Patent ID: 7771777

Claim:
A method for coating and inspecting an outer surface of a golf ball comprising a plurality of dimples, comprising the steps of (i) spraying the outer surface of a first golf ball with a liquid coating comprised of 0.5% to 80% of solvent; (ii) providing at least one sensor capable of obtaining images of the golf ball in the non-visible infrared electromagnetic radiation range; (iii) obtaining at least one image of the outer surface of the golf ball using said sensor wherein the same wavelength region of the infrared electromagnetic radiation range is used for each image after said liquid coating has been applied to the surface of the golf ball and while said solvent evaporates and creates a cooling effect, each image comprising an array of pixels, each pixel being represented by a numerical value indicative of a color or brightness for the given pixel; and (iv) determining whether the liquid coating was applied evenly on the surface of the outer surface of the golf ball by: a) obtaining a calibrated image of a second golf ball having an outer surface that has been evenly coated with the liquid coating using the sensor at the same wavelength region of the infrared electromagnetic radiation range used for each image of the first golf ball; b) establishing a total threshold value by adding together the numerical values of the pixels in the calibrated image of the second golf ball; and c) adding the numerical values of the pixels in the image of the first golf ball, wherein if the sum of the numerical values of the pixels in the image of the first golf ball is different than the total threshold value by more than a predetermined amount, the liquid coating is determined as being applied unevenly.