Golf ball layers including very neutralized polymers and methods for making same

• US 10,092,795 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Michael J., Binette, Mark L., Blink, Robert, Bulpett, David A., Comeau, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): SIMMS JR, JOHN ELLIOTT
• Application Number:
  US14/522,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20160114218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0023 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0024 Materials other than ionomers or polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0039 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0078 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0087 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0092 Hardness distribution amongst different ball layers
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/098 Metal salts of carboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/08 Copolymers of ethene C08L23/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0876 Neutralised polymers, i.e. ionomers

Abstract

The present invention relates to golf balls having at least one layer formed from a very neutralized polymer composition. In particular, the compositions of the invention include at least one acid copolymer and a sufficient amount of cation source to neutralize about 70 percent to about 80 percent of the acid moieties. The invention also relates to methods of making the compositions and golf ball constructions that incorporate the compositions of the invention in at least a portion thereof.

Claims

1. A golf ball including:

a core;

an outer cover layer disposed about the core, wherein the outer cover layer is formed from a polymer composition comprising;

a blend of a highly neutralized polymer comprising greater than 90 percent of neutralized acid groups, an acid-containing wax having a Brookfield viscosity of less than 1,000 cps and a density of less than 0.95 g/cc, and

at least one non-acid polymer selected from alkyl acrylate rubbers,

wherein the polymer composition includes about 70 percent to about 80 percent of neutralized acid groups, and

wherein the highly neutralized polymer is present in the blend in an amount of about 80 weight percent to about 95 weight percent and the acid-containing wax is present in the blend in an amount of about 5 weight percent to about 20 weight percent; and

an inner cover layer disposed between the core and the outer cover layer.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the coefficient of restitution of the golf ball is about 0.750 to about 0.815.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the inner cover layer has a hardness of about 40 Shore D to about 70 Shore D.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the Atti compression of the golf ball is about 55 to about 110.