Dimple patterns for golf balls

• US 20040157683A1
• Filed: 02/02/2004
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Morgan, William E., Nardacci, Nicholas M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,033,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/383
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0004 Surface depressions or protrusions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0006 Arrangement or layout of dimples

Abstract

An improved dimple pattern for a golf ball is disclosed. The dimples may be arranged according to an Archimedean pattern. The dimples may be arranged on the golf ball such that there is no great circle about the golf ball that does not intersect a dimple. Preferred Archimedean patterns include a truncated octahedron, a great rhombcuboctahedron, a truncated dodecahedron, and a great rhombicosidodecahedron. A nonplanar parting line may be used. The parting line may include a parallel segment parallel to the true equator of the golf ball and a plurality of diverging segments that diverge and converge relative the true equator. The parallel segment may be non-collinear with the true equator. The diverging and converging parting line segments may cooperate to form areas that diverge and converge away from the true equator. The size of this area may be designed to not fully surround the biggest dimple or to minimize any undercut.

Claims

1. A golf ball comprising an outer surface having dimples therein, the dimples being arranged on the outer surface at least in part according to an Archimedean pattern and such that the surface is subdivided into two parts approximating hemispheres but not intersecting along a plane.