Three-piece solid golf ball

• US 20030064828A1
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Kato, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 6,723,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/374
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0045 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00621 Centre hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00622 Surface hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/02 Special cores balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball cores A63B37/005
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/12 Special coverings , i.e. outer layer material balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball covers A63B37/0023
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0876 Neutralised polymers, i.e. ionomers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/04 Macromolecular compounds according to groups C08L7/00 - C08L49/00, or C08L55/00 - C08L57/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/24 Graft or block copolymers according to groups C08L51/00, C08L53/00 or C08L55/02; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/00 Compositions of block copolymers containing at least one sequence of a polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/02 of vinyl-aromatic monomers and conjugated dienes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/025 modified

Abstract

The present invention provides a three-piece solid golf ball having long flight distance when hit by using from a middle iron club to a driver, and excellent controllability by accomplishing high spin amount when hit by a short iron club and the like, while maintaining good shot feel. The present invention relates to a three-piece solid golf ball comprising a core composed of a center and an intermediate layer formed on the center, and a cover formed on the core, wherein

the center has a diameter of 10 to 20 mm and a central point hardness in JIS-A hardness of 30 to 90,

the intermediate layer has a surface hardness in Shore D hardness of 50 to 70, and

the cover has a Shore D hardness of 45 to 65.

Claims

1. A three-piece solid golf ball comprising a core composed of a center and an intermediate layer formed on the center, and a cover formed on the core, wherein

the center has a diameter of 10 to 20 mm and a central point hardness in JIS-A hardness of 30 to 90,

the intermediate layer has a surface hardness in Shore D hardness of 50 to 70, and

the cover has a Shore D hardness of 45 to 65.

2. The three-piece solid golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the cover is formed from a cover composition comprising as a base resin a heat mixture of

(a) ionomer resin, and

(b) thermoplastic elastomer selected from the group consisting of styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer, polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer, polyurethane-based thermoplastic elastomer, polyester-based thermoplastic elastomer, polyamide-based thermoplastic elastomer and mixtures of at least one thereof.

3. The three-piece solid golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the cover is formed from a cover composition comprising

(a) 10 to 80 parts by weight of ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer ionomer resin,

(b) 0 to 60 parts by weight of ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid-(meth)acrylic ester terpolymer ionomer resin, and

(c) 5 to 60 parts by weight of styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer,

based on 100 parts by weight of a base resin.

4. The three-piece solid golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer is selected from the group consisting of styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS);

styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer (SIS);

styrene-isoprene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SIBS);

hydrogenation product thereof; and

a polymer alloy of an olefin therewith.

5. The three-piece solid golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer has a thickness of 9.5 to 15.0 mm.