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

• US 8,740,724 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2013
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2005
• 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:
  US13/758,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20130143691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 473/373, 473/374, 473/376
• 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 37/0027 Polyurea
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• 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 37/0092 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 consisting of a dual-layer core and a cover. The core consists of a center having a center hardness of 50 Shore C or greater and formed from a low modulus HNP composition, and an outer core layer having a surface hardness of 75 Shore C or greater and formed from a high modulus HNP composition. Low modulus HNP compositions of the present invention have a modulus of from 1,000 psi to 50,000 psi. High modulus HNP compositions of the present invention have a modulus of from 25,000 psi to 150,000 psi. The modulus of the highly neutralized copolymer of the low modulus HNP is at least 10% less than the modulus of the highly neutralized copolymer of the high modulus HNP composition. The cover consists of an inner cover layer formed from a thermoplastic composition and an outer cover layer formed from a polyurethane or polyurea composition.

Claims

1. A golf ball consisting essentially of:

(a) a center having a diameter of from 0.50 inches to 1.30 inches, a center hardness of 50 Shore C or greater, 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 at least 80% of the acid groups of the acid copolymer are neutralized;

(b) an outer core layer having a surface hardness of 75 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, wherein 40% to 100% of the acid groups present in the high modulus HNP composition are neutralized;

(c) an inner cover layer formed from a thermoplastic composition and having a material hardness less than the surface hardness of the outer core layer; and

(d) an outer cover layer formed from a polyurethane or polyurea composition;

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 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 0.50 inches to 1.30 inches, a center hardness of 50 Shore C or greater, 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 40% to 100% of the acid groups present in the low modulus HNP composition are neutralized;

(b) an outer core layer having a surface hardness of 75 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, wherein at least 80% of the acid groups of the acid copolymer are neutralized;

(c) an inner cover layer formed from a thermoplastic composition and having a material hardness less than the surface hardness of the outer core layer; and

(d) an outer cover layer formed from a polyurethane or polyurea composition;

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.

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 core has an overall dual core diameter of from 1.52 inches to 1.59 inches.