Golf balls incorporating mixtures of a thermoplastic polymer and polymethyl methacrylate-based polymers

• US 10,124,214 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2017
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Michael J., Comeau, Brian, Michalewich, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Simms, Jr., John E
• Application Number:
  US15/813,486
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0024 Materials other than ionomers or polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0039 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0045 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0051 Materials other than polybutadienes; Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29

Abstract

Golf ball incorporating mixtures of thermoplastic polymers and polymethyl methacrylate (MMA) copolymers. The thermoplastic polymer and MMA copolymers may be included in weight ratios of from 98:2 to 50:50. The mixture may have different hardness than that of the thermoplastic polymer, a glass transition temperature Tg-m greater than a glass transition temperature Tg-tp of the thermoplastic polymer, and a modulus, tensile strength and ultimate elongation greater than that of the thermoplastic polymer.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising at least one layer consisting of a mixture of a thermoplastic polymer and a plurality of core-shell polymers;

wherein the thermoplastic polymer comprises at least one thermoplastic polyurethane, thermoplastic urea, thermoplastic urea-urethane hybrid, or combinations thereof; and

wherein at least one of a core and a shell of each core-shell polymer comprises one or more polymethyl methacrylate (MMA) copolymers.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer and the plurality of core-shell polymers are included in the mixture in a weight ratio of from 49:

1 to 50;

50.

3. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the thermoplastic polymer and the plurality of core-shell polymers are included in the mixture in a weight ratio of from 19:

1 to 45;

55.

4. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the thermoplastic polymer and the plurality of core-shell polymers are included in the mixture in a weight ratio of from 7:

1 to 35;

65.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein each core-shell polymer has a diameter of from about 0.5 microns to about 20.0 microns.

6. The golf ball of claim 5, wherein each core-shell polymer has a diameter of from about 0.05 microns to about 0.20 microns.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein at least one core-shell polymer of the plurality has a urethane-containing core.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the at least one core-shell polymer of the plurality has a non-urethane-containing core.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the MMA copolymer is selected from the group consisting of MMA-n-butyl acrylate;

MMA-ethyl acrylate;

MMA-n-butyl acrylate-styrene;

MMA-butadiene-styrene;

MMA-acyrlonitrile-butadiene-styrene;

MMA-ethylene-propylene-diene (EPDM);

MMA-EPDM-styrene;

MMA-glycidyl methacrylate-ethyl acrylate;

MMA-glycidyl;

methacrylate-n-butyl acrylate;

MMA-styrene-acrylonitrile;

or MMA-butadiene;

or combinations thereof.

10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the MMA copolymer has an acrylate selected from the group consisting of methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, propyl acrylate, iso-butyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, n-amyl acrylate, n-hexyl acrylate, isohexyl acrylates, n-heptyl acrylate, isoheptyl acrylates, capryl acrylate, (l-methylheptyl acrylate), n-octyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate, isooctyl acrylates, methylheptyl acrylate, n-nonyl acrylate, isononyl acrylates, 3,5,5-trimethylhexyl acrylate, n-decyl acrylate, lauryl acrylate, n-amyl acrylate, n-hexyl acrylate, capryl acrylate (l-methylheptyl acrylate), n-octyl acrylate, isooctyl acrylates such as n-methylheptyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, capryl acrylate.

11. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer further comprises at least one of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer, acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate, acrylonitrile-ethylene-styrene terpolymer, styrene acrylonitrile copolymer, styrene maleic anhydride copolymer.

12. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer further comprises at least one of polycarbonate, maleic anhydride, grafted maleic anhydride, glycidyl methacrylate, modified polyolefins, and modified styrene copolymers.

13. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the styrene copolymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene), poly(styrene-isoprene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene), and poly(styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene).

14. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer has a material hardness of from about 20 Shore D to about 66 Shore D.

15. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the mixture has a material hardness that is different than the material hardness of the thermoplastic polymer.

16. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the mixture has a material hardness greater than about 20 Shore D and up to about 70 Shore D.

17. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the mixture has a modulus that is greater than a modulus of the thermoplastic polymer.

18. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the at least one layer is a cover layer having a thickness of form about 0.010 inches to about 0.050 inches.

19. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover layer surrounds a rubber-based core.

20. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover layer surrounds a subassembly consisting of an inner core consisting of a first rubber composition, an outer core layer surrounding the inner core and consisting of a second rubber composition that is different than the first rubber composition, and an intermediate layer consisting of an ionomeric composition.

21. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the mixture has a glass transition temperature Tg-m that is greater than a glass transition temperature Tg-tp of the thermoplastic polymer.

22. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein each core-shell polymer of the plurality has a glass transition temperature Tg-cs that is greater than a glass transition temperature Tg-tp of the thermoplastic polymer.

23. The golf ball of claim 22, wherein a glass transition temperature Tg-cs of each core-shell polymer of the plurality and a glass transition temperature Tg-tp of the thermoplastic polymer differ by at least 25°

C.