# US 10,369,418 B2 · Golf ball dimple plan shape

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- Number: US 10,369,418 B2
- Document ID: US10369418B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/953,785
- Filed: 2018-04-16
- Published: 2018-08-16
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-08-04
- Applicants: Acushnet Company
- Inventors: Michael R. Madson; Nicholas M. Nardacci
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369418B2

## CPC

- A63B 37/0007: {Non-circular dimples}
- A63B 37/00065: {located around the pole or the equator}
- A63B 37/0016: {Specified individual dimple volume}
- A63B 37/0019: {Specified dimple depth}
- A63B 37/002: {Specified dimple diameter}
- A63B 37/0089: {Coefficient of drag}
- A63B 37/009: {Coefficient of lift}
- A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H)

## Abstract

The present invention relates to golf balls having improved packing efficiency and aerodynamic characteristics and a high degree of dimple interdigitation. In particular, the present invention relates to a golf ball including at least a portion of dimples having a plan shape defined by low frequency periodic functions having high amplitudes. The present invention is also directed to methods of developing the dimple plan shape geometries, as well as methods of making the finished golf balls with the inventive dimple patterns applied thereto.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A golf ball having a generally spherical surface and comprising a plurality of dimples on the spherical surface, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of dimples have a non-circular plan shape defined by a low frequency periodic function mapped along a simple closed path according to the following function:
Q(x)=Fpath(l,scl,x)*Fperiodic(s,a,p,x)
where Fpath is a circle, ellipse, or square of length l, with scale factor scl, defined along the vertices x, and Fperiodic is a low frequency periodic function with sharpness factor s, amplitude a, and period p defined at the vertices x, and period p is about 15 or less;
wherein the maximum absolute distance of any point on the plan shape from the simple closed path is about 0.015 inches to about 0.050 inches; and
wherein each one of the dimples having a non-circular plan shape defined by a low frequency periodic function mapped along a simple closed path comprises a first dimple profile and a second dimple profile, the first dimple profile having a first edge angle (ΦEDGE1) and a second edge angle (ΦEDGE2) and the second dimple profile having a third edge angle (ΦEDGE3) and a fourth edge angle (ΦEDGE4), wherein at least two of ΦEDGE1, ΦEDGE2, ΦEDGE3 and ΦEDGE4 have different values.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein at least two of ΦEDGE1, ΦEDGE2, ΦEDGE3 and ΦEDGE4 have values that differ by 1.0° to 6.0°.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein:
ΦEDGE1=ΦEDGE2,
ΦEDGE3=ΦEDGE4, and
ΦEDGE1≠ΦEDGE3.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein:
ΦEDGE1≠ΦEDGE2,
ΦEDGE3=ΦEDGE4.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The golf ball of claim 4, wherein ΦEDGE1=ΦEDGE3.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The golf ball of claim 4, wherein ΦEDGE1≠ΦEDGE3.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The golf ball of claim 6, wherein ΦEDGE2≠ΦEDGE3.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein:
ΦEDGE1≠ΦEDGE2,
ΦEDGE3≠ΦEDGE4,
ΦEDGE1=ΦEDGE3, and
ΦEDGE2≠ΦEDGE4.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein:
ΦEDGE1≠ΦEDGE2,
ΦEDGE3≠ΦEDGE4,
ΦEDGE1≠ΦEDGE3, and
ΦEDGE2≠ΦEDGE4.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein, for each one of the dimples having a non-circular plan shape defined by a low frequency periodic function mapped along a circular simple closed path, the average of the edge angles of all of the dimple profiles of that dimple is 11° to 16°.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein, for each one of the dimples having a non-circular plan shape defined by a low frequency periodic function mapped along a circular simple closed path, the difference between the maximum edge angle and the minimum edge angle of all of the dimple profiles of that dimple is 0.5° to 6.0°.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein, for each one of the dimples having a non-circular plan shape defined by a low frequency periodic function mapped along a circular simple closed path, the difference between the maximum edge angle and the average of the edge angles of all of the dimple profiles of that dimple is 3.00° or less.

### Claim 13

A golf ball having a generally spherical surface and comprising a plurality of dimples on the spherical surface, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of dimples have a non-circular plan shape defined by a low frequency periodic function mapped along a simple closed path according to the following function:
Q(x)=Fpath(l,scl,x)*Fperiodic(s,a,p,x)
where Fpath is a circle, ellipse, or square of length l, with scale factor scl, defined along the vertices x, and Fperiodic is a sine, cosine, sawtooth wave, triangle wave, or square wave function with sharpness factor s, amplitude a, and period p defined at the vertices x, and period p is about 15 or less;
wherein the maximum absolute distance of any point on the plan shape from the simple closed path is about 0.015 inches to about 0.050 inches; and
wherein each one of the dimples having a non-circular plan shape defined by a low frequency periodic function mapped along a simple closed path comprises a first dimple profile and a second dimple profile, the first dimple profile having a first edge angle (ΦEDGE1) and a second edge angle (ΦEDGE2) and the second dimple profile having a third edge angle (ΦEDGE3) and a fourth edge angle (ΦEDGE4), wherein at least two of ΦEDGE1, ΦEDGE2, ΦEDGE3 and ΦEDGE4 have different values.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The golf ball of claim 13, wherein at least two of ΦEDGE1, ΦEDGE2, ΦEDGE3 and ΦEDGE4 have values that differ by 1.0° to 6.0°.

### Claim 15

A golf ball having a generally spherical surface and comprising a plurality of dimples on the spherical surface, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of dimples have a non-circular plan shape defined by a low frequency periodic function mapped along a simple closed path according to the following function:
Q(x)=Fpath(l,scl,x)*Fperiodic(s,a,p,x)
where Fpath is a circle, ellipse, or square of length l, with scale factor scl, defined along the vertices x, and Fperiodic is a low frequency periodic function with sharpness factor s, amplitude a, and period p defined at the vertices x, and period p is about 15 or less;
wherein the maximum absolute distance of any point on the plan shape from the simple closed path is about 0.015 inches to about 0.050 inches;
wherein the plurality of dimples having a non-circular plan shape defined by a low frequency periodic function mapped along a simple closed path have a Degree of Interdigitation DOI of about 0.05 to about 0.50, DOI being defined by the following equation:
D
⁢
⁢
O
⁢
⁢
I
=
1
n
⁢
∑
k
=
1
n
⁢
(
R
1
+
R
2
D
-
1
)
k
where R1 is the maximum radial distance of a first dimple having a first center, R2 is the maximum radial distance of a second dimple having a second center, D is the distance between the first center and the second center, and the first dimple is adjacent to the second dimple on the surface; and
wherein each one of the dimples having a non-circular plan shape defined by a low frequency periodic function mapped along a simple closed path comprises a first dimple profile and a second dimple profile, the first dimple profile having a first edge angle (ΦEDGE1) and a second edge angle (ΦEDGE2) and the second dimple profile having a third edge angle (ΦEDGE3) and a fourth edge angle (ΦEDGE4), wherein at least two of ΦEDGE1, ΦEDGE2, ΦEDGE3 and ΦEDGE4 have different values.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The golf ball of claim 15, wherein at least two of ΦEDGE1, ΦEDGE2, ΦEDGE3 and ΦEDGE4 have values that differ by 1.0° to 6.0°.