Golf ball cores with improved durability
AssigneeAcushnet Company
InventorJeffrey L. Dalton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention is directed toward more durable golf ball cores and more durable golf balls. The golf balls of this invention comprise a cover and a core wherein the core may further comprise a center and one or more layers of a mantle disposed between the center and the cover. The core, the mantle or the layers of the mantle, comprise a mixture of one or more thermoset rubber materials and at least one compatible, modified, non-ionic polyolefin. The non-ionic polyolefin that is modified may be a homopolymer, copolymer, terpolymer, block copolymer or a mixture thereof that is present at about 0.5 to about 10 parts per hundred of the thermoset rubber material used in the core or core layer.
Claims38
A golf ball comprising a cover, wherein the cover has a thickness of from about 0.02 inch to about 0.08 inch and a Shore D hardness of from about 45 to about 70, and a core, wherein the core has a diameter of from about 1.25 inches to about 1.65 inches and an Atti compression of from about 60 to about 90, wherein the core comprises a blend of at least one thermoset rubber material and at least one non-ionic, modified polyolefin compatible with the at least one thermoset rubber material, wherein the non-ionic, modified polyolefin has a melting point below about 170° C. and an Izod Impact Resistance of at least about 1 ft. lb./in.
A golf ball comprising a cover and a core, wherein the core comprises a center having a diameter of from about 0.7 inch to about 1.5 inches and a density of from about 1.1 g/cc to about 1.4 g/cc, and at least one mantle layer disposed concentrically between the cover and the core, and wherein at least one said mantle layer comprises a blend of at least one thermoset rubber material and at least one non-ionic, modified polyolefin compatible with the at least one thermoset rubber material;
- and wherein the non-ionic, modified polyolefin has a melting point below about 170° C. and an Izod Impact Resistance of at least about 1 ft. lb./in.
A method for forming a golf ball, the method comprising:
- forming a blend comprising at least one thermoset rubber material and at least one non-ionic, modified polyolefin material compatible with the at least one thermoset rubber material;
- combining at least one free radical generating system and at least one cross linking agent with the blend to form a golf ball core composition;
- forming a golf ball core from the golf ball core composition;
- and
- encasing the golf ball core in a cover to form a golf ball.
A method of forming a golf ball, the method comprising:
- providing a golf ball center;
- forming a blend comprising at least one thermoset rubber material and at least one non-ionic, modified polyolefin material compatible with the at least one thermoset rubber material;
- forming the blend into a plurality of half-shells;
- assembling two half-shells concentrically about the center to form a mantle layer, wherein the mantle layer and the center together form a golf ball core;
- and
- encasing the golf ball core in a cover to form a golf ball.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.