Water resistant polyurea elastomers for golf equipment

• US 6,964,621 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2003
• Issued: 11/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wu, Shenshen, Bulpett, David A., Rajagopalan, Murali
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIMIEW, RAEANN
• Application Number:
  US10/409,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20040209708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 473/378, 473/377, 473/376, 473/373, 473/374, 473/368, 473/351
• US Class Current: 473/351
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/60 Apparatus used in water
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0035 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0062 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• 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

Golf equipment having improved cut and shear resistance that includes a polyurea composition, preferably saturated and/or water resistant, formed of a polyurea prepolymer and a curing agent, wherein the polyurea prepolymer includes an isocyanate and an amine-terminated compound, and wherein the curing agent includes a hydroxy-terminated curing agent, amine-terminated curing agent, or a mixture thereof.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least a portion of the golf ball is formed from a water resistant polyurea composition comprising an isocyanate, an amine-terminated compound comprising a hydrophobic backbone, and a curing agent.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the amine-terminated compound comprises at least one of an unsaturated amine-terminated hydrocarbon, a saturated amine-terminated hydrocarbon, or mixtures thereof.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the curing agent is selected from the group consisting of hydroxy-terminated curing agents, amine-terminated curing agents, and mixtures thereof.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the curing agent is selected from the group consisting of primary diamine curing agents, secondary diamine curing agents, triamines, and combinations thereof.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the amine-terminated curing agent is a secondary diamine curing agent.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the golf ball has a weight gain of about 0.15 grams or less after a seven week storage period in 100 percent humidity at 72°

F.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the golf ball has a weight gain of about 0.09 grams or less after a seven week storage period in 100 percent humidity at 72°

F.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the water resistant polyurea composition consists of urea linkages.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the water resistant polyurea composition further comprises at least one density-adjusting filler.

10. A golf ball comprising:

a core having a diameter of about 1.55 or greater;

an intermediate layer disposed about the core to create a center; and

a cover having a thickness of about 0.02 inches to about 0.035 inches disposed about the center, wherein the cover comprises a water resistant polyurea material comprising at least one amine-terminated compound comprising a hydrophobic backbone and at least one isocyanate.

11. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the amine-terminated compound comprises at least one amine-terminated hydrocarbon.

12. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the cover has first hardness and the intermediate layer has a second hardness greater than the first hardness.

13. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the first hardness is about 40 Shore D to about 55 Shore D and the second hardness is about 60 Shore D or greater.

14. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the core comprises a first layer and a second layer.

15. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the core hardness is about 60 Shore D or less.

16. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the golf ball has a weight gain of about 0.05 grams or less after a seven week storage period in 100 percent humidity at 72°

F.

17. A golf ball comprising a water resistant polyurea composition comprising at least one amine-terminated compound comprising at least one hydrophobic backbone, wherein the golf ball has a weight gain of about 0.15 grams or less and a size gain of about 0.001 inches or less after a seven week storage period in 100 percent humidity at 72°

F.

18. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein the water resistant polyurea composition further comprises an isocyanate and a curing agent.

19. The golf ball of claim 18, wherein the curing agent is selected from the group consisting of ethylene diamine;

hexamethylene diamine;

1-methyl-2,6-cyclohexyl diamine;

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

4,4′

-bis-(sec-butylamino)-dicyclohexylmethane and derivatives thereof;

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

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

4,4′

-dicyclohexylmethane diamine;

1,4-cyclohexane-bis-(methylamine);

1,3-cyclohexane-bis-(methylamine);

diethylene glycol bis-(aminopropyl) ether;

2-methylpentamethylene-diamine;

diaminocyclohexane;

diethylene triamine;

triethylene tetramine;

tetraethylene pentamine;

propylene diamine;

1,3-diaminopropane;

dimethylamino propylamine;

diethylamino propylamine;

imido-bis-propylamine;

monoethanolamine, diethanolamine;

triethanolamine;

monoisopropanolamine, diisopropanolamine;

isophoronediamine;

4,4′

-methylenebis-(2-chloroaniline);

3,5;

dimethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine;

3,5;

dimethylthio-2,6-toluenediamine;

3,5;

diethylthio-2,4-toluenediamine;

3,5;

diethylthio-2,6-toluenediamine;

4,4′

-bis-(sec-butylamino)-diphenylmethane and derivatives thereof;

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

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

N,N′

-dialkylamino-diphenylmethane;

trimethyleneglycol-di-p-aminobenzoate;

polytetramethyleneoxide-di-p-aminobenzoate;

4,4′

-methylenebis-(3-chloro-2,6-diethyleneaniline);

4,4′

-methylenebis-(2,6-diethylaniline);

meta-phenylenediamine;

paraphenylenediamine;

cyclohexyldimethol;

N,N′

-diisopropyl-isophoronediamine;

polyoxypropylene diamine;

propylene oxide-based triamine;

3,3′

-dimethyl-4,4′

-diaminocyclohexylmethane; and

mixtures thereof.

20. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein the golf ball has a polybutadiene core.