# US 11,110,321 B2 · Golf ball dimples having circumscribed prismatoids

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- Number: US 11,110,321 B2
- Document ID: US11110321B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/877,302
- Filed: 2020-05-18
- Published: 2020-09-03
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2009-09-09
- Assignees: Acushnet Company
- Applicants: Acushnet Company
- Inventors: Michael R. Madson; Nicholas M. Nardacci
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11110321B2

## CPC

- A63B 37/0012: {Dimple profile, i.e. cross-sectional view}
- A63B 37/0004: {Surface depressions or protrusions}
- A63B 37/0005: {Protrusions}
- A63B 37/0009: {Polygonal}
- A63B 37/0015: {with sub-dimples formed within main dimples}
- A63B 37/0016: {Specified individual dimple volume}
- A63B 37/0019: {Specified dimple depth}
- A63B 37/002: {Specified dimple diameter}
- 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, specifically, to a golf ball with multifaceted dimples comprising two discrete geometries including a circular perimeter and a depression or protrusion based on a polyhedral prismatoid.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A golf ball having recessed dimples on the surface thereof, wherein at least one dimple consists of:
an upper dimple portion defined by a circular perimeter located at the chord plane, and an upper dimple sidewall, wherein the cross-sectional profile shape of the upper dimple sidewall is defined by a spherical function;
a lower dimple portion defined by a depression having the shape of a portion of a prismatoid, wherein the prismatoid is formed by connecting each of the vertices of a polygonal base to an apex to form a pyramid consisting of the polygonal base and a plurality of triangular faces joined along a plurality of side edges, wherein the surface shape of the lower dimple portion includes at least a portion of each of the triangular faces; and
a spherical cap connected to the lower dimple portion at a perimeter boundary;
wherein a flat transitional surface connects the upper dimple portion and the lower dimple portion, and.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the spherical cap does not maintain a point of tangency with the triangular faces of the pyramid at the perimeter boundary.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the spherical cap maintains a point of tangency with each side edge of the pyramid at the perimeter boundary.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the spherical cap does not maintain a point of tangency with the side edges of the pyramid at the perimeter boundary.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The golf ball of claim 4, wherein the spherical cap meets each side edge of the pyramid at an intersection point and the angular difference between the side edge and the line in the dimple cross-sectional profile that is tangent to the spherical cap at the point of intersection between the spherical cap and the side edge is at least 2°.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein a first reference circle encompassing the spherical cap is drawn as the circle having the minimum diameter that contacts the spherical cap in three or more points and encompasses all points of the spherical cap, a second reference circle encompassing the prismatoid depression is drawn as the circle having the minimum diameter that contacts the vertices of the base of the pyramid, and the diameter of the first reference circle, Dcap, is related to the diameter of the second reference circle, Dprismatoid, such that:
0.05
≤
r
c
⁢
a
⁢
p
≤
0
.
8
⁢
0
,
where
⁢
⁢
r
c
⁢
a
⁢
p
=
D
c
⁢
a
⁢
p
D
prismatoid
.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the vertices of the pyramid are in contact with the circular perimeter.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the vertices of the pyramid are not in contact with the circular perimeter.

### Claim 9

A golf ball having recessed dimples on the surface thereof, wherein at least one dimple consists of:
an upper dimple portion defined by a circular perimeter located at the chord plane, and an upper dimple sidewall, wherein the cross-sectional profile shape of the upper dimple sidewall is defined by a spherical function;
a lower dimple portion defined by a depression having the shape of a portion of a prismatoid, wherein the prismatoid is formed by connecting each of the vertices of a polygonal base to an apex to form a pyramid consisting of the polygonal base and a plurality of triangular faces joined along a plurality of side edges, wherein the surface shape of the lower dimple portion includes at least a portion of each of the triangular faces; and
a spherical cap connected to the lower dimple portion at a perimeter boundary;
wherein the upper dimple portion intersects with the lower dimple portion along a curved interface, and the lower dimple portion intersects with the spherical cap along a curved interface.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the spherical cap does not maintain a point of tangency with the triangular faces of the pyramid.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the spherical cap maintains a point of tangency with each side edge of the pyramid.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the spherical cap does not maintain a point of tangency with the side edges of the pyramid.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The golf ball of claim 12, wherein the spherical cap meets each side edge of the pyramid at an intersection point and the angular difference between the side edge and the line in the dimple cross-sectional profile that is tangent to the spherical cap at the point of intersection between the spherical cap and the side edge is at least 2°.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The golf ball of claim 9, wherein a first reference circle encompassing the spherical cap is drawn as the circle having the minimum diameter that contacts the spherical cap in three or more points and encompasses all points of the spherical cap, a second reference circle encompassing the prismatoid depression is drawn as the circle having the minimum diameter that contacts the vertices of the base of the pyramid, and the diameter of the first reference circle, Dcap, is related to the diameter of the second reference circle, Dprismatoid, such that:
0.05
≤
r
c
⁢
a
⁢
p
≤
0
.
8
⁢
0
,
where
⁢
⁢
r
c
⁢
a
⁢
p
=
D
c
⁢
a
⁢
p
D
prismatoid
.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the vertices of the pyramid are in contact with the circular perimeter.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The golf ball of claim 9, wherein the vertices of the pyramid are not in contact with the circular perimeter.

### Claim 17

A golf ball having recessed dimples on the surface thereof, wherein at least one dimple comprises:
an upper dimple portion defined by a circular perimeter located at the chord plane, and an upper dimple sidewall, wherein the cross-sectional profile shape of the upper dimple sidewall is defined by a spherical function;
a lower dimple portion defined by a depression having the shape of a portion of a prismatoid, wherein the prismatoid is formed by connecting each of the vertices of a polygonal base to an apex to form a pyramid consisting of the polygonal base and a plurality of triangular faces joined along a plurality of side edges, wherein the surface shape of the lower dimple portion includes at least a portion of each of the triangular faces; and
a spherical cap connected to the lower dimple portion at a perimeter boundary along a continuous interface between the spherical cap and each side edge and triangular face of the lower dimple portion,
wherein the perimeter boundary comprises a plurality of boundary segments connecting adjacent side edges along the continuous interface.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The golf ball of claim 17, wherein the plurality of boundary segments are curved.