Golf ball dimple pattern with overlapping dimples

• US 20050137032A1
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Morgan, William E., Aoyama, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 6,969,327 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/378
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0004 Surface depressions or protrusions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00065 located around the pole or the equator

Abstract

A golf ball product, or other non-streamlined body, having a dimple pattern in which at least some of the dimples overlap at least one adjacent dimple is disclosed. A new parameter called Overlap Saturation (OS) is disclosed. OS is the ratio of the number of overlap instances on a ball to the maximum possible number for an ideal hypothetical ball with the same number of dimples. Overlap instances are tallied by summing the number of overlapping neighbor dimples for every dimple. Golf ball products employing the disclosed dimple patterns have an increase in total yardage compared to an equivalent product without overlapping dimples.

Claims

1. A body, comprising:

an outer surface having radially symmetric dimples formed therein;

wherein at least some of said dimples overlap at least one adjacent dimple, and the body has an overlap saturation from approximately 40% to approximately 100%.

2. The body of claim 1, wherein said overlap saturation is at least approximately 60%:

3. The body of claim 2, wherein said overlap saturation is less than approximately 85%.

4. The body of claim 1, wherein said overlap saturation is at least approximately 70%.

5. The body of claim 1, wherein the body is a golf ball product.

6. The body of claim 1, wherein:

adjacent ones of said overlapping dimples overlap at junctions; and

at least some of said overlap junctions include ridges.

7. The body of claim 1, wherein said outer surface further includes a land area.

8. The body of claim 7, wherein said land area includes a plurality of individual scalloped polygon areas.

9. The body of claim 1, further comprising a parting line and wherein some of said dimples are aligned across said parting line and positioned to overlap across said parting line.

10. The body of claim 9, wherein all of said dimples adjacent said parting line are aligned with and positioned to overlap corresponding dimples across said parting line.

11. The body of claim 1, wherein said dimples are arranged to give the body a substantially seamless appearance.

50. The body of claim 1, wherein said dimples are radially symmetric.

12. A golf ball product, comprising:

an outer surface having dimples formed therein, a majority of said dimples overlapping at least one adjacent dimple;

wherein the golf ball product has an increase in total distance compared to an equivalent product without overlapping dimples; and

wherein the golf ball product has an overlap saturation from approximately 40% to approximately 100%.

13. The golf ball product of claim 12, wherein said increase is from approximately 0.1 to approximately 2 yards.

14. The golf ball product of claim 13, wherein said increase is from approximately 0.5 to approximately 1.3 yards.

15. The golf ball product of claim 12, wherein said increase is from approximately 0. 1% to approximately 1%.

16. The golf ball product of claim 12, wherein said increase is inversely related to swing speed.

18. The golf ball product of claim 12, wherein said overlap saturation is at least approximately 60%.

19. The golf ball product of claim 18, wherein said overlap saturation is less than approximately 85%.

20. The golf ball product of claim 12, wherein said overlap saturation is at least approximately 70%.

21. The golf ball product of claim 12, wherein said majority includes from approximately 60% to approximately 100% of said dimples.

22. The golf ball product of claim 12, wherein said majority includes at least approximately 75% of said dimples.

23. The golf ball product of claim 12, wherein said majority includes at least approximately 85% of said dimples.

24. The golf ball product of claim 12, further comprising a parting line and wherein some of said dimples are aligned across said parting line and positioned to overlap across said parting line.

25. The golf ball product of claim 24, wherein all of said dimples adjacent said parting line are aligned with and positioned to overlap corresponding dimples across said parting line.

26. The golf ball product of claim 12, wherein said dimples are arranged to give the golf ball product a substantially seamless appearance.

51. The golf ball product of claim 12, wherein said dimples are radially symmetric.

17. (canceled)

27. A body, comprising:

an outer surface having radial symmetric dimples formed therein;

wherein a majority of said dimples overlap a plurality of adjacent ones of said dimples; and

wherein the body has an overlap saturation from approximately 40% to approximately 100%.

28. The body of claim 27, wherein a majority of said dimples overlap three or more adjacent dimples.

29. The body of claim 27, wherein a majority of said dimples overlap four or more adjacent dimples.

30. The body of claim 27, wherein a majority of said dimples overlap a majority of adjacent ones of said dimples.

32. The golf ball product of claim 27, wherein said overlap saturation is less than approximately 85%.

33. The body of claim 27, wherein said overlap saturation is at least approximately 60%.

34. The body of claim 27, wherein said overlap saturation is at least approximately 70%.

35. The body of claim 27, wherein said majority includes from approximately 60% to approximately 100% of said dimples.

36. The body of claim 35, wherein said majority includes at least approximately 75% of said dimples.

37. The body of claim 35, wherein said majority includes at least approximately 85% of said dimples.

38. The body of claim 27, wherein the body is a golf ball product.

39. The body of claim 27, further comprising a parting line and wherein some of said dimples are aligned across said parting line and positioned to overlap across said parting line.

40. The body of claim 39, wherein all of said dimples adjacent said parting line are aligned with and positioned to overlap corresponding dimples across said parting line.

41. The body of claim 27, wherein said dimples are arranged to give the body a substantially seamless appearance.

31. (canceled)

42. A golf ball product, comprising:

an outer surface having dimples formed therein; and

a parting line;

wherein some of said dimples are aligned across said parting line and positioned to overlap across said parting line; and

wherein the golf ball product has an overlap saturation from approximately 40% to approximately 100%.

43. The golf ball product of claim 42, wherein said parting line is equatorial.

44. The golf ball product of claim 42, wherein all of said dimples adjacent said parting line are aligned with and positioned to overlap corresponding dimples across said parting line.

46. The golf ball product of claim 42, wherein a majority of said dimples overlap a plurality of adjacent ones of said dimples.

47. The golf ball product of claim 46, wherein a majority of said dimples overlap three or more adjacent dimples.

48. The golf ball product of claim 47, wherein a majority of said dimples overlap four or more adjacent dimples.

49. The golf ball product of claim 46, wherein a majority of said dimples overlap a majority of adjacent ones of said dimples.

45. (canceled)