Golf ball

• US 5,156,404 A
• Filed: 04/05/1991
• Issued: 10/20/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SRI Sports Limited (Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Maruoka, Kiyoto, Yabuki, Yoshikazu, Oka, Kengo
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US07/680,765
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 273/232, 40/327
• US Class Current: 473/382
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00065 located around the pole or the equator
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0012 Dimple profile, i.e. cross-sectional view
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0016 Specified individual dimple volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0017 Specified total dimple volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0019 Specified dimple depth
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/002 Specified dimple diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00215 Volume ratio
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0026 Balata
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0052 Liquid cores
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/008 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0087 Deflection or compression

Abstract

A golf ball has one great circle and four one-half great circles which all intersect no dimples. Eight end points which include two end points of each one-half great circle are formed at the one great circle. These end points do not coincide with each other on the great circle. One of the one-half great circles intersects the other one-half great circle at a right angle at the middle point thereof on each of the great circle. In other words, an upper semispherical mold for an octahedral dimple golf ball arrangement is rotated a certain angle relative to the lower mold such that two of the three great circles are divided into four one-half great circles. The parting line of the mold becomes the one remaining great circle. In this manner, a more uniform flight of the golf ball canbe obtained regardless of whether the ball is hit on a seam, semi-seam of non-seam area.

Claims

1. A golf ball having 300 to 500 dimples on a spherical surface thereof, said golf ball comprising:

one great circle and four one-half great circles intersecting no dimples in which eight end points including two end points of each one-half great circle do not coincide with each other on said great circle, one of said one-half great circles intersecting the other one-half great circle at a right angle at the middle point thereof on each side of said, great circle.

2. The golf ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein said great circle coincides with the seam of a pair of semispherical molds.

3. The golf ball as claimed in claim 2, wherein the specification of a dimple arranged in an S spherical zone and the specification of a dimple arranged in a P spherical zone is determined so that VS/VP are in the range:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">1.02≦

VS/VP≦

1.25

where said S spherical zone ranges from said seam to each of circumferences formed in correspondence with a central angle of less than approximately 60°

with respect to said seam;

said P spherical zone ranges from said circumferences to each pole;

VS is the volume of a dimple arranged in said S spherical zone; and

VP is the volume of a dimple, having the same curvature as that of said dimple of said S spherical zone, arranged in said P spherical zone.

4. The golf ball as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 3, wherein of said eight end points, the central angle φ

formed by lines connecting the center of said golf ball and each of two end points adjacent to each other is set in the following range;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">5°

≦

φ

≦

45°

.

5. The golf ball as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dimples cover substantially the entire spherical surface of the golf ball.