Polyurethane covered golf balls

• US 20030176619A1
• Filed: 10/30/2002
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: Tzivanis, Michael J., Kennedy, Thomas J. III, Keller, Viktor, Risen, William M. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/283,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20030176619A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 528/76
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0037 Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0052 Liquid cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0053 Thread wound
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0054 Substantially rigid, e.g. metal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0074 Two piece balls, i.e. cover and core
• 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 37/0092 Hardness distribution amongst different ball layers
• 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: A63B 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/324 containing only one aromatic ring
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/48 Polyethers
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/6685 with compounds of group C08G18/3225 or polyamines of C08G18/38
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/7671 containing only one alkylene bisphenyl group
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2120/00 Compositions for reaction injection moulding processes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/08 Copolymers of ethene C08L23/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0876 Neutralised polymers, i.e. ionomers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• 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 2666/18 : Polyesters or polycarbonates according to C08L67/00 - C08L69/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/20 : Macromolecular compounds having nitrogen in the main chain according to C08L75/00 - C08L79/00; 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 69/00 : Compositions of polycarbonates; Compositions of derivatives of polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 : Polyurethanes

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a golf ball comprising a polyurethane component formed by the reaction of an isocyanate, and a polyether polyol comprising homopolymers of ethylene oxide or propylene oxide or copolymers thereof, and a curing agent/chain extender. Another preferred form of the invention is directed to a golf ball cover comprising an isocyanate component and an ethylene/propylene oxide polyether polyol polyurethane component that is formed by reaction injection molding.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising a polyurethane material, wherein said polyurethane material is the reaction product of a diisocyanate, a polyether polyol comprising homopolymers of ethylene oxide or propylene oxide or copolymers thereof, and a hydroxy or amine functional chain extender wherein said polyol has a molecular weight of 100 to 10,000.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein said diisocyanate is selected from the group consisting of 4,4N-diphenylmethane diisocyanate;

2,4-toluene diisocyanate;

m-xylylene diisocyanate;

methylene bis-(4-cyclohexyl isocyanate);

hexamethylene diisocyanate;

meta-tetramethylxylylene diisocyanate;

naphthalene-1,5,-diisocyanate;

3,3N-dimethyl-4,4N-biphenyl diisocyanate;

1,4-diisocyanate benzene;

phenylene-1,4-diisocyanate;

2,2,4-trimethyl hexamethylene diisocyanate;

2,4,4-trimethyl hexamethylene diisocyanate; and

combinations thereof.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein said polyurethane material has a hardness of from about 10 to about 95 Shore D.

4. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein said polyurethane material has a hardness of from about 30 to about 75 Shore D.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein said polyurethane material has a flex modulus of from about 0.1 to about 310 Kpsi.

6. The golf ball of claim 5, wherein said polyurethane material has a flex modulus of from about 5 to about 100 Kpsi.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein said polyurethane material is formed by a reaction injection molding process.

8. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein said polyether polyol is a homopolymer of ethylene oxide.

9. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein said polyether polyol is a homopolymer of propylene oxide.

10. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein said polyether polyol has a molecular weight greater than 1,000.

11. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover;

wherein at least said cover comprises a polyurethane material formed from the reaction of a diisocyanate, a polyether polyol comprising homopolymers of ethylene oxide or propylene oxide or copolymers thereof, and a hydroxy or amine functional chain extender.

12. The golf ball according to claim 11, wherein at least said cover is formed by a reaction injection molding process.

13. The golf ball according to claim 11, wherein said cover exhibits a flex modulus of from about 0.1 to about 310 Kpsi.

14. The golf ball according to claim 13, wherein said cover exhibits a flex modulus of from about 5 to about 100 Kpsi.

15. The golf ball according to claim 11, wherein said cover exhibits a hardness of from about 10 to about 95 Shore D.

16. The golf ball according to claim 15, wherein said cover exhibits a hardness of from about 30 to about 75 Shore D.

17. The golf ball according to claim 11, wherein said diisocyanate is selected from the group consisting of 4,4N-diphenylmethane diisocyanate;

2,4-toluene diisocyanate;

m-xylylene diisocyanate;

methylene bis-(4-cyclohexyl isocyanate);

hexamethylene diisocyanate;

meta-tetramethylxylylene diisocyanate;

naphthalene-1,5,-diisocyanate;

3,3N-dimethyl-4,4N-biphenyl diisocyanate;

1,4-diisocyanate benzene;

phenylene-1,4-diisocyanate;

2,2,4-trimethyl hexamethylene diisocyanate;

2,4,4-trimethyl hexamethylene diisocyanate; and

combinations thereof.

18. The golf ball according to claim 11, wherein said core is selected from the group consisting of a solid core, a multi-layer core, a wound core, a liquid core, a metal filled core, and a foamed core.

19. The golf ball according to claim 11, wherein said polyether polyol has a molecular weight from about 100 to about 10,000.

20. The golf ball according to claim 11, wherein said polyether polyol is a polypropylene oxide based polyol and said chain extender is diethyl toluene diamine.

21. The golf ball according to claim 11, wherein said isocyanate is diphenylmethane diisocyanate.

22. The golf ball according to claim 11 further comprising at least one intermediate layer disposed between said core and said cover.

23. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, said cover comprising a polyurethane elastomer consisting essentially of the reaction product of:

a. at least one diisocyanaic monomer;

b. at least one polyether polyol having a number average molecular weight greater than 1,000 and selected from the group consisting of homopolymers of ethylene oxide and copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, and

c. at least one hydroxy of amino functional chain extenders.

24. The golf ball of claim 23, wherein the chain extender is an aromatic diamine.

25. The golf ball of claim 23 wherein the chain extender is DMTDA.

26. The gold ball of claim 23 wherein the diisocyanate monomer component comprises MDI.

27. The golf ball of claim 23 further comprising at least one antioxidant, UV stabilizer, or light stabilizer to improve color stability.

28. A method of making a golf ball comprising

a. a core, and

b. a cover comprising a polyurethane elastomer, wherein the method comprises molding around a pre-made core a cover composition comprising the reactants necessary to produce said polyurethane elastomer, said reactants consisting essentially of:

i. at least one diisocyanate monomer;

ii. at least one polyether polyol having a number average molecular weight greater than 1,000 and selected from the group consisting of homopolymers of ethylene oxide and copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide; and

,

iii. at least one hydroxy or amine functional chain extender.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the chain extender is an aromatic diamine.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the chain extender is DMTDA.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein the diisocyanate monomer component comprises MDI.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein the cover composition further comprises at least one antioxidant, UV stabilizer, or light stabilizer to improve color stability.