Golf ball covers including polyurethane and optical brighteners

• US 6,528,578 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2001
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wu, Shenshen
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner, David J.
• Application Number:
  US09/955,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20020035211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 524/84, 524/742, 524/750, 524/873, 524/720, 473/354, 473/365, 473/374, 473/378
• US Class Current: 524/750
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0024 Materials other than ionomers or polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0052 Liquid cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0054 Substantially rigid, e.g. metal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0056 Hollow; Gas-filled
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0074 Two piece balls, i.e. cover and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/12 Special coverings , i.e. outer layer material balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball covers A63B37/0023

Abstract

A golf ball comprising a core and a cover layer wherein the cover is formed of a polyurethane composition comprising a prepolymer comprising a saturated diisocyanate and a curing agent, and an optical brightener.

Claims

1. A golf ball having a compression of at least about 55 comprising a core and a cover layer wherein the cover comprises an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer formed of a thermoset polyurethane composition comprising:

a saturated prepolymer comprising a saturated polyol and a saturated diisocyanate;

a saturated curing agent;

a UV absorber; and

an optical brightener;

and wherein the inner cover layer is harder than the outer cover layer.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the optical brightener comprises stilbenes;

4,4′

-bis-(2-benzoxazolyl)stilbene;

styryl benzenes and styryl biphenyls;

bis-(benzazol-2-yls);

thiophene beozoxazole;

coumarins;

7-(2h-naphthol (1,2-d)-triazol-2-yl)-3-phenyl-coumarin;

carbostyrils;

naphthalimides;

dibenzothiophene-5,5-dioxides;

pyrenes;

pyridotriazoles;

4,4′

-diamino stilbene-2,2′

-disulfonic acids;

4-methyl-7-diethylamino coumarin;

2,5-bis(5-tert-butyl)-2-benzoxazolyl) thiophene;

triazinol benzenedisulfonic acids;

2,2′

-(1,2-ethenediylbis((3-sulfo-4,1-phenylene)imino (6-(diethylamino)-1,3,5-triazine-4,2-diyl)imino)) bis-1,4-benzenedisulfonic acid hexasodium salt;

2,5-thiophenediylbis(5-tert-butyl-1,3-benzooxazole; and

mixtures thereof.

3. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the optical brightener is 2,5-thiophenediylbis(5-tert-butyl-1,3-benzooxazole.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the prepolymer further comprises an initiated polycaprolactone comprising diethylene glycol-initiated polycaprolactone;

1,4-butanediol-initiated polycaprolactone;

1,6-hexanediol-initiated polycaprolactone;

trirnethylol propane-initiated polycaprolactone;

neopentyl glycol-initiated polycaprolactone;

polytetramethylene ether glycol-initiated polycaprolactone; and

mixtures thereof.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the prepolymer further comprises polytetramethylene ether glycol;

poly(oxypropylene) glycol;

polyethylene adipate glycol;

polyethylene propylene adipate glycol;

polybutylene adipate glycol;

polycarbonate glycol;

ethylene oxide-capped polyoxypropylene diol; and

mixtures thereof.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the saturated diisocyanate comprises ethylene diisocyanate;

propylene-1,2-diisocyanate;

tetramethylene-1,4-diisocyanate;

1,6-hexamethylene-diisocyanate;

2,2,4-trimethylhexamethylene diisocyanate;

2,4,4-trimethylhexamethylene diisocyanate;

dodecane-1,12-diisocyanate;

dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate;

cyclobutane-1,3-diisocyanate;

cyclohexane-1,3-diisocyanate;

cyclohexane-1,4-diisocyanate;

1-isocyanato-3,3,5-trimethyl-5-isocyanatomethylcyelohexane;

isophorone diisocyanate;

methyl cyclohexylene diisocyanate;

triisocyanate of 1,6-hexamethylene-diisocyanate;

triisocyanate of 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,6-hexane diisocyanate;

4, 4′

-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate, and mixtures thereof.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the curing agent comprises 1,4-butanediol;

isomers and mixtures of cyclohexyldimethylol;

ethylene glycol;

diethylene glycol;

polytetramethylene ether glycol;

propylene glycol;

trimethanolpropane;

tetra-(2-hydroxypropyl)-ethylenediamine;

isomers and mixtures of cyclohexane-bis-(methylamine);

triisopropanolamine;

4,4′

-dicyclohexylmethane diamine;

isomers and mixtures of diaminocyclohexane;

2,2,4-trimethyl-1,6-hexanediamine;

2,4,4-trimethyl-1,6-hexanediamine;

diethyleneglycol di-(aminopropyl)ether;

4,4′

-bis-(sec-butylamino)-dicyclohexylmethane;

1,2-bis-(sec-butylamino)cyclohexane;

1,4-bis-(sec-butylamino)cyclohexane;

isophorone diamine;

hexamethylene diamine;

propylene diamine;

1-methyl-2,4-cyclohexyl diamine;

1-methyl-2,6-cyclohexyl diamine;

ethylene diamine;

diethylene triamine;

triethylene tetramine;

tetraethylene pentamine;

1,3-diaminopropane;

dimethylamino propylamine;

diethylamino propylamine;

imido-bis-propylamine;

monoethanolamine;

diethanolamine;

triethanolamine;

monoisopropanolamine;

diisopropanolamine, and mixtures thereof.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the polyurethane composition further comprises a UV absorber.

9. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the UV absorber comprises poly-(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl),-α

-(3-(3-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-5-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-oxopropyl)-ω

-hydroxy;

2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4,6-bis-(1,1-dimethylpropyl)-phenol;

dimethyl succinate polymer with 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidineethanol;

bis-(1,2,2,6,6-pentamethyl-4-piperidinyl) sebacate;

bis-(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl) sebacate; and

mixtures thereof.

10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a center and an outer core layer.

11. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the golf ball comprises a layer of tensioned elastomer material disposed between the cover and the core.

12. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a fluid filled, solid or hollow center.

13. A golf ball comprising a core, a cover layer, and at least one intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover, wherein the cover is formed of a polyurethane composition comprising:

a saturated prepolymer comprising a saturated polyol and a saturated diisocyanate;

a saturated curing agent;

an optical brightener; and

a catalyst; and

wherein the intermediate layer comprises a second polyurethane composition comprising a saturated polyol, a saturated diisocyanate, and a saturated curing agent.

14. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the catalyst comprises bismuth catalyst, oleic acid, triethylenediamine, di-butyltin dilaurate, acetic acid, and mixtures thereof.

15. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the catalyst is di-butyltin dilaurate.

16. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the optical brightener is present in an amount of between about 0.01 and about 0.05 weight percent of the polyurethane composition.

17. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the saturated polyol comprises polyether polyols;

polyester polyols;

polycarbonate polyols;

polycaprolactone polyols; and

mixtures thereof.

18. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the saturated polyol comprises polytetramethylene ether glycol;

polytetramethylene ether glycol initiated polycaprolactone; and

mixtures thereof.

19. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the saturated diisocyanate comprises 4,4′

-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate;

or a mixture thereof.

20. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the saturated curing agent comprises diols;

triols;

tetraols;

secondary amines;

polyamines;

polyfunctional glycols; and

mixtures thereof.

21. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the polyurethane composition further comprises UV absorbers;

light stabilizers; and

mixtures thereof.

22. The golf ball of claim 21, wherein the UV absorbers comprise 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4,6-bis-(1,1-dimethylpropyl)-phenol, and wherein the light stabilizers comprise bis-(1,2,2,6,6-pentamethyl-4-piperidinyl)sebacate.

23. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the polyurethane composition is a thermoplastic polyurethane.

24. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the polyurethane composition is a thermoset polyurethane.

25. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the core comprises a center and an outer core layer.

26. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the cover comprises an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer.

27. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the golf ball comprises a layer of tensioned elastomer material disposed between the cover and the core.

28. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the core comprises a fluid filled, solid or hollow center.