Polyurethane golf club inserts

• US 20020004429A1
• Filed: 08/02/2001
• Published: 01/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wu, Shenshen, Rajagopalan, Murali
• Granted Patent: US 6,683,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/347
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0066 Density; Specific gravity
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/10 Prepolymer processes involving reaction of isocyanates or isothiocyanates with compounds having active hydrogen in a first reaction step
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/3215 containing aromatic groups or benzoquinone groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 18/4854 Polyethers containing oxyalkylene groups having four carbon atoms in the alkylene group
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 175/04 Polyurethanes

Abstract

An insert for a golf club, wherein the insert is formed of a polyurethane composition comprising a prepolymer comprised of a polyol and a polyisocyanate, and a curing agent; and wherein the polyisocyanate is selected from the group consisting of 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, polymeric 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, toluene diisocyanate, 3,3′-dimethyl-4,4′-biphenylene diisocyanate, p-phenylene diisocyanate, 4,4′-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate, and isophorone diisocyanate.

Claims

1. An insert for a golf club, wherein the insert is formed of a polyurethane composition comprising a prepolymer comprised of a polyol and a polyisocyanate, and a curing agent;

and

wherein the polyisocyanate is selected from the group consisting of 4,4′

-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, polymeric 4,4′

-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, toluene diisocyanate, 3,3′

-dimethyl-4,4′

-biphenylene diisocyanate, p-phenylene diisocyanate, 4,4′

-dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate, and isophorone diisocyanate.

2. The insert of claim 1, wherein the curing agent is a diol having a formula:

HOH₂CH₂C(OH₂CH₂C)_nO—

X—

O(CH₂CH₂O)_mCH₂CH₂OH

wherein n and m, each separately have a value of 0, 1, 2, or 3, and wherein X is o-phenylene, m-phenylene, p-phenylene, o-cyclohexyl, m-cyclohexyl, or p-cyclohexyl.

3. The insert of claim 2, wherein n and m each separately have a value of 1 or 2.

4. The insert of claim 1, wherein the curing agent is a diol selected from the group consisting of 1,3-bis(2-hydroxyethoxy) benzene, 1,3-[bis-(2-hydroxyethoxy)]-diethoxy benzene, 1,4-butanediol, resorcinol-di-(β

-hydroxyethyl) ether, hydroquinone-di-(β

-hydroxyethyl) ether, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, and mixtures thereof.

5. The insert of claim 1, wherein the golf club is a putter.

6. The insert of claim 1, wherein the polyisocyanate is p-phenylene diisocyanate.

7. The insert of claim 1, wherein the polyol is selected from the group consisting of polytetramethylene ether glycol, poly(oxypropylene) glycol, polybutadiene glycol, polyethylene adipate glycol, polyethylene propylene adipate glycol, and polybutylene adipate glycol, o-phthalate-1,6-hexanediol polyester polyol, diethylene glycol initiated caprolactone, trimethylol propane initiated caprolactone, neopentyl glycol initiated caprolactone, 1,4-butanediol-initiated caprolactone, 1,6-hexanediol-initiated caprolactone, and mixtures thereof.

8. The insert of claim 1, wherein the polyol is selected from the group consisting of polytetramethylene ether glycol, polyethylene adipate glycol, polybutylene adipate glycol, diethylene glycol initiated caprolactone, and mixtures thereof.

9. The insert of claim 1, wherein the polyol is present in an amount of about 70 to 98 percent by weight of the prepolymer, the polyisocyanate is present in an amount of about 2 to 30 percent by weight of the prepolymer, and the diol curing agent is present in an amount of about 10 to 110 weight percent of the prepolymer.

10. The insert of claim 9, wherein the polyisocyanate is present in an amount of about 6 to 12 percent by weight of the prepolymer.

11. The insert of claim 1, wherein the polyurethane composition further comprises at least one polyamine curing agent.

12. The insert of claim 11, wherein the curing agent is a polyamine selected from the group consisting of isophrone diamine, dicyclohexylmethane diamine, isomers of 3,5-diethyltoluene-2,4 (2,6)-diamines, isomers of 3,5-dimethylthio-2,4 (2,6)-toluenediamines, 4,4′

-bis-(sec-butylamino)-diphenylmethane, 1,4-bis-(sec-butylamino)-benzene, 4,4′

-methylene-bis-(2-chloroaniline), 4,4′

-methylene-bis-(3-chloro-2,6-diethylaniline), trimethylene glycol-di-p-aminobenzoate, polytetramethyleneoxide-di-p-aminobenzoate, and mixtures thereof.

13. The insert of claim 12, wherein the polyamine curing agent has a formula:

H₂NH₂CH₂C(OH₂CH₂C)_nO-Y-O(CH₂CH₂O)_mCH₂CH₂NH₂

wherein n and m, each separately have a value of 0, 1, 2, or 3, and wherein X is o-phenylene, m-phenylene, p-phenylene, o-cyclohexyl, m-cyclohexyl, or p-cyclohexyl.

14. The insert of claim 1, wherein the polyurethane composition comprises a reaction product of p-phenylene diisocyanate, polytetramethylene ether glycol, and 3,5-dimethylthio-2,4 (2,6)-toluenediamine.

15. The insert of claim 1, wherein the polyurethane composition further comprises a density-modifying filler.