Marking of golf balls using luminescent and optically-stimulable glasses

This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/940,420, filed Nov. 15, 2007.

The invention relates generally to anti-counterfeiting systems using compound additives and, in particular, addition of specifically formulated covert additives to golf component parts, such as golf ball, club, or shoe component layers, paints, or ink systems, to enable positive identification as an authentic product.

Golf equipment counterfeiting represents a multi-million dollar industry, and one that has impact on all legitimate product manufacturers. Many of these manufacturers have investigated countermeasures to deter counterfeiters, including covert packaging markings, inks, holograms (and possibly other means of protection of which the inventor is unaware).

Obviously, labels that are not apparent to the naked eye are desired for many manufactured articles and materials, including golf balls. However, the ‘marking’ of products in a manner that is not obvious to the unscrupulous counterfeiter, yet that are robust enough to remain on the product without any deleterious effects, is not a trivial matter. Labels must be flexible in their applicability and as robust as possible. For instance, it is desirable to make labels that can be applied with dyes, inks, stains, shellacs, varnishes, glazes, polymer coatings, and other coatings or materials for application to an article or product. It is also desirable to make such labels robust so that, for instance, they can survive exposure to moderately high temperatures and common solvents, as well as have high impact resistance. Suitable labels must also be non-toxic and have some type of redundancy built into them—that is, the labels should be able to be read in more than one way, as a double check on the authenticity of a labeled article.

Since labels generally require some type of coding (i.e., bar coding, alphanumeric coding, etc.), it is desirable to have such coding on a label that is likewise not visible to the naked eye. In practice today, this is often done by putting a “hidden” number, code, or serial number, for example, in some discreet location on an article, such as inside a case or housing. Unfortunately, such placement is inherently difficult to access when it is desired to read the label. It would be preferred to have coding that is hidden in plain sight. Coding that requires stimulation for readability would satisfy this need.

It is also desirable to have a way of monitoring some time entity or time relationship for labeled articles, such as shipping time or shelf time. A label that included some type of timing capability would satisfy this need. Optimally, such a timing system would have a broad range, being able to time over scales of days, weeks, months, or years, as needed.

This invention calls for incorporation of signature anti-counterfeiting additives into the product itself, via a compound, masterbatch, component, ink or paint system, or other appropriate manufacturing process step. In this manner, the tag is integral to the product, and could not be separated.

Further, the addition of a portable scanning system capable of validating the presence of these additives (be it deployed as an in-shop kiosk, a hand-held scanner given to sales reps or pros, or some other means of distribution) would provide a means for the customer or consumer to quickly feel comfortable with the authenticity of their product at the point of purchase.

The present invention is directed to a golf ball including a core (single or dual); a cover layer; and an additive comprising an optically-stimulable glass powder that is invisible to the naked eye without an external excitation source. The optically-stimulable glass powder typically includes a glass or glass matrix comprising an alkaline earth sulfide doped with a pair of rare earth elements. The alkaline earth sulfide is generally MgS, CaS, SrS, or BaS. The glass or glass matrix includes porous glass, fused quartz, fused silica, alumina glass, silica, borate glass, borosilicate glass, aluminosilicate glass, aluminoborosilicate glass, sealing glass, or soda lime glass; and has an annealing point of 800° C. or less. The glass matrix is doped with ZnS, Cu, Pb, Mn, Ce, Ag, or Eu. The glass or glass matrix is preferably essentially free of metal sulfides or sulfides.

In one embodiment, the optically-stimulable glass powder is blended in the cover layer. In another embodiment, the optically-stimulable glass powder is added to a clearcoat, inks, stains, shellacs, varnishes, glazes, paints, dyes, coating layers, or indicia. The indicia may include a logo, bar code, hob code, date, trademark, alphanumeric code, symbol, or serial number. In a further embodiment, the optically-stimulable glass powder is blended with ionomers, polyurethanes, polyureas, polyethylenes, polycarbonates, silicones, polymethylmethacrylates, acrylic acids, or polyvinyl chlorides.

Preferably, the optically-stimulable glass powder have an excitation wavelength in the UV spectrum and an emission wavelength in the visible spectrum. Generally, the optically-stimulable glass powder is energized using a short wavelength source having a wavelength range of 100 nm to 400 nm, more preferably 100 nm to 280 nm, and sufficient energy to cause electrons in the optically-stimulable glass powder to be trapped. The trapped electrons are released by exposure to an infrared light source, recombine, and emit photons as optically-stimulated luminescence.

In one embodiment, the cover layer comprises an ionomer, a partially- or fully-neutralized ionomer, a polyurethane, or a polyurea. The cover layer should have a hardness of 60 Shore D or less, more preferably 20 Shore D to 55 Shore D. The outer cover layer has a thickness of 0.02 inches to 0.05 inches.

The invention is directed to incorporation of fluorescent anti-counterfeiting additives into a product, preferably a golf ball or packaging therefore, via a compound, masterbatch, component, ink or paint system, or other appropriate manufacturing process step. In this manner, the anti-counterfeiting tag is integral to the product, and cannot be separated.

In a preferred embodiment, the addition of specifically formulated covert additives to golf component parts (such as golf ball cover layers or golf club paint systems) enable positive identification as an authentic product. The additive may be in the form of an engineered taggant (derived from melamine particles and rare earth elements) or an inert chemical tracer. Each of these emerging technologies represents an inexpensive way of positively identifying authentic product.