# US 10,864,408 B2 · Golf ball

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- Number: US 10,864,408 B2
- Document ID: US10864408B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/265,583
- Filed: 2019-02-01
- Published: 2019-09-05
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2018-03-01
- Assignees: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
- Applicants: Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
- Inventors: Takahiro Sajima; Hironori Takihara; Toshiyuki Takubo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864408B2

## CPC

- A63B 37/0023: {Covers}
- A63B 37/0004: {Surface depressions or protrusions}
- A63B 37/0005: {Protrusions}
- A63B 37/0012: {Dimple profile, i.e. cross-sectional view}
- A63B 37/0015: {with sub-dimples formed within main dimples}
- A63B 37/0019: {Specified dimple depth}
- A63B 37/002: {Specified dimple diameter}
- A63B 37/0021: {Occupation ratio, i.e. percentage surface occupied by dimples}
- A63B 37/0022: {Coatings, e.g. paint films; Markings}
- A63B 37/0096: {Spin rate}
- A63B 37/0074: {Two piece balls, i.e. cover and core}
- A63B 2102/32: Golf
- A63B: APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT (apparatus for passive exercising, massage A61H)

## Abstract

A golf ball has a plurality of dimples 12 and a land 14 on a surface thereof. The golf ball further has a large number of minute projections 18 formed on surfaces of the dimples 12 and the land 14. The minute projections 18 are exposed on the surface of the golf ball. The surface of the golf ball has an arithmetic average height Sa of not less than 0.5 μm and not greater than 30 μm. The surface of the golf ball has a maximum height Sz of not less than 5 μm and not greater than 200 μm.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A golf ball comprising a core and a cover positioned outside the core, wherein
the cover has a plurality of minute projections on a surface thereof,
each minute projection has an exposed portion that is exposed on a surface of the golf ball,
the surface of the golf ball has an arithmetic average height Sa of not less than 0.5 μm and not greater than 30 μm, and
an average value Hay of heights H of the exposed portions is not less than 2 μm and not greater than 50 μm,
wherein the arithmetic average height Sa is based on a three-dimensional image obtained from a laser microscope scanning of the golf ball surface to generate unevenness data and corresponds to the average height of the surface of the golf ball as measured according to the standards of ISO-25178.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein a ratio Pp of a sum of areas of all the exposed portions to a surface area of a phantom sphere of the golf ball is not less than 7%.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein an average value Day of diameters D of the exposed portions is not less than 5 μm and not greater than 50 μm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein an average value Pay of pitches P each between an exposed portion and another exposed portion adjacent to this exposed portion is not greater than 100 μm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the golf ball has a maximum height Sz of not less than 5 μm and not greater than 200 μm.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The golf ball according to claim 1, further comprising a paint layer partially covering the cover, wherein the exposed portions project from the paint layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The golf ball according to claim 5, wherein the maximum height Sz is based on a three-dimensional image obtained from a laser microscope scanning of the golf ball surface to generate unevenness data and corresponds to the average height of the surface of the golf ball as measured according to the standards of ISO-25178.