Thin-layer-covered golf ball with improved velocity

• US 6,995,214 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2003
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• 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:
  US10/694,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20040087748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 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 formed of a reaction product having a loss tangent of less than about 0.1 at −

50°

C. comprising;

polybutadiene having a molecular weight of greater than about 200,000;

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

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

a cis-to-trans catalyst present in an amount of about 0.1 to about 10 parts per hundred of the reaction product, 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 loss tangent is less than about 0.07 at −

50°

C.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the polybutadiene has a resilience index of about 40 or greater.

4. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the resilience index is greater than about 50.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the molecular weight of the polybutadiene is greater than about 250,000.

6. The golf ball of claim 5, wherein the molecular weight of the polybutadiene is from about 300,000 to about 500,000.

7. A golf ball comprising:

a center formed of a reaction product having a dynamic stiffness of less than about 50,000 N/m at −

50°

C. and a loss tangent of less than about 0.1 at −

50°

C., wherein the reaction product comprises;

polybutadiene having a molecular weight of greater than about 200,000;

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

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

a cis-to-trans catalyst present in an amount sufficient to produce at least about 32 percent trans-isomer in the reaction product; and

a cover comprising a castable reactive liquid material.

8. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the dynamic stiffness is about 10,000 N/m to about 40,000 N/m at −

50°

C.

9. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the dynamic stiffness is about 20,000 N/m to about 30,000 N/m at −

50°

C.

10. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the loss tangent is less than about 0.07 at −

50°

C.

11. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the castable reactive liquid material comprises polyurethane.

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

16. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the cis-to-trans catalyst comprises at least one of an organosulfur compound, an aromatic organic compound, or a mixture thereof.

17. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the organosulfur compound comprises metal.

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

19. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the aromatic organic compound comprises a hydroxy group, a metal salt of a hydroxyl, a mercapto group, a metal salt of a mercapto group, a carboxy group, a metal salt of a carboxyl, an acrylate, a metal salt of an acrylate, or a combination thereof.

20. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the aromatic organic compound is substantially free of metal.

13. A golf ball comprising:

a center formed of a reaction product having a loss tangent of less than about 0.1 at −

50°

C. comprising;

polybutadiene having a molecular weight of greater than about 200,000;

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

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

a cis-to-trans catalyst present in an amount sufficient to produce a reaction product comprising at least about 32 percent trans-isomer; and

a cover comprising a thermoplastic or thermoset polyurethane.

14. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the cis-to-trans catalyst comprises at least one of an organosulfur compound, an aromatic organic compound, or a mixture thereof.

15. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the cis-to-trans catalyst is present in an amount of about 0.1 to about 10 parts per hundred of the reaction product.