Golf balls having a low modulus HNP layer and a high modulus HNP layer

• US 7,935,004 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Issued: 05/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Morgan, William E., Dalton, Jeffrey L., Sullivan, Michael J., Ladd, Derek A.
• Primary Examiner(s): GORDEN, RAEANN
• Application Number:
  US12/204,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20080318711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 473/373, 473/374
• US Class Current: 473/373
• 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 37/0045 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00622 Surface hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0066 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/008 Diameter
• 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 37/12 Special coverings , i.e. outer layer material balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball covers A63B37/0023
• 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 43/027 having an axis of symmetry B29C43/102 takes precedence
• 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: B29L 2031/545 : Football 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 consisting of a dual-layer core and a cover. The core consists of an inner core layer formed from a high modulus HNP composition and an outer core layer formed from a low modulus HNP composition. The outer core layer has an outer surface hardness less than the outer surface hardness of the inner core layer.

Claims

1. A golf ball consisting of a core and a cover, wherein the core has an overall diameter of from 1.400 inches to 1.660 inches and consists of:

an inner core layer having a diameter of from 0.125 inches to 0.750 inches, an outer surface hardness of 70 Shore C or greater, and formed from a high modulus HNP composition, the high modulus HNP composition comprising a highly neutralized ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid copolymer having a modulus of from 25,000 psi to 150,000 psi; and

an outer core layer having an outer surface hardness less than the outer surface hardness of the inner core layer and formed from a low modulus HNP composition, the low modulus HNP composition comprising a highly neutralized ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid/alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer having a modulus of from 1,000 psi to 50,000 psi;

wherein the modulus of the highly neutralized copolymer of the low modulus HNP composition is at least 10% less than the modulus of the highly neutralized copolymer of the high modulus HNP composition.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the outer core layer has a specific gravity greater than or equal to the inner core layer specific gravity.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has an overall diameter of from 1.510 inches to 1.600 inches.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the inner core layer has a diameter of from 0.250 inches to 0.375 inches.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the inner core layer has an outer surface hardness of 85 Shore C or greater.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the outer core layer has an outer surface hardness of 80 Shore C or less.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover consists of a single layer having an outer surface hardness of 60 Shore D or less and a thickness of from 0.015 inches to 0.100 inches.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover consists of:

an inner cover layer having an outer surface hardness of 65 Shore D or greater and a thickness of from 0.020 inches to 0.080 inches; and

an outer cover layer having an outer surface hardness of 60 Shore D or less and a thickness of from 0.015 inches to 0.055 inches.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover consists of:

an inner cover layer formed from a partially or fully neutralized polymer composition and having an outer surface hardness of 65 Shore D or greater and a thickness of from 0.015 inches to 0.035 inches; and

an outer cover layer formed from a polyurethane or polyurea composition and having a material hardness of 50 Shore D or less and a thickness of from 0.015 inches to 0.035 inches.

10. A golf ball consisting of:

a core having an overall diameter of from 1.400 inches to 1.620 inches and consisting of;

an inner core layer having a diameter of from 0.250 inches to 0.500 inches, an outer surface hardness of 81 Shore C or greater, and formed from a high modulus HNP composition, the high modulus HNP composition comprising a highly neutralized ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid copolymer having a modulus of from 25,000 psi to 150,000 psi; and

an outer core layer having an outer surface hardness of 90 Shore C or less and formed from a low modulus HNP composition, the low modulus HNP composition comprising a highly neutralized ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid/alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer having a modulus of from 1,000 psi to 50,000 psi; and

a cover consisting of;

an inner cover layer having an outer surface hardness of 65 Shore D or greater and a thickness of from 0.020 inches to 0.080 inches; and

an outer cover layer having a surface hardness of 60 Shore D or less and a thickness of from 0.015 inches to 0.055 inches;

wherein the modulus of the highly neutralized copolymer of the low modulus HNP composition is at least 10% less than the modulus of the highly neutralized copolymer of the high modulus HNP composition.

11. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the outer core layer has a specific gravity greater than or equal to the inner core layer specific gravity.

12. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the core has an overall diameter of from 1.510 inches to 1.600 inches.

13. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the inner core layer has a diameter of from 0.250 inches to 0.375 inches.

14. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the inner core layer has an outer surface hardness of 85 Shore C or greater.

15. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the outer core layer has an outer surface hardness of 80 Shore C or less.

16. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the outer surface hardness of the outer core layer is less than the outer surface hardness of the inner core layer.