Multi-layer golf ball

• US 6,520,871 B1
• Filed: 07/05/2000
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Spalding Sports Worldwide, Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kennedy, Thomas J., Neill, John, Keller, Viktor M., Sullivan, Michael J., Risen, William M. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Mark S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gorden, Raeann
• Application Number:
  US09/611,576
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 473/373, 473/374, 473/378, 473/377
• US Class Current: 473/374
• 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 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0034 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0053 Thread wound
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0087 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/02 Special cores balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball cores A63B37/005
• 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 2666/02 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 2666/18 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 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 69/00 Compositions of polycarbonates; Compositions of derivatives of polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 Polyurethanes

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a multi-layer golf ball having a soft outer cover. The golf ball has an inner cover layer with a Shore D hardness of 60 or more, and an outer cover with a Shore D hardness of 53 or less. In a particularly preferred form of the invention, the outer cover comprises at least 75% of a soft, ionomeric copolymer formed from a polyolefin, an unsaturated carboxylic acid, and a monomer of the acrylate ester class. The golf ball of the invention has exceptionally soft feel and high spin rates on short shots of 80 yards or less and, particularly, 40 yards or less, while maintaining good distance and average spin on full shots.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a core;

an inner cover layer disposed on the core, wherein the inner cover layer exhibits a Shore D hardness of about 60 or greater, and

an outer cover layer disposed on the inner cover layer, wherein the outer cover layer comprises a reaction injection-molded polyurethane and exhibits a Shore D hardness of about 55 or less.

2. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the inner cover layer is harder than the outer cover layer.

3. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the inner cover layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of high acid ionomers, low acid ionomers, metallocene catalyzed polyolefins, polyamides, polycarbonates, thermoplastic polyurethanes/polyureas, reaction-injection-molded polyurethane, polyester polyurethane, thermoplastic block polyesters and blends thereof.

4. The golf ball according to claim 3, wherein the inner cover layer comprises a reaction-injected molded polyurethane.

5. The golf ball according to claim 3, wherein the inner cover layer comprises a high acid ionomer.

6. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the outer cover layer further comprises a low modulus ionomer.

7. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the golf ball exhibits a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.750.

8. A golf ball comprising:

an inner core assembly comprising a core and an inner cover layer disposed about the core, the inner core assembly having a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.770; and

an outer cover layer disposed about the inner core assembly, wherein the outer cover layer comprises a reaction-injection-molded polyurethane and exhibits a Shore D hardness of about 55 or less.

9. The golf ball according to claim 8, wherein the inner core assembly has a PGA compression of less than about 100.

10. The golf ball according to claim 8, wherein the inner cover layer has a Shore D hardness of at least 60.

11. The golf ball according to claim 8, wherein the inner cover has a Shore D hardness greater than the Shore D hardness of the outer cover layer.

12. The golf ball according to claim 8, wherein the inner cover layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of high acid ionomers, low acid ionomers, metallocene catalyzed polyolefins, polyamides, polycarbonates, thermoplastic polyurethanes/polyureas, reaction-injection-molding polyurethane, polyester polyurethane, thermoplastic block polyesters and blends thereof.

13. The golf ball according to claim 8, wherein the outer cover layer further comprises a low modulus ionomer.

14. A golf ball comprising:

a core having a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.750;

an inner cover layer disposed about the core, the inner cover layer having a Shore D hardness of at least 60; and

an outer cover layer disposed about the inner cover layer, the outer cover layer comprising a reaction-injection-molded polyurethane and having a Shore D hardness less than the Shore D hardness of the inner cover layer.

15. The golf ball according to claim 14, wherein the outer cover layer exhibits a Shore D hardness of less than about 55.

16. The golf ball according to claim 14, wherein the golf ball exhibits a PGA compression of less than about 100.

17. The golf ball according to claim 14, wherein the golf ball exhibits a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.750.

18. A golf ball comprising:

a core;

an inner cover layer disposed about the core, the inner cover layer having a Shore D hardness of at least 60; and

an outer cover layer disposed about the inner cover layer, the outer cover layer comprising a reaction-injection-molded polyurethane and having a Shore D hardness of less than about 55, wherein the golf ball exhibits a PGA compression of less than about 100 and a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.750.