Golf balls incorporating thermoplastic blend(s) of ionomer(s), thermoplastic polymer(s), and polymethyl methacrylate-based polymer(s)

• US 10,500,443 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2018
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• 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:
  US16/186,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20190143178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 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 37/0038 Intermediate layers, e.g. inner cover, outer core, mantle
• 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: 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 18/42 Polycondensates having carboxylic or carbonic ester groups in the main chain
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/44 Polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/48 Polyethers
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4825 Polyethers containing two hydroxy groups C08G18/4833 - C08G18/5096 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4837 and other oxyalkylene units
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4854 Polyethers containing oxyalkylene groups having four carbon atoms in the alkylene group
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/73 acyclic
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/751 containing only one cycloaliphatic ring
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/755 and at least one isocyanate or isothiocyanate group linked to a secondary carbon atom of the cycloaliphatic ring, e.g. isophorone diisocyanate
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/758 containing two or more cycloaliphatic rings
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/765 alpha, alpha, alpha', alpha', -tetraalkylxylylene diisocyanate or homologues substituted on the aromatic ring
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/792 formed by oligomerisation of aliphatic and/or cycloaliphatic isocyanates or isothiocyanates
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0876 : Neutralised polymers, i.e. ionomers

Abstract

Golf ball incorporating thermoplastic blend of (i) ionomer(s); (ii) different thermoplastic polymer(s) selected from thermoplastic polyurethane(s), thermoplastic urea(s), thermoplastic urea-urethane hybrid(s), or combinations thereof; and (iii) polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based copolymer(s) and/or core-shell polymer(s) having a core and/or a shell containing polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based copolymer(s). Ionomer(s) are present in thermoplastic blend in amount of about 45 wt % or greater. Different thermoplastic polymer present in blend in amount of: from about 8 wt % to about 50 wt %; or greater than 20 wt %, or from about 25 wt % to about 45 wt %; or from about 35 wt % to about 50 wt %. In a particular embodiment, amount of ionomer(s) is greater than thermoplastic polyurethane amount. Component (iii) may be present in an amount of about 2 wt % to about 35 wt %, and in a specific embodiments, polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based copolymer(s) and/or core-shell polymer(s) included in blend in amount of from about 15 wt % to about 35 wt %.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising a core and at least one layer comprising a thermoplastic blend of (i) at least one ionomer;

(ii) at least one thermoplastic polyurethane; and

(iii) at least one core-shell polymer;

wherein a core of the core-shell polymer comprises a polyurethane and a shell of the core-shell polymer comprises a polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based copolymer; and

wherein the ionomer is present in an amount of about 45 wt % or greater and the core-shell polymer is present in an amount of about 2 wt % to about 35 wt %.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane is present in an amount of from about 8 wt % to about 50 wt %.

3. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane is present in an amount of from about 25 wt % to about 45 wt %.

4. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane is present in an amount of from about 35 wt % to about 50 wt %.

5. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the ionomer is present in an amount greater than the amount of thermoplastic polyurethane.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the ionomer is present in an amount of from about 45 wt % to about 70 wt %.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane is present in an amount of from about 10 wt % to about 40 wt % and the core-shell polymer is present in an amount of from about 5 wt % to about 20 wt %.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core-shell polymer has a diameter of from about 0.05 microns to about 20.0 microns.

9. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the core-shell polymer has a diameter of from about 0.05 microns to about 0.20 microns.

10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core of the core-shell polymer comprises a non-urethane.

11. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based copolymer is selected from the group consisting of polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based-n-butyl acrylate;

polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based-ethyl acrylate;

polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based-n-butyl acrylate-styrene;

polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based-butadiene-styrene;

polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based-acyrlonitrile-butadiene-styrene;

polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based-ethylene-propylene-diene (EPDM);

polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based-EPDM-styrene;

polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based-glycidyl methacrylate-ethyl acrylate;

polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based-glycidyl;

(meth)acrylate-n-butyl acrylate;

polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based-styrene-acrylonitrile;

polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based-butadiene;

alternating polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based copolymers, block polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based copolymers, random polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based copolymers, graft polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based copolymers, and gradient polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based copolymers, and combinations thereof.

12. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based copolymer comprises (meth)acrylates selected from the group consisting of (meth)acrylates derived from saturated alcohols;

(meth)acrylates derived from unsaturated alcohols;

aryl(meth)acrylates;

cycloalkyl(meth)acrylates;

hydroxyalkyl(meth)acrylates;

glycol di(methacrylates);

(meth)acrylates of ether alcohols;

amides of (meth)acrylic acid;

nitriles of (meth)acrylic acid;

sulfur-containing (meth)acrylates; and

polyfunctional (meth)acrylates; and

combinations thereof.

13. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based copolymer comprises acrylates 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, (1-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 (1-methylheptyl acrylate), n-octyl acrylate, and isooctyl acrylates.

14. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based copolymer comprises a comonomer selected from the group consisting of 1-alkenes;

branched alkenes;

acrylonitrile;

styrenes;

maleic acid derivatives; and

dienes; and

combinations thereof.

15. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane has a material hardness of from about 20 Shore D to about 65 Shore D.

16. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic blend has a material hardness that is different than the material hardness of the thermoplastic polyurethane.

17. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic blend has a material hardness of from about 20 Shore D and to about 70 Shore D.

18. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the at least one layer is a cover layer and has a hardness H that differs from a hardness H(ii) of the thermoplastic polyurethane by at least about 5 Shore D hardness points;

and wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane has a hardness of from about 20 Shore D to about 70 Shore D.

20. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the at least one layer consists of the thermoplastic blend.

19. A golf ball comprising a core and at least one layer comprising a thermoplastic blend of (i) at least one ionomer;

(ii) at least one thermoplastic polyurethane; and

(iii) at least one core-shell polymer;

wherein at least one of a core and a shell of the core-shell polymer comprises a polymethyl (meth)acrylate-based copolymer; and

wherein the ionomer is present in an amount of about 45 wt % or greater and the core-shell polymer is present in an amount of about 2 wt % to about 35 wt %; and

wherein the at least one layer is an inner cover layer and is surrounded by an outer cover layer, the inner cover layer having a hardness H that differs from a hardness H(ii) of the thermoplastic polyurethane by at least about 5 Shore D hardness points; and

wherein the thermoplastic polyurethane has a hardness of from about 20 Shore D to about 70 Shore D.