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US 9,956,453 B2Granted
Golf balls having volumetric equivalence on opposing hemispheres and symmetric flight performance and methods of making same
AssigneeAcushnet Company
InventorsMichael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Golf balls according to the present invention achieve flight symmetry and overall satisfactory flight performance due to a dimple volume ratio that is equivalent between opposing hemispheres despite the use of different dimple geometries on the opposing hemispheres.
Claims14
A golf ball comprising:
- a first hemisphere comprising a first plurality of dimples;
- and
- a second hemisphere comprising a second plurality of dimples, wherein each dimple in the first plurality of dimples has a corresponding dimple in the second plurality of dimples,
- wherein a dimple in the first hemisphere comprises a first profile shape and a corresponding dimple in the second hemisphere comprises a second profile shape,
- wherein the first profile shape is different from the second profile shape and the first and second profile shapes are selected from spherical or catenary,
- wherein the spherical profile shape has an edge angle of about 12.0 degrees to about 15.5 degrees, and the catenary profile shape has a shape factor of about 30 to about 300 and a chord depth of about 2.0×10−3 inches to about 6.5×10−3 inches, and
- wherein the dimple in the first hemisphere and the corresponding dimple in the second hemisphere have substantially identical surface volumes.
4 more elements
A golf ball, comprising:
- a first hemisphere comprising a plurality of dimples;
- and
- a second hemisphere comprising a plurality of dimples, wherein
- a first dimple in the first hemisphere comprises a first plan shape, a first profile shape, and a first geometric center, the first geometric center being located at a position defined by a first polar angle θN measured from a pole of the first hemisphere;
- a second dimple in the second hemisphere comprises a second plan shape, a second profile shape, and a second geometric center, the second geometric center being located at a position defined by a second polar angle θS measured from a pole of the second hemisphere;
- the first polar angle θN differs from the second polar angle θS by no more than 3°;
- the first profile shape is different from the second profile shape and the first and second profile shapes are selected from spherical or conical;
- the spherical profile shape has an edge angle of about 12.0 degrees to about 15.5 degrees, and the conical profile shape has a saucer ratio of bout 0.05 to about 0.75 and an edge angle of about 10.4 degrees to about 14.3 degrees;
- the first dimple and the second dimple have substantially equal dimple diameters;
- and
- the first dimple and the second dimple have substantially identical surface volumes.
8 more elements
A golf ball, comprising:
- a first hemisphere comprising a plurality of dimples;
- and
- a second hemisphere comprising a plurality of dimples, wherein
- a first dimple in the first hemisphere comprises a first plan shape, a first profile shape, and a first geometric center, the first geometric center being located at a position defined by a first polar angle θN measured from a pole of the first hemisphere;
- a second dimple in the second hemisphere comprises a second plan shape, a second profile shape, and a second geometric center, the second geometric center being located at a position defined by a second polar angle θS measured from a pole of the second hemisphere;
- the first polar angle θN differs from the second polar angle θS by no more than 3°;
- the first profile shape is conical and the second profile shape is catenary;
- the conical profile shape has a saucer ratio of about 0.05 to about 0.75 and an edge angle of about 7.6 degrees to about 13.8 degrees, and the catenary profile shape has a shape factor of about 30 to about 300 and a chord depth of about 2.3×10−3 inches to about 8.4×10−3 inches;
- the first dimple and the second dimple have substantially different dimple diameters and the first dimple has a larger dimple diameter than the second dimple;
- and
- the first dimple and the second dimple have substantially identical surface volumes.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.