Golf ball cores comprising a halogenated organosulfur compound

• US 6,635,716 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2001
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Rajagopalan, Murali, Voorheis, Peter R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner, David J.
• Application Number:
  US09/951,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20030064826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 525/261, 525/274, 473/372, 473/373, 473/374, 473/376, 473/377
• US Class Current: 525/261
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0061 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression

Abstract

A golf ball formed of a core and a cover, wherein the core has a diameter of at least about 1.50 inches and comprises a polybutadiene rubber composition comprising at least about 2.2 parts per hundred of a halogenated organosulfur compound, and wherein the cover has a thickness of less than about 0.1 inches and comprises a polyurethane composition.

Claims

1. A golf ball fanned of a core and a cover, wherein the core has a compression of less than about 75 and a diameter of at least about 1.50 inches and comprises a polybutadiene jabber composition comprising at least about 2.2 parts per hundred of a halogenated organosulfur compound, and wherein the golf ball has a coefficient of restitution of greater than about 0.800 and the cover has a thickness of less than about 0.1 inches and comprises a polyurethane composition.

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

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has a diameter of at least about 1.55 inches.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer.

5. The golf ball of claim 4, wherein at least one of the inner and outer cover layers have a thickness of less than about 0.05 inches.

6. The golf ball of claim 5, wherein the inner cover layer comprises an ionomeric material, vinyl resins, polyolefins, polyurethanes, polyureas, polyamides, acrylic resins, thermoplastics, polyphenylene oxide resins, thermoplastic polyesters, thermoplastic rubbers, fully-neutralized polymers, polycarbonates, polybutylene terephthalates, acrylonitriles, butadienes, or partially-neutralized polymers.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the polybutadiene rubber composition comprises between about 2.2 parts and about 5 parts of a halogenated organosulfur compound.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the halogenated organosulfur compound is selected from the group consisting of pentafluorothiophenol;

2-fluorothiophenol;

3-fluorothiophenol;

4-fluorothiophenol;

2,3-fluorothiophenol;

2,4-fluorothiophenol;

3,4-fluorothiophenol;

3,5-fluorothiophenol 2,3,4-fluorothiophenol;

3,4,5-fluorothiophenol;

2,3,4,5-tetrafluorothiophenol;

2,3,5,6-tetrafluorothiophenol;

4-chlorotetrafluorothiophenol;

pentachlorothiophenol;

2-chlorothiophenol;

3-chlorothiophenol;

4-chlorothiophenol;

2,3-chlorothiophenol;

2,4-chlorothiophenol;

3,4-chlorothiophenol;

3,5-chlorothiophenol;

2,3,4-chlorothiophenol;

3,4,5-chlorothiophenol;

2,3,4,5-tetrachlorothiophenol;

2,3,5,6-tetrachlorothiophenol;

pentabromothiophenol;

2-bromothiophenol;

3-bromothiophenol 4-bromothiophenol;

2,3-bromothiophenol;

2,4-bromothiophenol;

3,4-bromothiophenol;

3,5-bromothiophenol;

2,3,4-bromothiophenol;

3,4,5-bromothiophenol;

2,3,4,5-tetrabromothiophenol;

2,3,5,6-tetrabromothiophenol;

pentaiodothiophenol;

2-iodothiophenol;

3-iodothiophenol;

4-iodothiophenol;

2,3-iodothiophenol;

2,4-iodothiophenol;

3,4-iodothiophenol;

3,5-iodothiophenol;

2,3,4-iodothiophenol;

3,4,5-iodothiophenol;

2,3,4,5-tetraiodothiophenol;

2,3,5,6-tetraiodothiophenoland; and

their zinc salts, the metal salts thereof and mixtures thereof.

9. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the halogenated organosulfur compound is pentachlorothiophenol or the metal salt thereof.

10. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the metal salt is selected from the group consisting of zinc, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and lithium.

11. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the metal salt is zinc.

12. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the polyurethane composition comprises at least one of a UV absorber, a hindered amine light stabilizer, or an optical brightener.

13. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the golf ball has a coefficient of restitution of greater than about 0.815.

14. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has a compression of less than about 55 and the golf ball has a coefficient of restitution of rater than about 0.815.

15. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the polybutadiene composition further comprises an α

,β

-unsaturated carboxylic acid or a metal salt thereof, an organic peroxide, and a filler.

16. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the polyurethane composition comprises a prepolymer formed of a polyisocyanate and a polyol, and a curing agent.

17. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein at least one of the prepolymer and curing agent are saturated.

18. A golf ball formed of a single core and a cover, wherein the core has a diameter of at least about 1.55 inches and comprises a polybutadiene rubber composition comprising greater than about 2.3 parts per hundred of pentachlorothiophenol or a metal salt thereof, and wherein the cover comprises:

an inner cover layer comprising an ionomeric material and having a thickness of less than about 0.04 inches; and

an outer cover layer having a thickness of no greater than about 0.03 inches and comprising a polyurethane composition.

19. A golf ball formed of a core and a cover, wherein the core has a compression of less than about 75 and a diameter of at least about 1.50 incline and comprises a polybutadiene rubber composition comprising at least about 2.2 parts per hundred of a halogenated organosulfur compound, and wherein the golf ball has a coefficient of restitution of greater than about 0.800 and the cover has a thickness of less than about 0.1 inches and is formed of an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer.

20. The golf ball of claim 19, wherein the core comprises a center having an outer diameter of at least about 1.55 inches and an outer core layer.

21. The golf ball of claim 19, wherein at least one of the inner and outer cover layers has a thickness of less than about 0.05 inches.

22. The golf ball of claim 19, wherein at least one of the cover layers comprises vinyl resins, polyolefins, polyurethanes, polyureas, polyamides, acrylic resins, thermoplastics, polyphenylene oxide resins, thermoplastic polyesters, thermoplastic rubbers, fully-neutralized polymers, polycarbonates, polybutylene terephthalates, acrylonitriles, butadienes, or partially-neutralized polymers.

23. The golf ball of claim 19, wherein the polybutadiene rubber composition comprises between about 2.2 parts and about 5 parts of a halogenated organosulfur compound.

24. The golf ball of claim 23, wherein the halogenated organosulfur compound is selected from the group consisting of pentafluorothiophenol;

2-fluorothiophenol;

3-fluorothiophenol;

4-fluorothiophenol;

2,3-fluorothiophenol;

2,4-fluorothiophenol;

3,4-fluorothiophenol;

3,5-fluorothiophenol 2,3,4-fluorothiophenol;

3,4,5-fluorothiophenol;

2,3,4,5-tetrafluorothiophenol;

2,3,5,6-tetrafluorothiophenol;

4-chlorotetrafluorothiophenol;

pentachlorothiophenol;

2-chlorothiophenol;

3-chlorothiophenol;

4-chlorothiophenol;

2,3-chlorothiophenol;

2,4-chlorothiophenol;

3,4-chlorothiophenol;

3,5-chlorothiophenol;

2,3,4-chlorothiophenol;

3,4,5-chlorothiophenol;

2,3,4,5-tetrachlorothiophenol;

2,3,5,6-tetrachlorothiophenol;

pentabromothiophenol;

2-bromothiophenol;

3-bromothiophenol 4-bromothiophenol;

2,3-bromothiophenol;

2,4-bromothiophenol;

3,4-bromothiophenol;

3,5-bromothiophenol;

2,3,4-bromothiophenol;

3,4,5-bromothiophenol;

2,3,4,5-tetrabromothiophenol;

2,3,5,6-tetrabromothiophenol;

pentaiodothiophenol;

2-iodothiophenol;

3-iodothiophenol;

4-iodothiophenol;

2,3-iodothiophenol;

2,4-iodothiophenol;

3,4-iodothiophenol;

3,5-iodothiophenol;

2,3,4-iodothiophenol;

3,4,5-iodothiophenol;

2,3,4,5-tetraiodothiophenol;

2,3,5,6-tetraiodothiophenoland; and

their zinc salts, the metal salts thereof and mixtures thereof.

25. The golf ball of claim 24, wherein the halogenated organosulfur compound is pentachlorothiophenol or the metal salt thereof.

26. The golf ball of claim 25, wherein the metal salt is selected from the group consisting of zinc, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and lithium.

27. The golf ball of claim 26, wherein the metal salt is zinc.

28. The golf ball of claim 19, wherein the golf ball has a coefficient of restitution of greater than about 0.815.

29. The golf ball of claim 19, wherein the core has a compression less than about 55 and the golf ball has a coefficient of restitution of greater than about 0.815.

30. The golf ball of claim 19, wherein the polybutadiene composition further comprises an α

,β

-unsaturated carboxylic acid or a metal salt thereof an organic peroxide, and a filler.

31. The golf ball of claim 19, wherein the outer cover layer is formed of a polyurethane composition comprising a prepolymer formed of a polyisocyanate and a polyol, and a curing agent.

32. The golf ball of claim 31, wherein at least one of the prepolymer and curing agent are saturated.

33. The golf bail of claim 31, wherein the polyurethane composition comprises at least one of a UV absorber, a hindered amine light stabilizer, or an optical brightener.