Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser – Synthetic resins – At least one aryl ring which is part of a fused or bridged...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-01
2001-02-27
Buttner, David J. (Department: 1712)
Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser
Synthetic resins
At least one aryl ring which is part of a fused or bridged...
C524S526000, C524S534000, C525S193000, C525S274000, C473S371000, C473S372000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06194505
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rubber composition for solid golf balls and to the solid golf balls produced from the composition. More specifically, the present invention relates to a rubber composition which can produce solid golf balls with a good shot feeling, a long shot distance, and superior durability, and to the solid golf balls prepared from the rubber composition.
2. Description of Background Art
There are one-piece solid golf balls and multi-piece solid golf balls. One-piece solid golf balls are made from a rubber composition integrally molded by cross-linking. Multi-piece solid golf balls comprise a solid core made from a hard cross-linking rubber composition enclosed by a cover. The solid core may be one integral core or may comprise two or more layers of cross-linked rubber compositions. There are two-piece, three-piece, and four-piece multi piece solid golf balls according to the type of core structure.
These multi piece solid golf balls are more popular and currently used at many golf courses due to the long shot distance.
A drawback of the multi piece solid golf ball is an unfavorable hard shot feeling as compared with conventional golf balls with tightly wound threads wrapped around a solid rubber core.
One proposal to improve the shot feeling of multi piece solid golf balls was to make the center core material softer than the outer portion to increase the distortion of the ball when hit by a club. However, a soft core lessens rebound, impairs durability, and decreases the shot distance.
Development of multi-piece solid golf balls with a favorable shot feeling, a long shot distance, and superior durability has therefore been desired.
On the other hand, one-piece solid golf balls are mainly used for training. Because repeated use damages the golf ball, sufficient durability to prevent such damage is desired. In addition, a favorable shot feeling is also demanded by golf trainees.
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a rubber composition for multi-piece solid golf balls which can travel a long distance, exhibit superior durability, and provide a good shot feeling.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a rubber composition which can produce one-piece solid golf balls imparting improved shot feeling and exhibiting superior durability.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide multi-piece solid golf balls with improved shot distance, durability, and shot feeling.
A further object of the present invention is to provide one-piece solid golf balls with improved durability and shot feeling.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above object is attained in the present invention by the provision of a rubber composition for solid golf balls comprising the following components (a), (b), (c), (d), and (e):
(a) 50 to 100 parts by weight of a polybutadiene rubber with a 1,4-cis bond content of 80% or more, a 1,2-vinyl bond content of 2.0% or less, and a ratio (Mw/Mn) of the weight average molecular weight (Mw) and the number average molecular weight (Mn) of 3.5 or less,
(b) 0 to 50 parts by weight of a diene-type rubber other than the component (a), provided that the total amount of the component (a) and component (b) is 100 parts by weight,
(c) 10 to 50 parts by weight of a cross-linking monomer,
(d) 20 to 80 part by weight of inorganic filler, and
(e) an effective amount of an organic peroxide.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ratio (Mw/Mn) of the weight average molecular weight (Mw) and the number average molecular weight (Mn) is 3.0 or less.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the component (a) in the above rubber composition is a polybutadiene rubber produced by polymerization using a rare earth catalyst.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the component (a) in the above rubber composition is a modified polybutadiene rubber produced by polymerizing butadiene in the presence of a rare earth catalyst and reacting the resulting polymer with a terminal modification agent.
In the above preferred embodiment, the terminal modification agent is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of:
(E) halogenated organometallic compounds, halogeno metallic compounds, or organometallic compounds represented by the following formulas:
R
4
n
M′X
4−n
,
M′X
4
,
M′X
3
,
R
4
n
M′(—R
5
—COOR
6
)
4−n
or
R
4
n
M′(—R
5
—COR
6
)
4−n
,
wherein R
4
and R
5
individually represent a hydrocarbon group containing 1-20 carbon atoms, R
6
is a hydrocarbon group containing 1-20 carbon atoms which may contain a carbonyl group or ester group in side chains, M′ is a tin atom, silicon atom, germanium atom, or phosphorus atom, X is a halogen atom, and n is integer from 0 to 3;
(F) hetero cumulene compounds having a Y═C═Z bond in the molecule, wherein Y is a carbon atom, oxygen atom, nitrogen atom, or sulfur atom, and Z is an oxygen atom, nitrogen atom, or sulfur atom;
(G) 3 member heterocyclic compounds having the following bond in the molecule:
wherein Y is an oxygen atom, nitrogen atom, or sulfur atom;
(H) halogenated iso-cyano compounds;
(I) carboxylic acids, acid halides, ester compounds, carbonate compounds, or acid anhydrides represented by the following formulas:
wherein R
7
to R
15
individually represent a hydrocarbon group containing 1-50 carbon atoms, X indicates a halogen atom, and m is an integer from 1 to 5; and
(J) Metal salts of carboxylic acid represented by the following formulas:
wherein R
16
to R
22
individually represent a hydrocarbon group having 1-20 carbon atoms, M″ indicates a tin atom, silicon atom, or germanium atom, and 1 is an integer from 1 to 3.
In still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the component (a) in the above rubber composition is a polybutadiene rubber or a modified polybutadiene rubber produced by polymerization using a catalyst comprising a rare earth catalyst and an almoxane compound.
In the above preferred embodiment the rare earth catalyst is a lanthanum series rare earth catalyst.
In the preferred embodiment described just above, the lanthanum series rare earth catalyst is a neodymium based catalyst.
The above object is further attained in the present invention by the provision of solid golf balls for which the whole or part of the rubbery material is produced by cross-linking and molding any one of the above-mentioned rubber compositions.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more readily apparent from the following description.
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Derwent Abstract of J07268132, J02205105, J62089750, J58225138.
Hattori Iwakazu
Sone Takuo
Buttner David J.
JSR Corporation
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
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