Exterior coatings for golf balls

Abstract

Improved golf ball exterior coatings which are used to create an extremely uniform hydrophobic or hydrophilic exterior surface on the golf ball. When the surface of the golf ball is hydrophobic, it tends to repel water, and this reduces drag on the golf ball surface as the golf ball travels through the air. When the surface of the golf ball is hydrophilic, the surface of the golf ball wets uniformly and the ball rolls straighter on a wet green, as the forces acting on the ball are more uniform. The hydrophobic or hydrophilic exterior coating is applied to the golf ball using vapor-phase deposition in instances where strict control over coating thickness uniformity, and/or reduced surface roughness is desired.

1 . An exterior coating for a golf ball which renders the exterior surface of said golf ball hydrophobic or hydrophilic, wherein said coating thickness is uniform over said golf ball surface within ±2 nm.  
   
   
       2 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said coating provides a hydrophobic surface on said golf ball.  
   
   
       3 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said coating includes at least two layers, where the interior layer in contact with the golf ball cover layer is an oxide bonding layer, and the exterior layer, which forms an exterior surface of the coating is an organic-comprising hydrophobic layer.  
   
   
       4 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said coating is a single organic layer, where the organic layer was generated from a precursor comprising at least one amine-functionalized terminal group and fluorine-containing terminal groups, where the at least one amine-functionalized terminal group was reacted with the golf ball cover layer and wherein the fluorine-containing groups are presented on an exterior surface of the golf ball.  
   
   
       5 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein said exterior hydrophobic layer presents fluorine atoms at the surface of the golf ball.  
   
   
       6 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein said exterior coating exhibits a surface roughness ranging from about 3 nm RMS to about 16 nm RMS.  
   
   
       7 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 3  or  claim 4 , wherein said exterior coating overall thickness ranges from about 1.5 nm to about 500 nm.  
   
   
       8 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 3  or  claim 4 , wherein said exterior layer is formed from a SAM.  
   
   
       9 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein said water contact angle ranges from about 100° to about 125°.  
   
   
       10 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 1 , or  claim 2 , or  claim 3 , or  claim 4 , applied over a golf cover layer surface comprising a polymer selected from the group consisting of ionomers, polystyrene, polybutadiene, isoprene, polyurea, polyurethane, poly-para-xylene, poly-chloro-para-xylene, poly-dichloro-para-xylene, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinylchloride, polyvinylchloride, polyacrylonitrile, fluorohalocarbons, fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvanilidine fluoride, polyvinyl fluoride, perfluoroalkoxy resins, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene high density polyethylene, polyimide, polyamide, acrylic, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       11 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance  claim 1 , wherein said coating provides a hydrophilic surface on said golf ball.  
   
   
       12 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein said coating comprises an oxide layer.  
   
   
       13 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein said coating is an oxide layer.  
   
   
       14 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein said coating thickness ranges from about 15 nm to about 500 nm.  
   
   
       15 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein said exterior coating surface roughness ranges from about 1 nm RMS to about 10 nm RMS.  
   
   
       16 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein said coating also includes an organic layer which is bonded to said oxide layer and which presents a hydrophilic exterior surface.  
   
   
       17 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein said organic layer comprises PEG.  
   
   
       18 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 17 , wherein said exterior coating exhibits a surface roughness ranging from about 3 nm RMS to about 16 nm RMS.  
   
   
       19 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein said organic layer thickness ranges from about 1.5 nm to about 25 nm.  
   
   
       20 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein said organic layer is formed from a SAM.  
   
   
       21 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein said water contact angle ranges from about 5° to about 60°.  
   
   
       22 . An exterior coating for a golf ball in accordance with  claim 11 , or  claim 12 , or  claim 16 , applied over a golf cover layer surface comprising a polymer selected from the group consisting of ionomers, polystyrene, polybutadiene, isoprene, polyurea, polyurethane, poly-para-xylene, poly-chloro-para-xylene, poly-dichloro-para-xylene, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinylchloride, polyvinylchloride, polyacrylonitrile, fluorohalocarbons, fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvanilidine fluoride, polyvinyl fluoride, perfluoroalkoxy resins, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene high density polyethylene, polyimide, polyamide, acrylic, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       23 . A method of applying an exterior coating over a golf ball surface, wherein said exterior coating is deposited using vapor deposition.  
   
   
       24 . A method in accordance with  claim 23 , wherein said exterior coating is deposited to have a thickness ranging from about 2 nm to about 2,000 nm.  
   
   
       25 . A method in accordance with  claim 23 , wherein said exterior coating includes at least two vapor deposited layers, wherein the interior layer in contact with the golf ball cover layer is a vapor deposited oxide bonding layer, and the exterior layer which makes up the exterior surface of the coating is a vapor deposited organic-comprising layer.  
   
   
       26 . A method in accordance with  claim 25 , wherein said vapor deposited organic-comprising layer presents an exterior surface on the golf ball which is hydrophilic.  
   
   
       27 . A method in accordance with  claim 26 , wherein said vapor deposited organic-comprising layer presents an exterior surface on the golf ball which is hydrophobic.  
   
   
       28 . A method in accordance with  claim 23 , wherein prior to vapor deposition of said exterior coating, a surface of said golf ball to which the exterior coating is to be applied is treated with an oxygen-comprising plasma.