Golf balls having two core layers formed from HNP compositions

• US 8,241,149 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2011
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Michael J., Ladd, Derek A., Hebert, Edmund A., Jones, Douglas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gorden, Raeann
• Application Number:
  US13/211,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20110300969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 363 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 37/0027 Polyurea
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0049 Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/006 Physical properties
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00621 Centre hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00622 Surface hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• 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 37/00922 whereby hardness of the cover is lower than hardness of the intermediate 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 consisting essentially of a dual-layer core and a cover. The core includes a center having a center hardness of 50 Shore C or greater and formed from a first HNP composition, and an outer core layer having a surface hardness of 75 Shore C or greater and formed from a second HNP composition. The first HNP composition has a material hardness of 55 Shore D or less and comprises a highly neutralized ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid/alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer. The second HNP composition has a material hardness of 45 Shore D or greater and comprises a highly neutralized ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid copolymer. The material hardness of the first HNP composition is less than the material hardness of the second HNP composition. The cover includes an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer.

Claims

1. A golf ball consisting essentially of:

(a) a center having a diameter of from 1.20 inches to 1.30 inches, a center hardness of 50 Shore C or greater, and formed from a first HNP composition, the first HNP composition having a material hardness of 55 Shore D or less and comprising a highly neutralized ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid/alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer;

(b) an outer core layer having a surface hardness of 75 Shore C or greater and formed from a second HNP composition, the second HNP composition having a material hardness of 45 Shore D or greater and comprising a highly neutralized ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid copolymer;

(c) an inner cover layer; and

(d) an outer cover layer;

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

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the surface hardness of the outer core layer is at least 20 Shore C units greater than the center hardness.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the outer cover layer has a material hardness less than the surface hardness of the outer core layer.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the center has a center hardness of from 55 Shore C to 70 Shore C.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the surface hardness of the outer core layer is 85 Shore C or greater, and the inner cover layer has a material hardness of 90 Shore C or less.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the surface hardness of the outer core layer is 90 Shore C or greater, and the inner cover layer has a material hardness of 90 Shore C or less.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has an overall dual core compression of from 75 to 90.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has an overall dual core diameter of from 1.52 inches to 1.59 inches.

9. A golf ball consisting essentially of:

(a) a center having a diameter of from 0.75 inches to 1.19 inches, a center hardness of 50 Shore C or greater, and formed from a first HNP composition, the first HNP composition having a material hardness of 55 Shore D or less and comprising a highly neutralized ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid/alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer;

(b) an outer core layer having a surface hardness of 75 Shore C or greater and formed from a second HNP composition, the second HNP composition having a material hardness of 45 Shore D or greater and comprising a highly neutralized ethylene/(meth)acrylic acid copolymer;

(c) an inner cover layer; and

(d) an outer cover layer;

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

10. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the surface hardness of the outer core layer is at least 20 Shore C units greater than the center hardness.

11. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the outer cover layer has a material hardness less than the surface hardness of the outer core layer.

12. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the center has a center hardness of from 55 Shore C to 70 Shore C.

13. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the surface hardness of the outer core layer is 85 Shore C or greater, and the inner cover layer has a material hardness of 90 Shore C or less.

14. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the surface hardness of the outer core layer is 90 Shore C or greater, and the inner cover layer has a material hardness of 90 Shore C or less.

15. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the core has an overall dual core compression of from 75 to 90.

16. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the diameter of the center is from 0.850 inches to 1.150 inches.

17. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the diameter of the center is from 0.875 inches to 1.125 inches.

18. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the core has an overall dual core diameter of from 1.52 inches to 1.59 inches.