Multi-layered core golf ball

• US 6,988,962 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2004
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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): Gorden, Raeann
• Application Number:
  US10/797,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20040171437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 473/376, 473/373, 473/374, 473/367, 473/368
• 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 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0046 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00621 Centre hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00622 Surface hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0066 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/02 Special cores balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball cores A63B37/005
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/04 Rigid cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/3644 Vacuum bags; Details thereof, e.g. fixing or clamping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/146 for making multilayered articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/18 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. compression moulding around inserts or for coating articles B29C43/206 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/305 Making multilayered articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/70 Completely encapsulating inserts B29C70/86 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0042 Producing plain balls hollow balls B29D22/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/256 : Sheets, plates, blanks or films
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/52 : Sports equipment ; Games; Articles for amusement; Toys B29L2031/54 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/54 : Balls
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 21/00 : Compositions of unspecified rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/02 : containing two or more polymers of the same C08L -group
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/03 : containing three or more polymers in a blend
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/08 : Copolymers of ethene C08L23/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0815 : Copolymers of ethene with aliphatic 1-olefins
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0869 : Acids or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0876 : Neutralised polymers, i.e. ionomers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2314/06 : Metallocene or single site catalysts
• 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 2666/06 : Homopolymers or copolymers of unsaturated hydrocarbons; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/08 : Homopolymers or copolymers according to C08L7/00 - C08L21/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/14 : Macromolecular compounds according to C08L59/00 - C08L87/00; 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 2666/24 : Graft or block copolymers according to groups C08L51/00, C08L53/00 or C08L55/02; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 51/00 : Compositions of graft polymers in which the grafted component is obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds for ABS polymers C08L55/02; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• 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 75/04 : Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 9/00 : Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons

Abstract

The present invention is directed towards a multi-layered core golf ball that comprises a center, a cover and at least two core layers formed around the center to create an inner ball, wherein the outermost core layer is relatively stiff and hard relative to the center. At least the center or/and one core layer is comprised of an ionomer resin having a fully neutralized acid moiety.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a multi-layer core having;

a center comprised of a fully neutralized ionomer and having a Shore C surface hardness of less than about 85 and a compression of less than 90,

at least one rigid outer core layer having a flex modulus greater than 40,000 psi and a Shore C hardness of greater than 80;

an intermediate core layer interposed between the center and the rigid outer core layer having a flex modulus less than 20,000 psi and a Shore C hardness less than 60; and

a cover having a Shore D hardness of less than 65.

2. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the center has a compression of less than 75.

3. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the center has a Shore C hardness of less than 75.

4. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein at least one rigid outer core layer has a Shore C hardness of greater than 85.

5. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the cover has a Shore D hardness of less than 60.

6. The golf ball according to claim 1 wherein the multi-layer core has a diameter greater than 1.55 inches.

7. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein each core layer has a thickness from about 0.015 to 0.05 inches.

8. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the ionomer comprises a polymer containing an acid group, a base, and an organic acid or a salt thereof, the base and the organic acid or salt thereof being present in sufficient amounts such that the polymer is fully neutralized.

9. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the ionomer is neutralized by one or more alkali metal, transition metal, or alkaline earth metal cation.

10. The golf ball according to claim 8, wherein the alkaline earth metal cation is selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, barium, zinc, or a combination of such cations.

11. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the center has a specific gravity of less than 1.1 g/cc.

12. The golf ball according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the core layers has a specific gravity of greater than 1.25 g/cc.

13. The golf ball according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the core layers has a specific gravity of greater than 1.5 g/cc.

14. The golf ball according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the core layers has a specific gravity of greater than 1.75 g/cc.

15. A golf ball comprising:

a multi-layer core having;

a center having a Shore C surface hardness of less than about 85 and a compression of less than 90,

at least one outer core layer having a Shore C hardness of greater than 80, and a specific gravity of greater than 1.25 g/cc; and

a cover having a Shore D hardness of less than 65,

wherein the center and at least one outer core layer is comprised of an ionomer resin having a fully neutralized acid moiety.

16. The golf ball according to claim 15, wherein the acid is selected from a group consisting of caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, erucic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid.

17. The golf ball according to claim 15, wherein the center has a Shore C hardness of less than 75.

18. The golf ball according to claim 15, wherein the center has a Shore C hardness of less than 66.

19. The golf ball according to claim 15, wherein at least one outer core layer has a Shore C hardness of greater than 85.

20. The golf ball according to claim 15, wherein at least one outermost core layer has a specific gravity of greater than 1.30 g/cc.

21. The golf ball according to claim 15, wherein at least one outermost core layer has a specific gravity of greater than 1.50 g/cc.

22. The golf ball according to claim 15, wherein at least one outermost core layer has a specific gravity of greater than 1.75 g/cc.

23. The golf ball according to claim 15, wherein the center has a specific gravity of less than 1.1 g/cc.

24. The golf ball according to claim 15, wherein the cover has a Shore D hardness of less than 60.

25. The golf ball according to claim 15, wherein the multi-layer core has a diameter of from 1.50 inches to 1.66 inches.

26. A golf ball comprising:

a multi-layer core having;

a center comprised of an ionomer resin with a fully neutralized acid moiety and having a Shore C surface hardness of less than about 85 and a compression of less than 90,

a diameter from 1.58 inches to 1.66 inches,

at least one outer core layer having a Shore C hardness of greater than 80, and a specific gravity of greater than 1.25 g/cc; and

a cover having a Shore D hardness of less than 65.

27. A golf ball comprising:

a multi-layer core having;

a center having a Shore C surface hardness of less than about 85 and a compression of less than 90,

at least one outer core layer having a Shore C hardness of greater than 80, and a specific gravity greater than 1.25 g/cc,

a second outer core layer comprising an lonomer resin with a fully neutralized acid moiety; and

at least one cover layer;

the at least one cover layer having a Shore D hardness of less than 65; and

,

the at least one cover layer is selected from a cast or reaction-injection moldable thermosetting material.

28. The golf ball according to claim 27, further comprises a second cover layer comprising an ionomer, thermoplastic polyurethane, polyamide, polyester or a single-site catalyzed polymer.

29. The golf ball according to claim 27, wherein the cover comprises a single layer having a thickness of about 0.010 inches to about 0.090 inches.

30. The golf ball according to claim 27, wherein the cover comprises a single layer having a thickness of about 0.020 inches to about 0.050 inches.