Golf ball with non-circular shaped dimples

• US 6,409,615 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2000
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: McGuire, Kenneth Stephen, Hamilton, Peter Worthington, Tweddell, Richard III
• Primary Examiner(s): Sewell, Paul T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEGESSE, NINI F
• Application Number:
  US09/662,861
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 473/378, 473/379, 473/380, 473/381, 473/382, 473/383, 473/384
• US Class Current: 473/383
• 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 37/0007 Non-circular dimples
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0009 Polygonal
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/002 Specified dimple diameter
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/20 Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, tesselation

Abstract

In a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a golf ball has a surface comprising a plurality of dimples arranged in an amorphous pattern. In an additional embodiment of the invention, a golf ball has a surface comprising a plurality of spaced dimples, wherein the dimples each comprise a non-circular shape and are spaced by land portions having substantially uniform widths. In an additional embodiment of the present invention, a golf ball has a surface formed with a plurality of non-circular, multi-sided shaped dimples and interposed lands having substantially consistent widths between adjacent dimples. In yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention, an exemplary method of making a golf ball having a dimpled surface is provided. The process comprises generating an amorphous pattern of non-circular shaped dimples and then transferring the amorphous pattern to the surface of the golf ball.

Claims

1. A golf ball having a surface comprising a plurality of non-circular dimples arranged in an amorphous pattern on said surface and spaced by land portions having substantially uniform widths.

2. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein any selected subset of adjacent dimples on the surface of a golf ball is unique within the scope of the dimple pattern.

3. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein any selected subset of adjacent dimples on the surface of a golf ball is unique relative to any other adjacent subset of adjacent dimples.

4. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein said dimples comprise a plurality of at least one of the following:

depressions and protuberances.

5. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein said amorphous pattern covers up to about 100% of said golf ball'"'"'s surface.

6. A golf ball according to claim 1, wherein said golf ball pattern is isomorphic.

16. A method of making the golf ball of claim 1 comprising the steps of:

generating an amorphous pattern of non-circular shaped dimples; and

transferring said pattern onto said ball.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising using a spherical coordinate system.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least some of said non-circular shaped dimples are generated to comprise polygonal shapes.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said generating step includes deriving said amorphous pattern from a constrained Voronoi tessellation.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising adoption of a constraint factor to control the range of permissible center-to center spacing between adjacent shapes in said tessellation.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein said generating step includes custom tailoring of at least one of an individual dimple'"'"'s size, shape orientation and spacing with respect to said ball.

7. A golf ball having a surface comprising a plurality of spaced dimples, wherein said dimples each comprise a non-circular, amorphous shape and are spaced by land portions having substantially uniform widths.

8. A golf ball according to claim 7, wherein the non-circular shapes of adjacent dimples are unique.

9. A golf ball according to claim 7, wherein said dimples comprise a plurality of at least one of the following:

depressions and protuberances on said surface with each dimple further comprising a center and at least three identifiable sides.

10. A golf ball of claim 9, wherein the center-to-center spacing between adjacent dimples is random.

11. A golf ball according to claim 9, wherein the sides of any three adjacent dimples are not in linear alignment.

12. A golf ball having a surface formed with a plurality of amorphous non-circular, multi-sided shaped dimples and interposed lands having substantially consistent widths between adjacent dimples.

13. A golf ball according to claim 12, wherein any selected subset of adjacent dimples is unique from any other adjacent selected subset of dimples.

14. A golf ball according to claim 12, wherein said dimples comprise at least three identifiable sides.

15. A golf ball according to claim 14, wherein at least some of the sides of said dimples are linear in nature.