Low spin golf ball comprising a mantle with a cellular or liquid core

• US 6,435,985 B1
• Filed: 11/09/2000
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Spalding Sports Worldwide, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Michael J., Nesbitt, R. Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Sewell, Paul T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hunter, Alvin A.
• Application Number:
  US09/710,808
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 473/351, 473/354, 473/359, 473/361, 473/364, 473/363, 473/365, 473/367, 473/368, 473/370, 473/371, 473/372, 473/373, 473/374, 473/376, 473/377, 473/378
• US Class Current: 473/377
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2037/085 liquid, jellylike
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/08 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00 Solid balls; Rigid hollow balls; Marbles heavy throwing balls A63B65/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0024 Materials other than ionomers or polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0045 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0054 Substantially rigid, e.g. metal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/008 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/08 Liquid cores; Plastic cores
• 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 43/00 Balls with special arrangements
• 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: C08L 2205/02 containing two or more polymers of the same C08L -group
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/025 Copolymer of an unspecified olefin with a monomer other than an olefin
• 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

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a golf ball comprising a soft core and a hard cover to produce a resulting molded golf ball having a reduced spin rate. The golf ball comprises one or more metal mantle layers and a cellular or liquid core component. The golf ball may also comprise an optional polymeric spherical substrate inwardly disposed relative to the one or more metal mantle layers. The golf ball of the present invention may also utilize an enlarged diameter which serves to further reduce spin rate. The resulting golf ball exhibits properties of reduced spin without sacrificing durability, playability and resilience.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a core including a cellular center component and a metal mantle layer disposed about said cellular center component; and

a polymeric cover disposed about said core, said cover including at least one high acid ionomer resin comprising a copolymer of greater than 16% by weight of an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid, and an alpha olefin of which about 10 to about 90% of the carboxyl groups of the copolymer are neutralized with a metal cation.

2. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein said cover is comprised of at least one high acid ionomer resin comprising a copolymer of about 17% to about 25% by weight of an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid, and an alpha olefin of which about 10 to about 90% of the carboxyl groups of the copolymer are neutralized with a metal cation.

3. The golf ball of claim 2 wherein said cover is comprised of at least one high acid ionomer resin comprising from about 18.5% to about 21.5% by weight of an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid, and an alpha olefin of which about 10 to about 90% of the carboxyl groups of the copolymer are neutralized with a metal cation.

4. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein said mantle comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of steel, titanium, chromium, nickel, and alloys thereof.

5. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein said mantle comprises a nickel titanium alloy.

6. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein said mantle has a uniform thickness ranging from about 0.001 inches to about 0.050 inches.

7. The golf ball of claim 6 wherein said thickness ranges from about 0.005 inches to about 0.050 inches.

8. The golf ball of claim 7 wherein said thickness ranges from about 0.005 inches to about 0.010 inches.

9. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein said mantle layer comprises:

a first spherical shell proximate to said cellular center component; and

a second spherical shell disposed between said first shell and said polymeric cover.

10. The golf ball of claim 9 wherein said first shell and said second shell independently each comprise a metal selected from the group consisting of steel, titanium, chromium, nickel, and alloys thereof.

11. The golf ball of claim 10 wherein at least one of said first shell and said second shell comprise a nickel titanium alloy.

12. The golf ball of claim 1 further comprising:

a polymeric hollow spherical substrate, said spherical substrate disposed between said mantle layer and said cellular center component.

13. The golf ball of claim 12 wherein said substrate has a thickness from about 0.005 inches to about 0.010 inches.

14. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein said cellular center component comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of polybutadiene/ZDA mixtures, polyurethanes, polyolefins, ionomers, metallocenes, polycarbonates, nylons, polyesters, and polystyrenes.

15. The golf ball of claim 14 wherein said cellular center component comprises a crosslinked polybutadiene/ZDA mixture.

16. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein said cellular center component is disposed immediately adjacent to said metal mantle layer.

17. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein said cover has a thickness greater than 0.0675 inches.

18. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein said cover has a thickness of from about 0.0675 inches to about 0.130 inches.

19. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein said golf ball has a diameter of about 1.680 to about 1.800 inches.

20. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein said cellular center component has a diameter of from about 1.340 to about 1.638 inches.

21. The golf ball of claim 20 wherein said cellular center component has a diameter of from about 1.500 to about 1.540 inches.

22. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein said cellular center component has a specific gravity of from about 0.10 to about 1.0.

23. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein said metal mantle layer comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, brass, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, silver, steel, tantalum, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, zinc, and alloys thereof.

24. A golf ball comprising:

a core including (i) at least one of a hollow polymeric spherical substrate defining an interior region, and a hollow metal mantle defining an interior region, and (ii) a liquid disposed in said interior region of said at least one of said hollow polymeric spherical substrate and said hollow metal mantle; and

a polymeric cover disposed about said core, said cover comprising at least one ionomeric resin including at least 16% by weight carboxylic acid and an alpha olefin of which about 10 to about 90% of the carboxyl groups of the copolymer are neutralized with a metal cation.

25. The golf ball of claim 24 wherein said mantle comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of steel, titanium, chromium, nickel, and alloys thereof.

26. The golf ball of claim 24 wherein said mantle comprises a nickel titanium alloy.

27. The golf ball of claim 24 wherein said mantle has a uniform thickness ranging from about 0.001 inches to about 0.060 inches.

28. The golf ball of claim 27 wherein said thickness of said mantle ranges from about 0.005 inches to about 0.050 inches.

29. The golf ball of claim 28 wherein said thickness of said mantle ranges from about 0.005 inches to about 0.010 inches.

30. The golf ball of claim 24 wherein said liquid comprises at least one agent selected from the group consisting of water, alcohol and oil, and at least one agent selected from the group consisting of an inorganic salt, clay, barytes, and carbon black.

31. The golf ball of claim 30 wherein said core comprises an inorganic salt and water.

32. The golf ball of claim 31 wherein said inorganic salt is calcium chloride.

33. The golf ball of claim 24 wherein said metal mantle layer comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, brass, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, silver, steel, tantalum, tin, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, zinc, and alloys thereof.

34. The golf ball of claim 24 wherein said cover is comprised of at least one high acid ionomer resin comprising a copolymer of about 17% to about 25% by weight of an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid, and an alpha olefin of which about 10 to about 90% of the carboxyl groups of the copolymer are neutralized with a metal cation.

35. The golf ball of claim 34 wherein said cover is comprised of at least one high acid ionomer resin comprising from about 18.5% to about 21.5% by weight of an alpha, beta-unsaturated carboxylic acid, and an alpha olefin of which about 10 to about 90% of the carboxyl groups of the copolymer are neutralized with a metal cation.

36. The golf ball of claim 24 wherein said mantle layer comprises:

a first spherical shell proximate to said cellular center component; and

a second spherical shell disposed between said first shell and said polymeric cover.

37. The golf ball of claim 36 wherein said first shell and said second shell independently each comprise a metal selected from the group consisting of steel, titanium, chromium, nickel, and alloys thereof.

38. The golf ball of claim 37 wherein at least one of said first shell and said second shell comprise a nickel titanium alloy.

39. The golf ball of claim 24 further comprising:

a polymeric hollow spherical substrate, said spherical substrate disposed between said mantle layer and said cellular center component.

40. The golf ball of claim 39 wherein said substrate has a thickness from about 0.005 inches to about 0.010 inches.

41. The golf ball of claim 24 wherein said cover has a thickness greater than 0.0675 inches.

42. The golf ball of claim 24 wherein said cover has a thickness of from about 0.0675 inches to about 0.130 inches.

43. The golf ball of claim 24 wherein said golf ball has a diameter of about 1.680 to about 1.800 inches.