Compositions for use in golf balls

• US 7,358,310 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Voorheis, Peter R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTTNER, DAVID J
• Application Number:
  US11/173,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20060281587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 525/259
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0021 Occupation ratio, i.e. percentage surface occupied by dimples
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0037 Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0078 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0087 Deflection or compression

Abstract

A golf ball comprising a core, an outer cover layer, and, optionally, an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the outer cover layer is presently disclosed. At least one layer of the golf ball is formed from a composition free of cystine and comprising at least one additive selected from the group consisting of aliphatic amino acids other than cystine, aromatic amino acids, halogenated amino acids, and amides thereof, peptides thereof, conjugates thereof, esters thereof, salts thereof, and isomers thereof having amine and acid groups. The outer cover layer may comprise a polyurethane or polyurea composition. At least one portion of the golf ball comprises a composition that enhances physical properties and/or performance characteristics (e.g., coefficient of restitution) of the golf ball. Preferably, the coefficient of restitution of the core is 0.8 or greater.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising a core and at least one layer disposed about the core, wherein the core or the layer is formed from a rubber composition, the rubber composition being free of cystine and comprising:

a base rubber and

at least one additive selected from the group consisting of sulfoamino acids other than cystine, selenoaminoacids, and telluroamino acids.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the rubber composition further comprises a crosslink initiator.

3. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the composition further comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of metal salts of unsaturated acids having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, fillers, fatty acids and salts thereof.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has a coefficient of restitution of 0.8 or greater.

5. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the additive is present in an amount of 0.1 phr to 5 phr by weight of the base polymer.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has a diameter of 1.5 inches or greater and a compression of 45 to 80.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has a diameter of 1.5 inches or greater and a compression of 50 to 90, and comprises a center and an outer core layer.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the at least one layer is an outer cover layer having a thickness of 0.05 inches or less and a flexural modulus of 2,000 psi to 30,000 psi.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the golf ball further comprises an outer cover layer, and the at least one layer is an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the outer cover layer, each of the layers having a thickness of 0.05 inches or less.