Golf ball with high density center

• US 6,692,380 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2003
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Michael J., Ladd, Derek A., Desimas, Antonio U.
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Mark S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US10/352,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20030144081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 473/351-377
• US Class Current: 473/376
• 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 37/0051 Materials other than polybutadienes; Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0054 Substantially rigid, e.g. metal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0066 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/02 Special cores balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball cores A63B37/005
• 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

Abstract

A high CoR golf ball having predetermined moment of inertia is provided. A portion of the golf ball preferably contains substantially no filler, which contributes to the increased resilience of the ball. In accordance to one aspect of the invention, the portion with substantially no filler is an outer core of the ball. The innermost core should have a high specific gravity. Additionally, the outermost layers of the ball may have a low specific gravity. Preferably, the portion with substantially no filler is relatively larger than other portions of the ball.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a core having an inner core and an outer core and which is encased by a cover having a thickness from about 0.010 inch to about 0.080 inch, wherein the inner core has a specific gravity of at least about 3, a diameter of about 0.40 inch to about 0.60 inch, and comprises a polymeric matrix comprising polyurethane, polyureas, or a combination thereof, wherein the inner core comprises a polymeric matrix substantially free of polybutadiene.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the specific gravity of the inner core is from about 3 to about 4.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the specific gravity of the inner core is about 3.6.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the inner core comprises a polymeric matrix comprising polyurethane.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the polymeric matrix further comprises a gravity filler.

6. The golf ball of claim 5, wherein the high specific gravity filler is selected from a group consisting of metal powder, metal alloy powder, metal oxide, metal stearates, particulates and carbonaceous material.

7. The golf ball of claim 5, wherein the high specific gravity filler is selected from a group consisting of bismuth powder, boron powder, brass powder, bronze powder, cobalt powder, copper powder, inconel metal powder, iron metal powder, molybdenum powder, nickel powder, stainless steel powder, titanium metal powder, zirconium oxide powder, aluminum flakes, tungsten metal powder, beryllium metal powder, zinc metal powder, tin metal powder, zinc oxide, iron oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium dioxide, magnesium oxide, zirconium oxide and tungsten trioxide.

8. The golf ball of claim 5, wherein the gravity filler is tungsten powder.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the inner core is from about 0.45 inch to about 0.55 inch.

10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the inner core is about 0.5 inch.

11. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the outer core has a specific gravity in the range of about 1.0 to about 1.1.

12. The golf ball of claim 11, wherein the outer core is made of polybutadiene and has a specific gravity of about 1.06.

13. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the outer core comprises a polymeric matrix substantially free of fillers.

14. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the filler content in the outer core is less than about 3 phr to 100 phr of polymeric core material.

15. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the outer core is made of a polymeric matrix selected from a group consisting of natural rubber, polybutadiene, polyisoprene, styrene-butadiene or styrene-propylene-diene rubber, polyamides, polyesters, thermoplastic elastomer, polyether amide copolymers, polyether ester copolymers, thermoplastic urethane, styrenic block copolymers elastomers, metal salt of a fatty acid, partially or fully neutralized ionomer, metallocene or other catalyzed polymer, castable material, urethane, polyurea, epoxy, silicone, interpenetrating polymer networks, and a melt processible composition, which comprises a highly neutralized ethylene copolymer and one or more aliphatic, mono-functional organic acids having fewer than 36 carbon atoms of salts thereof, wherein greater than 90% of all the acid of the ethylene copolymer is neutralized.

16. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the outer core has a diameter from about 1.45 inch to 1.62 inch.

17. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the outer core has a diameter from about 1.55 inch to about 1.60 inch.

18. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the outer core further comprises at least one sulfur compound.

19. The golf ball of claim 18, wherein the sulfur compound is pentachlorothiophenol.

20. The golf ball of claim 18, wherein the sulfur compound is zinc pentachlorothiophenol.

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

22. The golf ball of claim 21, wherein the inner or outer cover thickness is about 0.01 inch to 0.08 inch.

23. The golf ball of claim 21, wherein the inner cover comprises an ionomer and has a Shore D hardness of greater than about 60.

24. The golf ball of claim 23, wherein the Shore D hardness is from about 69 to about 74.

25. The golf ball of claim 21, wherein the inner cover has a Shore D hardness from about 55 to about 59.

26. The golf ball of claim 21, wherein the outer cover comprises a urethane having a Shore D hardness of less than about 65.

27. The golf ball of claim 26, wherein the urethane has a Shore D hardness of about 30 to about 60.

28. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a material selected from a group consisting of polyurethane, partially or fully neutralized ionomer, polyurea, polyurethane ionomer, metallocene or other catalyzed polymer, silicone, metal salt of a fatty acid and melt processible composition, which comprises a highly neutralized ethylene copolymer and one or more aliphatic, mono-functional organic acids having fewer than 36 carbon atoms of salts thereof, wherein greater than 90% of all the acid of the ethylene copolymer is neutralized.

29. A golf ball comprising:

a core having an inner core and an outer core and which is encased by a cover having a thickness from about 0.010 inch to about 0.080 inch, wherein the inner core has a specific gravity of at least about 3, a diameter of about 0.40 inch to about 0.60 inch, and comprises a polymeric matrix comprising polyurethane, polyureas, or a combination thereof, wherein the cover is a sandwich cover and wherein the sandwich cover comprises an inner cover layer and outer cover layer comprising a first polymeric material and an intermediate cover layer comprising a second polymeric material.