Golf balls having foam inner core and thermoplastic outer core

• US 9,126,083 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2013
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Michael J, Ladd, Derek A., Binette, Mark L., Comeau, Brian, Michalewich, Michael, Ricci, Shawn
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNTER, ALVIN A
• Application Number:
  US13/913,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20140364249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 473351-378
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0039 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0044 Hardness gradient
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0045 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0047 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0051 Materials other than polybutadienes; Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0058 Polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00621 Centre hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00622 Surface hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0063 Hardness gradient
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0066 Density; Specific gravity
• 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 37/0091 Density distribution amongst the different ball layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0092 Hardness distribution amongst different ball layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/536 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/72 Density
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/40 comprising polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/20 : foamed in situ
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/022 : Mechanical properties
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/14 : Manufacture of cellular products
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/246 : containing also tin-carbon bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/3206 : aliphatic
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/324 : containing only one aromatic ring
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4018 : Mixtures of compounds of group C08G18/42 with compounds of group C08G18/48
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4277 : Caprolactone and/or substituted caprolactone
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4854 : Polyethers containing oxyalkylene groups having four carbon atoms in the alkylene group
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/6677 : having at least three hydroxy groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/6685 : with compounds of group C08G18/3225 or polyamines of C08G18/38
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/725 : Combination of polyisocyanates of C08G18/78 with other polyisocyanates
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/7664 : containing alkylene polyphenyl groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/7671 : containing only one alkylene bisphenyl group
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/7893 : having three nitrogen atoms in the ring
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/792 : formed by oligomerisation of aliphatic and/or cycloaliphatic isocyanates or isothiocyanates
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2110/0066 : ≥ 150kg/m3
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2110/0083 : prepared using water as the sole blowing agent

Abstract

Multi-piece golf balls containing a dual-core structure are provided. The core structure includes an inner core (center) comprising a foam composition, preferably foamed polyurethane. The outer core layer is preferably formed from a non-foamed thermoplastic composition such as ethylene acid copolymer ionomer. Preferably, the specific gravity (density) of the foam inner core is less than the density of the outer core layer. The ball further includes a cover of at least one layer and may include at least one casing layer. The core structure and resulting ball have relatively good resiliency.

Claims

1. A core assembly for a golf ball, comprising:

i) an inner core layer comprising a foamed composition, the inner core layer having a diameter in the range of about 0.100 to about 1.100 inches, a specific gravity (SG_inner), and an outer surface hardness (H_{inner core surface}) and a center hardness (H_{inner core center}), the H_{inner core surface} being greater than the H_{inner core center} to provide a positive hardness gradient; and

ii) an outer core layer comprising a thermoplastic material, the outer core layer being disposed about the inner core layer and having a thickness in the range of about 0.100 to about 0.750 inches, a specific gravity (SG_outer), and an outer surface hardness (H_{outer surface of OC}) and an inner surface hardness (H_{inner surface of OC}), the H_{outer surface of OC} being greater than the H_{inner surface of OC} to provide a positive hardness gradient, wherein the SG_outer, is greater than the SG_inner.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the inner core comprises a foamed polyurethane composition.

3. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the foamed polyurethane composition is prepared from a mixture comprising polyisocyanate, polyol, and curing agent compounds, and blowing agent, the polyisocyanate being selected from the group consisting of toluene 2,4-diisocyanate (TDI), toluene 2,6-diisocyanate (TDI), 4,4′

-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), 2,4′

-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (PMDI), p-phenylene diisocyanate (PPDI), m-phenylene diisocyanate (PDI), naphthalene 1,5-diisocynate (NDI), naphthalene 2,4-diisocyanate (NDI), p-xylene diisocyanate (XDI), and homopolymers and copolymers and blends thereof.

4. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the foamed polyurethane composition is prepared from a mixture comprising polyisocyanate, polyol, and curing agent compounds, and blowing agent, the polyisocyanate being selected from the group consisting of isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), 4,4′

-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate (“

H₁₂ MDI”

), meta-tetramethylxylyene diisocyanate (TMXDI), trans-cyclohexane diisocyanate (CHDI), and homopolymers and copolymers and blends thereof.

5. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the foamed polyurethane composition is prepared from a mixture comprising polyisocyanate, polyol, and curing agent compounds, and blowing agent, the polyol being selected from the group consisting of polyisocyanate polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG), polyethylene propylene glycol, polyoxypropylene glycol, and mixtures thereof.

6. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the foamed polyurethane composition is prepared by adding water to a mixture of polyisocyanate, polyol, and curing agent compounds, and catalyst, the water being added in a sufficient amount to cause the mixture to foam.

7. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein the catalyst is selected from the group consisting of zinc and tin-based catalysts and mixtures thereof.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the inner core has a diameter in the range of about 0.100 to about 0.500 inches and specific gravity in the range of about 0.25 to about 0.95 g/cc.

9. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the inner core has a diameter in the range of about 0.40 to about 0.80 inches and specific gravity in the range of about 0.30 to about 0.80 g/cc.

10. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the H_{inner core center} is in the range of about 10 Shore C to about 50 Shore C and the H_{inner core surface} is in the range of about 13 Shore C to about 60 Shore C.

11. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the outer core layer comprises at least one thermoplastic material selected from the group consisting of partially-neutralized ionomers;

highly-neutralized ionomers;

polyesters;

polyamides;

polyamide-ethers, polyamide-esters;

polyurethanes, polyureas;

fluoropolymers;

polystyrenes;

polypropylenes;

polyethylenes;

polyvinyl chlorides;

polyvinyl acetates;

polycarbonates;

polyvinyl alcohols;

polyester-ethers;

polyethers;

polyimides, polyetherketones, polyamideimides; and

mixtures thereof.

12. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic material is a highly neutralized ionomer composition comprising an E/X/Y-type copolymer, wherein E is ethylene, X is a C₃-C₈ α

,β

-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid present in an amount of 10 to 20 wt. %, based on total weight of the copolymer, and Y is an acrylate selected from alkyl acrylates and aryl acrylates present in an amount of 0 to 50 wt. %, based on total weight of the copolymer, wherein greater than 70% of the acid groups present in the composition are neutralized with a metal ion.

13. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein 90% or greater of the acid groups are neutralized.

14. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the outer core layer has a thickness in the range of about 0.150 to about 0.650 inches and specific gravity in the range of about 0.90 to about 2.90 g/cc.

15. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the H_{inner surface of OC} is in the range of about 40 Shore C to about 87 Shore C and the H_{outer surface of OC} is in the range of 43 Shore C to about 90 Shore C.

16. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the H_{inner core center} is in the range of about 10 Shore C to about 60 Shore C and the H_{outer surface of OC} is in the range of about 40 Shore C to about 90 Shore C to provide a positive hardness gradient across the core assembly.

17. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the H_{inner core center} is in the range of about 20 Shore C to about 50 Shore C and the H_{outer surface of OC} is in the range of about 43 Shore C to about 87 Shore C to provide a positive hardness gradient across the core assembly.