US 7,320,649 B2
Golf balls incorporating rigid, rosin-modified polymers
Murali Rajagopalan, South Dartmouth, Mass. (US); Kevin M. Harris, New Bedford, Mass. (US); Pamela V. Arnold, Fairhaven, Mass. (US); and Michael D. Jordan, East Greenwich, R.I. (US)
Assigned to Acushnet Company, Fairhaven, Mass. (US)
Filed on May 17, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/130,243.
Prior Publication US 2006/0264269 A1, Nov. 23, 2006
Int. Cl. A63B 37/06 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 473—374 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A golf ball comprising a core, an intermediate layer, and a cover, wherein the intermediate layer is formed from a composition comprising:
an ionomer resin;
a rosin material, wherein the rosin material has at least one of an acid number of about 1 to about 30, an iodine number from about 10 to about 200, a density of about 5 lbs/gal to about 20 lbs/gal, or a softening point of at least about 50° C.; and
an impact modifier selected from the group consisting of alkyl acrylate-based block copolymers, hydrogenated derivatives of alkyl acrylate-based block copolymers, vinyl aromatic monomers, or mixtures thereof; acrylate-based block copolymers; silicone-acrylate impact modifiers; thiokol rubber, polysulfide rubber, polyurethane rubber, polyether rubber, epichlorohydrin rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber, thermoplastic polyester elastomers, thermoplastic ether-ester and ether-amide elastomers, and combinations thereof.