Multi-layer golf ball

• US 6,083,119 A
• Filed: 03/18/1998
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Spalding Sports Worldwide, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Michael J., Kennedy, Thomas, Risen, William, Keller, Viktor, Neill, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US09/040,887
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 473/354, 473/361, 473/363, 473/364, 473/365, 473/374, 473/376, 473/378, 273/DIG. 1, 273/DIG. 2, 273/DIG. 8, 273/DIG. 10
• US Class Current: 473/354
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/003 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0034 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0052 Liquid cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0053 Thread wound
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0087 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/02 Special cores balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball cores A63B37/005
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 273/01 Carbonate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 273/02 : Styrene
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 273/08 : Urethane
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 273/10 : Butadiene

Abstract

A golf ball, comprising:

a core;

an inner cover layer formed over the core, the inner cover layer having a Shore D hardness of at least 60 as measured on the curved surface thereof, and

an outer cover layer formed over the inner cover layer, the outer cover layer having a Shore D hardness of no more than 53 as measured on the curved surface thereof,

at least one of the inner and outer cover layers comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of polycarbonates, reaction-injection-molded polyurethanes, and styrene-butadiene elastomers,

the golf ball having a PGA compression of 100 or less and a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.750.

Claims

1. A golf ball, comprising:

a core;

an inner cover layer formed over the core, the inner cover layer having a Shore D hardness of at least 60 as measured on the curved surface thereof; and

an outer cover layer formed over the inner cover layer, the outer cover layer having a Shore D hardness of no more than 53 as measured on the curved surface thereof;

at least one of the inner and outer cover layers comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of polycarbonates, reaction-injection-molded polyurethanes, and styrene-butadiene elastomers;

the golf ball having a PGA compression of 100 or less and a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.750.

2. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the outer cover layer has a Shore D hardness of no more than 50.

3. A golf ball according to claim 2, wherein the ball has a PGA compression of 90 or less.

4. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the outer cover layer comprises a thermoplastic material.

5. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the inner cover layer comprises a reaction-injection-molded polyurethane.

6. A golf ball according to claim 5, wherein the core is solid or liquid filled.

7. A golf ball according to claim 5, wherein the core is wound.

8. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the outer cover layer comprises a reaction-injection-molded polyurethane.

9. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the inner cover layer comprises a polycarbonate.

10. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the inner cover layer has a Shore D hardness of at least 65.

11. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the inner cover layer has a Shore D hardness of 60-85.

12. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the outer cover layer comprises a polycarbonate.

13. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the outer cover layer comprises a polyurethane.

14. A golf ball according to claim 13, wherein the polyurethane comprises a reaction-injection-molded polyurethane.

15. A golf ball according to claim 14, wherein the outer cover layer has a Shore D hardness of 30-50.

16. A golf ball according to claim 15, wherein the outer cover layer has a Shore D hardness of 30-53.

17. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the inner cover layer comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of polycarbonates, reaction-injection-molded polyurethanes, and styrene-butadiene elastomers.

18. A golf ball according to claim 17, wherein the outer cover layer comprises ionomer.

19. A golf ball according to claim 17, wherein the inner cover layer has a Shore D hardness of at least 65.

20. A golf ball according to claim 17, wherein the core is solid or liquid filled.

21. A golf ball according to claim 17, wherein the core is wound.

22. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the inner cover layer has a thickness of about 0.01-0.15 inches.

23. A golf ball according to claim 22, wherein the outer cover layer has a thickness of about 0.01-0.15 inches.

24. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the outer cover layer has a thickness of 0.03 inches to 0.07 inches.

25. A golf ball according to claim 24, wherein the inner cover layer has a thickness of 0.03 inches to 0.07 inches.

26. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the inner cover layer has a thickness of 0.03 inches to 0.07 inches.

27. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the outer cover layer has a Shore D hardness of 45-53 as measured on the curved surface thereof.

28. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the inner cover layer has a Shore D hardness of 60-85 as measured on the curved surface thereof.

29. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the core is solid or liquid filled.

30. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the core is wound.

31. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the inner cover layer comprises a styrene-butadiene elastomer.

32. A golf ball comprising:

a core,

an inner cover layer formed from a composition which includes at least 50 weight % of at least one material selected from the group consisting of polycarbonates, reaction-injection-molded polyurethanes, and styrene-butadiene elastomers, and

an outer cover layer formed over the inner cover layer, the outer cover layer having a Shore D hardness of no more than 53 as measured on the curved surface thereof, the golf ball having a PGA compression of 100 or less and a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.750.

33. A golf ball according to claim 32, wherein the material is thermoplastic.

34. A golf ball according to claim 32, wherein the material is a thermoset.