Golf ball layers formed of polyurethane-based and polyurea-based compositions incorporating block copolymers

• US 20050009642A1
• Filed: 07/28/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wu, Shenshen, Rajagopalan, Murali, Harris, Kevin M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,214,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/371
• 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 37/0074 Two piece balls, i.e. cover 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-based composition or polyurethane-based composition, preferably saturated and/or water resistant, formed of a prepolymer, a functionalized block copolymer, and optionally further cured or chain extended with a curing agent, where the prepolymer is incorporated at the terminal end of the functionalized block copolymer.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the cover is formed from a polyurethane-based composition comprising a prepolymer, a block copolymer, and a coupling agent, and wherein the prepolymer is formed from an isocyanate and a polyol.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the block copolymer comprises an olefin-diene-olefin block.

3. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the olefin is styrene and the diene is butadiene.

4. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the coupling agent comprises a hydroxy group, an amino group, a thiol group, an epoxy group, an anhydride group, or a combination thereof.

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the coupling agent is selected from the group consisting of trimethylolpropane monoallyl ether;

N-methylolacrylamide;

1,1-dihydroxymethylcyclohex-3-ene;

1,2-dihydroxymethylcyclohex-4-ene;

1-amino-ethenol;

1-amino-2-propen-1-ol;

1-amino-1-propen-2-ol;

1-amino-4-penten-2-ol;

1-amino-4-hexen-3-ol;

1-amino-3-penten-2-ol;

1-amino-1-hepten-2-ol;

1-amino-3-nonen-2-ol;

2-amino-ethenol;

2-amino-3-buten-1-ol;

2-amino-4-pentene-1-ol;

2-amino-5-hexen-1-ol;

2-amino-3,14-octadecadien-1-ol;

2-amino-3,8-octadecadien-1-ol;

2-amino-3,9-octadecadien-1-ol;

8-amino-1-octen-4-ol;

4-amino-2-buten-2-ol;

4-amino-1-penten-3-ol;

4-amino-1,5-hexadiene-3-ol;

4-amino-2,5-hexadiene-1-ol;

ethynol;

4-amino-2-butyn-1-ol;

1-amino-1-hydroxy-2-butenyl;

1-amino-3-pentyn-2-ol;

1-amino-3-decyn-2-ol; and

mixtures thereof.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises crosslinks.

7. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the composition is thermoplastic.

8. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer.

9. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the cover is formed from a polyurea composition comprising a prepolymer, a block copolymer comprising at least one functional group at a terminal end, and a curative, wherein the prepolymer is formed from an isocyanate and a polyamine.

10. The golf ball of claim 9, further comprises an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover.

11. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a thermoplastic material.

12. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the at least one functional group is selected from the group consisting of a hydroxy group, an amino group, a thiol group, an epoxy group, an anhydride group, and combinations thereof.

13. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the block copolymer comprises an A_x-B_y-A_z block, wherein x, y, and z are independently 1 or greater, and wherein A comprises an olefin and B comprises a diene.

14. The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the block copolymer comprises an A_x-B_y block, wherein x and y are independently 1 or greater, and wherein A comprises an olefin and B comprises a diene.

15. A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least a portion of the golf ball is formed from a polyurea composition formed from a prepolymer, an olefin-diene-olefin block copolymer, and a coupling agent.

16. The golf ball of claim 15, further comprising an intermediate layer comprising a thermoplastic material.

17. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the coupling agent is selected from the group consisting of trimethylolpropane monoallyl ether;

N-methylolacrylamide;

1,1-dihydroxymethylcyclohex-3-ene;

1,2-dihydroxymethylcyclohex-4-ene;

1-amino-ethenol;

1-amino-2-propen-1-ol;

1-amino-1-propen-2-ol;

1-amino-4-penten-2-ol;

1-amino-4-hexen-3-ol;

1-amino-3-penten-2-ol;

1-amino-1-hepten-2-ol;

1-amino-3-nonen-2-ol;

2-amino-ethenol;

2 -amino-3-buten-1-ol;

2-amino-4-pentene-1-ol;

2-amino-5-hexen-1-ol;

2-amino-3,14-octadecadien-1-ol;

2-amino-3,8-octadecadien-1-ol;

2-amino-3,9-octadecadien-1-ol;

8-amino-1-octen-4-ol;

4-amino-2-buten-2-ol;

4-amino-1-penten-3-ol;

4-amino-1,5-hexadiene-3-ol;

4-amino-2,5-hexadiene-1-ol;

ethynol;

4-amino-2-butyn-1-ol;

1-amino-1-hydroxy-2-butenyl;

1-amino-3-pentyn-2-ol;

1-amino-3-decyn-2-ol; and

mixtures thereof.

18. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the block copolymer comprises styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer.

19. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the cover has a thickness of about 0.02 inches to about 0.035 inches.

20. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the cover has an inner cover layer having a hardness of about 50 Shore D to about 70 Shore D and an outer cover layer having a hardness of about 30 Shore D to about 70 Shore D.