Multilayer golf ball and composition

• US 6,124,389 A
• Filed: 12/23/1997
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Dalton, Jeffrey L., Cavallaro, Christopher, Rajagopalan, Murali
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner, David J.
• Application Number:
  US08/996,718
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 473/373, 473/374, 524/432, 525/92 F, 525/173, 525/176, 525/221
• US Class Current: 524/432
• 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 37/0046 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0047 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/3644 Vacuum bags; Details thereof, e.g. fixing or clamping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/305 Making multilayered articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/256 Sheets, plates, blanks or films
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/30 comprising vinyl (co)polymers; comprising acrylic (co)polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 210/02 Ethene
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 220/06 Acrylic acid; Methacrylic acid; Metal salts or ammonium salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 21/00 Compositions of unspecified rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/02 containing two or more polymers of the same C08L -group
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0869 Acids or derivatives thereof
• 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 2666/06 Homopolymers or copolymers of unsaturated hydrocarbons; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/08 Homopolymers or copolymers according to C08L7/00 - C08L21/00; 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
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 : Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 9/00 : Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards a multi-layer golf ball which comprises a core, a cover layer and at least one intermediate layers disposed between the core and cover, wherein the intermediate layer comprises an ethylene methacrylic/acrylic acid copolymer and optionally, a second thermoplastic component such as polyetherester block copolymer, polyesterester block copolymer, polyetheramide block copolymer, dynamically vulcanized thermoplastic elastomer, functionalized styrene-butadiene elastomer, thermoplastic polyurethane, thermoplastic polyesters, metallocene polymer or blends thereof and a filler such as zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or blends thereof. Further, in a preferred embodiment, the core has a compression less than 60, the finished ball has a COR (@ 125 ft/sec) of about 0.795 to about 0.815, the intermediate layer has a specific gravity of greater than about 1.2 and the cover has a Shore D hardness of about 60 to about 72.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

(a) a core formed from a blend comprising polybutadiene, wherein the core has a compression of no greater than about 60;

(b) a cover layer having a Shore D hardness of about 60 to about 72;

(c) an intermediate layer disposed between the cover and the core, wherein the intermediate layer is formed from a blend comprising an ethylene methacrylic/acrylic acid copolymer having the formula consisting essentially of;

##STR2## wherein x=50 to 99%;

y=1 to 50%;

z=0 to 49%;

R₁ =H or CH₃ ;

R₂ =methyl, butyl, an isobornyl; and

n=0 to 12; and

wherein the golf ball has a COR measured at 125 ft./sec. of about 0.795 to about 0.815.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer has a specific gravity of greater than 1.2.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer blend further comprises a second component, wherein said second component is a thermoplastic material.

4. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the second component is selected from the group consisting of polyesterester block copolymers, polyetherester block copolymers, polyetheramide block copolymers, ionomer resins, dynamically vulcanized thermoplastic elastomers, styrene-butadiene elastomers with functional groups attached, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic polyesters, polymers formed using a metallocene catalyst and blends thereof.

5. The golf ball of claim 4, wherein the second component comprises a polyetherester block copolymer.

6. The golf ball of claim 5, wherein the intermediate layer blend further comprises a filler.

7. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein the second thermoplastic component comprises polyetherester block copolymer and the filler comprises zinc oxide.

8. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the intermediate layer blend comprises about 10 to about 50 percent by weight ethylene methacrylic/acrylic acid copolymer, about 25 to about 75 percent by weight second thermoplastic component and about 5 to about 40 percent by weight filler.

9. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the intermediate layer blend comprises about 15 to about 25 percent by weight ethylene methacrylic/acrylic acid copolymer, about 50 to about 60 percent by weight second thermoplastic component and about 20 to about 30 percent by weight filler.

10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer blend has a specific gravity of about 1.21 to about 1.30.

11. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer has a Shore D hardness of about 35 to about 50 and a flexural modulus of about 5,000 psi to about 8,000 psi.

12. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core blend further comprises calcium oxide.

13. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has a Shore C hardness of about 65 to about 80.

14. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the golf ball has a compression of no greater than 85.

15. A golf ball comprising:

(a) a core formed from a blend comprising polybutadiene, wherein the core has a compression of less than about 55;

(b) a cover layer formed from a blend of two or more ionomer resins, wherein said cover layer has a Shore D hardness of about 66 to about 70;

(c) an intermediate layer disposed between the cover and the core, wherein the intermediate layer has a specific gravity of about 1.27 and is formed from a blend comprising;

(i) about 15 to about 25 wt. % an ethylene methacrylic/acrylic acid copolymer having the formula consisting essentially of;

##STR3## wherein x=50 to 99%;

y=1 to 50%;

z=0 to 49%;

R₁ =H or CH₃ ;

R₂ =methyl, butyl, and isobornyl; and

n=0 to 12;

(ii) about 20 to about 30 wt. % ZnO; and

(iii) up to about 60 wt. % polyetherester block copolymer; and

wherein the golf ball has a COR of about 0.804 to about 0.806.

16. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein:

(a) the core blend further comprises calcium oxide;

(b) the intermediate layer is formed from a blend comprising;

(i) about 20 wt. % copolymer of ethylene and methacrylic acid;

(ii) about 25 wt. % ZnO;

(iii) about 55 wt. % polyetherester block copolymer.

17. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the intermediate layer has a Shore D hardness of about 40 and a flexural modulus of about 7500 psi, the core has a Shore C hardness of about 75 and the golf ball has a compression of about 82.

18. A golf ball comprising a core, a cover layer having a Shore D hardness of about 60 to about 68, and an intermediate layer disposed between the cover and the core, wherein the intermediate layer is formed from a blend comprising an ethylene methacrylic/acrylic acid copolymer having the formula consisting essentially of:

##STR4## wherein x=50 to 99%;

y=1 to 50%;

z=0 to 49%;

R₁ =H or CH₃ ;

R₂ =methyl, butyl, and isobornyl; and

n=0 to 12; and

and a second component comprising a thermoplastic material.