US2011244987A1PendingUtilityA1

Golf ball comprising renewable resource component

44
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Apr 1, 2010Filed: Apr 1, 2010Published: Oct 6, 2011
Est. expiryApr 1, 2030(~3.7 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Kevin M. HarrisMurali Rajagopalan
A63B 37/0075A63B 37/0039A63B 37/0003A63B 37/0051A63B 37/0024
44
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Claims

Abstract

The invention is directed to a golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least one of the core and the cover comprises about 10 wt % or greater of a renewable polymer composition comprising an ultra high molecular weight polyhydroxyalkanoate compound having the formula: —OCR 1 R 2 (CR 3 R 4 ) n CO— wherein n is an integer, and wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are selected from the group comprising saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon radicals, halo- and hydroxy-substituted radicals, hydroxy radicals, halogen radicals; nitrogen-substituted radicals, oxygen-substituted radicals, or hydrogen atoms. In one embodiment, the golf ball also comprises about 90 wt % or less of a non renewable polymer composition. The golf ball may also comprise an intermediate layer disposed about the core and adjacent the cover, wherein at least one of the core, the cover and the intermediate layer comprises the renewable polymer composition. The at least one of the core and the cover or the intermediate layer may comprise a hardness of from about 50 Shore C to about 90 Shore C.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A golf ball comprising a core and a cover disposed about the core, wherein at least one of the core and the cover comprises:
 about 10 wt % or greater of a renewable polymer composition comprising an ultra high molecular weight polyhydroxyalkanoate compound having the formula:
   —OCR 1 R 2 (CR 3 R 4 ) n CO—
 
   
       wherein n is an integer, and wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3  and R 4  are selected from the group comprising saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon radicals, halo- and hydroxy-substituted radicals, hydroxy radicals, halogen radicals; nitrogen-substituted radicals, oxygen-substituted radicals, or hydrogen atoms;
 about 90 wt % or less of a non renewable polymer composition; 
 wherein the at least one of the core and the cover comprises a hardness of from about 50 Shore C to about 90 Shore C. 
 
     
     
         2 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the ultra high molecular weight polyhydroxyalkanoate compound comprises a molecular weight of about 60,000 grams/mole or greater. 
     
     
         3 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the core and the cover comprises about 5 wt % or greater of the ultra high molecular weight polyhydroxyalkanoate compound. 
     
     
         4 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the core and the cover comprises about 5 wt % or greater of the renewable polymer composition. 
     
     
         5 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the renewable polymer composition comprises about 5 wt % or greater of the ultra high molecular weight polyhydroxyalkanoate compound. 
     
     
         6 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the ultra high molecular weight polyhydroxyalkanoate compound is selected from the group comprising homopolymers of polyhydroxyalkanoate and polyhydroxybutyrate; a copolymer of hydroxybutyric acid and hydroxyvaleric acid; a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid and 4-hydroxybutyric acid; polyhydroxyoctanoate; a copolymer of 4-hydroxybutyric and 4-hydroxyhexanoic acid; a copolymer of 4-hydroxybutyric acid and 4-hydroxyoctanoic acid; a copolymer of 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid with 3-hydroxybutryic acid; a copolymer of 3-hydroxyhexanoic acid and 3-hydroxybutyric acid; a copolymer containing hydroxyoctonate groups randomly distributed through the polymer chain and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the ultra high molecular weight polyhydroxyalkanoate compound further comprises end chain functionalities selected from the group comprising vinyl, carboxylic acid, carboxylic acid ester, anhydride, maleate, malic acid, fumaric acid, acetate; butyrate, propanoate, primary alcohol, secondary alcohol, tertiary alcohol, amide, and polyhydric alcohol. 
     
     
         8 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein R 1,  R 2,  R 3  and R 4  are substantially similar. 
     
     
         9 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein R 1 , R 2,  R 3  and R 4  are different. 
     
     
         10 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein n=500 or greater. 
     
     
         11 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one renewable resource selected from the group comprising lignin, crop oils, grains, plant derived glucose, yeast, fungi, vegetable oils, canola oils, corn oils, flax, cellulose, fatty acids, animal fats, tallow oils, fish oils, wood resins, tannis, polysaccharides, soy protein, starch, polyesters, polylactic acids, triglycerides, homo- and copolymers of polyhydroxyalkanoates. 
     
     
         12 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the ultra high molecular weight polyhydroxyalkanoate compound is formed from at least one of monomeric units and oligomeric units selected from the group comprising hydroxybutyrate, hydroxyvalerate, hydroxyhexanoate, hydroxyheptanoate, hydroxyoctanoate, hydroxynonanoate, hydroxydecanoate, hydroxyundecanoate, and hydroxydodecanoate and blends thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the ultra high molecular weight polyhydroxyalkanoate compound is formed from at least one of monomeric derivatives and oligomeric derivatives selected from the group comprising 2-hydroxyacids, 3-hydroxyacids, 4-hydroxyacids, 5-hydroxyacids, p-lactic acid, and p-glycolic acid and blends there of. 
     
     
         14 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , comprising a blended composition comprising the renewable polymer composition and at least one thermoplastic material selected from the group comprising ethylene based ionomers, highly neutralized polymers, polyester-ether elastomers, polyester-ester elastomers, polyether-amide elastomers, polyester-amide elastomers, polyurethane elastomers, thermoplastic vulcanized materials, EPDM rubber, EPR rubber, SEBS rubber, copolymers of ethylene-alkyl acrylates, copolymers of methacrylates, glycidyl acrylate copolymers, methacrylate copolymers, maleic anhydride grafted homopolymers, maleic anhydride grafted copolymers and polycaprolactone. 
     
     
         15 . The golf ball of  claim 14 , wherein the blended composition comprises from about 50 wt % to about 95 wt % of the at least one thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         16 . A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least one of the core and the cover comprises about 10 wt % or greater of a renewable polymer composition comprising an ultra high molecular weight polyhydroxyalkanoate compound having the formula:
   —OCR 1 R 2 (CR 3 R 4 ) n CO—
   wherein n is an integer, and wherein R 1,  R 2,  R 3  and R 4  are selected from the group comprising saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon radicals, halo- and hydroxy-substituted radicals, hydroxy radicals, halogen radicals; nitrogen-substituted radicals, oxygen-substituted radicals, or hydrogen atoms; and   wherein the at least one of the core and the cover comprises a hardness of from about 50 Shore C to about 90 Shore C.   
     
     
         17 . The golf ball of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one of the core and the cover further comprises about 90 wt % or less of a non renewable polymer composition. 
     
     
         18 . A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein at least one of the core and the cover comprises about 10 wt % or greater of a renewable polymer composition comprising an ultra high molecular weight polyhydroxyalkanoate compound having the formula:
   —OCR 1 R 2 (CR 3 R 4 ) n CO—
   
       wherein n is an integer, and wherein R 1,  R 2,  R 3  and R 4  are selected from the group comprising saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon radicals, halo- and hydroxy-substituted radicals, hydroxy radicals, halogen radicals; nitrogen-substituted radicals, oxygen-substituted radicals, or hydrogen atoms. 
     
     
         19 . The golf ball of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one of the core and the cover further comprises about 90 wt % or less of a non renewable polymer composition. 
     
     
         20 . The golf ball of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one of the core and the cover comprises a hardness of from about 50 Shore C to about 90 Shore C. 
     
     
         21 . The golf ball of  claim 18 , wherein the core comprises a hardness of from about 30 Shore D to about 60 Shore D. 
     
     
         22 . The golf ball of  claim 18 , wherein the cover comprises a hardness of from about 40 Shore D to about 65 Shore D. 
     
     
         23 . The golf ball of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one of the core and the cover further comprises about 90 wt % or less of a different renewable polymer composition. 
     
     
         24 . A golf ball comprising a core, a cover, and an intermediate layer disposed about the core and adjacent the cover, wherein at least one of the core, the cover and the intermediate layer comprises:
 about 10 wt % or greater of a renewable polymer composition comprising an ultra high molecular weight polyhydroxyalkanoate compound having the formula:
   —OCR 1 R 2  (CR 3 R 4 ) n CO—
 
   
       wherein n is an integer, and wherein R 1,  R 2,  R 3  and R 4  are selected from the group comprising saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon radicals, halo- and hydroxy-substituted radicals, hydroxy radicals, halogen radicals; nitrogen-substituted radicals, oxygen-substituted radicals, or hydrogen atoms; and
 about 90 wt % or less of a non renewable polymer composition; 
 wherein the at least one of the core and the cover comprises a hardness of from about 50 Shore C to about 90 Shore C. 
 
     
     
         25 . The golf ball of  claim 24 , wherein the intermediate layer comprises a hardness of from about 30 Shore D to about 75 Shore D.

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