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US 6,203,451 B1Granted
Zwitter-ion and ionene golf ball forming compositions and methods
AssigneeAcushnet Company
InventorMurali Rajagopalan
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AssigneeAcushnet Company
InventorMurali Rajagopalan
Estimating the term…
The present invention provides golf balls having a cover, a core, and optionally one or more intermediate layers between the cover and the core, wherein at least one of the cover, the core and, if present, the intermediate layer(s), is formed of an ion-containing polymer composition, particularly a zwitter-ion or ionene polymer. The zwitter-ion polymers contain both cationic and anionic species on the polymer backbone or as a pendant group on the polymer backbone. The ionene polymers are contain only a cationic portion attached to the polymer backbone and are associated with another ion. These ion-containing polymer compositions can be used to provide improved characteristics to golf balls made therefrom. The invention also relates to methods of making and using the compositions in golf balls.
A golf ball having a coefficient of restitution of greater than about 0.7 and a compression of at least about 50 comprising a core and a cover disposed concentrically about the core with the cover having a thickness of at least about 0.03 inches and at least about 60 percent dimple coverage, wherein at least one of the cover and the core is formed of an ion-containing polymer composition comprising at least one of an ionene or a zwitter-ion polymer, wherein the ion-containing polymer composition has a flexural modulus from about 500 psi to 300,000 psi, a hardness of at least about 15 Shore A, a loss tangent of less than about 1 at about 23° C., a specific gravity of at least about 0.7, and a dynamic shear storage modulus of at least about 10,000 dyn/cm2 at about 23° C. and about 1 Hz.
A golf ball having a coefficient of restitution of greater than about 0.7 and a compression of at least about 50 comprising a center, at least one intermediate layer disposed about the center, and a cover disposed about the at least one intermediate layer with the cover having a thickness of at least about 0.03 inches and at least about 60 percent dimple coverage, wherein at least one of the center, the at least one intermediate layer, or the cover includes an ion-containing polymer composition comprising at least one of an ionene or zwitter-ion polymer which has a flexural modulus of from about 500 psi to 300,000 psi, a hardness of at least about 15 Shore A, a loss tangent of less than about 1 at about 23° C., a specific gravity of at least about 0.7, and a dynamic shear storage modulus of at least about 10,000 dyn/cm2 at about 23° C. and about 1 Hz.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.