Compositions for use in golf balls

• US 7,226,368 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2005
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wu, Shenshen, Ricci, Shawn, Cavallaro, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Trimiew; Raeann
• Application Number:
  US11/243,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20060040767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 473/378, 473/368, 473/351
• US Class Current: 473/378
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0018 Specified number of dimples
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/003 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0037 Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0061 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00621 Centre hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00622 Surface hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0066 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0074 Two piece balls, i.e. cover and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0078 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/008 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0087 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/12 using two or more compounds having active hydrogen in the first polymerisation step

Abstract

A golf ball having a core and a cover layer disposed about the core is disclosed. The core may further include a center and an outer core layer disposed about the center. The cover layer is formed from a composition having multiple reactive and/or non-reactive ingredients. At least one of these ingredients is a hydrogenated telechelic polycarbonate polyahl having a number average molecular weight of 2,000 to 10,000.

Claims

1. A golf ball, comprising:

a core, the core having a first diameter of less than 1.65 inches, a first compression of 100 or less, and a first coefficient of restitution of greater than 0.77; and

a cover layer disposed about the core, the cover layer having a material hardness of 25 Shore D to 70 Shore D and a flexural modulus of 2,000 psi to 100,000 psi and comprising a composition that comprises a hydrogenated telechelic polyhydrocarbon polyahl having a number average molecular weight of 1,500 to 10,000, wherein the golf ball has a second coefficient of restitution of greater than 0.78.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the second coefficient of restitution is 0.79 or greater, and the golf ball further has a second compression of 110 or less, a deflection at 100 kg force of 1.0 mm or greater, and a second diameter of 1.68 inches or greater.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the golf ball further has a moment of inertia of 87 or less.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the golf ball further has a dimple pattern having 250 to 450 dimples.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the first diameter is 1.64 or less, the first coefficient of restitution is 0.78 or greater, and the core further has a deflection at 100 kg force of 1.5 mm or greater.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core further has a specific gravity of 1.4 g/cm³ or less.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core further has a center hardness that is less than a surface hardness by 3 Shore C points or more.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a rubber having a Mooney viscosity of 30 or greater, a crosslinking agent at a level of 15 phr or more by weight of the rubber, a regrind and/or filler, and optionally a compound that enhances the first coefficient of restitution.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the material hardness is 25 Shore D to 65 Shore D.

10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises a saturated polyisocyanate and a saturated secondary polyamine, the composition forms a reaction product, and the hydrogenated telechelic polyhydrocarbon polyahl forms soft segments of the reaction product.

11. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the hydrogenated telechelic polyhydrocarbon polyahl has a number average molecular weight of 2,000 to 5,000 and a hydroxyl functionality of 1.9, the saturated polyisocyanate is bis(isocyanatocyclohexyl )-methane, and the saturated secondary polyamine is bis(sec-butylamino)-dicyclohexylmethane.

12. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the composition forms a thermoplastic polyurethane, a thermoset polyurethane, a thermoplastic polyurea, or a thermoset polyurea.

13. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the first diameter is 1.64 or less, the first coefficient of restitution is 0.78 or greater, the core further has a first deflection at 100 kg force of 1.0 mm or greater and a surface hardness of 60 Shore C or greater, and the core comprises a center and an outer core layer disposed about the center.

14. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the outer core layer comprises a rubber having a Mooney viscosity of 30 or greater, a crosslinking agent at a level of 25 phr to 55 phr by weight of the rubber, a regrind and/or a trans polyisoprene, a filler, and optionally a compound that enhances the first coefficient of restitution.

15. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the center has a third diameter of 0.315 inches to 1.6 inches, a third compression of 10 to 60, and a second deflection at 100 kg force of 1.0 mm or greater.

16. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the center comprises a rubber having a Mooney viscosity of 30 or greater, a crosslinking agent at a level of 10 phr to 40 phr by weight of the rubber, a regrind and/or filler, and optionally a compound that enhances the first coefficient of restitution.

17. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover layer has a water vapor permeability of 0.1 g·

mm/(m²day·

mm Hg) or less.

18. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the golf ball displays a low weight gain, when subjected to total water submersion at ambient temperature for 3 weeks, of 0.003 oz/wk or less.