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Golf ballGolf ball description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080026873, Golf ball. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001]The present invention relates to a golf ball having a core and cover of one or more layer. More specifically, the invention relates to a golf ball having both a good feel on impact and excellent scuff resistance while retaining a good flight performance. [0002]In recent years, ionomer resins have been widely used in golf ball cover materials. Ionomer resins are ionic copolymers of an olefin such as ethylene with an unsaturated carboxylic acid such as acrylic acid, methacrylic acid or maleic acid, in which some of the acidic groups are neutralized with metal ions such as sodium, lithium, zinc or magnesium. In particular, ionomer resins have excellent characteristics such as durability and rebound resilience, and are thus well-suited for use as the base resin in a golf ball cover material. [0003]Ionomer resins account for most of the cover material resin in use today, and enable the production of golf balls endowed with the above properties. Yet, golfers are always on the lookout for golf balls having a high rebound resilience and excellent flight characteristics. Examples of such improvements include the use of terpolymers obtained by copolymerizing a third component such as an alkyl acrylate with ethylene and an unsaturated carboxylic acid, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,653,382 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,815,480. However, the admixture of oleic acid with this terpolymer makes the resulting material too soft for use in golf balls, leading to such undesirable effects as a low ball initial velocity and a poor scuff resistance. [0004]U.S. Pat. No. 6,762,246 teaches a material obtained by mixing a low-molecular-weight compound such as a wax with a ternary ionomer, but the overall performance of golf balls thereby obtained tends to decline. [0005]Given the importance placed on the feel of the ball when played, the use of a low-hardness ionomer in the cover material has also been proposed. However, when a low-hardness ionomer is used, the initial velocity of the ball tends to decline and the scuff resistance tends to worsen. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006]It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a golf ball which, in addition to exhibiting an excellent flight performance, also has a more than satisfactory feel on impact and scuff resistance. [0007]The inventors have conducted extensive investigations, as a result of which they have discovered that, in a golf ball having a core and a cover of one or more layer, when at least one layer of the cover is made of a material obtained by using (a) a metal ion neutralization product of an olefin-unsaturated carboxylic acid random copolymer having a Shore D hardness of at least 60, (b) an unsaturated fatty acid, and (c) a basic inorganic metal compound capable of neutralizing acid groups in foregoing components (a) and (b), and mixing and molding these components (a) to (c) in specific proportions, the ball can be imparted with both a good feel and an excellent scuff resistance while retaining a good rebound resilience. [0008]Accordingly, the invention provides the following golf balls. [0009][1] A golf ball comprising a core and a cover of one or more layer, wherein at least one layer of the cover is made of a material obtained by molding a mixture comprising: [0010](a) 100 parts by weight of a metal ion neutralization product of an olefin-unsaturated carboxylic acid random copolymer having a Shore D hardness of at least 60; [0011](b) 5 to 60 parts by weight of an unsaturated fatty acid; and [0012](c) 1 to 10 parts by weight of a basic inorganic metal compound capable of neutralizing acid groups in components (a) and (b). [0013][2] The golf ball of [1], wherein an outermost layer of the cover is made of the material obtained by molding the mixture comprising components (a) to (c). [0014][3] The golf ball of [1], wherein the mixture has a melt mass flow rate of at least 2.0 g/10 min. [0015][4] The golf ball of [1], wherein the unsaturated fatty acid (b) is at least one selected from the group consisting of oleic acid, elaidic acid, erucic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid. [0016][5] The golf ball of [1], wherein the basic inorganic metal compound (c) is calcium hydroxide. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0017]The invention is described more fully below. [0018]The golf ball of the invention has a core and a cover of one or more layer. The core is not limited to one layer, and may, if necessary, be composed of two or more layers. [0019]A rubber composition obtained by a conventional method and controlled vulcanization conditions, ingredient proportions and the like may be used as the core material. The core formulation generally includes such ingredients as a base rubber, crosslinking agent, co-crosslinking agent and inert filler. Natural rubbers and/or synthetic rubbers hitherto used in solid golf balls may be employed as the base rubber. For example, 1,4-polybutadiene having a cis structure content of at least 40% may be used. If desired, other types of rubber, such as natural rubber, polyisoprene rubber or styrene-butadiene rubber may be suitably blended with the polybutadiene. The crosslinking agent is exemplified by organic peroxides such as dicumyl peroxide and di-t-butyl peroxide. The co-crosslinking agent is not subject to any particular limitation. Illustrative examples include the metal salts of unsaturated fatty acids, particularly the zinc salts and magnesium salts of unsaturated fatty acids having 3 to 8 carbon atoms (e.g., acrylic acid, methacrylic acid). Examples of inert fillers include zinc oxide, barium sulfate, silica, calcium carbonate and zinc carbonate. Aside from the foregoing rubber composition, use may be made of a thermoplastic resin or thermoplastic elastomer, such as an ionomer resin or a polyester elastomer, as the solid core material. [0020]The solid core may be produced by using a known process to cure/vulcanize a rubber composition containing the various above ingredients. For example, core production may involve masticating the ingredients using a mixing apparatus such as a Banbury mixer or roll mill, compression molding or injection molding the masticated material in a core mold, then curing the molded body by suitably heating at a temperature sufficient for the peroxide and co-crosslinking agent to act. To illustrate, when dicumyl peroxide is used as the peroxide and zinc acrylate is used as the co-crosslinking agent, heating is typically carried out at from 130 to 170.degree. C., and preferably 150 to 160.degree. C., for a period of 10 to 40 minutes, and preferably 12 to 20 minutes. [0021]The hardness of the solid core is not subject to any particular limitation and may be adjusted as appropriate. The core may have a hardness distribution such that the hardness is substantially the same from the center to the surface of the core, or the core may have a hardness difference between the center and surface thereof. [0022]It is desirable for the solid core to have a diameter of at least 25 mm, and preferably at least 36 mm, but not more than 42 mm, and preferably not more than 24 mm. The core weight is preferably from 20 to 32 g, and more preferably from 27 to 30 g. [0023]In the present invention, at least one layer of the cover of one or more layers is made of a material obtained by molding a mixture composed of the following essential ingredients: [0024](a) 100 parts by weight of a metal ion neutralization product of an olefin-unsaturated carboxylic acid random copolymer; [0025](b) 5 to 60 parts by weight of an unsaturated fatty acid; and [0026](c) 1 to 10 parts by weight of a basic inorganic metal compound capable of neutralizing acid groups in components (a) and (b). 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