Multilayer golf ball and composition

• US 6,458,892 B1
• Filed: 08/01/2000
• Issued: 10/01/2002
• 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, Harris, Kevin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner, David J.
• Application Number:
  US09/630,387
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 525/92.C, 525/130, 525/440, 525/458, 473/372, 473/373, 473/374
• US Class Current: 525/92.00C
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• 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 37/0049 Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0062 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0066 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0082 Density; Specific gravity
• 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: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/40 comprising polyurethanes
• 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: C08K 3/22 of metals
• 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 2205/03 : containing three or more polymers in a blend
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/08 : Copolymers of ethene C08L23/16 takes precedence
• 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 2666/04 : 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 2666/18 : 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 2666/24 : Graft or block copolymers according to groups C08L51/00, C08L53/00 or C08L55/02; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 51/00 : Compositions of graft polymers in which the grafted component is obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds for ABS polymers C08L55/02; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• 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 67/00 : Compositions of polyesters obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic ester link in the main chain of polyester-amides C08L77/12; of polyester-imides C08L79/08; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/025 : containing polyether sequences
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 : Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/06 : from polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 9/00 : Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons

Abstract

A golf ball comprising a core, a cover, and at least one intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover, wherein the core has a compression of less than about 60 and the intermediate layer is formed from a blend comprising a polyurethane material, wherein the golf ball has a compression of about 75 to about 85.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a core, a cover, and at least one intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover, wherein the intermediate layer is formed from a composition comprising at least one thermoplastic or thermoset polyurethane material, wherein the intermediate layer has a specific gravity of at least about 1.14, and wherein the golf ball has a compression of about 85 or less.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover has a hardness of about 60 to about 72 Shore D.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer has a hardness of about 35 to about 60 Shore D.

4. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the cover hardness and the intermediate layer hardness have a first ratio from about 1.2 to about 2.1.

5. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the core has a hardness such that a second ratio of the intermediate layer hardness to the core hardness is about 0.64 to about 0.91.

6. The golf ball of claim 5, wherein the core hardness is less than about 80 Shore C.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer has a Shore D hardness of about 37 to about 45 and a flexural modulus of at least about 10,000 psi.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises thermoplastic polyurethane material.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer composition further comprises an ethylene methacrylic/acrylic acid copolymer.

10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer further comprises additional thermoplastic material 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 comprising maleic anhydride or sulfonic acid, thermoplastic polyesters, polymers formed using a metallocene catalyst, and mixtures thereof.

11. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic or thermoset polyurethane material is present in an amount from about 25 to about 75 percent by weight.

12. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises a second thermoplastic or thermoset polyurethane.

13. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer has a thickness no greater than about 0.125 inches.

14. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer has a hardness of about 78 Shore D or less.

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

16. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises a density-adjusting filler.

17. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the filler comprises barium sulfate, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, and mixtures thereof.

18. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein the filler comprises zinc oxide present in an amount from about 5 to about 40 weight percent.

19. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has a specific gravity of about 1 to about 1.2.

20. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has a diameter of no greater than about 1.51 inches.

21. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has a Shore C hardness of less than about 80.

22. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a blend of polybutadiene and calcium oxide, and the at least one intermediate layer comprises the polyurethane material present in an amount of about 25 to about 75 weight percent, a copolymer of ethylene and methacrylic acid present in an amount from about 10 to about 50 weight percent, and zinc oxide present in an amount from about 20 to about 30 weight percent.

23. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a blend of at least one ionomer.

42. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the golf ball compression is from about 75 to about 85.

43. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover is formed from a composition comprising thermoset or thermoplastic material.

44. The golf ball of claim 43, wherein the cover has a hardness of about 60 to about 70 Shore D.

45. The golf ball of claim 43, wherein the cover is formed of at least one ionomer, and wherein the at least one ionomer is a copolymer of ethylene and methacrylic acid.

46. The golf ball of claim 43, wherein the first composition further comprises a density-adjusting filler.

47. The golf ball of claim 46, wherein the first composition further comprises a copolymer of ethylene and methacrylic acid present in an amount from about 10 to about 50 weight percent, wherein the polyurethane material present in an amount from about 25 to about 75 weight percent, and wherein the density-adjusting filler is present in an amount from about 20 to about 30 weight percent.

48. The golf ball of claim 43, wherein the core comprises a blend of polybutadiene and calcium oxide.

49. The golf ball of claim 43, wherein the core has a hardness of less than about 80 Shore C.

24. A golf ball comprising:

a core, a cover, and at least one intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover, wherein

the core has a hardness of less than about 80 Shore C; and

the intermediate layer is formed from a blend comprising a thermoplastic polyurethane material, wherein the golf ball has a compression of about 75 to about 85, and wherein the intermediate layer has a hardness of between about 35 and about 50 Shore D.

25. The golf ball of claim 24, wherein the cover has a hardness of about 60 to about 72 Shore D.

26. The golf ball of claim 24, wherein the core has a Bashore resilience of about 30 to about 80.

27. The golf ball of claim 26, wherein the core resilience is about 40 to about 70.

28. The golf ball of claim 24, wherein the intermediate layer has a Bashore resilience of about 35 to about 75.

29. The golf ball of claim 28, wherein the intermediate layer resilience is about 60 to about 70.

30. A golf ball comprising a solid core, an intermediate layer, and a cover, wherein the solid core has a diameter of about 1.25 to about 1.51 inches and a specific gravity of about 1 to about 1.2;

wherein the intermediate layer comprises a polyurethane resin and has a hardness of about 20 to about 60 Shore D and a specific gravity of greater than about 1.2 and greater than that of the solid core; and

wherein the cover comprises an ionomer resin and has a thickness greater than about 0.04 inches and a hardness of about 60 to about 72 Shore D.

31. The golf ball of claim 30, wherein the core diameter is about 1.3 to about 1.48 inches.

32. The golf ball of claim 30, wherein the intermediate layer has a specific gravity of about 1.21 to about 1.3.

33. The golf ball of claim 32, wherein the intermediate layer has a specific gravity of about 1.23 to about 1.29.

34. The golf ball of claim 30, wherein the cover thickness is about 0.04 to about 0.41 inches.

35. The golf ball of claim 30, wherein the intermediate layer has a thickness of about 0.02 to about 0.125 inches.

36. The golf ball of claim 30, wherein the intermediate layer has a diameter of about 1.27 to about 1.64 inches.

37. A golf ball comprising:

a core;

a cover comprising at least one layer;

at least one intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover and being formed of a composition comprising at least one thermoset polyurethane material, wherein the intermediate layer has a Shore D hardness of less than about 60.

38. The golf ball of claim 37, wherein the core has an outer diameter of about 1.25 inches to about 1.63 inches.

39. The golf ball of claim 37, wherein the ratio of the cover material hardness to the intermediate layer material hardness is greater than about 1.

40. The golf ball of claim 37, wherein the cover material hardness is about 68 to 72 Shore D.

41. The golf ball of claim 37, wherein the golf ball compression is from about 75 to about 85.