Golf ball comprising saturated polyurethanes and methods of making the same

• US 7,041,770 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2003
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wu, Shenshen
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner, David J.
• Application Number:
  US10/600,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20030236382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 528/49, 528/54, 528/55, 528/58, 528/61, 528/65, 528/66, 528/76, 528/80, 528/83, 473/374, 473/377, 473/378
• US Class Current: 528/61
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0045 Thickness
• 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

A golf ball comprising a layer including a saturated polyurethane composition formed of a saturated prepolymer and a saturated curing agent, wherein the layer may be casted as an outer cover, formed as an intermediate layer, or both.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a core;

a layer disposed about the core forming a center; and

a cover cast onto the center, wherein the cover comprises a light stable castable reactive liquid polyurethane material comprising a saturated diisocyanate, a dimerate polyester polyol, and at least one of a saturated hydroxy-terminated curing agent, a saturated amine-terminated curing agent, or a mixture thereof.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the saturated diisocyanate is selected from the group consisting of isophoronediisocyanate, 4,4′

-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, or a combination thereof.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the saturated hydroxy-terminated curing agent is selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol;

diethylene glycol;

polyethylene glycol;

propylene glycol;

2-methyl-1,3-propanediol;

2,-methyl-1,4-butanediol;

dipropylene glycol;

polypropylene glycol;

1,2-butanediol;

1,3-butanediol;

1,4-butanediol;

2,3-butanediol;

2,3-dimethyl-2,3-butanediol;

trimethylolpropane;

cyclohexyldimethylol;

triisopropanolamine;

tetra-(2-hydroxypropyl)-ethylene diamine;

diethylene glycol di-(aminopropyl) ether;

1,5-pentanediol;

1,6-hexanediol;

1,3-bis-(2-hydroxyethoxy) cyclohexane;

1,4-cyclohexyldimethylol;

1,3-bis-[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy) ethoxy] cyclohexane;

1,3-bis-{2-[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy) ethoxy] ethoxy} cyclohexane;

trimethylolpropane;

polytetramethylene ether glycol; and

mixtures thereof.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the material comprises 4,4′

-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate, dimerate polyester polyol, and 1,4-butanediol.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover has a thickness of about 0.02 inches to about 0.35 inches.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the layer comprises saturated polyurethane.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover has a yellowness index of about 12 or less after 120 hours of exposure.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover has a difference in b chroma dimension is about 6 or less after 120 hours of exposure.

9. A golf ball comprising at least one layer formed from a polyurethane composition comprising:

a saturated diisocyanate;

a hydroxy-terminated dimerate polyester polyol; and

a

a saturated hydroxy-terminated curing agent.

10. The polyurethane composition of claim 9, wherein the hydroxy-terminated dimerate polyester polyol is aliphatic.

11. The polyurethane composition of claim 9, wherein the saturated diisocyanate is selected from the group consisting of isophoronediisocyanate, 4,4′

-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, or a combination thereof, and wherein the saturated hydroxy-terminated curing agent is selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol;

diethylene glycol;

polyethylene glycol;

propylene glycol;

2-methyl-1,3-propanediol;

2,-methyl-1,4-butanediol;

dipropylene glycol;

polypropylene glycol;

1,2-butanediol;

1,3-butanediol;

1,4-butanediol;

2,3-butanediol;

2,3-dimethyl-2,3-butanediol;

trimethylolpropane;

cyclohexyldimethylol;

triisopropanolamine;

tetra-(2-hydroxypropyl)-ethylene diamine;

diethylene glycol di-(aminopropyl) ether;

1,5-pentanediol;

1,6-hexanediol;

1,3-bis-(2-hydroxyethoxy) cyclohexane;

1,4-cyclohexyldimethylol;

1,3-bis-[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy) ethoxy] cyclohexane;

1,3-bis-{2-[2-(2-hydroxyethoxy) ethoxy] ethoxy} cyclohexane;

trimethylolpropane;

polytetramethylene ether glycol; and

mixtures thereof.

12. The golf ball of claim 11, wherein the saturated diisocyanate is 4,4′

-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate and wherein the saturated hydroxy-terminated curing agent is 1,4-butanediol.

13. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the cover has a yellowness index of about 12 or less after 120 hours of exposure.

14. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the yellowness index is about 8 or less after 120 hours of exposure.

15. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the yellowness index is about 2 or less after 120 hours of exposure.

16. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the cover has a difference in b chroma dimension is about 6 or less after 120 hours of exposure.

17. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the difference in b chroma dimension is about 2 or less after 120 hours of exposure.

18. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the at least one layer comprises a cover of the golf ball.