IP Library Granted Patent US 9,474,941
Granted Patent B2
US 9,474,941 · App. 13/683,108 · Granted Oct 25, 2016

Golf ball material and golf ball using the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,474,941
App. No.
13/683,108
Granted
Oct 25, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball with improved durability and/or resilience by improving the adhesion between a constituent member comprising an ionomer resin and a constituent member comprising a polyurethane. The present invention provides a golf ball material composed of a multi-block copolymer having a block A that has an acid functional group neutralized with a metal ion and a block B that has lower polarity than the block A.

Claims (22)

1. A golf ball comprising a constituent member containing an ionomer resin and a constituent member containing a polyurethane, wherein an adhesive layer is interposed between the constituent member containing the ionomer resin and the constituent member containing the polyurethane, wherein the adhesive layer is formed from a liquid where an adhesive resin component is dissolved or dispersed in a solvent, and the adhesive resin component is a golf ball material composed of a multi-block copolymer having an A-B-A type tri-block copolymer structure, wherein

a block B has lower polarity than a block A,

the block A contains, as a component, an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, of which at least a part of carboxyl groups is neutralized with a metal ion, and

the block B is a polyolefin block containing, as a component, at least one olefin selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, butene, and pentene.

2. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein a degree of neutralization of the carboxyl groups of the block A is 10 mole % or more, and the golf ball material has a slab hardness in a range from 35 to 70 in Shore D hardness.

3. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the golf ball is a two-piece golf ball having a core and a cover covering the core, the constituent member containing the ionomer resin is the core, and the constituent member containing the polyurethane is the cover.

4. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the golf ball is a three-piece golf ball having a core, an intermediate layer covering the core, and a cover covering the intermediate layer, the constituent member containing the ionomer resin is the intermediate layer, and the constituent member containing the polyurethane is the cover.

5. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the golf ball is a multi-piece golf ball having a core, two or more intermediate layers covering the core, and a cover covering the intermediate layers, wherein the constituent member containing the ionomer resin is one layer of adjacent intermediate layers and the constituent member containing the polyurethane is another layer of the adjacent intermediate layers.

6. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the golf ball is a multi-piece golf ball having a core, two or more intermediate layers covering the core, and a cover covering the intermediate layers, wherein the constituent member containing the ionomer resin is an outer most intermediate layer and the constituent member containing the polyurethane is the cover.

7. The golf ball according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer has a thickness in a range from 3 μm to 300 μm.

8. A golf ball comprising a constituent member containing a golf ball material composed of a multi-block copolymer having a block A and a block B that has lower polarity than the block A and a constituent member containing a polyurethane, the constituent member containing the golf ball material being adjacent to the constituent member containing the polyurethane, wherein the constituent member containing the golf ball material further contains an ionomer resin, and a mass ratio of the ionomer resin to the golf ball material is from 20/80 to 80/20, and the multi-block copolymer has an A-B-A type tri-block copolymer structure wherein

the block A contains, as a component, an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, of which at least a part of carboxyl groups is neutralized with a metal ion, and

the block B is a polyolefin block containing, as a component, at least one olefin selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, butene, and pentene, and

wherein the golf ball is a multi-piece golf ball having a core, two or more intermediate layers covering the core, and a cover covering the intermediate layers, wherein the constituent member containing the golf ball material is one layer of adjacent intermediate layers and the constituent member containing the polyurethane is another layer of the adjacent intermediate layers.

9. The golf ball according to claim 8 , wherein a degree of neutralization of the carboxyl groups of the block A is 10 mole % or more, and the golf ball material has a slab hardness in a range from 35 to 70 in Shore D hardness.

10. The golf ball according to claim 8 , wherein an adhesive layer is further interposed between the constituent member containing the golf ball material and the constituent member containing the polyurethane.

11. A golf ball comprising a constituent member containing a golf ball material composed of a multi-block copolymer having a block A and a block B that has lower polarity than the block A and a constituent member containing a polyurethane, the constituent member containing the golf ball material being adjacent to the constituent member containing the polyurethane, wherein the constituent member containing the golf ball material further contains an ionomer resin, and a mass ratio of the ionomer resin to the golf ball material is from 20/80 to 80/20, and the multi-block copolymer has an A-B-A type tri-block copolymer structure wherein

the block A contains, as a component, an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, of which at least a part of carboxyl groups is neutralized with a metal ion, and

the block B is a polyolefin block containing, as a component, at least one olefin selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, butene, and pentene, and

wherein the golf ball is a multi-piece golf ball having a core, two or more intermediate layers covering the core, and a cover covering the intermediate layers, wherein the constituent member containing the golf ball material is an outer most intermediate layer and the constituent member containing the polyurethane is the cover.

12. The golf ball according to claim 11 , wherein a degree of neutralization of the carboxyl groups of the block A is 10 mole % or more, and the golf ball material has a slab hardness in a range from 35 to 70 in Shore D hardness.

13. The golf ball according to claim 11 , wherein an adhesive layer is further interposed between the constituent member containing the golf ball material and the constituent member containing the polyurethane.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Apr 17, 2018
From: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD.
To: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 045959/0204 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 26, 2012
From: TARAO, TOSHIYUKI; HORIUCHI, KUNIYASU
To: DUNLOP SPORTS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 029349/0568 →