Golf balls

• US 4,142,727 A
• Filed: 08/20/1976
• Issued: 03/06/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Co., Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dunlop Limited (Meggitt PLC)
• Inventors: Haines, Robert C., Shaw, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US05/716,348
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 273/232, 273/235 R, 273/235 A, 273/235 B, 40/327
• US Class Current: 473/381
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0004 Surface depressions or protrusions
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0006 Arrangement or layout of dimples
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0009 Polygonal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0018 Specified number of dimples
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0019 Specified dimple depth
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/002 Specified dimple diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0021 Occupation ratio, i.e. percentage surface occupied by dimples
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0074 Two piece balls, i.e. cover and core

Abstract

A golf ball has a surface pattern of dimples arranged to provide at least 12 symmetrically disposed bald patches, a bald patch being defined in terms of its ability to accommodate a spherical rectangle of specified minimum width and area relative to the dimple size.

Claims

1. A golf ball in the shape of a sphere having in its surface from 240 to 480 dimples of circular plan form, the dimples having diameters in the range of 0.085 to 0.150 inches and 30 bald patches symmetrically distributed over the surface of the sphere, the configuration of the dimples being substantially the same in each of those twelve regions of the surface of the sphere which are defined by lines formed by projecting onto the surface the edges of a regular dodecahedron whose vertices lie in the surface of the sphere and the configuration being such that said 30 bald patches are symmetrically disposed over the surface of the ball, a bald patch being located at the mid-point of each edge of the dodecahedron, a bald patch being any region on the surface of the ball of such a size that it is possible to draw on it a spherical rectangle having a width of at least half of the mean dimple diameter and a surface area of at least twice the mean dimple area but not exceeding a maximum defined by the conditions that it is not possible to draw on the bald patch:

(i) a square having sides whose length is greater than twice the mean dimple diameter;

or

(ii) a rectangle having a width of at least half the mean dimple diameter and an area of more than eight times the mean dimple area,

said rectangle and square for determining the minimum and maximum sizes not enclosing any dimple or part thereof.

2. A golf ball according to claim 1, in which the minimum width of the rectangle that can be drawn on the bald patch is three quarters of the mean dimple diameter while the minimum area of the rectangle is four times the mean dimple area.

3. A golf ball according to claim 1, in which the dimples have diameters in the range 0.090 inches to 0.145 inches.

4. A golf ball according to claim 1, in which the ratio of the maximum depth of the dimples to their diameter is between 1:

6 and 1;

15.

5. A golf ball according to claim 1, in which the total dimple area is from 50 to 60% of the ball surface.

6. A golf ball according to claim 1, which has 360 dimples, said dimples being of the following numbers and diameters:

120 of 0.135 inch

120 of 0.125 inch

60 of 0.120 inch

60 of 0.110 inch

and being uniformly distributed in the said twelve regions of the surface of the sphere.