Method of improving scuff and cut resistance of ionomer covered game ball
AssigneeSpalding Sports Worldwide, Inc.
InventorsMichael J. Sullivan, Thomas Kennedy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a game ball and method for making the same. The game ball has an ionomeric cover which includes a combination of ionomeric crosslinks and covalent crosslinks. The game ball cover is superior in at least one of cut resistance and scuff resistance to a conventional cover that does not have covalent crosslinks but is otherwise substantially identical in composition. Crosslinks within the composition are achieved by irradiation. The game ball cover of the invention is particularly useful for improving the durability of golf balls to be struck with sharp-grooved clubs.
Claims22
A method of forming a game ball comprising:
- obtaining a game ball having a cover comprising an ionomer wherein the ionomer includes a copolymer of an α-olefin, an acrylate, and an α,β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid which is about 10-100% neutralized with metal ions, and
- irradiating the ionomer in the cover under conditions appropriate to covalently crosslink the ionomer in order to increase the resistance of the cover to at least one of scuffing and cutting without substantially impairing other playability characteristics of the ball.
A method of making a game ball, comprising
- obtaining an unfinished game ball having a cover comprising an ionomer wherein the ionomer includes a copolymer of an α-olefin, an acrylate, and an α,β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid which is about 10-100% neutralized with metal ions,
- forming a coating over the cover, and
- irradiating the ionomer in the cover at a dosage of at least about 2 megarads to covalently crosslink the ionomer to a degree sufficient to increase at least one of the scuff resistance and cut resistance of the cover without reducing the coefficient of the restitution of the cover.
A game ball having a cover wherein said cover comprises at least one ionomer resin that is a copolymer of an olefin, an acrylate and an α,β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, wherein said copolymer is 10 to 100% neutralized with metal ions and wherein said copolymer has a sufficient amount of radiation-induced covalent cross linking to increase the resistance of the cover to at least one of scuffing and cutting and to impart to the cover a Shore D hardness which is at most 10% greater than the Shore D hardness of a cover having a substantially identical composition but which does not have the amount of covalent crosslinking as from the radiation-induced covalent crosslinking.
A game ball comprising a cover wherein said cover comprises at least one ionomer resin that is a copolymer of an olefin, an acrylate and an α,β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, wherein said copolymer is 10 to 100% neutralized with metal ions and wherein said copolymer has a sufficient amount of radiation-induced covalent cross linking to increase the resistance of the cover to at least one of scuffing and cutting while resulting in a cover Shore D hardness which is not more than about 0.5% higher than the Shore D hardness of a cover having a substantially identical composition but which does not have the amount of covalent crosslinking as from the radiation-induced covalent crosslinking.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.