US 5,484,870 · Granted 1996-01-16
The Polyurea Patent That Made Golf Balls Fly Farther
Acushnet discovered a new plastic-like material made by mixing two chemicals that creates a tougher, more durable coating for golf ball covers. This synthetic material lets the ball withstand harder hits and spin better, giving golfers an edge on the course.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a specific chemical composition—a polyurea created by combining an organic isocyanate with an organic amine, where both chemicals have at least two reactive sites. What's protected is the exact formulation and the process of mixing these two components to create a material suitable for wrapping around the core of a golf ball. Anyone manufacturing golf ball covers using this same chemical recipe would be infringing.
Why it matters
Golf ball technology is a competitive arena where small performance improvements translate into market advantage. By patenting this polyurea formulation, Acushnet secured exclusive rights to a cover material that could offer superior durability, feel, and spin characteristics compared to older materials. The patent gave the company a barrier to entry that competitors couldn't easily bypass without developing their own alternative chemistry.
Real-world use
Every time a golfer strikes a premium golf ball off the tee, the outer layer they're hitting is likely made of a polyurea compound similar to or descended from this patented chemistry, designed to survive the repeated impact and spin forces of competitive play.
Original USPTO abstract
A novel polyurea composition comprising the reaction product of an organic isocyanate and an organic amine, each having at least two functional groups is disclosed. Golf balls employing covers formed of the polyurea composition also are disclosed.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,484,870
- Filing date
- 1993-06-28
- Grant date
- 1996-01-16
- Assignee
- Acushnet Company
- Inventor(s)
- WU; SHENSHEN
- CPC class
- C08G18/5027
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