Golf balls having circular groups of tear-dropped dimples

Details Golf balls having circular groups of tear-dropped dimples Golf balls having circular groups of tear-dropped dimples

1999-12-13

2001-05-15

Chapman, Jeanette (Department: 3711)

Games using tangible projectile

Golf

Ball

C473S383000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06231463

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to golf balls and more particularly to the arrangement of tear-drop shaped dimples on the surface of the ball.
Dimples are provided in the surface of a golf ball in order to control and improve the flight of the ball. One of the basic criteria for the use of dimples is to cover the maximum surface of the ball with dimples without diminishing the aerodynamic symmetry of the ball in order to satisfy the requirements of the United States Golf Association (U.S.G.A.). Aerodynamic symmetry means that the ball must fly in substantially the same manner with little variation regardless of how it is placed on a tee or on the ground.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
It is known in the art to provide a golf ball having an octahedral pattern about its surface, as shown by the Stiefel et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,756, which is owned by the assignee of the present invention. In this prior patent, there are displayed four identical quadrants in each hemisphere of the golf ball with a circular area filling each quadrant as completely as possible. A dimple is provided at each pole and the circular areas are filled with dimples, as are the areas between the circular areas and the poles. All of the dimples have a circular configuration. Thus, there is a limit to the area of the golf ball surface which is covered with dimples.
It is also known in the art to provide a golf ball with non-circular dimples, as evidenced by the U.S. patents to Ihara U.S. Pat. No. Des. 319,676, Machin U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,989, and Lu U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,398. A major drawback of these prior golf balls is that the patterns for arranging the dimples on the golf ball are inefficient, resulting in inherent deficiencies in aerodynamic symmetry.
Finally, a golf ball having groups of tear-dropped dimples arranged in quadrants in each hemisphere of the ball is disclosed in the Tavares et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,418.
The present invention was developed in order to overcome these drawbacks of the prior art by providing a golf ball with a plurality of modified tear-drop shaped dimples arranged in a unique configuration on the surface of the ball in order to maximize dimple coverage and improve aerodynamic efficiency of the ball.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a golf ball having a dimple-free equatorial line which divides the ball into two hemispheres, each having a pole and substantially identical dimple configurations. Each hemisphere is divided into a plurality of identical portions defined by two or more imaginary great circles which intersect the poles, and each portion includes a circular area of maximum diameter. A first plurality of non-circular dimples are arranged within each circular area and a second plurality of non-circular dimples are arranged between the circular areas to increase the dimple coverage on the surface of the ball and to improve the aerodynamic efficiency of the ball.
According to another object of the invention, all of the dimples have a modified tear-drop configuration which is non-symmetric from a head portion to a tail portion thereof.
According to yet another object of the invention, the first plurality of dimples within each circular area comprise an outer ring of first dimples oriented in one direction and an inner ring of second dimples oriented in an opposite direction, the second dimples being smaller than the first dimples. Within the inner ring of second dimples are a pair of third dimples.
It is a further object to arrange the second plurality of dimples in a diamond configuration including fourth and fifth dimples oriented in opposite directions. None of the dimples on the surface of the ball overlap and the poles are dimple-free.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5997418 (1999-12-01), Tavares et al.

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