Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser – Synthetic resins – Processes of preparing a desired or intentional composition...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-25
2003-09-09
Buttner, David J. (Department: 1712)
Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser
Synthetic resins
Processes of preparing a desired or intentional composition...
C524S719000, C524S720000, C473S378000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06617378
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to golf ball coating compositions and golf balls painted therewith. More particularly, it relates to a golf ball coating composition containing a fluorescent whitening agent, which composition is improved in weather resistance and brightness and minimized in color fading due to diffusion into the cover.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the prior art for surface painting of golf balls, attempts have been made such that the ball surface looks whiter in color, by adding titanium dioxide and optionally a fluorescent whitening agent to the cover or white enamel paint, and by incorporating a fluorescent whitening agent in a clear paint coat enclosing the cover.
The mainstream technique used nowadays for highlighting whiteness is to form a cover toned white with titanium dioxide, subjecting the cover to such surface treatment as corona treatment, plasma treatment, UV treatment or electron beam treatment, and applying a clear paint containing a fluorescent whitening agent to the treated surface. This technique is productive and cost effective.
However, as the cover material is made softer in these days, the painting of golf balls encounters new problems. More particularly, cover materials now have the tendency that the glass transition temperature becomes so low that more molecular motion occurs even at low temperatures, and the ionic crosslinking density becomes so low that the polymeric network structure becomes coarser. Then on use of golf ball coating compositions containing conventional fluorescent whitening agents, there arises a problem that the fluorescent whitening agent can diffuse into the soft cover, failing to exert the desired fluorescent whitening effect.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a golf ball coating composition containing a fluorescent whitening agent, which composition is improved in weather resistance and brightness and minimized in color fading due to diffusion of the composition, especially fluorescent whitening agent, into the cover. Another object is to provide a golf ball surface painted with the coating composition.
It has been found that using a 7-triazinylamino-3-phenylcoumarin derivative as the fluorescent whitening agent to be formulated in a base resin paint, a golf ball coating composition is obtained which is improved in weather resistance and brightness over coating compositions containing conventional fluorescent whitening agents. In addition, the diffusion of the fluorescent whitening agent in the form of a 7-triazinylamino-3-phenylcoumarin derivative into the cover material is retarded, and color fading is thus minimized. A golf ball surface painted with the coating composition looks prominently white.
The present invention provides a golf ball coating composition comprising a base resin paint and a fluorescent whitening agent wherein a 7-triazinylamino-3-phenylcoumarin derivative of the following general formula (1) is used as the fluorescent whitening agent.
Herein A is a phenyl group which may have a non-water-soluble group, X is a halogen atom, amino group, primary amine residue or secondary amine residue, and Y is a phenyl group, halogen atom, amino group, primary amine residue or secondary amine residue.
The fluorescent whitening agent is preferably added in an amount of 0.01 to 2 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of all non-volatiles in the coating composition.
Typically the base resin paint is a two-pack curing type urethane resin paint.
In another aspect, the invention provides a golf ball comprising a core and a cover of at least one layer enclosing said core, the ball being painted on its surface with the coating composition defined above. The cover is preferably made of an ionomer resin or polyester elastomer or a mixture thereof having a Shore D hardness of 35 to 65.
By formulating a fluorescent whitening agent in the form of a 7-triazinylamino-3-phenylcoumarin derivative in base resin paint according to the invention, the invention solves the problem of less fluorescent whitening effect associated with currently widespread soft cover materials that a low glass transition temperature, more molecular motion at low temperatures, a low ionic crosslinking density and a coarse polymeric network structure allow the fluorescent whitening agent to diffuse into the cover to detract from the fluorescent whitening effect. As a result, color fading is inhibited. Additionally, the inventive fluorescent whitening agent is highly soluble in the base resin paint. When a golf ball is surface painted with the coating composition, the golf ball has good weather resistance, high brightness and prominently white appearance and improved quality.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The golf ball coating composition of the invention is defined as comprising a base resin paint and a fluorescent whitening agent. The fluorescent whitening agent is a 7-triazinylamino-3-phenylcoumarin derivative of the following general formula (1).
Herein, A is a phenyl group which may have a non-water-soluble group. Examples of the non-water-soluble group include alkyl groups of 1 to 10 carbon atoms, especially 1 to 4 carbon atoms, such as methyl, ethyl and propyl, and halogen atoms such as fluorine, bromine and chlorine.
X is a halogen atom, amino group, primary amine residue or secondary amine residue. Examples of the primary or secondary amine residue include residues of aliphatic primary amines, aliphatic secondary amines, aromatic primary amines, aromatic secondary amines, aromatic aliphatic primary amines, aromatic aliphatic secondary amines, alicyclic primary amines, alicyclic secondary amines, aliphatic heterocyclic primary amines, aliphatic heterocyclic secondary amines, aromatic heterocyclic primary amines, and aromatic heterocyclic secondary amines.
Illustrative examples of X are halogen atoms such as fluorine, bromine and chlorine, ammonia, methylamine, ethylamine, propylamine, butylamine, dimethylamine, diethylamine, dibutylamine, monoethanolamine, monoisopropanolamine, diethanolamine, N-methylethanolamine, N-benzylethanolamine, cyclohexylamine, N-ethylcyclohexyl-amine, benzylamine, dibenzylamine, N,N-dimethyl(or diethyl)aminoethylamine, N,N-dimethyl(or diethyl)amino-propylamine, aniline, N-methyl(or ethyl)aniline, toluidine, chloroaniline, piperidine, morpholine, 2-aminopyridine and 2-aminobenzthiazole.
Y is a phenyl group, a halogen atom such as fluorine, bromine or chlorine, an amino group, or a primary or secondary amine residue as exemplified above for X.
Illustrative examples of the 7-triazinylamino-3-phenylcoumarin derivative include those of the following formulae, which may be used alone or in admixture of two or more.
The 7-triazinylamino-3-phenylcoumarin derivatives defined above are used as the fluorescent whitening agent. Such fluorescent whitening agents are commercially available under the trade name of Hakkol PY-1800, Hakkol PYB-D, Hakkol PY-2000 and Hakkol PYZ-D from Hakkol Chemical Co., Ltd.
In the golf ball coating composition of the invention, the fluorescent whitening agent in the form of a 7-triazinylamino-3-phenylcoumarin derivative is preferably added in an amount of 0.01 to 2 parts by weight and more preferably 0.04 to 1 part by weight, per 100 parts by weight of all non-volatiles in the coating composition. Less amounts of the whitening agent may fail to fully exert fluorescent whitening effects. Larger amounts of the whitening agent may allow the coating composition to yellow upon exposure to UV radiation.
The base resin paint for the golf ball coating composition according to the invention is preferably a transparent clear paint which is customarily used for the surface painting of golf balls. Exemplary paints include urethane resin paints, acrylic resin paints, polyester resin paints, polyether resin paints, epoxy resin paints, and modified products thereof, and mixtures thereof. Of these, preferred are two-pack curing type urethane resin paints comprising, in admixture, polyisocyanate and a urethane resin, acrylic resin or polyester resin containing in the resin sk
Ohira Takashi
Sato Nobuhiko
Bridgestone Sports Co. Ltd.
Buttner David J.
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