Rubber compositions comprising benzoquinones and the use thereof in golf balls

• US 8,309,639 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2009
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Bulpett, David A., Comeau, Brian, Goguen, Douglas S.
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTTNER, DAVID J
• Application Number:
  US12/574,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20100022329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 524/358
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0038 Intermediate layers, e.g. inner cover, outer core, mantle
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/005 Cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0061 Coefficient of restitution
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/08 Quinones
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/098 Metal salts of carboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/14 Peroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 21/00 Compositions of unspecified rubbers

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a golf ball having at least one layer formed from a rubber composition comprising a base rubber, at least 0.05 parts by weight of a free radical initiator, per 100 parts of the base rubber, and at least 0.1 parts by weight of a benzoquinone, per 100 parts of the base rubber. The rubber composition may be present in any one or more of a core layer, a cover layer, or an intermediate layer.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the core has at least one layer formed from a rubber composition consisting of:

(a) a base rubber;

(b) at least 0.05 parts by weight of a free radical initiator per 100 parts of the base rubber;

(c) at least 0.15 parts by weight of a benzoquinone per 100 parts of the base rubber;

(d) a coagent selected from the group consisting of metal salts of acrylates, diacrylates, methacrylates, and dimethacrylates;

(e) optionally one or more organosulfur compounds;

(f) optionally one or more particulate fillers; and

(g) optionally one or more processing aids;

wherein a ratio (P_BQ/P_FRI) of the amount of the benzoquinone present in the rubber composition (P_BQ), measured in parts by weight per 100 parts of the base rubber, to the amount of free radical initiator present in the rubber composition (P_FRI), measured in parts by weight per 100 parts of the base rubber, is from 0.25 to 0.45; and

wherein the core has a compression of 75 or less and a coefficient of restitution of at least 0.800.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the benzoquinone is selected from compounds represented by the following formula, and hydrates thereof:

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the benzoquinone is selected from methyl p-benzoquinone and tetrachloro p-benzoquinone.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the rubber composition is substantially free of organosulfur compounds.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the amount of the benzoquinone present in the rubber composition is at least 0.2 parts by weight per 100 parts of the base rubber.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core is a single layer.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core comprises an inner core layer and an outer core layer, and wherein the inner core layer is formed from the rubber composition.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core comprises an inner core layer and an outer core layer, and wherein the outer core layer is formed from the rubber composition.