The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 09, 2002
Filed:
May. 22, 2000
Derek A. Ladd, Vista, CA (US);
Laurent Bissonnette, Portsmouth, RI (US);
David A. Bulpett, Boston, MA (US);
Mark N. Wrigley, New Bedford, MA (US);
Acushnet Company, Fairhaven, MA (US);
Abstract
A low compression, resilient golf ball having a center including a material formed from the conversion reaction of sufficient amounts of polybutadiene, a free radical source, and a cis-to-trans catalyst to convert a portion of cis-isomer to trans-isomer in the polybutadiene, which reaction occurs at a sufficient temperature to form the material that contains trans-isomer and cis-isomer, wherein said material has an amount of trans-isomer greater than the amount of trans-isomer present before the conversion reaction, at least one intermediate layer disposed about the center and including a resilient polymer component and a reinforcing polymer component present in an amount sufficient to provide an uncrosslinked first mixture having a rigidity as determined by a flexural modulus greater than about 3.5 MPa, wherein the center and each intermediate layer together form the core, and a cover being disposed about the core, wherein the golf ball has a diameter of at least about 1.68 inches. In particular, the cis-to-trans catalyst includes an organosulfur compound, a Group VIA component, an inorganic sulfide, or a combination thereof, and the reinforcing polymer includes trans-polyisoprene. The invention also relates to golf balls formed from a conversion between various combinations of polybutadiene, cis-to-trans catalyst, free radical source, and optional filler and/or crosslinking agent, to produce a desired golf ball or golf ball component, such as those that are resilient (fast) and have low compression (soft).