Polyurea and polyurethane compositions for golf equipment

• US 8,674,051 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2011
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wu, Shenshen, Bulpett, David A., Rajagopalan, Murali
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTTNER, DAVID J
• Application Number:
  US13/246,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20120015758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 528/61
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/60 Apparatus used in water
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0024 Materials other than ionomers or polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0027 Polyurea
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0051 Materials other than polybutadienes; Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0074 Two piece balls, i.e. cover and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/12 Special coverings , i.e. outer layer material balls with finger holes A63B37/0001, golf ball covers A63B37/0023

Abstract

Golf equipment having improved cut and shear resistance that includes a polyurea composition, preferably saturated and/or water resistant, formed of a polyurea prepolymer and a curing agent, wherein the polyurea prepolymer includes an isocyanate and an amine-terminated compound, and wherein the curing agent includes a hydroxy-terminated curing agent, amine-terminated curing agent, or a mixture thereof.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the cover is formed from a prepolymer and an amine-terminated curing agent, wherein the prepolymer consists essentially of:

an isocyanate; and

an amine-terminated compound selected from the group consisting of;

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the amine-terminated curing agent is selected from the group consisting of ethylene diamine;

hexamethylene diamine;

1-methyl-2,6-cyclohexyl diamine;

2,2,4- and 2,4,4-trimethyl-1,6-hexanediamine;

4,4′

-bis-(sec-butylamino)-dicyclohexylmethane;

N,N′

-diisopropyl-isophorone diamine;

1,4-bis-(sec-butylamino)-cyclohexane;

1,2-bis-(sec-butylamino)-cyclohexane;

derivatives of 4,4′

-bis-(sec-butylamino)-dicyclohexylmethane;

4,4′

-dicyclohexylmethane diamine;

1,4-cyclohexane-bis-(methylamine);

1,3-cyclohexane-bis-(methylamine);

diethylene glycol bis-(aminopropyl)ether;

2-methylpentamethylene-diamine;

diaminocyclohexane;

diethylene triamine;

triethylene tetramine;

tetraethylene pentamine;

propylene diamine;

1,3-diaminopropane;

dimethylamino propylamine;

diethylamino propylamine;

imido-bis-(propylamine);

monoethanolamine, diethanolamine;

triethanolamine;

monoisopropanolamine, diisopropanolamine;

isophoronediamine;

polyoxypropylene diamine;

propylene oxide-based triamine;

3,3′

-dimethyl-4,4′

-diaminocyclohexylmethane; and

mixtures thereof.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the amine-terminated curing agent is a secondary diamine curing agent.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover has a difference in yellowness index of about 12 or less after 5 days of ultraviolet light exposure.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover has a difference in b chroma dimension of about 6 or less after 5 days of ultraviolet light exposure.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises at least one density-adjusting filler.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover has a thickness of about 0.02 inches to about 0.035 inches.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, further comprising a layer disposed about the core to form an inner ball, wherein the layer has a first Shore D hardness and the cover has a second Shore D hardness, and wherein the ratio of second Shore D hardness to the first Shore D hardness is about 0.7 or less.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the core has a diameter of about 1.55 or greater.

10. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the layer comprises at least one thermoplastic or thermoset non-ionomeric material.

11. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the inner ball further comprises a moisture barrier layer.

12. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the inner ball is surface treated.

13. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the intermediate layer comprises an ionomeric material.

14. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the cover is formed from a polyurea composition comprising a prepolymer and an amine-terminated curing agent, wherein the prepolymer consists essentially of:

an isocyanate; and

an amine-terminated compound selected from the group consisting of;

15. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the cover has a hardness of about 30 Shore D to about 60 Shore D.

16. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the golf ball comprises at least one layer disposed between the core and the cover.

17. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein the at least one layer comprises a thermoplastic material.

18. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein the at least one layer is surface treated.