Golf ball

• US 6,719,647 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2001
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Rubber Industries Limited
• Inventors: Sajima, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiu, Raleigh W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUONG, THANH P
• Application Number:
  US09/800,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20010027141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 473/382, 473/378, 473/380, 473/379, 473/383, 473/364, 473/365, 473/371, 403/27
• US Class Current: 473/382
• 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 37/0096 Spin rate

Abstract

By three great circle-shaped compacting lines (L) formed by projecting the sides of an inscribed regular octahedron, a surface of a golf ball is compared into eight spherical regular triangles (T1) to (T8). A dimple (1) is arranged over the surface of the golf ball, and furthermore, there is no great circle path to be a great circle which does not intersect the dimple (1). Any of the three compacting lines (L) is not coincident with an equator line (E). The equator line (E) is coincident with a great circle obtained by connecting middle points of sides of the spherical regular triangles (T1) to (T8). Any dimple (1) intersecting the equator line (E) does not centrally intersect the equator line (E).

Claims

1. A golf ball having an equator line (E) is defined by three great circle-shaped compartment lines (L) formed by projecting the sides of a phantom inscribed regular octahedron, wherein the surface of the golf ball is comparted into eight spherical regular triangles (T1) to (T8), and dimples (1) being arranged over the surface of the golf ball, no great circle path which does not intersect the dimples (1) and none of the three comparting lines (L) being coincident with the equator line (E) which is coincident with the groat circle obtained by connecting middle points of sides of the spherical regular triangles (T1) to (T8), and no dimples (1) intersecting the equator line (E) centrally intersect the equator line (E) and the dimple pattern appearing along the parting line by rotation is not monoronous, and the parting line has a concave-convex shape, and the parting line is part from or coincident with a dimple edge.

2. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein any dimple intersecting the equator line does not centrally intersect the equator line.

3. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the number of the dimples intersecting the equator line is 12 to 24 and all the dimples intersecting the equator line have an intersecting dimension which is less than ¼

of a dimple diameter.

4. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the three comparting lines centrally intersect at least 16 dimples, respectively.

5. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the equator line is coincident with a great circle obtained by connecting middle points of sides of the spherical regular triangle.

6. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein at most 25% a of all the dimples (1) are changed in diameter over the whole golf ball surface.

7. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein there are four different dimples A, B, C and D each having different diameters.

8. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the total dimple area to an area of a phantom spherical surface is in the range of 60% to 90%.

9. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein the total number of dimples is 390.

10. The golf ball according to claim 1, wherein all the dimples intersecting the equator line have an intersecting dimension, which is less than ¼

of a dimple diameter.

11. The golf ball according to claim 9, wherein there are 192A dimples having a diameter 4.00 mm, 108B dimples having a diameter of 3.75 mm, 60C dimples having a diameter of 3.30 mm, and 30D dimples having a diameter of 2.40 mm.