Golf ball which includes fast-chemical-reaction-produced component and method of making same

• US 7,591,740 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: Tzivanis, Michael J., Kennedy, Thomas J. III, Melanson, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): GORDEN, RAEANN
• Application Number:
  US11/927,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20080132357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 473/373, 473/374
• US Class Current: 473/374
• 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 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0045 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• 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 18/3812 having fluorine atoms
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4854 Polyethers containing oxyalkylene groups having four carbon atoms in the alkylene group
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/758 containing two or more cycloaliphatic rings
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2120/00 Compositions for reaction injection moulding processes

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a golf ball comprising fast-chemical-reaction-produced component, such as a component which comprises a reaction injection molded polyurethane material. The golf ball has excellent light stability. Also disclosed is a method making a golf ball by forming a cover component of the ball by mixing two or more reactants that react and form a reaction product with a flex modulus of from about 1 to about 310 kpsi in a reaction time of about 5 minutes or less, the component having a thickness of at least 0.01 inches and a demold time of 10 minutes or less.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a core; and

a cover disposed about said core;

wherein said cover comprises a fast reacting aliphatic-based polyurethane and/or polyurea material, wherein said fast reacting aliphatic-based polyurethane and/or polyurea material has a reaction time of less than two minutes at processing conditions, wherein said aliphatic-based polyurethane and/or polyurea material comprises the reaction product of an aliphatic diisocyanate prepolymer comprising methylene dicyclohexyl diisocyanate and polytetramethylene ether glycol, an aliphatic polyol and a catalyst, wherein the fast reacting aliphatic-based polyurethane and/or polyurea material of the cover has a flexural modulus ranging from 5 to 100 kpsi, wherein the golf ball has a Shore C hardness of 75.

2. A golf ball comprising:

a core; and

a cover formed over the core, the cover composed of a fast chemical reaction material formed from reactants comprising a prepolymer comprising 1,6, hexamethylene-diisocyanate and a polytetramethylene ether glycol, and an aliphatic polyol;

wherein the cover has a thickness ranging from 0.010 inch to 0.044 inch, wherein the fast chemical reaction material of the cover has a flexural modulus ranging from 5 to 100 kpsi, wherein the golf ball has a Shore C hardness of 75.

3. The golf ball according to claim 2 further comprising at least one boundary layer disposed between the core and the cover, and the boundary layer is composed of a blend of ionomers.

4. The golf ball according to claim 2 wherein the core is a solid core composed of a polybutadiene based mixture.

5. A golf ball comprising:

a core comprising a polybutadiene mixture;

a boundary layer formed over the core; and

a cover formed over the core, the cover composed of a fast chemical reaction aliphatic polyurethane material formed from reactants comprising a prepolymer comprising 1,6, hexamethylene-diisocyanate and a polytetramethylene ether glycol, and an aliphatic polyol, wherein the fast chemical reaction aliphatic polyurethane material of the cover has a flexural modulus ranging from 5 to 100 kpsi, wherein the golf ball has a Shore C hardness of 75.