Golf ball layers formed of polyurethane-based and polyurea-based compositions incorporating block copolymers

• US 7,202,303 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2004
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wu, Shenshen, Harris, Kevin M., Rajagapalan, Murali
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner; David J.
• Application Number:
  US10/900,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20050009637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 525/92.00C
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/60 Apparatus used in water
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0074 Two piece balls, i.e. cover and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0078 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0096 Spin rate
• 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 equipment having improved cut and shear resistance that includes a polyurea-based composition or polyurethane-based composition, preferably saturated and/or water resistant, formed of a prepolymer, a functionalized block copolymer, and optionally further cured or chain extended with a curing agent, where the prepolymer is incorporated at the terminal end of the functionalized block copolymer.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least a portion of the golf ball is formed from a composition comprising a reaction product of an isocyanate and a block copolymer, wherein the block copolymer comprises an A_x-B_y-A_z block and comprises at least one functional group at a terminal end of the A_x-B_y-A_z block, and wherein the A_x-B_y-A_z block comprises an olefin-diene-acrylate block or an acrylate-diene-acrylate block, wherein x, y, and z are independently 1 or greater.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the A_x-B_y-A_z block is an olefin-diene-acrylate block.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the diene is butadiene.

4. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the olefin is selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, styrene, and mixtures thereof.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the isocyanate is saturated.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the at least one functional group comprises a hydroxyl group, an amino group, a thiol group, an epoxy group, an anhydride group, or a combination thereof.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises at least one density-adjusting filler, nanoparticles, or a mixture thereof.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the portion is the cover of the golf ball.

9. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least a portion of the golf ball is formed from a reaction product of a polyurea prepolymer and a block copolymer comprising at least one functional group at a terminal end of the block copolymer, wherein the block copolymer comprises an A_x-B_y block, and wherein A comprises an olefin or an acrylate, B comprises a diene, and x and y are independently 1 or greater.

10. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the polyurea prepolymer comprises the reaction product of an isocyanate and an amine-terminated component.

11. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the portion comprises the cover.

12. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the cover comprises an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer.

13. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the inner cover layer comprises a thermoplastic material.

14. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the portion comprises the outer cover layer.

15. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the A_xB_y block comprises an olefin-diene block.

16. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the olefin-diene block is a styrene-butadiene block.

17. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the functional group comprises at least one of a hydroxy group, an amino group, a thiol group, an epoxy group, an anhydride group, or a combination thereof.

18. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the cover is formed from a composition comprising a polyurea prepolymer and a styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer having functional groups at the terminal ends of the block copolymer.

19. The golf ball of claim 18, further comprising an intermediate layer.

20. The golf ball of claim 19, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a thermoplastic material.

21. The golf ball of claim 18, wherein the functional groups are selected from the group consisting of hydroxy groups, amino groups, thiol groups, epoxy groups, anhydride groups, and combinations thereof.

22. The golf ball of claim 18, wherein the cover has an inner cover layer having a hardness of about 50 Shore D to about 70 Shore D and an outer cover layer having a hardness of about 30 Shore D to about 70 Shore D.