Golf ball composition

• US 7,255,657 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Cavallaro, Christopher, Boehm, Herbert C., Pasqua, Samuel A. Jr., Dalton, Jeffrey L., Jordan, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trimiew; Raeann
• Application Number:
  US10/313,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20030176241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: 473/377, 473/378, 473/351, 473/371, 473/367, 473/368
• US Class Current: 473/378
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0034 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0035 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/008 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0094 Rebound resilience

Abstract

The invention relates to a solid golf ball having a diameter of less than about 1.70 inches, including a core formed from a rubber base material having a resilience index of at least about 40 and an outer diameter of at least about 1.58 inches, and a cover disposed about the core formed of a material having a Shore D hardness of less than about 65.

Claims

1. A golf ball having a diameter of less than about 1.70 inches, comprising:

a core formed from a rubber base material having a resilience index of about 40 or greater and an outer diameter of about 1.58 inches or greater, wherein the rubber base material comprises at least about 10 percent up to 80 percent trans-isomer; and

a covet disposed about the core formed of a material having a hardness of less than about 55 Shore D, wherein the cover has a thickness of less than about 0.055 inches,

wherein the golf ball has a coefficient of restitution of about 0.8 or greater.

2. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the core has an outer diameter of about 1.59 inches or greater.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the rubber base material has a Mooney viscosity from about 45 to about 65.

4. The golf bail of claim 1, wherein The core has a coefficient of restitution from about 0.812 to about 0.818.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has a compression of less than about 75.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has a compression of about 80 or less.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a filler material having a specific gravity of greater than about 10.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a polyurethane material.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a polyurea material.

10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a blend of at least one ionomer and at least one metallocene-catalyzed polymer.

11. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the metallocene-catalyzed polymer is present in an amount of about 15 percent to about 60 percent by weight of the blend.

12. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the rubber base material has a molecular weight of greater than about 300,000.

23. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the rubber base material further comprises cis-isomer and vinyl-isomer.

13. A two-piece golf ball having a diameter of less than about 1.70 inches, comprising:

a core formed from a rubber base material having a molecular weight of at least about 200,000 and an outer diameter of about 1.59 inches or greater, wherein the rubber base material comprises at least about 10 percent up to 80 percent trans-isomer; and

a cover disposed about the core fanned of a material having a Shore D hardness of less than about 60, wherein the cover has a thickness of less than about 0.051 inches,

wherein the golf ball has a coefficient of restitution of about 0.8 or greater.

14. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the rubber base material has a Mooney viscosity of greater than about 40.

15. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the core has a coefficient of restitution of about 0.81 or greater.

16. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the core has a compression of about 80 or less.

17. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the core has a compression of about 60 to about 75.

18. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the core comprises a filler material having a specific gravity of greater than about 10.

19. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the cover is formed of a material having a hardness of about 55 Shore D or less.

24. The golf ball of claim 13, wherein the rubber base material further comprises cis-isomer and vinyl-isomer.

20. A solid golf ball having a diameter of less than about 1.70 inches, comprising:

a core having a compression of less than about 80 and an outer diameter of about 1.58 inches or greater, wherein the core is formed from a rubber base material having a Mooney viscosity of greater than about 40 and a trans-isomer content of at least about 10 percent up to 80 percent; and

a cover disposed about the core formed of a material having a Shore D hardness of less than about 60, wherein the cover has a thickness of less than about 0.055 inches,

wherein the golf ball has an initial velocity from about 250.1 feet per second and 253.44 feet per second and a compression from about 62 and 90.3.

21. The golf ball of claim 20, wherein rite core has a coefficient at restitution of about 0.80 or greater.

22. The golf ball of claim 20, wherein the core comprises a center and an outer layer.

25. The golf ball of claim 20, wherein the rubber base material further comprises cis-isomer and vinyl-isomer.