Dimple patterns for golf balls
Golf balls having a dimple pattern arranged in a tetrahedral layout are disclosed. The dimple pattern has four substantially identical dimple sections, where each dimple section is defined by a spherical triangle. The dimples in each of the four dimple sections have at least three different dimple diameters including a minimum dimple diameter, a maximum dimple diameter, and at least one additional dimple diameter. The resulting dimple pattern has a surface coverage of about 70 percent or less. The reduced surface coverage helps to reduce the flight of the golf balls.
1. A golf ball having a substantially spherical surface, comprising:
a plurality of dimples disposed thereon, wherein the dimples are arranged in a pattern comprising four substantially identical dimple sections, wherein each dimple section is defined by a spherical triangle,
wherein the dimples in each of the four substantially identical dimple sections comprise at least three different dimple diameters including a minimum dimple diameter, a maximum dimple diameter, and at least one additional dimple diameter,
wherein each of the substantially identical dimple sections comprises a shared dimple having a centroid located on at least one vertex and the shared dimple located on the at least one vertex has the maximum dimple diameter, and
wherein the dimples cover about 70 percent or less of the substantially spherical surface, and wherein the pattern results in at least three dimple-free great circles on the golf ball.
2. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the minimum difference in diameter between any two dimples within each dimple section is about 0.030 inches or more.
3. The golf ball of claim 2 , wherein each of the at least three different dimple diameters range from about 0.030 inches to about 0.200 inches.
4. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the pattern is rotationally symmetric about the center of each substantially identical dimple section.
5. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein the dimples each have a corresponding edge angle and the average of all the edge angles (θ μ ) is related to the surface coverage according to equation (III):
88.8( SC ) 2 −116.9( SC )+47.7≤θ μ ≤170.0( SC ) 2 −242.5( SC )+106.6 (III),
where SC is the surface coverage.
6. The golf ball of claim 1 , wherein each substantially identical dimple section further comprises at least one shared dimple having a centroid that intersects a side edge of the dimple section.
7. A golf ball having a substantially spherical surface, comprising:
a plurality of dimples disposed thereon, wherein the dimples are arranged in a pattern comprising four substantially identical dimple sections, wherein each dimple section is defined by a spherical triangle having three vertices,
wherein the dimples in each of the four substantially identical dimple sections have a corresponding dimple diameter and a corresponding edge angle,
wherein the dimples in each of the four substantially identical dimple sections comprise:
(i) at least three different dimple diameters including a minimum dimple diameter, a maximum dimple diameter, and at least one additional dimple diameter, wherein each of the at least three different dimple diameters range from about 0.030 inches to about 0.200 inches, and
(ii) substantially identical edge angles,
wherein each of the substantially identical dimple sections comprises a shared dimple having a centroid located on at least one vertex and the shared dimple located on the at least one vertex has the maximum dimple diameter, and
wherein the dimples cover about 60 percent or less of the substantially spherical surface.
8. The golf ball of claim 7 , wherein each substantially identical dimple section further comprises at least one shared dimple having a centroid that intersects a side edge of the dimple section.
9. The golf ball of claim 7 , wherein the shared dimple having the maximum dimple diameter is located on each of the three vertices of the dimple section.
10. The golf ball of claim 7 , wherein the pattern results in at least three dimple-free great circles on the golf ball.
11. The golf ball of claim 7 , wherein the average of all the edge angles (θ μ ) is related to the surface coverage according to equation (III):
88.8( SC ) 2 −116.9( SC )+47.7≤θ μ ≤170.0( SC ) 2 −242.5( SC )+106.6 (III),
where SC is the surface coverage.
12. The golf ball of claim 7 , wherein the maximum difference in diameter between any two dimples within each dimple section is about 0.045 inches or less.
13. The golf ball of claim 7 , wherein the pattern has three-way rotational symmetry about the center of each substantially identical dimple section.
14. A golf ball having a substantially spherical surface, comprising:
a plurality of dimples disposed thereon, wherein the dimples are arranged in a pattern comprising four substantially identical dimple sections, wherein each dimple section is defined by a spherical triangle,
wherein the dimples in each of the four substantially identical dimple sections have a corresponding dimple diameter and a corresponding edge angle,
wherein the dimples in each of the four substantially identical dimple sections comprise four or more different dimple diameters including a minimum dimple diameter, a maximum dimple diameter, and at least two additional dimple diameters, wherein each of the four or more different dimple diameters range from about 0.050 inches to about 0.180 inches and differ by more than 0.005 inches,
wherein each of the substantially identical dimple sections comprises a shared dimple having a centroid located on at least one vertex and the shared dimple located on the at least one vertex has the maximum dimple diameter, and
wherein the dimples cover about 50 percent or less of the substantially spherical surface and the pattern results in at least three dimple-free great circles on the golf ball.
15. The golf ball of claim 14 , wherein the dimples in each of the four substantially identical dimple sections comprise substantially identical edge angles.
16. The golf ball of claim 14 , wherein the average of all the edge angles (θ μ ) is related to the surface coverage according to equation (III):
88.8( SC ) 2 −116.9( SC )+47.7≤θ μ ≤170.0( SC ) 2 −242.5( SC )+106.6 (III),
where SC is the surface coverage.
17. The golf ball of claim 14 , wherein each substantially identical dimple section further comprises at least one shared dimple having a centroid that intersects a side edge of the dimple section.
18. The golf ball of claim 14 , wherein the dimples cover about 30 percent or less of the substantially spherical surface.
19. The golf ball of claim 14 , wherein the pattern has three-way rotational symmetry about the center of each substantially identical dimple section.