GOLF BALL

• US 20160067554A1
• Filed: 05/27/2014
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Ichinose, Jun
• Application Number:
  US14/786,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20160067554A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00065 located around the pole or the equator
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0011 Grooves or lines
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/002 Specified dimple diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0023 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0074 Two piece balls, i.e. cover and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core

Abstract

A golf ball includes a core and a cover surrounding the core. The cover includes a first hemispherical half and a second hemispherical half that define a seam line therebetween and along an outer surface of the cover. The seam line is non-planar and includes an integral number of cycles of a repeating wave that oscillates along the outer surface of the cover. Each cycle of the repeating wave has a 2π radian phase, and an intermediate section is interleaved within the repeating wave at phase angles that are integral multiples of π. Each intermediate section has a straight surface profile along the outer spherical surface.

Claims

1. A golf ball having an outer spherical surface, the golf ball comprising:

a non-planar seam line disposed on the outer spherical surface and including;

an integral number of cycles of a repeating wave that oscillates along the outer spherical surface of the golf ball, each cycle of the repeating wave having a 2π

radian phase;

a plurality of intermediate sections interleaved within the repeating wave at phase angles of the wave equal to π

*n, where n is a positive integer; and

wherein each intermediate section has a straight surface profile along the outer spherical surface.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, further comprising a first pole and a second pole, with the seam line being disposed between the first pole and the second pole;

wherein the straight surface profile along the outer spherical surface is characterized by a single degree of curvature centered along an axis extending between the first pole and the second pole.

3. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of intermediate sections is coplanar, and the plurality of intermediate sections collectively defines a seam plane.

4. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein the repeating wave extends on a first side of the seam plane for phase angles within the range of (2π

(m-1), π

(2m-1)), where m is a positive integer; and

wherein the repeating wave extends on a second side of the seam plane for phase angles within the range of (π

(2m-1), 2π

m).

5. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the repeating wave is a sinusoid.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of dimples disposed on the outer spherical surface;

and

wherein the seam line does not intersect any of the dimples.

7. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of intermediate sections is coplanar, and the plurality of intermediate sections collectively defines a seam plane;

wherein a subset of the plurality of dimples is disposed adjacent the seam line; and

wherein the seam plane intersects each dimple within the subset.

8. A golf ball comprising:

a core;

a cover including a first hemispherical half and a second hemispherical half that cooperate to surround the core, the first hemispherical half and a second hemispherical defining a seam line therebetween and along an outer spherical surface of the cover; and

wherein the seam line is non-planar and includes;

an integral number of cycles of a repeating wave that oscillates along the outer surface of the cover, each cycle of the repeating wave having a 2π

radian phase;

a plurality of intermediate sections interleaved within the repeating wave at phase angles of the wave equal to π

*n, where n is a positive integer; and

wherein each intermediate section has a straight surface profile along the outer spherical surface.

9. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the repeating wave is a sinusoid.

10. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the repeating wave is concave relative to the first hemispherical half for phase angles within the range of (2π

(m-1), π

(2m-1)), where m is a positive integer; and

wherein the repeating wave is convex relative to the first hemispherical half for phase angles within the range of (π

(2m-1), 2π

m).

11. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of intermediate sections are aligned along a common circumference of the cover.

12. The golf ball of claim 11, wherein the outer surface of the cover includes a plurality of dimples, and wherein the seam line does not intersect any of the dimples.

13. The golf ball of claim 12, wherein a subset of the plurality of dimples is disposed adjacent the seam line such that the circumference formed by the plurality of intermediate sections intersects each dimple within the subset.

14. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the plurality of intermediate sections is an even number of intermediate sections.

15. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein each cycle of the repeating wave has a wavelength;

and

wherein the length of an intermediate section is approximately equal to the wavelength of one cycle of the repeating wave.

16. A golf ball comprising:

a core;

a cover including a first hemispherical half and a second hemispherical half that cooperate to surround the core, the first hemispherical half and a second hemispherical defining a seam line therebetween and along an outer surface of the cover; and

wherein the seam line includes an integral number of repeating sections, with each respective section including a first straight portion, a first arcuate portion, a second straight portion and a second arcuate portion.

17. The golf ball of claim 16, wherein the first arcuate portion is disposed between the first straight portion and the second straight portion for each of the integral number of repeating sections;

and

wherein the second straight portion is disposed between the first arcuate portion and the second arcuate portion for each of the integral number of repeating sections.

18. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein the first straight portion and the second straight portion of each section are substantially aligned along a circumference of the cover.

20. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein the outer surface of the cover includes a plurality of dimples, and wherein the seam line does not intersect any of the dimples.

21. The golf ball of claim 20, wherein one of the plurality of dimples is partially disposed within each of the first and second arcuate portions for each of the repeating sections;

and

wherein the first and second straight portions of each section of the seam line are aligned along a common circumference of the cover; and

wherein the circumference intersects each dimple disposed within the arcuate portions of the seam line.

19. The golf ball of claim 19, wherein the first arcuate portion is concave relative to the first hemispherical half;

and

wherein the second arcuate portion is convex relative to the first hemispherical half.