Golf ball

• US 4,090,716 A
• Filed: 03/30/1976
• Issued: 05/23/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bruce R. Alter
• Original Assignee: Uniroyal, Inc. (Compagnie Generale DES Etablissements Michelin SCA)
• Inventors: Martin, Frank S., Pietraszek, Thaddeus A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US05/671,754
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 273/232
• US Class Current: 473/379
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0004 Surface depressions or protrusions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00065 located around the pole or the equator
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0009 Polygonal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0012 Dimple profile, i.e. cross-sectional view
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0018 Specified number of dimples
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0019 Specified dimple depth
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0021 Occupation ratio, i.e. percentage surface occupied by dimples
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0045 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0052 Liquid cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0075 Three piece balls, i.e. cover, intermediate layer and core
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/008 Diameter

Abstract

A golf ball having improved flight characteristics having a spherical surface with 252 depressions therein. 240 of the depressions are in the shape of inverted pyramids with hexagonal bases and 12 of the depressions are in the shape of inverted pyramids with pentagonal bases. The ball has two poles and an equator, and the pentgonal bases serve as the two poles and as the vertices of similar equilateral spherical triangles into which the surface of the ball may be divided.

Claims

1. A golf ball having a spherical surface containing therein a plurality of depression-forming regions distributed over the surface of the ball, the distribution being arranged in a repeating pattern of equilateral spherical triangles, substantially all of the depression-forming regions having substantially the shape of inverted pyramids having an apex with polygonal bases the bases intersecting the surface and capable of being circumscribed by a circle having a diameter of 0.165 inch which passes through the vertices of the polygonal bases and the depression-forming regions having a depth of 0.015 inch.

2. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein there are approximately 252 depression-forming regions.

3. A golf ball according to claim 1 wherein there are approximately 240 depression-forming regions with hexagonal bases and approximately 12 depression-forming regions which are the vertices of the spherical triangles.

4. A golf ball having a spherical surface;

an axis of rotation passing through the center of the ball;

a plurality of depressions distributed over the spherical surface in a repeating pattern for a given plurality of increments of rotation about the axis;

each depression having a perimeter intersecting with the surface, the perimeter being circumscribed by a respective circle capable of being drawn on the spherical surface, the circle having a diameter of 0.165 inches and touching as many points of the depression perimeter as possible and each depression having a depth of 0.015 inches.

5. A golf ball according to claim 4 wherein the intersection of the axis of rotation with the spherical surface defines a pair of poles on the spherical surface, the depression pattern including five equilateral spherical triangles having a common vertex at each pole.

6. A golf ball according to claim 4 wherein a substantial number of the depressions are polygonally shaped.

7. A golf ball according to claim 4 wherein there are five increments of rotation.

8. A golf ball according to claim 4 wherein the pattern conforms to a regular polyhedron inscribed on the spherical surface.

9. A golf ball having a spherical surface;

an axis of rotation passing through the center of the ball and intersecting the surface to define a pair of poles on the surface;

a plurality of depressions distributed over the spherical surface, the depressions being arranged in a repeating pattern having a symmetry about each pole;

each depression having a perimeter intersecting with the surface and having therein as a vertex a center for a circumscribed circle of 0.165 inch diameter, the circle touching as many points of the depression perimeter as possible, and each depression having a depth from the spherical surface of 0.015 inch.

10. A golf ball according to claim 9 wherein the pattern between the poles conforms to a regular icosahedron inscribed on the spherical surface.

11. A golf ball according to claim 9 wherein the depression pattern includes a plurality of equilateral spherical triangles having a common vertex at each pole.

12. A golf ball according to claim 11 in which all of the depressions except the vertices of the spherical triangles have substantially the shape of inverted pyramids having an apex with hexagonal bases.

13. A golf ball according to claim 11 wherein each spherical triangle contains a substantially equal number of the depressions.

14. A golf ball according to claim 11 wherein each spherical triangle is bounded by an arcuate side, each of the arcuate sides passing through a plurality of the depressions.