# US 10,864,409 B2 · Golf ball

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,864,409 B2
- Document ID: US10864409B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/272,543
- Filed: 2019-02-11
- 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/US10864409B2

## CPC

- A63B 37/0012: {Dimple profile, i.e. cross-sectional view}
- A63B 37/0005: {Protrusions}
- A63B 37/0015: {with sub-dimples formed within main dimples}
- A63B 37/0019: {Specified dimple depth}
- A63B 37/0021: {Occupation ratio, i.e. percentage surface occupied by dimples}
- A63B 37/00222: {Physical properties, e.g. hardness}
- A63B 37/0033: {Thickness}
- A63B 37/0075: {Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core}
- 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 surface of the golf ball has an arithmetic average height Sa of not less than 0.5 μm and not greater than 30 μm. An average value Hav of heights H of the minute projections 18 is not less than 0.5 μm and not greater than 50 μm. A ratio Pp of a sum of areas of all the minute projections 18 to a surface area of a phantom sphere of the golf ball is not less than 7%. An average value Dav of diameters D of the minute projections 18 is not less than 5 μm and not greater than 50 μm.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A golf ball comprising a main body and a paint layer positioned outside the main body, wherein
the golf ball has, on a surface thereof, a plurality of minute projections,
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 Hav of heights H of the minute projections 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 minute projections 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 Dav of diameters D of the minute projections 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 Pav of pitches P each between a minute projection and another minute projection adjacent to this minute projection 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 plurality of dimples on the surface thereof, wherein
the average value Hav of the heights H of the minute projections and an average value Dpav of depths Dp of the dimples satisfy the following mathematical formula (1):
Hav/Dpav>0.005 (1).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the paint layer has a thickness of not less than 5 μm and not greater than 30 μm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the paint layer contains powder having an average particle diameter of not less than 1 μm and not greater than 15 μm.

### Claim 9 (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.