Golf ball composition

• US 6,218,453 B1
• Filed: 02/23/1998
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Boehm, Herbert C., Pasqua, Samuel A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner, David J.
• Application Number:
  US09/027,559
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 473/371, 473/372, 473/373, 473/377, 473/385, 524/433
• US Class Current: 524/433
• 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 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0087 Deflection or compression

Abstract

A low compression golf ball comprising a core formed from a mixture, substantially free of zinc oxide, said mixture comprising polybutadiene, a metal salt of a material selected from the group consisting of diacrylates, dimethacrylates, and monomethacrylates, and calcium oxide, wherein the amount of the calcium oxide is sufficient to provide a core compression of less than 70, and a cover having a Shore D hardness of less than 65.

Claims

1. A golf ball having a compression comprising:

a unitary core having a compression of about 70 or less and a diameter of about 1.55 to 1.6 inches; and

a cover having a hardness of about 65 Shore D or less, wherein the cover is disposed directly on the unitary core; and

wherein the cover comprises a blend of 5 to 60% of a low modulus ionomer resin having a first flexural modulus and 95 to 40% of a conventional ionomer resin having a second flexural modulus that is greater than the first flexural modulus.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the ball compression is less than about 80.

3. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the core compression is less than about 60 and the ball compression is less than about 70.

4. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the cover hardness is less than about 62 Shore D.

5. The golf ball of, claim 1 wherein said low modulus ionomer has a flexural modulus of between about 2,000 and 10,000 psi.

6. The golf ball of claim 5 wherein said conventional ionomer resin has a flexural modulus between about 60,000 and 70,000 psi.

7. A low compression golf ball comprising:

a core made from a mixture comprising polybutadiene, a metal salt of a material selected from the group consisting of diacrylates, dimethacrylates, monomethacrylates, and mixtures thereof, and at least one of about 1 to 10 parts per 100 parts of polybutadiene of calcium oxide or from about 1.25 to no greater than 5 parts per 100 parts of polybutadiene of zinc oxide, such that the core compression is less than about 70;

a cover having a Shore D hardness of less than about 65; and

wherein the core includes a center having a first compression and at least one layer disposed about the center, wherein the core has a second compression at least 10 points lower than the first compression.

8. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the golf ball has a compression of less than about 80.

9. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the compression is less than about 70.

10. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the core has a diameter of at least about 1.55 inches.

11. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the diameter is about 1.55 to 1.6 inches.

12. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the core has a compression of less than about 60.

13. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the cover has a hardness of less than about 62 Shore D.

14. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the cover consists essentially of a blend of 5 to 60% of a low modulus ionomer resin having a first flexural modulus and 95 to 40% of a conventional ionomer resin having a second flexural modulus that is greater than the first flexural modulus.

15. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the low modulus ionomer has a flexural modulus of about 2,000 psi to 10,000 psi.

16. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the conventional ionomer resin has a flexural modulus of about 60,000 psi to 70,000 psi.

17. The golf ball of claim 7 wherein the core comprises the zinc oxide.

18. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein calcium oxide is present in an amount from about 2 to about 5 parts per 100 parts of polybutadiene.

19. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the polybutadiene has a cis-1,4-polybutadiene content of at least about 96%.

20. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the metal salt is present in an amount from about 20 parts to 50 parts per 100 parts of polybutadiene.

21. The golf ball of claim 20, wherein the metal salt is zinc diacrylate.

22. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the center is formed of the mixture.

23. The golf ball of claim 22, wherein the center is comprised of a second mixture comprising polybutadiene, zinc oxide, and a metal salt of a material selected from the group consisting of diacrylates, dimethacrylates, and monomethacrylates, and mixtures thereof.

24. A golf ball comprising:

a solid core having a layer made from a composition substantially free of zinc oxide, said composition comprising polybutadiene, a metal salt of a material selected from the group consisting of diacrylates, dimethacrylates, and monomethacrylates, and calcium oxide in an amount of about 1 to 10 parts per 100 parts of said polybutadiene;

a cover disposed about the core, said cover having a shore D hardness of less than about 65;

wherein the core further comprises a center and the layer surrounds the center; and

wherein the center is solid and has a first compression ratio and the layer has a second compression ratio that is at least 10 points less than the first compression ratio.