Compositions for golf equipment

• US 7,256,249 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wu, Shenshen
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttner; David J.
• Application Number:
  US10/996,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20050272899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 528/85
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0039 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0045 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/10 Prepolymer processes involving reaction of isocyanates or isothiocyanates with compounds having active hydrogen in a first reaction step
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/3206 aliphatic
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/44 Polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/5021 having nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/6594 with compounds of C08G18/3225 or C08G18/3271 or polyamines of C08G18/38
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/69 Polymers of conjugated dienes hydrogenated polymers of conjugated dienes C08G18/6208
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/758 containing two or more cycloaliphatic rings
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 175/12 from compounds containing nitrogen and active hydrogen, the nitrogen atom not being part of an isocyanate group

Abstract

Golf balls comprising thermoplastic, thermoset, castable, or millable elastomer compositions are presently disclosed. The compositions comprise at least one regioselective polyisocyanate having an asymmetric structure and comprising at least a first NCO group and a second NCO group, the first NCO group being substantially more sterically interfered than the second NCO group. The first NCO group is directly attached to a tertiary carbon atom or is one methine carbon atom away from either at least one quaternary carbon atom or at least two tertiary carbon atoms. 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 layer formed from a composition comprising at least one regioselective polyisocyanate, wherein the regioselective polyisocyanate has an asymmetric structure and comprises at least a first NCO group and a second NCO group, wherein the first NCO group is substantially more sterically interfered than the second NCO group, and wherein the first NCO group is directly attached to a tertiary carbon atom, or is one methine carbon atom away from either at least one quaternary carbon atom or at least two tertiary carbon atoms.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the second NCO group is at least two carbon atoms away from either at least one quaternary carbon atom or at least two tertiary carbon atoms, or is attached directly to a methylene carbon or a methine carbon.

3. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the regioselective polyisocyanate comprises at least one of the following structure:

4. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein:

R₁, R₂, and R₄ are independent linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon moieties having 1-12 carbon atoms;

R₃ is chosen from linear or branched alipliatic hydrocarbon moieties having 2-12 carbon atoms;

R₅ and R₆ are the same or different linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon moieties having 1-8 carbon atoms;

R₇ is chosen from hydrogen or linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon moieties having 1-12 carbon atoms; and

/or

R₈ is chosen from linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon moieties having 1-12 carbon atoms.

5. The golf ball of claim 4, wherein:

R₁, R₂, and R₄ are independent linear or branched C₁ to C₈ alkyl groups;

R₃ is a linear or branched C₂ to C₉ alkylene moiety;

R₅ and R₆ are the same or different linear or branched C₁ to C₄ alkylene moieties;

R₇ is hydrogen or linear or branched C₁ to C₈ alkyl groups; and

/or

R₈ is linear or branched C₁ to C₈ alkylene moiety.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises at least one isocyanate-reactive telechelic having at least two isocyanate-reactive end-groups.

7. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein the regioselective polyisocyanate and the isocyanate-reactive telechelic forms a prepolymer though addition reaction between the second NCO group and the isocyanate-reactive end-groups.

8. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the composition further comprises at least one curative having at least two isocyanate-reactive functionalities, and wherein the curative at least in part cures the prepolymer through addition reaction between the first NCO group and the isocyanate-reactive functionalities.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the layer is an inner core layer, an intermediate core layer, an outer core layer, an intermediate layer, a cover, an inner cover layer, an intermediate cover layer, an outer cover layer, a discontinuous layer, a wound layer, a foamed layer, a lattice network layer, a web or net, an adhesion or coupling layer, a barrier layer, a layer of uniformed or non-uniformed thickness, a layer having a plurality of discrete elements, or a layer filled with liquid, gel, powder, and/or gas.

10. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the layer has a thickness of 0.125 inch or less and a Shore D hardness of 20-80.

11. A golf ball comprising at least one layer formed from a composition comprising at least one regioselective polyisocyanate, wherein the regioselective polyisocyanate comprises at least a first NCO group and a second NCO group, wherein the first NCO group is substantially more sterically interfered than the second NCO group, and wherein the regioselective polyisocyanate is selected from the group consisting of 1,4-diisocyanato-4-methylpentane, 1,5-diisocyanato-5-methylhexane, 1,6-diisocyanato-6-methylheptane, 1,5-diisocyanato-2,2,5-trimethylhexane, 1,7-diisocyanato-3,7-dimethyloctane, 3(4)-isocyanatomethyl-1-methylcyclohexyl isocyanate, 3(4)-isocyanatomethyl-1-1,3(4)-dimethylcyclohexane isocyanate, 3-isocyanatomethyl-1,2-dimethyl-3-ethyl-cyclopenlane isocyanate, 3-(2-isocyanatoethyl)-1,2,2-trimethylcyelopentane isocyanate, 4-(4-isocyanatobut-2-yl)-1-methylcyclohexyl isocyanate, and 3-(4-isocyanatobut-1-yl)-1-n-butyl-cyclohexane isocyanate.