Golf Ball Cover Using Vinyl Elastomer for Controllability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing golf balls with urethane covers lack sufficient controllability on approach shots, scuff resistance, and moldability, particularly due to the use of hard resin materials like acrylic and methacrylic resins.
Innovation Solution
A golf ball with a core and a cover formed from a polymer blend primarily composed of polyurethane or polyurea, and a core-shell polymer where the core is a crosslinked acrylic rubber particle and the shell is made of an acrylic polymer, with a specific amount of the core-shell polymer included to achieve optimal controllability and scuff resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If acrylic or methacrylic resin is mixed in a urethane resin-based polymer blend to increase initial velocity on driver shots, then initial velocity is improved, but controllability on approach shots deteriorates due to the hard resin material
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by replacing hard acrylic/methacrylic resins with soft vinyl elastomers (aromatic vinyl elastomer or hydrogenated aromatic vinyl elastomer) in the cover polymer blend. This parameter change in material hardness and elasticity enables the ball to maintain high initial velocity while achieving better controllability on approach shots through improved spin rate and contact time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite polymer blend material consisting of urethane resin as the base resin combined with vinyl elastomer (aromatic vinyl elastomer or hydrogenated aromatic vinyl elastomer) at specific ratios (5-50 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of urethane resin). This composite material structure achieves synergistic effects that simultaneously improve initial velocity and approach shot controllability
2Speed
If acrylic resin is added to the urethane resin material, then initial velocity on driver shots is improved, but melt viscosity rises and flowability worsens, requiring increased molding temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by substituting acrylic resin with vinyl elastomer that has different rheological properties. The vinyl elastomer maintains the necessary elasticity and rebound characteristics while providing superior flowability and lower melt viscosity, enabling molding at lower temperatures without sacrificing performance
3Speed
If acrylic resin is used in the cover material, then initial velocity is improved, but scuff resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite material system where vinyl elastomer (aromatic vinyl elastomer or hydrogenated aromatic vinyl elastomer) is blended with urethane resin in specific proportions. This composite structure provides both the elasticity needed for high initial velocity and the durability required for scuff resistance, overcoming the limitations of pure acrylic resin
4Ease of manufacture
If styrene resin or aromatic vinyl elastomer is used in the polymer blend, then moldability is improved, but feel at impact on approach shots deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the material parameters by specifying the use of aromatic vinyl elastomer or hydrogenated aromatic vinyl elastomer with controlled content (5-50 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of urethane resin). This parameter control ensures adequate flowability for molding while maintaining the elasticity and impact characteristics necessary for good feel at impact on approach shots
Data Source
AI summary
In a golf ball having a core and a cover of at least one layer encasing the core, at least one layer of the cover is formed of a resin composition which includes (I) a polyurethane or a polyurea, and (II) a core-shell polymer in which the core is a crosslinked acrylic rubber particle and the shell consists of an acrylic polymer, the amount of component (II) included per 100 parts by weight of component (I) is less than 15 parts by weight, and the CS1 value calculated by formula (1) belowCS1=(CV50−CV12)/38 (1)(wherein CV50 is the coefficient of restitution at an incident velocity of 50.0 m/s and CV12 is the coefficient of restitution at an incident velocity of 12.0 m/s) is larger than −4.08×10−3, thereby to have an excellent controllability, a good feel at impact on approach shots and a good scuff resistance.