Golf ball having modified surface hardness
View Patent ↗A golf ball comprising a core and a cover layer having a cover inner surface, a cover outer surface, a treated cover region, and an untreated cover region, the treated cover region extending inward from the cover outer surface a depth D CTr and being treated with and comprising a fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition, the untreated cover region disposed between the cover inner surface and the treated cover region and having a depth D CUTr , the untreated cover region comprising n regions of hardness wherein n≧1 and wherein at least one of the n regions of hardness has a hardness H 1 such that the hardness α is greater than the hardness H 1 , and wherein each of said n regions of hardness further comprise a depth D CUTn such that D CTr ≦(1/n)(D UT1 +D UT2 + . . . +D UTn ). In another embodiment, D CTr ≦(n)(D CUT1 +D CUT2 + . . . +D CUTn ). In yet another embodiment, D CTr ≦(1/n 2 )(D CUT1 +D CUT2 + . . . +D CUTn ).
1. A golf ball comprising:
a core comprising at least one layer;
a cover disposed about the core, the cover comprising a single layer formed from one of a thermoset material and a thermoplastic material throughout, said cover layer having a cover inner surface, a cover outer surface, a treated cover region and an untreated cover region, said treated cover region extending inward from the cover outer surface a depth D CTr , the untreated cover region disposed between the cover inner surface and the treated cover region and having a depth D CUTr , said treated cover region being treated with and comprising a fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition wherein the treated cover region comprises a hardness α and the untreated cover region is not treated with and does not comprise the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition and has n regions of hardness wherein n≧1 and wherein at least one of the n regions of hardness has a hardness H 1 such that hardness α is greater than hardness H 1 , and wherein each of said n regions of hardness further comprise a depth D CUTn such that D CTr ≦(1/n)(D UT1 +D UT2 + . . . +D UTn ); and
wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition further comprises at least one hardening material in an amount of from about 1 wt % to about 50 wt % of the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition.
2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition comprises oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, pelargonic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, erucic acid, myristic acid, benzoic acid, phenylacetic acid, or naphthalenoic acid.
3. The golf ball of claim 2 , wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition comprises a cation selected from the group comprising barium, lithium, sodium, zinc, bismuth, chromium, cobolt, copper, potassium, strontium, titanium, tungsten, magnesium, cesium, iron, nickel, silver, aluminum, tin and calcium.
4. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic material comprises ethylene/acrylic acid copolymers, ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymers, ethylene/methyl acrylate/acrylic acid terpolymers, ethylene/n-butyl acrylate/methacrylic acid terpolymers, ethylene/isobutyl-acrylate/methacrylic acid terpolymers, or blends thereof.
5. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the cover layer further comprises a thermoplastic polyurethane, a thermoplastic polyurea, a styrene block copolymer, a polyester amide, polyester-ester, polyamides, single-site catalyzed polymers, metallocene-catalyzed polymers, polyesters, poly(ethylene terephthalate), thermoplastic polyurethane, a thermoplastic polyurea, a styrene block copolymer, a polyester amide, polyester-ester, polyamides, single-site catalyzed polymers, metallocene-catalyzed polymers, polyesters, poly(ethylene terephthalate), poly(butylene terephthalate), poly(propylene terephthalate), poly(trimethylene terephthalate), poly(ethylene naphthenate), polystyrene polymers, poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, poly(styrene sulfonate), polyethylene styrene, grafted polypropylenes, grafted polyethylenes, polyvinyl chlorides; grafted polyvinyl chlorides; polyvinyl acetates having less than about 9% of vinyl acetate by weight, polycarbonates, blends of polycarbonate and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, blends of polycarbonate and polyurethane, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, polyethers, polyarylene ethers, polyphenylene oxides; block copolymers of alkenyl aromatics with vinyl aromatics and poly(amic ester)s, polyimides, polyetherketones, polyamideimides, or blends thereof.
6. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the at least one hardening material is selected from the group consisting of: zinc methacrylate, zinc dimethacrylate, a thermoplastic resin, and peroxide.
7. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition is exposed to infrared (IR) radiation, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, electron beam radiation, and/or gamma radiation.
8. A golf ball comprising:
a core comprising at least one layer;
a cover disposed about the core, the cover comprising a single layer formed from one of a thermoset material and a thermoplastic material throughout and having a cover inner surface and a cover outer surface, the cover layer further comprising a treated cover region and an untreated cover region, said treated cover region extending inward from the cover outer surface a depth D CTr , the untreated cover region disposed between the cover inner surface and the treated cover region and having a depth D CUTr , said treated cover region having been exposed to and comprising a fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition wherein the treated cover region comprises a hardness α and the untreated cover region is not treated with and does not comprise the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition and has n regions of hardness within depth D CUTr wherein n≧1 and wherein at least one of the n regions of hardness has a hardness H 2 such that the hardness α is greater than H 2 each of said n regions further having a depth D CUTn such that D CTr ≦(n)(D CUT1 +D CUT2 + . . . . +D CUTn ); and
wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition comprises at least one hardening material in an amount of from about 1 wt % to about 50 wt % of the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition.
9. The golf ball of claim 8 , wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition comprises oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, pelargonic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, erucic acid, myristic acid, benzoic acid, phenylacetic acid, or naphthalenoic acid.
10. The golf ball of claim 9 , wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition comprises a cation selected from the group comprising barium, lithium, sodium, zinc, bismuth, chromium, cobolt, copper, potassium, strontium, titanium, tungsten, magnesium, cesium, iron, nickel, silver, aluminum, tin and calcium.
11. The golf ball of claim 8 , wherein the at least one hardening material is selected from the group consisting of: zinc methacrylate, zinc dimethacrylate, a thermoplastic resin, and peroxide.
12. The golf ball of claim 8 , wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition is exposed to infrared (IR) radiation, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, electron beam radiation, and/or gamma radiation.
13. A golf ball comprising:
a core comprising at least one layer;
a cover disposed about the core, the cover comprising a single layer formed from one of a thermoset material and a thermoplastic material throughout and having an inner cover surface, an outer cover surface, a treated cover region and an untreated cover region, said treated cover region extending inward from the cover outer surface a depth D CTr , the untreated cover region disposed between the cover inner surface and the treated cover region and having a depth D CUTr , said treated cover region comprising a fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition wherein the treated cover region comprises a hardness α and the untreated cover region does not comprise the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition and has n regions of hardness within depth D CUTr wherein n≧1 and wherein at least one of said n regions of hardness has a hardness H 3 such that hardness α is greater than hardness H 3 , each of said n regions of hardness further having a depth D CUTn such that D CTr ≦(1/n 2 )(D CUT1 +D CUT2 + . . . . +D CUTn ); and
wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition further comprises at least one hardening material in an amount of from about 1 wt % to about 50 wt % of the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition.
14. The golf ball of claim 13 , wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition comprises oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid, pelargonic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, erucic acid, myristic acid, benzoic acid, phenylacetic acid, or naphthalenoic acid.
15. The golf ball of claim 14 , wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition comprises a cation selected from the group comprising barium, lithium, sodium, zinc, bismuth, chromium, cobolt, copper, potassium, strontium, titanium, tungsten, magnesium, cesium, iron, nickel, silver, aluminum, tin and calcium.
16. The golf ball of claim 13 , wherein the at least one hardening material is selected from the group consisting of: zinc methacrylate, zinc dimethacrylate, a thermoplastic resin, and peroxide.
17. The golf ball of claim 13 , wherein the fatty acid and/or fatty acid salt composition is exposed to infrared (IR) radiation, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, electron beam radiation, and/or gamma radiation.