resins may be used for the cover 12. Typical resins are ionomer resins and polyurethanes. The cover 12 may also include styrene elastomers, polyamide elastomers, polyester elastomers, and polyolefin elastomers.

In this golf ball 2, the resin composition of the cover 12 contains a pigment. The pigment colors the cover 12 in colors such as blue, light blue, green, yellow-green, purple, red, and yellow. The color of the colored cover 12 is reflected in the outer surface of the golf ball 2, and in particular in the color of the unmarked portion 20.

As long as the effect of the present invention is not impaired, the type of pigment to be blended in the cover 12 is not particularly limited. Blue pigments, green pigments, purple pigments, red pigments, yellow pigments, etc. may be used. Examples of blue pigments include Prussian blue, cobalt blue, phthalocyanine blue, fast sky blue, indanthrene blue BC, etc. Examples of green pigments include chrome green, chromium oxide, Fanal Yellow Green G, etc. Examples of purple pigments include anthraquinone violet, dioxane violet, methyl violet, manganese violet, etc. Examples of red pigments include red iron oxide, red lead, molybdenum red, cadmium red, pigment red, etc. Examples of yellow pigments include yellow lead, zinc yellow, cadmium yellow, yellow iron oxide, mineral fast yellow, nickel titanium yellow, etc. The pigment may be a fluorescent pigment or a non-fluorescent pigment. Two or more types may be used in combination.

The amount of pigment blended into the cover 12 is adjusted appropriately according to the type of pigment so that the hue H1 of the marked portion 18 and the hue H0 of the non-marked portion 20 satisfy the above-mentioned formula (1). The preferred amount of pigment is 0.01 parts by weight or more and 5 parts by weight or less per 100 parts by weight of the base resin.

The resin composition of the cover 12 may contain a white colorant such as titanium dioxide. Preferably, the white colorant is used in combination with the pigment described above. By using the white colorant in combination with other pigments, a cover 12 having a desired color can be obtained. The amount of white pigment blended into the cover 12 is appropriately adjusted so that the hue H1 of the marked portion 18 and the hue H0 of the non-marked portion 20 satisfy the above-mentioned formula (1) or formula (2). The preferred amount of white pigment is 0.01 parts by mass or more and 5 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the base resin.

The resin composition of the cover 12 may further contain an antioxidant, an ultraviolet absorber, a light stabilizer, a fluorescent whitening agent, etc. The preferred thickness of the cover 12 is 0.1 mm or more and 3.5 mm or less.

The mark layer 6 is made of an ink composition. This ink composition contains a base resin and a pigment. Specific examples of the base resin include epoxy resin, polyester polyol, polyether polyol, polyurethane polyol, and nitrocellulose.

The ink composition forming the mark layer 6 contains a pigment. The pigment colors the mark layer 6 in pink, red, orange, yellow, yellow-green, blue, white, black, or the like. The color of the colored mark layer 6 is reflected in the outer surface of the golf ball 2, particularly in the color of the mark portion 18. In this golf ball 2, the color of the mark layer 6 is different from the color of the cover 12. Preferably, in this golf ball 2, the color of the mark layer 6 is selected so that the color of the mark portion 18 is similar to the color of the unmarked portion 20.

As long as the effect of the present invention is not impaired, the type and amount of pigment blended in the ink composition of the mark layer 6 are not particularly limited. An ink composition containing the pigment and/or white pigment described above with respect to the resin composition of the cover 12 is appropriately selected and used. If necessary, an ink composition further containing other pigments may be used. Examples of other pigments include black pigments such as carbon black, and orange pigments such as molybdenum orange, permanent orange GTR, pyrazolone orange, and vulcan orange. Two or more types of pigments may be used in combination. The amount of pigment in the ink composition is 0.1 parts by mass or more and 20 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the base resin.

The mark layer 6 is formed by printing on the surface of the cover 12 (outer part 4). The mark layer 6 displays the manufacturer's name, brand, ball number, etc. Pad printing, engraving printing, inkjet printing, transfer film printing, etc. can be used. From the viewpoint of productivity, pad printing is preferred.

A two-component curing ink composition can be suitably used for pad printing. A curing agent is blended in the two-component curing ink composition. A preferred curing agent is an isocyanate-based curing agent. Examples of isocyanate-based curing agents include polyisocyanates such as hexamethylene diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, and tolylene diisocyanate. The amount of curing agent in the ink composition is 1 part by mass or more and 30 parts by mass or less per 100 parts by mass of the base resin.

The ink composition may further include a solvent. The ink composition is adjusted to a desired viscosity by the solvent. The type of solvent is not particularly limited as long as the effect of the present invention is not impaired. For example, ester-based solvents such as ethyl acetate, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, methoxymethyl butyl acetate, and 3-methoxy-3-methylbutyl acetate, ketone-based solvents such as cyclohexanone, acetylacetone, and methyl ethyl ketone, and aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, and xylene are appropriately selected and used. Two or more types may be used in combination. The ratio of the solvent in the ink composition is preferably 10% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less. The ink composition may further include additives such as a defoamer, a flowability adjuster, a dispersant, and a matting agent.

From the viewpoint of reflecting the color of the mark layer 6 in the mark portion 20 on the outer surface of the golf ball 2, the thickness of the mark layer 6 is preferably 1 μm or more, and more preferably 2 μm or more. From the viewpoint of economy, the preferred thickness of the mark layer 6 is 50 μm or less.

The paint layer 8 covers the main body 4 (cover 12) and the mark layer 6. The paint layer 8 protects the mark layer 6. Preferably, the paint layer 8 is transparent. The transparent paint layer 8 allows the colors of the main body 4 and the mark layer 6 to be reflected in the colors of the non-mark portion 20 and the mark portion 18.

The paint layer 8 is formed by applying paint. Electrostatic painting, spray gun painting, brush painting, etc. can be used. Examples of base resins for paint include polyurethane, epoxy resin, polyester, acrylic resin, cellulose resin, etc. From the viewpoint of durability of the paint layer 8, two-component curing polyurethane is preferred.

Two-component curing polyurethane is obtained by the reaction of a base agent with a curing agent. Two-component curing polyurethane obtained by the reaction of a base agent containing a polyol component with a curing agent containing a polyisocyanate (including a polyisocyanate derivative) is preferred.

Preferably, the paint forming the paint layer 8 contains a luster material. The paint containing the luster material forms the paint layer 8 in which the luster material is dispersed. The paint layer 8 in which the luster material is dispersed further improves the visibility and distinguishability of the golf ball 2. As long as the effects of the present invention are not impaired, the type of luster material is not particularly limited. It may be metal flakes such as aluminum, iron, or stainless steel, glass flakes, graphite flake particles, etc., or it may be mica flake particles, silica particles, alumina particles, etc. coated with a metal or metal oxide.

From the viewpoint of visibility, the amount of the lustrous material in the paint of the paint layer 8 is preferably 1 part by mass or more, and more preferably 3 parts by mass or more, per 100 parts by mass of the base resin. From the viewpoint of distinguishability, and from the viewpoint of not interfering with the colors of the mark portion 18 and the non-mark portion 20, the amount of the lustrous material is preferably 20 parts by mass or less, and more preferably 18 parts by mass or less.

The paint forming the paint layer 8 may contain an ultraviolet absorber, a light stabilizer, a colorant, etc. The thickness of the paint layer 8 is preferably 3 μm or more and 100 μm or less. The paint layer 8 may be formed in two or more layers.

The effects of the present invention will be explained below by way of examples, but the present invention should not be interpreted in a restrictive manner based on the description of these examples.

[Example 1]
100 parts by mass of polybutadiene (JSR Corporation's trade name "BR-730"), 25 parts by mass of zinc acrylate, 10 parts by mass of zinc oxide, 6 parts by mass of titanium dioxide, 15 parts by mass of barium sulfate, 0.5 parts by mass of diphenyl disulfide (Sumitomo Seika Chemicals Co., Ltd.), and 0.8 parts by mass of dicumyl peroxide (NOF Corporation) were kneaded to obtain a rubber composition. This rubber composition was placed in a mold consisting of upper and lower molds each having a hemispherical cavity, and heated at 170°C for 20 minutes to obtain a core having a diameter of 38.9 mm. The color of the outer surface of the core was grayish white, and the hue (H value) according to the HSL color space measured by the above-mentioned method was 57, the saturation (S value) was 15, and the luminance (L value) was 90.

45 parts by weight of ionomer resin (DuPont's product name "Surlyn 8945"), 45 parts by weight of another ionomer resin (DuPont's product name "Surlyn 9945"), 10 parts by weight of a styrene block-containing thermoplastic elastomer (Mitsubishi Chemical's product name "Tefabloc T3221C"), 3.0 parts by weight of titanium dioxide, and 1.0 part by weight of a blue pigment (UKSEUNG CHEMICAL's product name "PANAX EPO COLOER BLUE FP-1050") in terms of pigment components were kneaded in a twin-screw kneading extruder to obtain a resin composition C1 for the cover. The above core was placed in a final mold with many pimples on the inner peripheral surface, and the resin composition C1 was injected around the core by injection molding. A main body with a blue cover having a thickness of 1.9 mm was obtained by injection. Many dimples with a shape that is the inverse of the shape of the pimples were formed on the cover. The hue, saturation, and brightness of the outer surface of the main body (cover) were measured by the above-mentioned method. The measurement results are shown in Table 1 below as H3, S3, and L3, respectively. The surface of this body was polished.

Ink composition M6 for the mark layer was obtained by mixing 90.0 parts by mass of blue ink (Navitas product name "PAD-1 Ink B93112 Blue"), 6.6 parts by mass of ink hardener (Waya Paint product name "#9"), 4.4 parts by mass of ink dilution solvent (Jujo Chemical NT standard solvent), and 8.0 parts by mass of acetylacetone. This ink composition M6 was used to form a blue mark layer on the surface of the main body (cover) by pad printing. The thickness of the mark layer was approximately 3 μm.

A clear paint was prepared using a two-component curing polyurethane as a base material. The base material of this paint is a mixture of polyether polyol and polyester polyol. The hydroxyl value of this base material is 82 mgKOH/g. The curing agent of this paint is hexamethylene diisocyanate. The NCO:OH equivalent ratio of this paint is 1.3:1.0. This paint contains a glittering material (Merck's product name "Iriodin 201"). The amount of this glittering material is 10 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the base resin. This clear paint was applied to the cover with a spray gun. This paint was dried at a temperature of 40°C for 120 minutes to obtain a paint layer with a thickness of about 10 μm. In this way, a golf ball of Example 1 having a diameter of 42.7 mm and a mass of about 45.4 g was obtained. The hue, saturation, and brightness of the outer surface of the golf ball were measured using the method described above. The hue H0, saturation S0, and brightness L0 of the unmarked portion, and the hue H1, saturation S1, and brightness L1 of the marked portion are shown in Table 3 below.

[Examples 2-12 and Comparative Examples 1-52]
Golf balls of Examples 2-12 and Comparative Examples 1-52 were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the resin composition of the cover and the ink composition of the marking layer were as shown in the following Tables 3 and 4. Details of the resin composition of the cover are shown in the following Table 1. Details of the ink composition of the marking layer are shown in the following Table 2.

[Discomfort]
Each golf ball was placed on a tee with the mark facing up. Twenty golf players hit each ball and evaluated whether or not they felt uncomfortable. Based on the number of players who answered that the mark was not bothersome, the following ranking was given.
A: 16 or more B: 11 to 15 C: 6 to 10 D: 5 or less The results are shown in Tables 3 and 4 below.

[Visibility]
Each golf ball was placed on a bunker. Twenty golf players standing 20 meters away from the ball were asked to evaluate the visibility. Based on the number of players who answered that the golf ball was easy to find, the following ranking was made.
A: 16 or more B: 11 to 15 C: 6 to 10 D: 5 or less The results are shown in Tables 3 and 4 below.

Details of each pigment listed in Table 1 are as follows.
Blue pigment: UKSEUNG CHEMICAL's product name "PANAX EPO COLOER BLUE FP-1050"
Green pigment: DayGlo's product name "ZQ-18"
Red pigment: UKSEUNG CHEMICAL's product name "PANAX EPO COLOER RED FP-113"
Yellow pigment: SINLOIHI's product name "SINLOIHI COLOR FX-305S"
Titanium dioxide: Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha's product name "Tipaque A-220"

Details of the inks listed in Table 2 are as follows:
PAD B13174 Pink: Navitas' product name "PAD-1 Ink B13174 Pink"
08 Red: Navitas' product name "PAD-1 Ink 08 Red"
28 Orange: Navitas' product name "PAD-1 Ink 28 Orange"
12 Yellow: Navitas' product name "PAD-1 Ink 12 Yellow"
07 White: Navitas' product name "PAD-1 Ink 07 White"
45 Dark Blue: Navitas' product name "PAD-1 Ink 45 Dark Blue"
B93112 Blue: Navitas' product name "PAD-1 Ink B93112 Blue"
EXO White: Navitas' product name "PAD-1 Ink EXO White"
90 Black: Navitas' product name "PAD-1 Ink 90 Black"
#9: Wayak Paint Ink Hardener
NT Standard Solvent: Jujo Chemical Co., Ltd.'s ink dilution solvent

Table 3-4 shows the difference H0-H1 between the hue H0 of the non-marked portion and the hue H1 of the marked portion. In examples where the absolute value of this difference |H0-H1| is 0 to 30 or 330 to less than 360, the evaluation result for the sense of incongruity is an A or a B, and the evaluation result for the visibility is an A or a B. In comparative examples where the absolute value of the difference |H0-H1| is greater than 30 and less than 330, either the sense of incongruity or the visibility is a C or a D. From these evaluation results, the superiority of the present invention is clear.

The present invention can be applied to golf balls of various structures.

2: Golf ball 4: Body 6: Mark layer 8: Paint layer 10: Core 12: Cover 14: Dimples 16: Land 18: Marked portion 20: Non-marked portion

Claims (4)

The marking layer includes a body and a marking layer that covers a part of a surface of the body.
The body includes a core and at least one cover layer,
When the hue, saturation and luminance of the outer surface of the core are expressed using H values, S values and L values in the HSL color space, respectively, the hue H2 of the outer surface of the core is 35 or more and 65 or less, the saturation S2 of the outer surface of the core is 3 or more and 30 or less, and the luminance L2 of the outer surface of the core is 80 or more and 95 or less,
When a region where the mark layer is present is defined as a marked portion and a region where the mark layer is not present is defined as a non-marked portion, the non-marked portion has a color other than white on the outer surface thereof,
A golf ball having an outer surface whose hue is expressed using an H value in the HSL color space, the hue H1 of the marked portion and the hue H0 of the unmarked portion satisfy the following formula (1) or (2):
0≦｜H0-H1｜≦30 (1)
330≦｜H0-H1｜<360 (2) The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the saturation and brightness of the outer surface are expressed using the S value and L value in the HSL color space, respectively, and the saturation S0 of the non-marked portion is 20 or more and 50 or less, and the brightness L0 of the non-marked portion is 40 or more and 70 or less. The golf ball according to claim 1 or 2, in which the saturation and brightness of the outer surface are expressed using the S value and L value in the HSL color space, respectively, the saturation S1 of the mark portion is 80 or more and 100 or less, and the brightness L1 of the mark portion is 25 or more and 60 or less. The golf ball according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a paint layer that covers the body and the mark layer, the paint layer including a lustrous material.

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