IP Library Granted Patent US 8,133,956
Granted Patent B2
US 8,133,956 · App. 12/343,680 · Granted Mar 13, 2012

Golf ball

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,133,956
App. No.
12/343,680
Granted
Mar 13, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball which has excellent durability and wear-resistance and provides an excellent shot feeling. The present invention provides a golf ball comprising: a core consisting of a center and at least one intermediate layer covering the center; and a cover covering the core, wherein the cover is formed from a cover composition containing a thermoplastic polyurethane (A), a polyisocyanate compound (B) having at least two isocyanate groups, and a polyhydroxyether (C) as a resin component, wherein the cover composition has a slab hardness from 20 to 55 in shore D hardness, and the cover has a thickness from 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm.

Claims (29)

1. A golf ball comprising:

a core consisting of a center and at least one intermediate layer covering the center; and

a cover covering the core,

wherein the cover is formed from a cover composition containing a thermoplastic polyurethane (A), a polyisocyanate compound (B) having at least two isocyanate groups, and a polyhydroxyether (C) as a resin component,

wherein the cover composition has a slab hardness from 20 to 55 in shore D hardness,

the cover has a thickness from 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm, and the polyhydroxyether (C) has a repeating structural unit represented by Formula (1):

wherein R 1 and R 2 are the same or different from each other, and each are a hydrogen atom or a methyl group.

2. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the polyhydroxyether (C) is represented by Formula (2):

wherein R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 are the same or different from each other, and each are a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; X and Y are the same or different from each other, and each are an epoxy group or a hydroxyethyl group; and n is a positive integer.

3. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the polyhydroxyether (C) has a number average molecular weight from 100 to 100,000.

4. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the polyhydroxyether (C) is an epoxy resin having an epoxy equivalent ranging from 1,000 g/eq to 20,000 g/eq.

5. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the polyhydroxyether (C) is an epoxy resin having a number average molecular weight ranging from 1,000 to 8,000.

6. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the polyhydroxyether (C) is a phenoxy resin having a weight average molecular weight ranging from 10,000 to 100,000.

7. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein an amount of the polyhydroxyether (C) is 1 to 20 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the thermoplastic polyurethane (A).

8. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the polyisocyanate (B) is a polyisocyanate mixture (B+b) where the polyisocyanate (B) is dispersed into a thermoplastic resin (b) which does not substantially react with an isocyanate group.

9. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer in contact with the cover is formed from a resin composition.

10. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate layer in contact with the cover has a thickness ranging from 0.5 mm to 2.3 mm.

11. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein a resin composition forming the intermediate layer in contact with the cover has a slab hardness from 50 to 75 in shore D hardness.

12. A golf ball comprising:

a core consisting of a center and at least one intermediate layer covering the center; and

a cover covering the core,

wherein the cover is formed from a cover composition containing a thermoplastic polyurethane (A), a polyisocyanate compound (B) having at least two isocyanate groups, and a polyhydroxyether (C) represented by the following formula (2) as a resin component, the cover composition has a slab hardness from 20 to 55 in shore D hardness, and the cover has a thickness from 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm,

wherein an intermediate layer in contact with the cover layer is formed from a resin composition which has a slab hardness from 50 to 75 in shore D hardness, and the intermediate layer in contact with the cover has a thickness ranging from 0.5 mm to 2.3 mm

13. The golf ball according to claim 12 , wherein the polyhydroxyether (C) has a number average molecular weight from 100 to 100,000.

14. The golf ball according to claim 12 , wherein the polyhydroxyether (C) is an epoxy resin having an epoxy equivalent ranging from 1,000 g/eq to 20,000 g/eq.

15. The golf ball according to claim 12 , wherein the polyhydroxyether (C) is an epoxy resin having a number average molecular weight ranging from 1,000 to 8,000.

16. The golf ball according to claim 12 , wherein the polyhydroxyether (C) is a phenoxy resin having a weight average molecular weight ranging from 10,000 to 100,000.

17. The golf ball according to claim 12 , wherein an amount of the polyhydroxyether (C) is 1 to 20 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the thermoplastic polyurethane (A).

18. The golf ball according to claim 12 , wherein the polyisocyanate (B) is a polyisocyanate mixture (B+b) where the polyisocyanate (B) is dispersed into a thermoplastic resin (b) which does not substantially react with an isocyanate group.

Assignments (4)
MERGER Recorded Apr 17, 2018
From: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
To: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 045959/0204 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 12, 2018
From: SRI SPORTS LIMITED
To: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
Reel/Frame 045932/0024 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE'S ADDRESS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 022050 FRAME 0180. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNEE'S ADDRESS WAS ENTERED INCORRECTLY AS CHOU-KU. THE CORRECT SPELLING SHOULD BE CHUO-KU. Recorded Jan 30, 2009
From: KAMINO, KAZUYA; OHAMA, KEIJI; TARAO, TOSHIYUKI
To: SRI SPORTS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 022184/0835 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 2, 2009
From: KAMINO, KAZUYA; OHAMA, KEIJI; TARAO, TOSHIYUKI
To: SRI SPORTS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 022050/0180 →