Golf ball dimple pattern

• US 5,957,786 A
• Filed: 09/03/1997
• Issued: 09/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Aoyama, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US08/922,633
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 473/379, 473/382, 473/383, 473/384
• US Class Current: 473/379
• 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 37/0018 Specified number of dimples
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/002 Specified dimple diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0021 Occupation ratio, i.e. percentage surface occupied by dimples

Abstract

A golf ball having an outside surface with a plurality of dimples formed thereon that form at least four spherical-triangular regions. Each of the regions has a first set of dimples formed in a large triangle and a second set of dimples formed in a small triangle inside of and adjacent to the large triangle. The diameters of the first set of dimples vary such that at least one diameter of the first set of dimples is equal to or greater than adjacent dimples nearer to the dimples on the points of the large triangle, and the dimples cover more than 80% of the outer surface with diameters of 0.11 inches or greater. The total number of dimples on the golf ball is about 300 to 500.

Claims

1. In a golf ball having an outside surface with a plurality of dimples formed thereon, the dimples being round and forming a plurality of spherical-triangular regions;

wherein each region has a first set of dimples formed in a large triangle having three sides and three points and a second set of dimples formed in a small triangle inside of and adjacent to the large triangle;

wherein the first set of dimples forming the large triangle comprises first dimples forming the three points having first diameters and at least five second dimples along each of the sides having second diameters larger than the first diameters and the diameters of each of the second dimples of the first set are equal to or greater than adjacent dimples which are nearer the first dimples on the points of the large triangle; and

the dimples cover more than 80% of said outside surface.

2. The golf ball of claim 1, said dimples being arranged so that there are less than four great circle paths that do not intersect any dimples.

3. The golf ball of claim 2, wherein the total number of dimples is 350 to 450.

4. The golf ball of claim 3, wherein at least 80% of the dimples have a diameter of 0.11 inches or greater.

5. The golf ball of claim 4, wherein at least 95% of the dimples have a diameter of 0.11 inches or greater.

6. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein each side of the large triangle is formed from an odd number of dimples.

7. The golf ball of claim 6, wherein each side of the large triangle further comprises a third sized dimple located at a midpoint of the sides and having a third diameter larger than the second diameter.

8. The golf ball of claim 7, wherein the small triangle is comprised of sides formed from an even number of dimples.

9. The golf ball of claim 8, wherein the large triangle has nine more dimples than the small triangle.

10. The golf ball of claim 9, further comprising a center dimple located inside the small triangle and having a diameter greater than or equal to the third sized dimple diameter.

11. The golf ball of claim 10, wherein the surface of the golf ball is comprised of twenty spherical-triangular triangular regions.

12. The golf ball of claim 11, wherein the golf ball has a icosahedron dimple pattern.

13. The golf ball of claim 1, wherein the sides of the large triangle comprise at least three different diametered dimples, the dimple diameters being equal to or greater than the diameter of the adjacent dimple on the side closer to the triangle point.

14. The golf ball of claim 1, further comprising a third set of dimples formed in a smallest triangle inside of and adjacent to the small triangle, wherein the large triangle has nine more dimples than the small triangle and the small triangle has nine more dimples than the smallest triangle.

15. The golf ball of claim 14, wherein each side of the small triangle is comprised of third sized dimples forming the three points of the small triangle having a third diameter and fourth sized dimples along the sides of the small triangle having a fourth diameter larger than the third diameter and a fifth sized dimple located at a midpoint of the sides of the small triangle and having a fifth diameter larger than the fourth diameter.

16. The golf ball of claim 15, wherein the smallest triangle is comprised of sides formed from an even number of dimples.

17. In a golf ball having an outside surface with a plurality of dimples formed thereon, the dimples being round and forming a plurality of spherical-triangular regions;

wherein each region has a first set of dimples formed in a large triangle having three sides and three points and a second set of dimples formed in a small triangle inside of and adjacent to the large triangle;

wherein the first set of dimples forming the large triangle comprises first dimples forming the three points having first diameters and at least five second dimples along each of the sides having second diameters larger than the first diameters and the diameters of the second dimples of each of the first set are equal to or greater than adjacent second dimples which are nearer the first dimples on the points of the large triangle;

said dimples being arranged such that there are no adjacent dimples of a largest diameter.

18. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein the dimples cover more than 80% of the outer surface.

19. The golf ball of claim 17, said dimples being arranged so that there are no adjacent dimples of a second to largest diameter.

20. The golf ball of claim 17, wherein at least 80% of the dimples have a diameter of 0.11 inches or greater.