# US 10,441,852 B2 · Golf ball with soft feel

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- Number: US 10,441,852 B2
- Document ID: US10441852B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/809,826
- Filed: 2017-11-10
- Published: 2018-03-22
- Granted: 2019-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2007-12-28
- Assignees: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
- Applicants: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
- Inventors: Eric Michael Loper; Dean A. Snell
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441852B2

## CPC

- A63B 37/0087: {Deflection or compression}
- A63B 37/0003: {Golf balls}
- A63B 37/0031: {Hardness}
- A63B 37/0033: {Thickness}
- A63B 37/004: {Physical properties}
- A63B 37/0043: {Hardness}
- A63B 37/0045: {Thickness}
- A63B 37/0049: {Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness}
- A63B 37/006: {Physical properties}
- A63B 37/0062: {Hardness}
- A63B 37/0064: {Diameter}
- A63B 37/0065: {Deflection or compression}
- A63B 37/0069: {Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness}
- A63B 37/0076: {Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers}
- A63B 37/0092: {Hardness distribution amongst different ball layers}
- A63B 37/0072: {with a specified number of layers}
- A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H)

## Abstract

A golf ball comprising: (a) a core; (b) an inner mantle layer; (c) an intermediate mantle layer; (d) an outer mantle layer; and (e) at least one cover layer; wherein the core has a PGA compression of less than 70, and the core/inner mantle layer/intermediate mantle layer combined construct has a PGA compression of at least 30.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A golf ball comprising:
(a) a core having;
i) a diameter from about 1.20 to about 1.50 inches;
ii) a PGA compression of less than about 60;
ii) a flex modulus of less than about 10 kpsi;
(b) an inner mantle layer comprising one or more modified ionomers having a magnesium counter ion and having
i) a thickness of less than about 0.08 inches ;
ii) a material hardness of about 30 to about 58 Shore D; and
ii) a flex modulus of from about 10 to about 30 kpsi; and
(c) at least one intermediate mantle layer comprising an ionomer having a magnesium counter ion and having:
i) a material flexural modulus of 10 to 50 kpsi; and
ii) a material hardness of 40 to 70 Shore D; and
(d) an outer mantle layer comprising a blend of at least two ionomers, one ionomer having a sodium counter ion and the other ionomer having a zinc counter ion and having;
i) a thickness of less than about 0.08 inches;
ii) a material hardness of from about 55 to about 75 Shore D; and
iii) a material flexural modulus of 30-110 kpsi; and
(e) an outer cover layer comprising a thermoset polyurethane comprising a prepolymer prepared from the reaction of toluene diisocyanate and polytetramethylene ether glycol and having;
i) a thickness of from about 0.02 to about 0.08 inches; and
ii) an on the ball hardness of from about 50 to about 65 Shore D.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein;
(a) the core comprises an organic sulfur compound or a metal or non-metal salt of an organic sulfur compound and has a PGA compression of less than about 50;
(b) the inner mantle layer has a thickness of less than about 0.065 inches;
(c) the outer mantle layer has a thickness of less than about 0.065 inches; and
(d) the outer cover layer has a thickness of from about 0.03 to about 0.06 inches and further comprises a fast reacting curing agent.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The golf ball of claim 2 wherein
(a) said organic sulfur compound comprises pentachlorothiophenol or 2,3,5,6-tetrachloro-4-pyridinethiol; and
(b) said fast reacting curing agent comprises a diethyl-2,4-toluene diamine selected from the group consisting of 3,5-diethyltoluene-2,4-diamine, 3,5-diethyltoluene-2,6-diamine, and any and all combinations therefrom.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The golf ball of claim 2, wherein said organic sulfur compound is selected from a thiophenol, a thiocarboxylic acid, 4,4′ dithio dimorpholine or a sulfide.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The golf ball of claim 2, wherein said metal salt of an organic sulfur compound is selected from a sodium, potassium, lithium, magnesium calcium, barium, cesium or zinc salt of a thiophenol, or a sodium, potassium, lithium, magnesium calcium, barium, cesium or zinc salt of a thiocarboxylic acid.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The golf ball of claim 2, wherein said non-metal salt of an organic sulfur compound is an ammonium salt of a thiophenol or an ammonium salt of a thiocarboxylic acid.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the at least one intermediate layer has a material flexural modulus of 20 to 40 kpsi.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the at least one intermediate layer has a material flexural modulus of 20 to 40 kpsi.