Containing Metal Patents (Class 473/385)
  • Patent number: 5824746
    Abstract: The disclosed invention provides novel golf ball compositions which contain olefinic based ionomers and non-ionic olefinic copolymers produced by use of metallocene catalysts. These compositions exhibit improved mechanical properties such as tensile and flexural properties, and can be foamed or unfoamed. Golf balls that employ at least one layer of these blends in any of the golf ball cover, core, or a mantle situated between the cover and the core provide ball properties and performance similar to and in some cases better than the state of the art ionomer based golf balls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Kevin M. Harris, Murali Rajagopalan
  • Patent number: 5824740
    Abstract: Disclosed is a golf ball having good shot feel and controllability as well as satisfactory flight performance and cut resistance. The golf ball has a core and a cover for covering the core, wherein said cover has a stiffness modulus of 100 to 250 MPa and comprises a heated mixture of an ionomer resin and a glycidyl group-modified styrene-based block copolymer having a JIS-A hardness of 30 to 90 as base resin, and optionally a maleic anhydride-modified olefin copolymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Yabuki, Yoshinori Sano, Hiroaki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5756583
    Abstract: A golf ball cover is formed of a composition comprising (a) 70-95% by weight of a sodium or zinc salt of an ethylene-unsaturated carboxylic acid-unsaturated carboxylate terpolymer or a mixture thereof and (b) 30-5% by weight of a sodium or zinc salt of an ethylene-unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer, an ethylene-unsaturated carboxylic acid-unsaturated carboxylate terpolymer or a mixture thereof, having an M.F.R. of at least 4, the composition curing into a product having a hardness of 55-80 on JIS C scale and a tensile stress at 10% distortion of 40-140 kg/cm.sup.2. The composition is easy to mold and allows for manufacture of a golf ball having improved spin properties and resistant to impact by iron and other clubs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Egashira, Hisashi Yamagishi, Hideo Watanabe, Yasushi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 5743817
    Abstract: A solid golf ball comprising a core and a cover is provided. The core has a core hardness expressed by a distortion of 2.2-4.0 mm under a load of 100 kg. The core hardness divided by the ball hardness ranges from 1.0 to 1.3. The cover has a thickness of 1.3-1.8 mm. The ball is improved in feel and spin while maintaining the flying distance inherent to solid golf balls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisashi Yamagishi, Yoshinori Egashira, Hideo Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5733974
    Abstract: The present invention provides a golf ball which exhibits a soft hit feeling and a high impact resilience. The golf ball comprises a core made of an elastomer and a cover covering said core wherein said cover is made of a thermoplastic material comprising a rubber powder and a thermoplastic elastomer, said rubber powder being present in an amount of 5 to 40 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of said thermoplastic elastomer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mikio Yamada, Keiji Moriyama
  • Patent number: 5714546
    Abstract: A golf ball cover is formed of a composition comprising (a) 70-95% by weight of a sodium or zinc salt of an ethylene-unsaturated carboxylic acid-unsaturated carboxylate terpolymer or a mixture thereof and (b) 30-5% by weight of a sodium or zinc salt of an ethylene-unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer, an ethylene-unsaturated carboxylic acid-unsaturated carboxylate terpolymer or a mixture thereof, having an M.F.R. of at least 4, the composition curing into a product having a hardness of 55-80 on JIS C scale and a tensile stress at 10% distortion of 40-140 kg/cm.sup.2. The composition is easy to mold and allows for manufacture of a golf ball having improved spin properties and resistant to impact by iron and other clubs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Egashira, Hisashi Yamagishi, Hideo Watanabe, Yasushi Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 5703166
    Abstract: The disclosed invention provides novel golf ball compositions which contain olefinic based ionomers and non-ionic olefinic copolymers produced by use of metallocene catalysts. These compositions exhibit improved mechanical properties such as tensile and flexural properties. Golf balls which employ these blends provide ball properties and performance similar to and in some cases better than the state of the art ionomer based golf balls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Murali Rajagopalan, Kevin Harris
  • Patent number: 5693711
    Abstract: There is disclosed a resin composition which comprises:(a) an .alpha.-olefin/unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer type ionomeric resin; and(b) a block copolymer having at least one polymer block A comprising an aromatic vinyl compound and at least one polymer block B comprising a conjugated diene compound, and having a hydroxyl group at the terminal of the block copolymer, or a hydrogenated product thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1997
    Assignee: Kuraray Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Isamu Akiba, Hiromichi Nakata, Shiroh Kishii, Atsushi Ohishi, Masao Ishii
  • Patent number: 5691066
    Abstract: A golf ball having a covering or coating consisting in whole or in part of a sulfonated or carboxylated fluoropolymer wherein the fluoropolymer comprises 1-100% of the covering or coating. The fluoropolymer may be blended with conventional golf ball cover or coating materials. A method of enhancing the cut resistance, abrasion resistance, and durability of a golf ball comprises the steps of: a) forming a golf ball core; and b) forming a cover around said core by either compression molding preformed half-shells of cover stock material comprising of a sulfonated or carboxylated fluoropolymer about said core or by injection molding cover stock material comprising of a sulfonated or carboxylated fluoropolymer around said core. Another method of enhancing the cut resistance, abrasion resistance, and durability of a golf ball in accordance comprises coating the golf ball with a sulfonated or carboxylated fluoropolymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1997
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: Murali Rajagopalan
  • Patent number: 5679745
    Abstract: The present invention provides a golf ball which does not cause poor impact resilience but provides long distance carry as well as good hit feeling, and keeps controllability nearly similar to balata covered thread wound golf balls. The present invention provides a golf ball which comprises a core and a cover for covering the core, wherein the cover comprises, as base component, a mixture of a sulfonate-type ionomer of which a polymer chain contains an elastomeric portion having rubber resilience and has a sulfonic group neutralized by a metallic ion, and a carboxylate type ionomer which is a copolymer of at least .alpha.-olefin and .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated carboxylic acid of which a carboxyl group is neutralized by a metallic ion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiko Hamada, Yoshikazu Yabuki
  • Patent number: 5663235
    Abstract: Disclosed is a golf ball having excellent shot feel, control properties as well as satisfactory flight performance and cut resistance. The golf ball has a core and a cover covering the core wherein the cover has a stiffness modulus of 100 to 250 MPa and comprises a base resin and an additive, and the base resin mainly contains a mixture of specific resins (A) and (B) in a weight ratio of 60:40 to 90:10(A) is an ionomer resin(B) is a styrene/carboxylic and copolymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1997
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5656695
    Abstract: A scratch resistant golf ball cover comprising a blend of:(I) an acrylic ionomer or mixture with a methacrylic ionomer having a stiffness modulus of 3000-5000 Kg/cm.sup.2(II) a methacrylic ionomer having a stiffness modulus of 900-2000 Kg/cm.sup.2 neutralized with zinc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichiro Endo, Kuniyasu Horiuchi
  • Patent number: 5633322
    Abstract: Disclosed is a golf ball having excellent hit feeling, control properties and flying performances. The golf ball has a core and a cover for covering the core. The base resin of the cover comprises a mixture of three specific resins (A), (B), and (C), and the cover has a stiffness modulus of 130 to 300 MPa and a Shore D hardness of 43 to 58. Resin (A) is a high rigid ionomer resin or resin mixture, Resin (B) is a moderate rigid ionomer resin or resin mixture, and Resin (C) is a low rigid copolymer resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Yabuki, Yoshinori Sano
  • Patent number: 5631324
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the cover comprises a blend of at least one olefinic ionomer and a terpolymer, said terpolymer comprising a first monomeric component comprising an olefinic monomer having from about 2 to about 8 carbon atoms, a second monomeric component selected from unsaturated acrylate class ester having from about 2 to about 18 carbon atoms; and, a third monomeric component comprising at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of carbon monoxide, anhydride monomers and monomers having a structure according to the following formula ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is hydrogen or a linear chain or branched chain alkyl group of from about 1 to about 18 carbon atoms and R.sub.2 is selected from the group consisting of linear chain or branched chain alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted carbocyclic and substituted aryl groups containing an epoxy, i.e., glycidyl moiety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1997
    Assignees: Acushnet Company, E. I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co.
    Inventors: Murali Rajagopalan, Robert J. Statz
  • Patent number: 5625003
    Abstract: The present invention provides a golf ball having excellent hit feeling and control property as well as excellent flying performance and cut resistance, which comprises a core and a cover for covering the core, wherein a heated mixture of an ionomer resin and a polymer containing a glycidyl group is used as a main component of a base resin for the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1997
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Kato, Kuniyasu Horiuchi, Akihiko Hamada
  • Patent number: 5605512
    Abstract: It is a main object of the present invention to impart a high impact resilience to a thread wound golf ball using a liquid center wherein a center bag is filled with a liquid, thereby improving a flying distance, while maintaining a good hit feeling and control properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mikio Yamada, Kazushige Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 5605967
    Abstract: In a golf ball comprising a cover enclosing a core, the cover is formed of a resin blend of (a) a potassium ionomer resin and (b) a magnesium ionomer resin. Both the ionomer resins are ethylene-.alpha., .beta.-unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymers containing 10 to 20% by weight of .alpha., .beta.-unsaturated carboxylic acid, 20 to 70 mol % of the carboxyl group being neutralized with potassium or magnesium ion. The ionomer resins have a melt index of 0.6 to 8 and a Shore D hardness of 55 to 70. Ionomer resins (a) and (b) are blended in a weight ratio of from 85:15 to 20:80. The cover has enhanced durability against hitting at no expense of repulsion upon hitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Egashira, Yasushi Ichikawa, Hideo Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5605968
    Abstract: A solid golf ball includes a solid core enclosed in a cover. The resin component of the cover consists of 30 to 100% by weight of an ethylene-methacrylic acid-acrylate terpolymer ionomer resin having a flexural modulus of 2,500-14,000 psi and a Shore D hardness of 20-59 and 70 to 0% by weight of an ethylene-(meth)acrylic acid copolymer ionomer resin having a flexural modulus of 20,000-29,000 psi and a Shore D hardness of 56-62. The ball is excellent in spin receptivity, burring resistance, and feel on hitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Egashira, Hisashi Yamagishi, Hideo Watanabe, Jun Shindo
  • Patent number: 5559188
    Abstract: In a golf ball comprising a cover around a core, the cover is formed of a resin blend of 10-60 parts by weight of a thermoplastic elastomer having a crystalline polyethylene block and 90-40 parts by weight of an ionomer resin. The ball is well controllable, highly repulsive, and resistant to scuffing upon iron shots and offers pleasant hitting feel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Egashira, Yasushi Ichikawa, Hideo Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5543467
    Abstract: A golf ball having excellent hit feeling, control properties and flying performance. The golf ball has a core and a cover covering the core, and the base material of the cover comprises a heated mixture of an ionomer resin, a maleic anhydride-modified olefinic copolymer and a glycidyl group-containing olefinic copolymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1996
    Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiko Hamada, Yoshikazu Yubuki, Akira Kato
  • Patent number: 5542677
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to golf ball cover compositions containing blends of high or low carboxylic acid based copolymers and ethylene copolymers such as ethylene alkyl acrylates. The carboxylic acid groups of the blends are neutralized with metal cations. Golf balls produced with the cover molded thereon exhibit desired properties of distance and high coefficient of restitution without substantially sacrificing and/or improving characteristics like playability and durability when compared to existing covers comprising ionomeric resin blends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1996
    Assignee: Lisco, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Sullivan, Robert A. Weiss
  • Patent number: 5516847
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a golf ball cover comprising a blend of copolymers wherein one or more of the copolymers is a low cost non-ionic copolymer and one or more of the copolymers is an ionic copolymer. Surprisingly, a golf ball cover comprising the non-ionic/ionic copolymer blend exhibits no loss in C.O.R., and has equal resistance to cutting and cracking when compared to top grade golf ball covers made with one of the conventional 100% ionic copolymer blends. In particular, the present golf ball cover comprises from about 95 to about 80 pphr of one or more ionic copolymers, and from about 5 to about 20 pphr of one or more non-ionic copolymers, the latter being selected from the group consisting of a copolymer or terpolymer of ethylene or propylene; acrylic acid or methacrylic acid; a lower alkyl acrylate, and blends thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1996
    Assignee: Lisco, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Sullivan, Terence Melvin