Low compression, resilient golf balls including an inorganic sulfide catalyst and methods for making the same
First Claim
1. A method for forming a golf ball which comprises:
- combining (a) a cis-to-trans catalyst comprising at least one inorganic sulfide;
(b) a free radical source; and
(c) a first resilient polymer component comprising a cis-polybutadiene component present in an amount greater than about 70 percent;
converting a portion of the first resilient polymer component to a second resilient polymer component, wherein at least a portion of the cis-polybutadiene component is converted to a trans-polybutadiene component and wherein the polybutadiene in the second resilient polymer component is at least about 10 percent trans-polybutadiene and less than about 7 percent vinyl-polybutadiene; and
forming the second resilient polymer component into at least a portion of the golf ball.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A low compression, resilient golf ball having a center and a cover, wherein at least a portion of the ball is formed from the conversion reaction of an amount of polybutadiene, a free radical source, and a cis-to-trans catalyst including at least one inorganic sulfide at a sufficient temperature to form a polybutadiene reaction product which includes an amount of trans-polybutadiene greater than the amount of trans-polybutadiene present before the conversion reaction and a cis-to-trans catalyst including at least one inorganic sulfide. The reaction product preferably has a first dynamic stiffness measured at −50° C. that is less than about 130 percent of a second dynamic stiffness measured at 0° C. A multi-layer golf ball having a center, at least one intermediate layer disposed concentrically about the center, and a cover, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the center, intermediate layer, or both, are made from the reaction product. Also included are methods of forming such golf balls.
72 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for forming a golf ball which comprises:
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combining (a) a cis-to-trans catalyst comprising at least one inorganic sulfide;
(b) a free radical source; and
(c) a first resilient polymer component comprising a cis-polybutadiene component present in an amount greater than about 70 percent;
converting a portion of the first resilient polymer component to a second resilient polymer component, wherein at least a portion of the cis-polybutadiene component is converted to a trans-polybutadiene component and wherein the polybutadiene in the second resilient polymer component is at least about 10 percent trans-polybutadiene and less than about 7 percent vinyl-polybutadiene; and
forming the second resilient polymer component into at least a portion of the golf ball. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
single- or multi-step compression molding of the first resilient polymer component to convert the first resilient polymer component to the second resilient polymer; and
forming the second resilient polymer component into a solid sphere.
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24. The method of claim 23, wherein the converting and forming are substantially simultaneous.
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25. A method for forming a golf ball which comprises:
-
combining (a) a cis-to-trans catalyst comprising at least one inorganic sulfur;
(b) a free radical source; and
(c) a first resilient polymer component comprising a cis-polybutadiene component present in an amount greater than about 70 percent of the polymer component;
converting a portion of the first resilient polymer component to a second resilient polymer component at a time and a temperature sufficient to convert at least a portion of the cis-polybutadiene component to a trans-polybutadiene component and wherein the polybutadiene in the second resilient polymer component is at least about 10 percent trans-polybutadiene and less than about 7 percent vinyl-polybutadiene; and
forming the second resilient polymer component into at least a portion of the golf ball, wherein the second resilient component has a first dynamic stiffness measured at −
50°
C. that is less than about 130 percent of a second dynamic stiffness measured at 0°
C.
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Specification