Multi-layered golf ball and composition

• US 6,355,715 B1
• Filed: 09/27/1999
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Dalton, Jeffrey L., Cavallaro, Christopher, Rajagopalan, Murali, Ladd, Derek A., Harris, Kevin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner, David J.
• Application Number:
  US09/404,146
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 524/432, 525/424, 525/440, 473/374, 473/378
• US Class Current: 524/432
• 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 37/0035 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0049 Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0078 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0082 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0087 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0094 Rebound resilience
• 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: C08G 18/10 Prepolymer processes involving reaction of isocyanates or isothiocyanates with compounds having active hydrogen in a first reaction step
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/3203 Polyhydroxy compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/48 Polyethers
• 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 23/08 Copolymers of ethene C08L23/16 takes precedence
• 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 2666/06 : 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 2666/14 : Macromolecular compounds according to C08L59/00 - C08L87/00; 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 75/04 : Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/08 : from polyethers
• 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 layer disposed between the core and cover, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a polyether-type polyurethane 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 density-modifying filler such as zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or blends thereof.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a core having a compression of no greater than about 90;

a cover having at least one layer being formed from a blend including a polyether-type thermoplastic polyurethane having a percent rebound resilience of greater than 60 such that the golf ball has a coefficient of restitution of greater than about 0.76; and

an intermediate layer having a Shore D hardness of about 25 to 50 and a flexural modulus of about 1,000 psi to 8,000 psi.

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

3. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the second component is selected from the group consisting of polyesterester block copolymers, polyetherester block copolymers, polyetheramide block copolymers, dynamically vulcanized thermoplastic elastomers, styrene-butadiene elastomers, other thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic polyesters, polymers formed using a metallocene catalyst, and blends thereof.

4. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the second component comprises a polyetherester block copolymer.

5. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the blend further comprises a density adjusting filler in an amount sufficient to provide the at least one layer with a specific gravity of greater than about 1.2.

6. The golf ball of claim 5, wherein the at least one layer has a specific gravity of greater than about 1.25.

7. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein the density adjusting filler comprises zinc oxide.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the blend comprises about 20 to 90 percent by weight of the polyether-type polyurethane and about 5 to 50 weight percent of a second thermoplastic component.

9. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the blend comprises about 30 to 60 percent by weight of the polyether-type polyurethane and about 20 to 40 weight percent of a second thermoplastic component.

10. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the blend further comprises about 5 to 40 percent by weight of a filler material.

11. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core comprises at least two layers.

12. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the golf ball has a compression of no greater than about 90.

13. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a second layer of at least one of a thermoplastic or a thermoset material.

14. A golf ball comprising:

a core comprising polybutadiene;

a cover layer having a Shore D hardness of about 54 to 72; and

at least one intermediate layer disposed between the cover and the core, wherein the at least one intermediate layer is formed from a blend comprising;

about 20 to 90 percent by weight of the polyether-type polyurethane and

about 5 to 50 weight percent of a second thermoplastic component.; and

wherein the golf ball has a coefficient of restitution of greater than about 0.78.

15. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the intermediate layer is formed from a blend comprising:

about 30 to 60 percent by weight of the polyether-type polyurethane;

about 15 to 30 weight percent filler material; and

about 20 to 40 weight percent of a block copolymer.

16. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the intermediate layer has a Shore D hardness of less than about 40 and a flexural modulus of less than about 10,000 psi.

17. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the blend comprises less than about 40 weight percent polyetherester block copolymer.

18. A golf ball having a coefficient of restitution of greater than about 0.7 and a compression of at least about 50, wherein the ball comprises a core and a cover comprised of at least one layer disposed concentrically about the core, wherein the layer is a composition comprising a polyether urethane derived from a diisocyanate reacted with a hydroxyl terminated polyether and a glycol chain extender composition blended with a thermoplastic selected from the group of copolyesters, polyamides, polyetherester block copolymers, polyesterester block copolymers, polyetheramide block copolymers, polyesteramide block copolymers, and other polyurethane.

19. The golf ball of claim 18, wherein the hydroxyl terminated polyether has alkylene oxide repeat units containing from 2 to 6 carbon atoms and a weight average molecular weight of at least 1,400.

20. The golf ball of claim 18, wherein the hydroxyl terminated polyether contains an alkylene oxide repeat group selected from the group of tetramethylene and butylene oxide.

21. The golf ball of claim 18, wherein the diisocyanate is an aromatic diisocyanate containing between 4 and 20 carbon atoms.

22. The golf ball of claim 18, wherein the glycol chain extenders are straight chain and crystalline.