Golf ball dimples with a catenary curve profile
AssigneeAcushnet Company
InventorsSteven Aoyama, Nicholas M. Nardacci
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A golf ball having an outside surface with a plurality of dimples formed thereon. The dimples on the ball have a cross-sectional profiles formed by a catenary curve. Combinations of varying dimple diameters, shape factors, and chordal depths in the catenary curve are used to vary the ball flight performance according to ball spin characteristics, player swing speed, as well as satisfy specific aerodynamic magnitude and direction criteria.
Claims20
A golf ball having a plurality of recessed dimples on the surface thereof, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of recessed dimples have a profile defined by the revolution of a catenary curve according to the following function:
- y
- =
- d
- c
-
- (
- cosh
-
- (
- sf
- *
- x
- )
- -
- 1
- )
- cosh
-
- (
- sf
- *
- D
- 2
- )
- -
- 1
- wherein y is the vertical direction coordinate away from the center of the ball with 0 at the center of the dimple;
- x is the horizontal (radial) direction coordinate from the dimple apex to the dimple surface with 0 at the center of the dimple;
- sf is a shape factor;
- dc is the chordal depth of the dimple;
- and
- D is the diameter of the dimple.
A golf ball having a plurality of recessed dimples on the surface thereof, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of recessed dimples have a profile defined by the revolution of a catenary curve according to the following function:
- y
- =
- d
- c
-
- sf
- 2
- 2
-
- (
- cosh
-
- (
- sf
-
- D
- 2
- )
- -
- 1
- *
- x
- 2
- +
- d
- c
-
- sf
- 4
- 24
-
- (
- cosh
-
- (
- sf
-
- D
- 2
- )
- -
- 1
- *
- x
- 4
- wherein y is the vertical direction coordinate away from the center of the ball with 0 at the center of the dimple;
- x is the horizontal (radial) direction coordinate from the dimple apex to the dimple surface with 0 at the center of the dimple;
- sf is a shape factor and less than or equal to about 50;
- dc is the chordal depth of the dimple;
- and
- D is the diameter of the dimple.
A golf ball having a plurality of recessed dimples on the surface thereof, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of recessed dimples have a profile defined by the revolution of a catenary curve according to the following function:
- y
- =
- d
- c
-
- (
- 1
- +
- sinh
- 2
-
- (
- sf
- *
- x
- )
- -
- 1
- )
- 1
- +
- sinh
- 2
-
- (
- sf
- *
- D
- 2
- )
- -
- 1
- wherein y is the vertical direction coordinate away from the center of the ball with 0 at the center of the dimple;
- x is the horizontal (radial) direction coordinate from the dimple apex to the dimple surface with 0 at the center of the dimple;
- sf is a shape factor;
- dc is the chordal depth of the dimple;
- and
- D is the diameter of the dimple.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.