Golf balls comprising polyaspartic esters

• US 7,105,624 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2005
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wu, Shenshen, Rajagopalan, Murali
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner, David J.
• Application Number:
  US11/045,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20050131194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 528/68
• 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 18/3234 cycloaliphatic
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4854 Polyethers containing oxyalkylene groups having four carbon atoms in the alkylene group
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 175/08 from polyethers

Abstract

A golf ball comprising a core and at least one layer formed about the core is disclosed. The layer may be composed of a material formed from reactants comprising at least one polyisocyanate and at least one polyaspartic ester, such as N,N′-di(ethylmaleate-amino)-dicyclohexylmethane, N,N′-di(ethylmaleate-amino)-dimethyl-dicyclohexylmethane, N,N′-diethylmaleate-2-methyl-pentamethylene diamine, or a blend thereof. The layer may be an intermediate layer, an outer cover layer, or a coating layer.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a core; and

at least one layer formed about the core, wherein the layer is composed of a material formed from reactants comprising at least one polyisocyanate, at least one polyaspartic ester, and 4,4′

-bis(sec-butylamino)-dicyclohexylmethane.

2. A golf ball comprising:

a core; and

at least one layer formed about the core, wherein the layer is composed of a material formed from reactants comprising at least one polyisocyanate and at least one polyaspartic ester, wherein the layer is an outer cover layer.

3. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the golf ball further comprises an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the outer cover layer.

4. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the layer has a thickness of 0.005 inches to 0.05 inches, a Shore D hardness of 30 to 70, or a flexural modulus of 10,000 psi to 80,000 psi.

5. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the core comprises a center and one or more outer core layer.

6. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the core has a diameter of 1.5 inches to 1.65 inches, or a compression of 40 to 100.

7. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the intermediate layer has a thickness of 0.005 inches to 0.6 inches, or a Shore D hardness of 20 to 80.

8. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the golf ball has a coefficient of restitution of 0.8 or greater, or a compression of 50 to 90.

9. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the material is a castable material.

10. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the reactants further comprises a diol, a triol, a tetraol, or a diamine.

11. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the reactants are substantially saturated.

12. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the polyisocyanate comprises a polyurethane prepolymer or a polyurea prepolymer.

13. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the polyisocyanate comprises m-tetramethylxylene diisocyanate, p-tetramethylxylene diisocyanate, 3,3′

-dimethyl-4,4 ′

-biphenylene diisocyanate, 2,2′

-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 3,3′

-dimethyl-4,4′

-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 2,2,4-trimethylhexamethylene diisocyanate, 2,6-methylcyclohexane diisocyanate, or a blend thereof.

14. A golf ball comprising:

a core, the core having a diameter of 1.55 inches to 1.65 inches and a first coefficient of restitution of 0.8 or greater;

an intermediate layer disposed about the core, the intermediate layer having a first Shore D hardness of 20 to 80 and comprising a blend of two or more ionomers;

an outer cover layer disposed about the intermediate layer;

the outer cover layer having a thickness of 0.005 inches to 0.05 inches and a second Shore D hardness of 30 to 70; and

a coating layer, wherein the golf ball has a second coefficient of restitution of 0.8 or greater and a compression of 50 to 120, and at least one of the outer cover layer and the coating layer is composed of a material formed from reactants comprising at least one polyisocyanate and at least one polyaspartic ester selected from the group consisting of N,N′

-di(ethylmaleate-amino)-dicyclohexylmethane, N,N′

-di(ethylmaleate-amino)-dimethyl-dicyclohexylmethane, and N,N′

-diethylmaleate-2-methyl-pentamethylene diamine.

15. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the core comprises a center and one or more outer core layers.