Compositions for use in golf balls

• US 7,132,480 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2004
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner, David J.
• Application Number:
  US10/845,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20040219994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 525/261
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0051 Materials other than polybutadienes; Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0052 Liquid cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0054 Substantially rigid, e.g. metal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/06 Elastic cores

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a golf ball comprising a core having a diameter of at least 1.5 inches, an inner cover layer encasing the core, and an outer cover layer encasing the inner cover layer. The inner cover layer has a thickness of from 0.005 inches to 0.05 inches. The outer cover layer has a thickness of from 0.005 inches to 0.05 inches and is formed from an elastomer composition comprising an organosulfer compound and a crosslinkable polymer crosslinked at least in part by a liquid vinyl polydiene.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising a core, an inner cover layer encasing the core, and an outer cover layer encasing the inner cover layer, wherein:

the core has a diameter of at least 1.5 inches,

the inner cover layer has a thickness of from 0.005 inches to 0.05 inches, and

the outer cover layer has a thickness of from 0.005 inches to 0.05 inches and is formed from a thermoset elastomer composition comprising at least one organosulfur compound, and at least one crosslinkable polymer crosslinked at least in part by a liquid vinyl polydiene.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the liquid vinyl polydiene comprises at least one liquid vinyl polybutadiene homopolymer or copolymer having a vinyl content of at least 70%.

3. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the liquid vinyl polybutadiene is selected from the group consisting of a 70% vinyl polybutadiene, a 90% vinyl polybutadiene, and a 70% vinyl poly(butadiene-styrene) copolymer.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the liquid vinyl polydiene is present in an amount of 6 phr or greater by weight or the elastomer.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the elastomer composition further comprises at least one dialkyl peroxide selected from the group consisting of di-t-amyl peroxide, di-t-butyl peroxide, t-butyl cumyl peroxide, di-cumyl peroxide, di(2-methyl-1-phenyl-2-propyl) peroxide, t-butyl 2-methyl-1-phenyl-2-propyl peroxide, di(t-butylperoxy)-diisopropylbenzene, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(t-butylperoxy)hexane, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(t-butylperoxy) hexyne-3,1,1 -di(t-butylperoxy)-3,3,5 -trimethylcyclohexane, 4,4-di(t-butylperoxy)-n-butylvalerate, and mixtures thereof.

6. The golf ball of claim 4, wherein the elastomer composition further comprises at least one unsaturated carboxylate metallic compound.