Golf products produced by a stoichiometrically imbalanced RIM system

• US 7,524,251 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
• Inventors: Tzivanis, Michael J., Melanson, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): GORDEN, RAEANN
• Application Number:
  US11/216,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20070049420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• Field of Search: 473/378, 473/351
• US Class Current: 473/351
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0007 Non-circular dimples
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0018 Specified number of dimples
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0021 Occupation ratio, i.e. percentage surface occupied by dimples
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0022 Coatings, e.g. paint films; Markings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0023 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0058 Polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0061 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0078 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/02 Marking of balls
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/7471 Mixers in which the mixing takes place at the inlet of a mould, e.g. mixing chambers situated in the mould opening
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/7615 characterised by arrangements for controlling, measuring or regulating, e.g. for feeding or proportioning the components
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/7694 comprising recirculation channels; ducts formed in the plunger
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/246 Moulding high reactive monomers or prepolymers, e.g. by reaction injection moulding [RIM], liquid injection moulding [LIM] casting monomers B29C39/006, mixing construction B29B7/74
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2075/00 Use of PU, i.e. polyureas or polyurethanes or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• 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 2120/00 Compositions for reaction injection moulding processes

Abstract

Disclosed herein are golf products, such as golf balls and/or components thereof, including the product of a fast-chemical-reaction mixture comprising a polyol and an isocyanate. The component is formed by reaction injection molding the reaction mixture. In the reaction mixture, the stoichiometry of the reactants is imbalanced.

Claims

1. A golf ball component including the product of a fast-chemical-reaction mixture comprising an isocyanate and a polyol, wherein the mixture has a stoichiometry of from about 50 to about 90 that is imbalanced, and wherein a nitrogen-carbon-oxygen group content of the mixture is greater than a hydroxyl content of the mixture.

2. The golf ball component of claim 1, wherein the mixture has a stoichiometry of from about 60 to about 90.

3. The golf ball component of claim 2, wherein the mixture has a stoichiometry of from about 70 to about 85.

4. The golf ball component of claim 1, wherein the golf ball component has a Shore B hardness of 50 or more.

5. The golf ball component of claim 4, wherein the golf ball component has a Shore B hardness of from about 80 to about 95.

6. The golf ball component of claim 1, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of a one-piece golf ball, a cover, an intermediate layer, a layer of a cover, a core, and a layer of a core.

7. The golf ball component of claim 1, wherein the polyol comprises hydroxyl functional components and/or amino functional components.

8. The golf ball component of claim 7, wherein the polyol is a polyether polyol, a polyester polyol, or a polybutadiene.

9. The golf ball component of claim 1, wherein the component is formed from the fast-chemical-reaction mixture in a reaction time of two minutes or less.

10. The golf ball component of claim 9, wherein the component is formed from the fast-chemical-reaction mixture in a reaction time of one minute or less.

11. The golf ball component of claim 10, wherein the component is formed from the fast-chemical-reaction mixture in a reaction time of thirty seconds or less.

12. The golf ball component of claim 1, wherein the component has a flex modulus of 1000 psi or more.

13. A method for making a golf ball component, comprising:

forming a fast-chemical-reaction mixture comprising an isocyanate and a polyol, wherein the mixture has a stoichiometry of from about 50 to about 90 that is imbalanced and has a nitrogen-carbon-oxygen group content of the mixture is greater than a hydroxyl content of the mixture; and

molding the reaction mixture to form a golf ball component.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the mixture has a stoichiometry of from about 60 to about 90.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the mixture has a stoichiometry of from about 70 to about 85.

16. The golf ball component produced by the method of claim 13.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of a one-piece golf ball, a cover, an intermediate layer, a layer of a cover, a core, and a layer of a core.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the golf ball component has a Shore B hardness of 50 or more.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the golf ball component has a Shore B hardness of from about 80 to about 95.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the component is formed from the fast-chemical-reaction mixture in a reaction time of two minutes or less.