Thin-layer-covered golf ball with improved velocity

• US 6,992,142 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2003
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wu, Shenshen, Bulpett, David A., Bissonnette, Laurent, Hebert, Edmund A., Rajagopalan, Murali, Voorheis, Peter, Wrigley, Mark N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner, David J.
• Application Number:
  US10/694,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20040106469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 525/261, 525/264, 525/274, 473/372, 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 37/0051 Materials other than polybutadienes; Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0066 Density; Specific gravity
• 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 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0078 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0082 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0087 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/02 Special cores balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball cores A63B37/005
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/10 Prepolymer processes involving reaction of isocyanates or isothiocyanates with compounds having active hydrogen in a first reaction step
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/3215 containing aromatic groups or benzoquinone groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4854 Polyethers containing oxyalkylene groups having four carbon atoms in the alkylene group
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/30 Sulfur-, selenium- or tellurium-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/02 containing two or more polymers of the same C08L -group
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/08 Copolymers of ethene C08L23/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0876 Neutralised polymers, i.e. ionomers
• 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 75/04 : Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 9/00 : Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 175/04 : Polyurethanes

Abstract

A golf ball comprising a center comprising a polybutadiene having a molecular weight of greater than 200,000 and a resilience index of at least about 40; and a cover layer comprising a polyurethane composition formed from a prepolymer having no greater than 7.5 percent by weight unreacted isocyanate groups.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a center comprising a resilient polymer comprising;

a rubber material having a molecular weight of greater than about 200,000, wherein the rubber material has a resilience index of at least about 40, and wherein the resilience index of the rubber material is calculated using the formula;

Resilience Index=100,000*[(Tan δ

at 10 cpm)−

(Tan δ

at 1000 cpm)]/990;

a crosslinking material present in an amount of about 10 to about 40 parts per hundred of the resilient polymer;

a free radical source present in an amount of about 0.1 to about 15 parts per hundred of the resilient polymer;

a cis-to-trans catalyst present in an amount of about 0.1 to about 10 parts per hundred of the resilient polymer, wherein the cis-to-trans catalyst comprises a metal organosulfur compound; and

a cover comprising a thermoplastic or thermoset polyurethane.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the resilience index is greater than about 50.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the rubber material comprises polybutadiene.

4. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the molecular weight of the polybutadiene is from about 300,000 to about 500,000.

5. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the polybutadiene comprises less than about 7 percent vinyl isomer.

6. The golf ball of claim 5, wherein the polybutadiene comprises less than about 4 percent vinyl isomer.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the center has an outer diameter of about 1.55 inches or greater.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover has a thickness of about 0.05 inches or less.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, further comprising an intermediate layer disposed between the center and the cover.

10. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the intermediate layer has an outer diameter of about 1.58 inches or greater.

11. A golf ball comprising:

a center comprising a resilient polymer, wherein the resilient polymer comprises;

polybutadiene having a molecular weight of about 300,000 to about 500,000 and a resilience index of about 40, wherein the resilience index is calculated using the formula;

Resilience Index=100,000*[(Tan δ

at 10 cpm)−

(Tan δ

at 1000 cpm)]/990;

a crosslinking material present in an amount of about 10 to about 40 parts per hundred of the resilient polymer;

a free radical source present in an amount of about 0.1 to about 15 parts per hundred of the resilient polymer;

a cis-to-trans catalyst present in an amount of about 0.1 to about 10 parts per hundred of the resilient polymer; and

a cover formed of a castable reactive liquid material.

12. The golf ball of claim 11, wherein the cis-to-trans catalyst comprises an organosulfur compound, an aromatic organic compound, or a combination thereof.

13. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the aromatic organic compound comprises a hydroxy group, a metal salt of a hydroxyl, or a combination thereof.

14. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the aromatic organic compound comprises a mercapto group, a metal salt of a mercapto group, or a combination thereof.

15. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the organosulfur compound comprises metal.

16. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the organosulfur compound is substantially free of metal.

21. The golf ball of claim 11, wherein the cis-to-trans is present in an amount sufficient to produce a resilient polymer comprising about 32 percent or greater trans-isomer.

17. A golf ball comprising:

a center comprising a resilient polymer, wherein the resilient polymer comprises;

a rubber material having a molecular weight of greater than about 200,000 and a resilience index of about 50, wherein the resilience index is calculated using the equation;

Resilience Index=100,000*[(Tan δ

at 10 cpm)−

(Tan δ

at 1000 cpm)]/990;

a crosslinking material present in an amount of about 10 to about 40 parts per hundred of the resilient polymer;

a free radical source present in an amount of about 0.1 to about 15 parts per hundred of the resilient polymer;

a cis-to-trans catalyst present in an amount sufficient to produce a resilient polymer comprising about 32 percent or greater trans-isomer; and

a cover formed of a thermoset or thermoplastic polyurethane, wherein the cover has a hardness of about 30 Shore D to about 60 Shore D.

18. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein the rubber material comprises polybutadiene.

19. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein the polybutadiene comprises less than about 4 percent vinyl-isomer.

20. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein the resilient polymer comprises less than about 7 percent vinyl-isomer.