Golf ball cover compositions
AssigneeSpalding Sports Worldwide, Inc.
InventorsMichael J. Sullivan, Robert A. Weiss
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to golf ball cover compositions containing blends of high or low carboxylic acid based copolymers and ethylene copolymers such as ethylene alkyl acrylates. The carboxylic acid groups of the blends are neutralized with metal cations. Golf balls produced with the cover molded thereon exhibit desired properties of distance and high coefficient of restitution without substantially sacrificing and/or improving characteristics like playability and durability when compared to existing covers comprising ionomeric resin blends.
Claims17
A golf ball having a core and a cover wherein said cover comprises about 30 to 90 parts by weight of an unneutralized acid copolymer and about 10 to 70 parts by weight of an ethylene copolymer including up to about 30% by weight of an alkyl acrylate and a neutralizing metal cation wherein the unneutralized acid copolymer is neutralized by the metal cation in the presence of the ethylene copolymer and the alkyl acrylate.
A golf ball having a core and a cover wherein the cover comprises a composition including an unneutralized acid copolymer including about 9% to about 25% acrylic acid, and an ethylene copolymer including up to about 30% by weight of an alkyl acrylate selected from the group consisting of methyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, and ethyl acrylate, the acid copolymer comprising about 30 to 90 parts by weight of the overall composition and the ethylene copolymer comprising 10 to 70 parts by weight of the composition, the cover further including a metal salt of a member selected from the group consisting of zinc, potassium, lithium, calcium, sodium, nickel, magnesium, and manganese wherein the unneutralized acid copolymer is neutralized by the metal salt in the presence of the ethylene copolymer and the alkyl acrylate.
A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, said cover comprising:
- about 30 to 90 parts by weight of an acid copolymer including about 1% to 25% parts by weight unneutralized carboxylic acid such that about 10 to 90% of the carboxyl groups are neutralized with a metal cation;
- and
- about 10 to 70 parts by weight of an ethylene copolymer including up to about 30% by weight of an alkyl acrylate wherein the unneutralized acid copolymer is neutralized by the metal cation in the presence of the ethylene copolymer and the alkyl acrylate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.