Golf ball composition

• US 10,252,112 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2017
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Michalewich, Michael, Comeau, Brian, Ricci, Shawn
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner, David J
• Application Number:
  US15/463,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20180264324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00221 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0024 Materials other than ionomers or polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0027 Polyurea
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0074 Two piece balls, i.e. cover and core
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/10 Prepolymer processes involving reaction of isocyanates or isothiocyanates with compounds having active hydrogen in a first reaction step
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/324 containing only one aromatic ring
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/3851 containing three nitrogen atoms in the ring
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/3868 the sulfur atom belonging to a sulfide group
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4854 Polyethers containing oxyalkylene groups having four carbon atoms in the alkylene group
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/7671 containing only one alkylene bisphenyl group
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/7843 containing urethane groups
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 175/04 Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/32 Radiation-absorbing paints protection against X-, gamma- or corpuscular radiation G21F
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/40 Additives
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/61 inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/65 macromolecular C09D7/41-C09D7/48 take precedence

Abstract

Disclosed herein are polyurethane/urea golf ball compositions. The compositions comprise the reaction product of a polyisocyanate prepolymer, a reactive ultraviolet light absorber, and a chain extender. Suitable reactive ultraviolet light absorbers contain at least one reactive functional end group.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising at least one layer formed from a polyurethane/urea composition, wherein the composition comprises a reaction product of a polyisocyanate prepolymer, a reactive benzotriazole ultraviolet light absorber, and a chain extender, and wherein the reactive benzotriazole ultraviolet light absorber has the following structure:

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the reactive benzotriazole ultraviolet light absorber is present in an amount of from 0.5 wt % to 7 wt %, based on the total weight of the polyurethane/urea composition.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon moiety of R₃ has two hydroxyl end groups.

4. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the reactive benzotriazole ultraviolet light absorber has the following structure:

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the golf ball comprises an inner core layer, an outer cover layer, and a coating layer, and wherein the outer cover layer is formed from the polyurethane/urea composition.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the golf ball comprises an inner core layer, an outer cover layer, and one or more coating layers, and wherein at least one of the coating layers is formed from the polyurethane/urea composition.

7. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein at least one of the coating layers formed from the polyurethane/urea composition is a pigmented solvent-borne primer coat.

8. A golf ball comprising an inner core layer, an outer cover layer, and one or more coating layers,

wherein the outer cover layer is formed from a first polyurethane/urea composition comprising a reaction product of a first polyurethane/urea prepolymer, a first reactive benzotriazole ultraviolet light absorber, and a first chain extender, the first reactive benzotriazole ultraviolet light absorber having the following structure:

9. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the first reactive benzotriazole ultraviolet light absorber is present in the first polyurethane/urea composition in an amount of from 0.5 wt % to 7 wt %, based on the total weight of the first polyurethane/urea composition, and the second benzotriazole ultraviolet light absorber is present in the second polyurethane/urea composition in an amount of from 0.5 wt % to 7 wt %, based on the total weight of the second polyurethane/urea composition.

10. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the hydrocarbon moiety of R₆ has two hydroxyl end groups.

11. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein at least one of the coating layers formed from the polyurethane/urea composition is a pigmented solvent-borne primer coat.

12. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein at least one of the coating layers formed from the polyurethane/urea composition is a solvent-borne top coat.

13. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the first reactive benzotriazole ultraviolet light absorber has the following structure:

14. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the second reactive benzotriazole ultraviolet light absorber has the following structure:

15. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the second reactive benzotriazole ultraviolet light absorber has the following structure: