Compositions for golf equipment

• US 7,138,476 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2002
• 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:
  US10/859,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20040220371A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 528/64
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 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

Golf balls comprising thermoplastic, thermoset, castable, or millable elastomer compositions are presently disclosed. These compositions comprise at least one fatty compound chosen from fatty polyamines and fatty polyamine telechelics. These elastomer compositions can be used in any one or more portions of the golf balls, such as inner center, core, inner core layer, intermediate core layer, outer core layer, intermediate layer, cover, inner cover layer, intermediate cover layer, and/or outer cover layer.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising at least one thermoplastic, thermoset, castable, or millable material formed from a composition comprising at least one fatty compound, wherein the fatty compound is a dimer diamine having a structure selected from:

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein x+y and m+n are independently chosen from 12, 1, 15, 16, 18, and 19.

3. A golf ball comprising at least one thermoplastic, thermoset, castable, or millable material formed from a composition comprising

at least one fatty compound selected from the group consisting of fatty polyamines and fatty polyamine telechelics,

and at least one isocyanate-containing prepolymer,

wherein the fatty compound is used to cure the prepolymer.

4. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the material at least in part forms at least one cover layer having a thickness of 0.125 inch or less and a Shore D hardness of 20–

80.

5. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the fatty compound comprises a main carbon chain having at least 8 carbon atoms.

6. The golf ball of claim 5, wherein the main carbon chain has from 10 to 60 carbon atoms.

7. The golf ball of claim 5, wherein the fatty compound comprises at least one C₁–

C₂₀ pendant linear or branched alkyl group attached to the main carbon chain.

8. The golf ball of claim 5, wherein the main carbon chain is directly attached to at least one primary or secondary amine group.

9. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the fatty compound is a dimer diamine.

10. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the fatty compound is liquid at room temperature and has a viscosity at 25°

C. of 100–

5,000 cP.