IP Library Granted Patent US 8,795,103
Granted Patent B2
US 8,795,103 · App. 12/760,487 · Granted Aug 5, 2014

Low lift golf ball

Inventors: David L. Felker (Escondido, CA); Douglas C. Winfield (Madison, AL); Rocky Lee (Philadelphia, PA)
Assignee: Aero-X Golf, Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,795,103
App. No.
12/760,487
Granted
Aug 5, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A golf ball having a plurality of dimples formed on its outer surface, the outer surface of the golf ball being divided into plural areas, a first group of areas containing a plurality of first dimples and a second group of areas containing a plurality of second dimples, each area of the second group abutting one or more areas of the first group, the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions being configured such that the golf ball is spherically symmetrical as defined by the United States Golf Association (USGA) Symmetry Rules, and such that the golf ball exhibits a negative inflection in drag coefficient (CD) during the flight of the golf ball.

Claims (24)

1. A golf ball having a plurality of dimples formed on its outer surface, the outer surface of the golf ball being divided into plural areas, a first group of areas containing a plurality of first dimples and a second group of areas containing a plurality of second dimples, each area of the second group abutting one or more areas of the first group, the first group of areas containing only first dimples and no second dimples, the second group of areas containing only second dimples and no first dimples, the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions being configured such that the golf ball is spherically symmetrical as defined by the United States Golf Association (USGA) Symmetry Rules, and such that the golf ball exhibits a negative inflection in drag coefficient (CD) during the flight of the golf ball, and the first dimples all being of smaller diameter than the second dimples,

wherein the dimples in each area are of at least two different sizes.

2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CD of between about 0.250 and about 0.270 at the time of impact.

3. The golf ball of claim 2 , wherein the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions are configured such that the golf ball exhibits a CD of between about 0.280 and about 0.290 at about 1 second after impact.

4. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the areas in the first group are of different shape from the areas in the second group.

5. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the areas are arranged to form a spherical polyhedron.

6. The golf ball of claim 5 , wherein the areas of the first group are triangular and the areas of the second group are square.

7. The golf ball of claim 6 , wherein the areas together form a cuboctahedral shape.

8. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein the first dimples are of deeper depth than the second dimples.

9. The golf ball of claim 1 wherein each triangular shape area borders at least one square shape area.

10. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein some of the dimples are spherical dimples and some are spherical truncated dimples.

11. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein each area contains the same number of dimples.

12. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface has a total of 504 dimples or less.

13. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the dimple radius of each dimple in the first areas is in the range from about 0.05 to about 0.06 inches.

14. The golf ball of claim 13 wherein the dimple chord depth in the first areas is in the range from about 0.0075 to about 0.01 inches.

15. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the areas together form a spherical polyhedron shape selected from the group consisting of cuboctahedron, truncated tetrahedron, truncated cube, truncated octahedron, truncated dodecahedron, truncated icosahedron, truncated icosahedron, truncated cuboctahedron, icosidodecahedron, rhombicuboctahedron, rhombicosidodecahedron, rhombitruncated cuboctahedron, rhombitruncated icosidodecahedron, snub cube, snub dodecahedron, cube, dodecahedron, hexahedron, icosahedron, octahedron, and tetrahedron.

16. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface is divided into at least four areas of dimples.

17. The golf ball of claim 16 wherein the outer surface is divided into a plurality of areas of dimples in the range from four to thirty two areas of dimples.

18. The golf ball of claim 17 wherein the areas are of the same shape.

19. The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein the areas are of at least two different shapes.

20. The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein the areas are of three different shapes.

21. The golf ball of claim 17 , wherein the areas include at least two different shapes selected from triangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons, octagons, and decagons.

22. A golf ball having a plurality of dimples formed on its outer surface, the outer surface of the golf ball being divided into plural areas, a first group of areas containing a plurality of first dimples and a second group of areas containing a plurality of second dimples, each area of the second group abutting one or more areas of the first group, the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions being configured such that the golf ball is spherically symmetrical as defined by the United States Golf Association (USGA) Symmetry Rules, and such that the golf ball exhibits a negative inflection in drag coefficient (CD) during the flight of the golf ball, the dimple radius of each dimple in the first areas is in the range from about 0.05 to about 0.06 inches, and the dimple radius of each dimple in the second areas is in the range from about 0.075 to about 0.095 inches.

23. A golf ball having a plurality of dimples formed on its outer surface, the outer surface of the golf ball being divided into plural areas, a first group of areas containing a plurality of first dimples and a second group of areas containing a plurality of second dimples, each area of the second group abutting one or more areas of the first group, the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions being configured such that the golf ball is spherically symmetrical as defined by the United States Golf Association (USGA) Symmetry Rules, and such that the golf ball exhibits a negative inflection in drag coefficient (CD) during the flight of the golf ball, the dimple radius of each dimple in the first areas is in the range from about 0.05 to about 0.06 inches, and wherein the dimple chord depth in the first areas is in the range from about 0.0075 to about 0.01 inches, and the dimple chord depth in the second areas is in the range from about 0.0035 to about 0.008 inches.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 2, 2015
From: AERO-X GOLF, INC.
To: FOREMOST GOLF MANUFACTURING LTD.
Reel/Frame 034863/0103 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 15, 2010
From: FELKER, DAVID L.; WINFIELD, DOUGLAS C.; LEE, ROCKY
To: AERO-X GOLF, INC.
Reel/Frame 024541/0006 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 12757964 · Apr 9, 2010
Continuation PCTUS2010030641 · Apr 9, 2010
Provisional Application 61168134 · Apr 9, 2009
Related Publication 20100267483A1 · Oct 21, 2010