Multi-layer golf ball with a thin, castable outer layer

• US 7,173,088 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2005
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Cavallaro, Christopher, Rajagopalan, Murali, Morgan, William E, Boehm, Herbert C, Dalton, Jeffrey L, Jones, Douglas E
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner; David J.
• Application Number:
  US11/232,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20060025525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 525/66
• 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 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0045 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0049 Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/32 by reaction with compounds containing phosphorus or sulfur
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/06 Homopolymers or copolymers of unsaturated hydrocarbons; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/24 Graft or block copolymers according to groups C08L51/00, C08L53/00 or C08L55/02; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 51/06 grafted on to homopolymers or copolymers of aliphatic hydrocarbons containing only one carbon-to-carbon double bond
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/025 containing polyether sequences

Abstract

A golf ball comprising a core; an intermediate layer having a flexural modulus of between about 65,000 psi and about 120,000 psi and being formed from a polymer blend comprising a first material selected from the group consisting of thermoset polyurethanes, thermoset polyetheresters, and thermoset polyetheramides and a second material comprising a grafted-metallocene polymer; and a cover layer comprising a castable reactive liquid thermoset polyurea.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a core;

an intermediate layer having a flexural modulus of between about 65,000 psi and about 120,000 psi and being formed from a polymer blend comprising a first material selected from the group consisting of thermoset polyurethanes, thermoset polyetheresters, and thermoset polyetheramides and a second material comprising a grafted-metallocene polymer; and

a cover layer comprising a castable reactive liquid thermoset polyurea.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the grafted metallocene polymer is formed from homopolymers and copolymers of ethylene;

and a second olefin comprising propylene, butene, pentene, hexene, heptene, octene, and norbornene.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the grafted metallocene polymer is produced by grafting a functional group onto a metallocene-catalyzed polymer having the formula:

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the grafted metallocene polymer is functionalized by sulfonation, carboxylation, or the addition of an amine or hydroxy group.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the grafted metallocene polymer is a maleic anhydride grafted metallocene polymer.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer has an outer diameter of between about 1.58 and about 1.64 inches.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the outer cover has a Shore D hardness of between about 30 and about 60.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer has a Shore D hardness of about 65 to about 80.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer has a thickness of no greater than about 0.055 inches.

10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the outer cover layer has a thickness of less than about 0.05 inches.