Golf balls having two or more core layers formed from HNP compositions

• US 7,607,995 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2008
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Michael J., Hebert, Edmund A., Rajagopalan, Murali, Ladd, Derek A.
• Primary Examiner(s): GORDEN, RAEANN
• Application Number:
  US12/341,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20090105011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: 473/376, 473/373, 473/374
• US Class Current: 473/376
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0049 Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0062 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0069 Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness
• 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 37/0092 Hardness distribution amongst different ball layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/02 Special cores balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball cores A63B37/005
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/04 Rigid cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/3644 Vacuum bags; Details thereof, e.g. fixing or clamping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/146 for making multilayered articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/18 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. compression moulding around inserts or for coating articles B29C43/206 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/305 Making multilayered articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/70 Completely encapsulating inserts B29C70/86 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/256 Sheets, plates, blanks or films
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/52 Sports equipment ; Games; Articles for amusement; Toys B29L2031/54 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/54 Balls
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 21/00 : Compositions of unspecified rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/02 : containing two or more polymers of the same C08L -group
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/03 : containing three or more polymers in a blend
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/08 : Copolymers of ethene C08L23/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0815 : Copolymers of ethene with aliphatic 1-olefins
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0869 : Acids or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0876 : Neutralised polymers, i.e. ionomers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2314/06 : Metallocene or single site catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 : Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• 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 2666/06 : Homopolymers or copolymers of unsaturated hydrocarbons; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/08 : Homopolymers or copolymers according to C08L7/00 - C08L21/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/14 : Macromolecular compounds according to C08L59/00 - C08L87/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/20 : Macromolecular compounds having nitrogen in the main chain according to C08L75/00 - C08L79/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/24 : Graft or block copolymers according to groups C08L51/00, C08L53/00 or C08L55/02; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 51/00 : Compositions of graft polymers in which the grafted component is obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds for ABS polymers C08L55/02; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/00 : Compositions of block copolymers containing at least one sequence of a polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 : Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 9/00 : Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons

Abstract

The present invention is directed to golf balls having a layer formed from a relatively soft HNP composition and a layer formed from a relatively hard HNP composition. Golf balls of the present invention have at least three layers, including an inner core layer, an outer core layer, a cover, and optionally an intermediate core layer. The present invention is not limited by which golf ball layers are formed from an HNP composition, so long as at least one layer is formed from a relatively soft HNP composition and at least one layer is formed from a relatively hard HNP composition. Relatively soft HNP compositions of the present invention comprise a highly neutralized acid copolymer preferably having a modulus of from 1,000 psi to 50,000 psi. Relatively hard HNP compositions of the present invention comprise a highly neutralized acid copolymer preferably having a modulus of from 25,000 psi to 150,000 psi.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising:

(a) an inner core layer formed from a first HNP composition, the first HNP composition having a Shore D hardness of 55 or less and comprising a highly neutralized ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid/alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer;

(b) an intermediate core layer formed from a second HNP composition, the second HNP composition having a Shore D hardness of 45 or greater and comprising a highly neutralized ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid copolymer;

(c) an outer core layer formed from a rubber composition; and

(d) a cover;

wherein the Shore D hardness of the first HNP composition is less than the Shore D hardness of the second HNP composition.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the Shore D hardness of the first HNP composition is from 10 to 55.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the Shore D hardness of the first HNP composition is from 20 to 50.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the Shore D hardness of the first HNP composition is from 30 to 48.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the Shore D hardness of the second HNP composition is from 50 to 80.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the Shore D hardness of the second HNP composition is from 55 to 75.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the Shore D hardness of the first HNP composition is at least 3 less than the Shore D hardness of the second HNP composition.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the first HNP composition has a modulus of from 1,000 psi to 50,000 psi.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the second HNP composition has a modulus of from 25,000 psi to 150,000 psi.

10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the first HNP composition has a modulus of from 1,000 psi to 50,000 psi, the second HNP composition has a modulus of from 25,000 psi to 150,000 psi, and the modulus of the first HNP composition is at least 10% less than the modulus of the second HNP composition.

11. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the modulus of the first HNP composition is at least 25% less than the modulus of the second HNP composition.

12. A golf ball comprising:

(a) an inner core layer formed from a first HNP composition, the first HNP composition having a Shore D hardness of 45 or greater and comprising a highly neutralized ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid copolymer;

(b) an intermediate core layer formed from a second HNP composition, the second HNP composition having a Shore D hardness of 55 or less and comprising a highly neutralized ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid/alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer;

(c) an outer core layer formed from a rubber composition; and

(d) a cover;

wherein the Shore D hardness of the first HNP composition is greater than the Shore D hardness of the second HNP composition.

13. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the Shore D hardness of the second HNP composition is from 10 to 55.

14. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the Shore D hardness of the second HNP composition is from 20 to 50.

15. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the Shore D hardness of the first HNP composition is from 50 to 80.

16. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the Shore D hardness of the second HNP composition is at least 3 less than the Shore D hardness of the first HNP composition.

17. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the second HNP composition has a modulus of from 1,000 psi to 50,000 psi.

18. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the first HNP composition has a modulus of from 25,000 psi to 150,000 psi.

19. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the second HNP composition has a modulus of from 1,000 psi to 50,000 psi, the first HNP composition has a modulus of from 25,000 psi to 150,000 psi, and the modulus of the second HNP composition is at least 10% less than the modulus of the first HNP composition.