Method of making a golf ball with a multi-layer core

• US 7,594,866 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Dalton, Jeffrey L., Cavallaro, Christopher, Boehm, Herbert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunter; Alvin A
• Application Number:
  US11/508,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20070004537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 473351-377
• US Class Current: 473/370
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0039 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00621 Centre hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00622 Surface hardness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 1/00 Layered products having a non-planar shape
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/24 All layers being polymeric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2274/00 Thermoplastic elastomer material
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/536 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/04 comprising rubber as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material next to a layer of a particular substance B32B9/043; next to a bituminous or tarry layer B32B11/044; next to a water setting substance layer B32B13/042; next to a metal layer B32B15/06; next to a glass layer B32B17/063; next to a layer formed of natural mineral fibres or particles B32B19/043; next to a wood layer B32B21/045; next to a cellulosic plastic layer B32B23/046
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/14 comprising synthetic rubber copolymers B32B25/18 and B32B25/20 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 25/16 comprising polydienes homopolymers or poly-halodienes homopolymers B32B25/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/40 comprising polyurethanes

Abstract

A multilayer golf ball including a solid center having a center hardness, a plurality of laminates cut into a plurality of shapes formed around the center to create an inner ball, and a cover formed around the inner ball, wherein the plurality of layers can include at least a first layer having a hardness greater than the center hardness and a second layer having a hardness greater than the first layer hardness, and optionally a third layer disposed between the first and the second layers having a hardness greater than the first layer hardness.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

a center;

a cover; and

a laminate, wherein the laminate comprises;

a plurality of layers comprising at least a first layer, a second layer comprising a first thermoset material, and a third layer disposed between the first and second layers formed from a material selected from the group consisting of an ethylene methacrylic acid/acrylic acid copolymer, a second thermoset material, or a mixture thereof;

wherein the first thermoset material comprises polybutadiene.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the center has a center hardness, the first layer has a first hardness greater than the center hardness, the second layer has a second hardness, and the third layer has a third hardness greater than the first hardness.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the first layer has a first hardness of 70 Shore C to 75 Shore C, the second layer has a second hardness of 75 Shore C to 80 Shore C, and the third layer has a third hardness of 72 Shore C to 77 Shore C.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the center has a center hardness, the first layer has a first hardness, and the second layer has a second hardness, and wherein the first hardness is less than the center hardness.

5. The golf ball of claim 4, wherein the third layer has a third hardness less than the first hardness.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover is formed of a composition comprising at least one castable reactive liquid material.

7. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein the at least one castable reactive liquid material comprises cast polyurethane.

8. A golf ball comprising:

a center having a center hardness;

a cover; and

a laminate, wherein the laminate comprises;

a plurality of layers comprising a first layer having a first hardness, a second layer having a second hardness and comprising at least one thermoset material, and a third layer having a third hardness and disposed between the first and second layers, wherein the third layer consists essentially of a third material having the following structure;

wherein x is from 50 to 99 percent, y is from 1 to 50 percent, z is from 0 to 49 percent, R₁ comprises H or CH₃, R₂ comprises CH₃ or isobornyl, and n is from 0 to 12; and

wherein the thermoset material comprises polybutadiene.

9. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the first hardness is greater than the center hardness and the third hardness is greater than the first hardness.

10. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the first hardness is less than the center hardness and the third hardness is less than the first hardness.

11. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the third material is selected from the group consisting of ethylene/acrylic acid;

ethylene/methacrylic acid;

ethylene/acrylic acid/n- or isobutyl acrylate;

ethylene/methacrylic acid/n- or iso-butyl acrylate;

ethylene/acrylic acid/methyl acrylate;

ethylene/methacrylic acid/methyl acrylate;

ethylene/acrylic acid/iso-bornyl acrylate or methacrylate and ethylene/methacrylic acid/isobornyl acrylate or methacrylate.

12. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the cover comprises ionomer, polyurethane, balata, or a mixture thereof.

13. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the cover comprises a castable reactive liquid material.

14. A golf ball comprising:

a center;

a cover comprising a castable reactive liquid material; and

a laminate, wherein the laminate comprises;

a plurality of layers comprising at least a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer disposed between the first and second layers formed from a blend of an ethylene methacrylic acid/acrylic acid copolymer and a thermoplastic material;

wherein the blend comprises 10 to 50 percent by weight ethylene methacrylic/acrylic acid copolymer, 25 to 75 percent by weight of the thermoplastic material and 5 to 40 percent by weight zinc oxide.

15. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the thermoplastic material comprises polyesterester block copolymers, polyetherester block copolymers, polyetheramide block copolymers, ionomer resins, dynamically vulcanized thermoplastic elastomers, styrene-butadiene elastomers with functional groups, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic polyesters, metallocene polymers, or mixtures thereof.

16. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the blend comprises 15 to 25 percent by weight ethylene methacrylic/acrylic acid copolymer, 50 to 60 percent by weight of the thermoplastic material and 20 to 30 percent by weight zinc oxide.

17. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the blend has a flexural modulus of less than 10,000 psi.

18. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the second layer comprises polyether thermoplastic urethane, polyester thermoplastic urethane, thermoset urethane, or ionomer.

19. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the second layer comprises a high acid ionomer.

20. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the second layer comprises polybutadiene.