Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser – Synthetic resins – Mixing of two or more solid polymers; mixing of solid...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-09
2004-07-13
Buttner, David J. (Department: 1712)
Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser
Synthetic resins
Mixing of two or more solid polymers; mixing of solid...
C525S262000, C525S274000, C524S322000, C524S397000, C473S354000, C473S372000, C473S377000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06762247
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to golf balls and, in particular, golf ball cores formed of a polymer composition including at least one mono or poly unsaturated long chain organic acid and/or its salt.
BACKGROUND
Golf balls can generally be divided into two classes: solid and wound. Solid golf balls include one-piece, two-piece (i.e., solid core and a cover), and multi-layer (i.e., solid core of one or more layers and/or a cover of one or more layers) golf balls. Wound golf balls typically include a solid, hollow, or fluid-filled center, surrounded by tensioned elastomeric material, and a cover. Solid balls have traditionally been considered longer and more durable than wound balls, but also lack the particular “feel” that is provided by the wound construction and typically preferred by accomplished golfers.
By altering ball construction and composition, however, manufacturers can vary a wide range of playing characteristics, such as resilience, durability, spin, and “feel,” each of which can be optimized for various playing abilities, allowing solid golf balls to provide feel characteristics more like their wound predecessors. The golf ball components, in particular, that many manufacturers continually look to improve are the center or core, intermediate layers, if present, and covers.
The core is the “engine” of the golf ball when hit with a club head. Generally, golf ball cores and/or centers are constructed with a polybutadiene-based polymer composition. Compositions of this type are constantly being altered in an effort to provide a targeted or desired coefficient of restitution (“COR”) while at the same time resulting in a lower compression which, in turn, can lower the golf ball spin rate, provide better “feel,” or both. This is a difficult task, however, given the physical limitations of currently-available polymers. As such, there remains a need for novel and improved golf ball core compositions.
Manufacturers also address the properties and construction of golf ball intermediate and cover layers. These layers have conventionally been formed of ionomer materials and ionomer blends of varying hardness and flexural moduli. This hardness range is still limited and even the softest blends suffer from a “plastic” feel according to some golfers. Recently, however, polyurethane-based materials have been employed in golf ball layers and, in particular, outer cover layers, due to their softer “feel” characteristics without loss in resiliency and/or durability.
There remains a need, however, for improved golf ball center, core, layer, cover, and coating materials and/or blends having further reduced or modified hardness and modulus while maintaining acceptable resilience and superior abrasion resistance and feel. The present invention is directed to golf balls having components, in particular centers and cores, formed of at least one unsaturated long chain organic acid and its salt. Optionally, the said core composition may include halogenated organosulfur compound, or its salt with the at least one unsaturated long chain organic acid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the core is formed from a polymer composition comprising a mono- or poly-unsaturated long chain organic acid or a salt thereof.
The mono-unsaturated long chain organic acid is described by the formula:
R—(CHR′)
x
—CH═CH—(CH
2
)
y
—COOH;
wherein x and y are integers between 1 and 50; and R and R′ are H, unsubstituted and substituted alkyls, aryls, alkenyls, esters, ethers, and acids. Preferably, x and y are integers between 1 and 10.
The salt of a mono-unsaturated long chain organic acid is described by the formula:
R—(CHR′)
x
—CH═CH—(CH
2
)
y
—COO—M
+v
;
wherein x and y are integers between 1 and 50; and R and R′ are H, unsubstituted and substituted alkyls, aryls, alkenyls, esters, ethers, and acids; and M
+v
is a monovalent, divalent or trivalent metal ion. Preferably, x and y are integers between 1 and 10 and M
+v
is a divalent metal ion.
The poly-unsaturated long chain organic acid is described by the formula:
R—(CHR′)
x
—(CH═CH)
z
—(CH
2
)
z
—(CH═CH)
z
—(CH
2
)
y
—COOH;
wherein x and y are integers between 1 and 50; z is an integer between 1 and 10; and R and R′ are H and unsubstituted and substituted alkyls, aryls, alkenyls, esters, ethers, acids, and halogens. Preferably, x and y are integers between 1 and 10 and z is an integer between 1 and 5.
The salt of a poly-unsaturated long chain organic acid is described by the formula:
R—(CHR′)
x
—(CH═CH)
z
—(CH
2
)
z
—(CH═CH)
z
—(CH
2
)
y
—COO—M
+v
;
wherein x and y are integers between 1 and 50; z is an integer between 1 and 10; and M
+v
is a monovalent, divalent or trivalent metal ion. Preferably, x and y are integers between 1 and 10 and z is an integer between 1 and 5.
The mono- or poly-unsaturated long chain organic acids may include oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic, and their zinc, magnesium, calcium, aluminum, or sodium salts. Preferably, the long chain organic acid is zinc oleate. The composition may additionally include at least one mono- or poly-unsaturated polyorganic acid, or a salt thereof, preferably in an amount of about 1 to about 25 parts per hundred. Ideally, the at least one mono- or poly-unsaturated polyorganic acid, or a salt thereof, is present in an amount of about 2 to about 15 parts per hundred.
In one embodiment, the composition further comprises an organosulfur compound or a salt thereof, preferably a halogenated organosulfur compound, preferably zinc pentachlorothiophenol or the salt thereof.
The core of the golf ball has a diameter of at least about 1.50 inches and may include a polybutadiene rubber composition comprising a halogenated organosulfur compound in any amount, preferably at least about 2.2 parts per hundred. The cover has a thickness of less than about 0.1 inches and comprises a polyurethane composition.
The ball can be of any construction, however, in one embodiment, the core comprises a center and an outer core layer. The center can be solid, or hollow, fluid-filled, or gel-filled. In one preferred embodiment, the core has a diameter of at least about 1.55 inches. Additionally, the cover may be formed of an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer, at least one of which has a thickness of less than about 0.05 inches. If present, the inner cover layer may include an ionomeric material, vinyl resins, polyolefins, polyurethanes, polyureas, polyamides, acrylic resins, thermoplastics, polyphenylene oxide resins, thermoplastic polyesters, thermoplastic rubbers, fully-neutralized polymers, partially-neutralized polymers, and mixtures thereof
The core further may also include a polybutadiene rubber composition comprising between about 2.2 parts and about 5 parts of a halogenated organosulfur compound, preferably pentafluorothiophenol; 2-fluorothiophenol; 3-fluorothiophenol; 4-fluorothiophenol; 2,3-fluorothiophenol; 2,4-fluorothiophenol; 3,4-fluorothiophenol; 3,5-fluorothiophenol 2,3,4-fluorothiophenol; 3,4,5-fluorothiophenol; 2,3,4,5-tetrafluorothiophenol; 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorothiophenol; 4-chlorotetrafluorothiophenol; pentachlorothiophenol; 2-chlorothiophenol; 3-chlorothiophenol; 4chlorothiophenol; 2,3-chlorothiophenol; 2,4-chlorothiophenol; 3,4-chlorothiophenol; 3,5-chlorothiophenol; 2,3,4chlorothiophenol; 3,4,5-chlorothiophenol; 2,3,4,5-tetrachlorothiophenol; 2,3,5,6-tetrachlorothiophenol; pentabromothiophenol; 2-bromothiophenol; 3-bromothiophenol; 4-bromothiophenol; 2,3-bromothiophenol; 2,4-bromothiophenol; 3,4-bromothiophenol; 3,5-bromothiophenol; 2,3,4-bromothiophenol; 3,4,5-bromothiophenol; 2,3,4,5-tetrabromothiophenol; 2,3,5,6-tetrabromothiophenol; pentaiodothiophenol; 2-iodothiophenol; 3-iodothiophenol; 4-iodothiophenol; 2,3-iodothiophenol; 2,4-iodothiophenol; 3,4-iodothiophenol; 3,5-iodothiophenol; 2,3,4-iodothiophenol; 3,4,5-iodothiophenol; 2,3,4,5-tetraiodothiophenol; 2,3,5,6-tetraiodothiophenoland; and their zin
Rajagopalan Murali
Voorheis Peter R
Acushnet Company
Buttner David J.
Lacy William B.
LandOfFree
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