Golf ball

• US 20020034991A1
• Filed: 07/19/2001
• Published: 03/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Takashi, Kato, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 6,905,425 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/378
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0024 Materials other than ionomers or polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/12 Special coverings , i.e. outer layer material balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball covers A63B37/0023

Abstract

A golf ball is provided that is soft and thus provides an excellent shot feeling, the golf ball exhibiting less deterioration in impact resilience and a superior spin characteristic. The golf ball is further superior in burr resistance and scuff resistance when being shot by an iron club. The golf ball is formed of a core and a cover surrounding the core and the cover composition contains a polymer component including 10 to 80 parts by weight of an ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer-based ionomer resin (Component A), 0 to 60 parts by weight of an ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid-(meth)acrylic acid ester ternary copolymer-based ionomer resin (Component B), and 5 to 60 parts by weight of a thermoplastic elastomer containing a styrene block (Component C). The cover composition has a shore D hardness of 40 to 60.

Claims

1. A golf ball including a core and a cover surrounding said core, said cover formed of a cover composition containing a polymer component including 10 to 80 parts by weight of an ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer-based ionomer resin (Component A), 0 to 60 parts by weight of an ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid-(meth)acrylic acid ester ternary copolymer-based ionomer resin (Component B), and 5 to 60 parts by weight of a thermoplastic elastomer containing a styrene block (Component C), and said cover composition having a shore D hardness of 40 to 60.

2. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein

said thermoplastic elastomer containing the styrene block (Component C) is a styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS), styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer (SIS), styrene-isoprene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SIBS), or hydrogenated copolymers of respective copolymers.

3. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein

said thermoplastic elastomer containing the styrene block (Component C) is a styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS), hydrogenated SBS, styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer (SIS), hydrogenated SIS, styrene-isoprene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SIBS), hydrogenated SIBS, or a polymer alloy formed of a polyolefin.

4. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein

said thermoplastic elastomer containing the styrene block has a shore A hardness of at most 95.