# US 9,040,632 B2 · Golf ball

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- Number: US 9,040,632 B2
- Document ID: US9040632B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/774,651
- Filed: 2013-02-22
- Published: 2013-06-27
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2008-07-11
- Assignees: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd.
- Applicants: Dunlop Sports Co. Ltd.
- Inventors: Satoko Okabe; Keiji Ohama
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9040632B2

## CPC

- A63B 37/0076: {Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers}
- A63B 37/0003: {Golf balls}
- C08L 23/0876: Salts thereof, i.e. ionomers
- C08L 77/00: Compositions of polyamides obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic amide link in the main chain (of polyhydrazides C08L79/06; of polyamideimides or polyamide acids C08L79/08); Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
- A63B 37/0039: {characterised by the material}
- A63B 37/004: {Physical properties}
- A63B 37/0043: {Hardness}
- A63B 37/0086: {Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness}
- C08L 33/10: Homopolymers or copolymers of methacrylic acid esters
- A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H)
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)

## Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball having an excellent properties like flight distance and low temperature durability. The present invention provides a golf ball comprising: a core consisting of a center and one or more intermediate layers covering the center; and a cover covering the core, wherein at least one piece or one layer of said intermediate layers is formed from a highly elastic intermediate layer composition that contains (A) a highly elastic polyamide resin having a flexural modulus in a range from 700 MPa to 5,000 MPa; (B) a metal-neutralized product of ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer and (C) a resin having a polar functional group in a specific way.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A golf ball comprising:
a core consisting of a center and one or more intermediate layers covering the center; and
a cover covering the core,
wherein at least one of said intermediate layers or a portion thereof is formed from a highly elastic intermediate layer composition that contains:
(A) a highly elastic polyamide resin having a flexural modulus in a range from 700 MPa to 5,000 MPa;
(B) a metal-neutralized product of ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer in an amount ratio ((A)/(B)) of (A) the highly elastic polyamide resin to (B) the metal-neutralized product of ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer of (20 mass % to 80 mass %)/(80 mass % to 20 mass %), the total being 100 mass %; and
(C) a resin having a polar functional group that is at least one selected from the group consisting of an ethylene-acrylic acid-glycidyl methacrylate copolymer and a methyl methacrylate-glycidyl methacrylate copolymer in an amount of 0.1 part by mass to 30 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the sum of (A) the highly elastic polyamide resin and (B) the metal-neutralized product of ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer, and
wherein the cover is formed from a cover composition that contains a polyurethane resin as a main resin component.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein regarding slab properties, the highly elastic intermediate layer composition has a hardness in a range from 65 to 75 in Shore D hardness, a flexural modulus in a range from 300 MPa to 1,000 MPa, and a tensile modulus in a range from 400 MPa to 1,500 MPa.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein (A) the highly elastic polyamide resin is at least one selected from the group consisting of polyamide 6, polyamide 11, polyamide 12, polyamide 66, polyamide 610, polyamide 6T, polyamide 61, polyamide 9T, polyamide M5T, polyamide 612 and a polyetherblock amide copolymer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The new golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the cover composition contains a thermoplastic polyurethane as the main resin component.