Golf ball incorporating at least one layer formed from a millable polyurethane rubber composition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9610477-B2
Application number	US-201514752252-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2015
Priority date	Jun 26, 2015
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

Golf ball comprising at least one layer having a Shore D material hardness of from about 10 to about 55 and consisting of a millable polyurethane rubber composition comprising rubber consisting of: at least one polyether-based millable polyurethane rubber; at least one polyester-based millable polyurethane rubber; at least one polycaprolactone-based millable polyurethane rubber; or combinations thereof; wherein the millable polyurethane rubber composition is vulcanized. The rubber may be mixed/compounded with additional non-rubber ingredients such as at least one cross linking agent, peroxide initiator, filler, antioxidant, processing agent, light stabilizer, colorant, adhesion promotor, isocyanate and/or polyol, or combinations thereof. The at least one layer may be a cover layer, with a second layer, formed from at least one of a thermoset urethane or a thermoplastic material, being adjacent to an inner surface of the cover layer and meanwhile disposed about a polybutadiene-containing core. The rubber may be peroxide and/or sulfur cured.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A golf ball comprising at least one layer having a Shore C hardness of greater than 75 and consisting of a millable polyurethane rubber composition comprising a mixture of: (i) at least one millable urethane rubber consisting of: at least one polyether-based polyurethane rubber; at least one polyester-based polyurethane rubber; at least one polycaprolactone-based millable polyurethane rubber; or combinations thereof; (ii) at least one peroxide initiator; and (iii) N, N-m-Phenylenedimaleimide in an amount of at least about 25 parts per 100 parts of the millable urethane rubber;
wherein the millable polyurethane rubber composition is vulcanized; and
wherein the golf ball has CoR of at least about 0.700.

2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the at least one layer is a cover layer.

3. The golf ball of claim 2 , wherein the rubber is a polyether-based polyurethane rubber.

4. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the mixture further comprises at least one antioxidant, processing agent, light stabilizer, colorant, adhesion promotor, cross linking agent, filler, or combinations thereof.

5. The golf ball of claim 1 , further comprising a second layer that is formed from at least one of a thermoset urethane or a thermoplastic material and is adjacent to an inner surface of the cover layer.

6. The golf ball of claim 5 , wherein the thermoplastic material consists of a partially or fully neutralized ionomer composition.

7. The golf ball of claim 5 , wherein the second layer is an inner cover layer.

8. The golf ball of claim 7 , wherein the inner cover layer surrounds a core.

9. The golf ball of claim 7 , wherein the inner cover layer surrounds a third layer that is disposed about a polybutadiene-containing core.

10. The golf ball of claim 5 , wherein the second layer is an outer core layer disposed about an inner core layer comprising polybutadiene.

11. The golf ball of claim 1 , having a compression of from about 30 to about 110.

12. The golf ball of claim 11 , having a CoR of from about 0.700 to about 0.820.

13. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the amount of N, N-m-Phenylenedimaleimide is from about 25 to about 37 parts per 100 parts of the millable urethane rubber.

14. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the Shore C hardness is at least about 83.

15. A method of making a golf ball, comprising the steps of:
providing a subassembly comprising at least one layer;
forming a cover layer about the subassembly;
wherein at least one of the at least one layer and the cover layer has a Shore C hardness of greater than 75 and consists of a millable polyurethane rubber composition comprising a mixture of: (i) at least one millable urethane rubber consisting of: at least one polyether-based polyurethane rubber; at least one polyester-based polyurethane rubber; at least one polycaprolactone-based millable polyurethane rubber; or combinations thereof; (ii) at least one peroxide initiator; and (iii) N, N-m-Phenylenedimaleimide in an amount of at least about 25 parts per 100 parts of the millable urethane rubber; and
wherein the millable polyurethane rubber composition is exposed to a vulcanizing agent; and
wherein the golf ball has CoR of at least about 0.700.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one layer is a cover layer.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the rubber consists of at least one polyether-based polyurethane rubber.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the mixture further comprises at least one ingredient selected from cross linking agents; antioxidants; processing agents; light stabilizers; colorants; or adhesion promotors; isocyanates, polyols; fillers; or combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the rubber is compounded with the at least one ingredient.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising forming an outermost layer of the subassembly adjacent an inner surface of the cover layer wherein the outermost layer is formed from at least one of a thermoset urethane or a thermoplastic material.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the thermoplastic material consists of a partially or fully neutralized ionomer composition.

22. The method of claim 15 , wherein the amount of N, N-m-Phenylenedimaleimide is from about 25 to about 37 parts per 100 parts of the millable urethane rubber.

23. The method of claim 15 , wherein the Shore C hardness is at least about 83.

Assignees

• Acushnet Co

Inventors

• Binette Mark L
• Ricci Shawn
• Michalewich Michael
• Goguen Douglas S
• Comeau Brian

Classifications

• A63B37/0075

  Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core · CPC title

• A63B37/0087

  Deflection or compression · CPC title

• C08F283/006

  on to polymers provided for in C08G18/00 (C08F283/004 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A63B37/0094

  Rebound resilience · CPC title

• A63B37/0023

  Covers · CPC title