Compositions for golf equipment

• US 7,157,545 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• 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, Ricci, Shawn
• Primary Examiner(s): BOYKIN, TERRESSA M
• Application Number:
  US10/859,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20040220373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 525/454, 525/462, 473/354, 473/371, 473/374, 473/378, 528/61, 528/62, 528/65, 528/28, 528/29, 528/196, 528/198
• US Class Current: 528/196
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0024 Materials other than ionomers or polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0039 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0045 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0052 Liquid cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0053 Thread wound
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0056 Hollow; Gas-filled
• 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 elastomer compositions comprise reaction products of polyisocyanates and telechelic polymers having isocyanate-reactive end-groups such as hydroxyl groups and/or amine groups. 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 telechelic polycarbonate copolymer having a generic structure of:

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein y is 1 or 2, and/or R₃ and R₄ are different.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein at least one of R₃ and R₄ is chosen from —

(CH₂)_n— and

—

(C_mH_2mO)_nC_mH_2m—

, where m is 1–

6 and n is 1–

16.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein at least one of R₃ and R₄ is chosen from hexamethylene, 1,4-cyclohexane dimethylene, —

C₆H₅C(CH₃)₂C₆H₅—

, and trioxyethylene.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the telechelic polycarbonate copolymer comprises at least one segment formed from 1,6-hexanediol.

6. The golf ball of claim 5, wherein the telechelic polycarbonate copolymer comprises at least one segment formed from 1,6-hexanediol and at least one component chosen from diaryl carbonate, dialkyl carbonate, dioxolanone, phosgene, bis-chlorocarbonate, and urea.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the telechelic polycarbonate copolymer has a molecular weight of 200–

12,000.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises at least one reactant chosen from isocyanates and curatives.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises at least one isocyanate-containing prepolymer, and wherein the telechelic polycarbonate copolymer is used to cure the prepolymer.

10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the material at least in part forms at least one portion of the golf ball chosen from inner center, core, inner core layer, intermediate core layer, outer core layer, intermediate layer, cover, inner cover layer, intermediate cover layer, outer cover layer, discontinuous layer, wound layer, foamed layer, lattice network layer, web or net, adhesion or coupling layer, barrier layer, layer of uniformed or non-uniformed thickness, layer having a plurality of discrete elements, and layer filled with liquid, gel, powder, and/or gas.

11. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the composition 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.