Thin-layer-covered golf ball with improved velocity

• US 7,531,603 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2007
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Voorheis, Peter, Wrigley, Mark N., Wu, Shenshen, Bulpett, David A., Bissonnette, Laurent, Hebert, Edmund A., Rajagopalan, Murali
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTTNER, DAVID J
• Application Number:
  US11/898,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20080051221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 525/245
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0051 Materials other than polybutadienes; Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• 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 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0078 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0082 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0087 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/02 Special cores balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball cores A63B37/005
• 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 18/3215 containing aromatic groups or benzoquinone groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4854 Polyethers containing oxyalkylene groups having four carbon atoms in the alkylene group
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/30 Sulfur-, selenium- or tellurium-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/02 containing two or more polymers of the same C08L -group
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/08 Copolymers of ethene C08L23/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0876 Neutralised polymers, i.e. ionomers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/04 Macromolecular compounds according to groups C08L7/00 - C08L49/00, or C08L55/00 - C08L57/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 : Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 9/00 : Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 175/04 : Polyurethanes

Abstract

Golf balls including centers formed from polybutadiene reaction products having a percent change in dynamic stiffness from 0° C. to −50° C. of less than 130 percent where the reaction products include a resilient polymer component, a crosslinking material, a cis-to-trans catalyst, and a free radical source. The golf balls may be formed with polyurethane covers, covers formed from castable reactive liquid materials, among other materials. The golf balls may also include an intermediate layer.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a center formed of a reaction product comprising;

polybutadiene;

a crosslinking material;

a free radical source;

a cis-to-trans catalyst present in an amount sufficient to produce a reaction product comprising at least about 32 percent trans-polybutadiene, wherein the reaction product has a percent change in dynamic stiffness from 0°

C. to −

50°

C. of less than 125 percent; and

a cover comprising a thermoplastic or thermoset polyurethane.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the percent change in dynamic stiffness is less than 121 percent.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the molecular weight of the polybutadiene is about 200,000 or greater.

4. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the molecular weight of the polybutadiene is about 300,000 to about 500,000.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the crosslinking material is present in an amount of about 10 to about 40 parts per hundred of the reaction product.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cis-to-trans catalyst comprises at least one of an organosulfur compound, an aromatic organic compound, or a mixture thereof.

7. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein the organosulfur compound comprises metal.

8. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein the organosulfur compound is substantially free of metal.

9. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein the aromatic organic compound comprises a hydroxy group, a metal salt of a hydroxyl, a mercapto group, a metal salt of a mercapto group, a carboxy group, a metal salt of a carboxyl, an acrylate, a metal salt of an acrylate, or a combination thereof.

10. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein the aromatic organic compound is substantially free of metal.

12. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the first dynamic stiffness is less than about 125 percent of the second dynamic stiffness.

14. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the castable reactive liquid material comprises polyurethane.

15. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the crosslinking material is present in an amount of about 10 to about 40 parts per hundred of the polybutadiene.

11. A golf ball comprising:

a center formed of a reaction product having a first dynamic stiffness at −

50°

C. less than about 130 percent of a second dynamic stiffness at 0°

C., wherein the reaction product comprises;

polybutadiene;

a crosslinking material;

a free radical source;

a cis-to-trans catalyst present in an amount sufficient to produce a reaction product comprising at least about 32 percent trans-polybutadiene isomer; and

a cover comprising a castable reactive liquid material.

13. The golf ball of claim 11, wherein the first dynamic stiffness is less than about 110 percent of the second dynamic stiffness.

16. A golf ball comprising a center formed of a reaction product having a first dynamic stiffness at −

50°

C. less than about 130 percent of a second dynamic stiffness at 0°

C., wherein the reaction product comprises;

polybutadiene having a molecular weight of greater than about 200,000;

a crosslinking material;

a free radical source;

a cis-to-trans catalyst comprising a metal-containing organosulfur compound wherein the organosulfur compound comprises at least one of cadmium, copper, lead, and tellurium; and

a cover comprising a thermoset or thermoplastic polyurethane.

17. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the cis-to-trans catalyst is present in an amount sufficient to produce a reaction product comprising about 32 percent or greater trans-polybutadiene isomer.

18. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein the metal-containing organosulfur compound comprises cadmium, copper, lead, and tellurium analogs of diethyldithiocarbamate, cadmium, copper, lead, and tellurium analogs of diamyldithiocarbamate, cadmium, copper, lead, and tellurium analogs of dimethyldithiocarbamate, or mixtures thereof.

19. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the molecular weight of the polybutadiene is about 300,000 to about 500,000.

20. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the golf ball comprises an inner cover layer disposed between the center and the cover, wherein the inner cover layer comprises an ionomer resin, a polyurethane, a polyetherester, a polyetheramide, a polyester, a dynamically vulcanized elastomer, a functionalized styrene butadiene elastomer, a metallocene polymer, nylon, acrylonitrile butadiene-styrene copolymer, or blends thereof.