Golf balls comprising a plasticized polyurethane layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9522305-B2
Application number	US-201514691720-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2015
Priority date	Mar 30, 2015
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

A golf ball comprising a core and a cover layer, wherein at least one of the core or cover layer comprises a plasticized polyurethane composition comprising at least one polyurethane and at least one plasticizer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-layer golf ball consisting essentially of:
an inner core layer having a diameter of 1.10 inches or less, a center Shore C hardness (H center ) of from 10 to 50, and formed from a composition comprising a polyurethane and from 2 wt % to 50 wt %, based on the total weight of the inner core layer composition, of a plasticizer;
an outer core layer having a thickness of 0.200 inches or greater, an outer surface Shore C hardness (H outer core surface ) of from 70 to 95, and formed from a thermoplastic composition; and
a single layer cover;
wherein H outer core surface −H center ≧40.

2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the plasticizer is selected from the group consisting of dipropylene glycol-dibenzoate, ethyl oleate and propylene carbonate.

3. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the plasticizer is present in an amount of from 3 wt % to 40 wt %, based on the total weight of the inner core layer composition.

4. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein H outer core surface −H center ≧50.

5. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein H outer core surface −H center ≧60.

6. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the inner core layer has an interface Shore C hardness (H inner core interface ) such that −5≦H inner core interface −H center ≦5.

7. The golf ball of claim 6 , wherein the outer core layer has an interface Shore C hardness (H outer core interface ) such that H outer core interface −H inner core interface ≦H outer core surface −H center .

8. The golf ball of claim 6 , wherein the outer core layer has an interface Shore C hardness (H outer core interface ) such that H outer core interface −H inner core interface >H outer core surface −H center .

9. A three-layer golf ball consisting essentially of:
an inner core layer having a diameter of 1.10 inches or less, a center Shore C hardness (H center ) of from 10 to 50, and formed from a thermoplastic composition;
an outer core layer having a thickness of 0.200 inches or greater, an outer surface Shore C hardness (H outer core surface ) of from 70 to 95, and formed from a thermoplastic composition comprising a polyurethane and from 2 wt % to 50 wt %, based on the total weight of the outer core layer composition, of a plasticizer; and
a single layer cover;
wherein H outer core surface −H center ≧40.

10. The golf ball of claim 9 , wherein the plasticizer is selected from the group consisting of dipropylene glycol-dibenzoate, ethyl oleate and propylene carbonate.

11. The golf ball of claim 9 , wherein the plasticizer is present in an amount of from 3 wt % to 40 wt %, based on the total weight of the outer core layer composition.

12. The golf ball of claim 9 , wherein H outer core surface −H center ≧50.

13. The golf ball of claim 9 , wherein H outer core surface −H center ≧60.

14. The golf ball of claim 9 , wherein the inner core layer has an interface Shore C hardness (H inner core interface ) such that −5≦H inner core interface −H center ≦5.

15. The golf ball of claim 14 , wherein the outer core layer has an interface Shore C hardness (H outer core interface ) such that H outer core interface −H inner core interface ≦H outer core surface −H center .

16. The golf ball of claim 14 , wherein the outer core layer has an interface Shore C hardness (H outer core interface ) such that H outer core interface −H inner core interface >H outer core surface −H center .

17. A three-layer golf ball consisting essentially of:
an inner core layer having a diameter of 1.10 inches or less, a center Shore C hardness (H center ) of from 10 to 40, and formed from a thermoplastic composition comprising a polyurethane and from 2 wt % to 50 wt %, based on the total weight of the inner core layer composition, of a plasticizer;
an outer core layer having a thickness of 0.200 inches or greater, an outer surface Shore C hardness (H outer core surface ) of from 75 to 95, and formed from a thermoset composition; and
a single layer cover;
wherein H outer core surface −H center ≧50.

18. The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein the plasticizer is selected from the group consisting of dipropylene glycol-dibenzoate, ethyl oleate and propylene carbonate.

19. The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein the plasticizer is present in an amount of from 3 wt % to 40 wt %, based on the total weight of the inner core layer composition.

20. The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein H outer core surface −H center ≧60.

21. The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein H outer core surface −H center ≧70.

22. The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein the inner core layer has an interface Shore C hardness (H inner core interface ) such that −5≦H inner core interface −H center ≦5.

23. The golf ball of claim 22 , wherein the outer core layer has an interface Shore C hardness (H outer core interface ) such that H outer core interface −H inner core interface ≦H outer core surface −H center .

24. The golf ball of claim 22 , wherein the outer core layer has an interface Shore C hardness (H outer core interface ) such that H outer core interface −H inner core interface >H outer core surface −H center .

Assignees

• Acushnet Co

Inventors

• Sullivan Michael J
• Binette Mark L
• Blink Robert
• Bulpett David A
• Comeau Brian
• Goguen Douglas S

Classifications

• A63B37/0043

  Hardness · CPC title

• A63B37/0062

  Hardness · CPC title

• A63B37/0063

  Hardness gradient · CPC title

• A63B37/0045

  Thickness · CPC title

• A63B37/0076

  Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers · CPC title