Golf Balls with Clusters of Dimples Having Non-Uniform Dimple Profiles

Abstract

Golf balls include an exterior cover having a plurality of dimples arranged thereon, wherein from 5 to 95% of the dimples have a non-uniform dimple profile. At least a majority of the dimples having a non-uniform dimple profile on the golf ball body may be arranged in 2-24 repeating dimple clusters on the exterior surface of the ball. In some example structures, the exterior surface of the ball will include from 4-18 repeating dimple clusters, from 4-12 repeating dimple clusters, or even from 6-10 repeating dimple clusters.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A golf ball, comprising:
 a golf ball body including a cover having a plurality of dimples arranged on an exterior surface thereof, wherein from 5 to 95% of the dimples have a non-uniform dimple profile, and wherein at least a majority of the dimples having a non-uniform dimple profile on the golf ball body are arranged in 2-24 repeating dimple clusters on the exterior surface.   
     
     
         2 . A golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the exterior surface includes 4-12 dimple clusters. 
     
     
         3 . A golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the golf ball body includes a first pole, a second pole opposite the first pole, and an equator evenly spaced between the first and second poles so as to divide the golf ball body into a first hemisphere including the first pole and a second hemisphere including the second pole, wherein the first hemisphere includes three dimple clusters evenly spaced around the first pole, and wherein the second hemisphere includes three dimple clusters evenly spaced around the second pole. 
     
     
         4 . A golf ball according to  claim 3 , wherein centers of the dimple clusters in the first hemisphere do not align with centers of the dimple clusters in the second hemisphere along any great circle extending between the first pole and the second pole. 
     
     
         5 . A golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the golf ball body includes a first pole, a second pole opposite the first pole, and an equator evenly spaced between the first and second poles so as to divide the golf ball body into a first hemisphere including the first pole and a second hemisphere including the second pole, wherein the first hemisphere includes six dimple clusters evenly spaced around the first pole, and wherein the second hemisphere includes six dimple clusters evenly spaced around the second pole. 
     
     
         6 . A golf ball according to  claim 5 , wherein centers of the dimple clusters in the first hemisphere do not align with centers of the dimple clusters in the second hemisphere along any great circle extending between the first pole and the second pole. 
     
     
         7 . A golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the golf ball body includes a first pole, a second pole opposite the first pole, and an equator evenly spaced between the first and second poles so as to divide the golf ball body into a first hemisphere including the first pole and a second hemisphere including the second pole, wherein the first hemisphere includes N dimple clusters having their centers arranged 360/N degrees apart with respect to a circumferential direction of the ball, wherein the second hemisphere includes M dimple clusters having their centers arranged 360/M degrees apart with respect to the circumferential direction, wherein N=M, wherein N and M are integers between 2 and 20, and wherein centers of the dimple clusters in the first hemisphere are arranged 360/2N degrees apart from the centers of the dimple clusters in the second hemisphere with respect to the circumferential direction of the ball. 
     
     
         8 . A golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein each dimple having a non-uniform dimple profile includes a deep side and a shallow side. 
     
     
         9 . A golf ball according to  claim 8 , wherein the shallow side of each dimple having a non-uniform dimple profile is arranged so as to be closest to a geometric center of the dimple cluster in which it is contained. 
     
     
         10 . A golf ball according to  claim 8 , wherein the deep side of each dimple having a non-uniform dimple profile is arranged so as to be closest to a geometric center of the dimple cluster in which it is contained. 
     
     
         11 . A golf ball according to  claim 8 , wherein, for each dimple cluster, a first portion of the dimples having a non-uniform dimple profile in the dimple cluster are arranged to have their shallow side closest to a geometric center of the dimple cluster, and a second portion of the dimples having a non-uniform dimple profile in the dimple cluster are arranged to have their deep side closest to the geometric center of the dimple cluster. 
     
     
         12 . A golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the dimple clusters have an overall pentagonal configuration. 
     
     
         13 . A golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the dimple clusters have an overall hexagonal configuration. 
     
     
         14 . A golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of dimples includes: (a) a first dimple cluster having a plurality of dimples having a non-uniform dimple profile surrounding a single dimple having a uniform dimple profile, and (b) a second dimple cluster having a plurality of dimples having a non-uniform dimple profile surrounding a single dimple having a uniform dimple profile. 
     
     
         15 . A golf ball according to  claim 14 , wherein the first dimple cluster includes five or six dimples having a non-uniform dimple profile surrounding the single dimple having a uniform dimple profile, and wherein the second dimple cluster includes five or six dimples having a non-uniform dimple profile surrounding the single dimple having a uniform dimple profile. 
     
     
         16 . A golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein all dimple clusters on the exterior surface have the same pattern arrangement. 
     
     
         17 . A golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the golf ball body includes a first pole, a second pole opposite the first pole, and an equator evenly spaced between the first and second poles so as to divide the golf ball body into a first hemisphere including the first pole and a second hemisphere including the second pole, wherein the first hemisphere includes a first dimple cluster having a first dimple cluster pattern arrangement and a second dimple cluster having a second dimple cluster pattern arrangement that differs from the first dimple cluster pattern arrangement, and wherein the second hemisphere includes a third dimple cluster having the first dimple cluster pattern arrangement and a fourth dimple cluster having the second dimple cluster pattern arrangement. 
     
     
         18 . A golf ball, comprising:
 a core including one or more individual parts; and   a cover member enclosing the core,   wherein the golf ball includes a first hemisphere and a second hemisphere,   wherein the cover member includes 2-9 repeating non-uniform dimple clusters arranged around the first hemisphere, wherein each non-uniform dimple cluster in the first hemisphere includes from 2 to 36 non-uniform dimples arranged such that each non-uniform dimple in the cluster is located immediately adjacent at least one other non-uniform dimple in the cluster; wherein a majority of the non-uniform dimples in each cluster have an axis of symmetry, a first end centered on the axis of symmetry, and a second end centered on the axis of symmetry; and wherein the first end is deeper than or has a steeper entry angle than the second end,   wherein the cover member includes 2-9 repeating non-uniform dimple clusters arranged around the second hemisphere, wherein each non-uniform dimple cluster in the second hemisphere includes from 2 to 36 non-uniform dimples arranged such that each non-uniform dimple in the cluster is located immediately adjacent at least one other non-uniform dimple in the cluster; wherein a majority of the non-uniform dimples in each cluster have an axis of symmetry, a first end centered on the axis of symmetry, and a second end centered on the axis of symmetry; and wherein the first end is deeper than or has a steeper entry angle than the second end, and   wherein at least one of the 2-9 non-uniform dimple clusters in the first hemisphere is arranged in a first pattern and at least one of the 2-9 non-uniform dimple clusters in the second hemisphere is arranged in the first pattern.   
     
     
         19 . A golf ball according to  claim 18 , wherein the first pattern is a generally hexagonal arrangement containing the non-uniform dimples in the cluster. 
     
     
         20 . A golf ball according to  claim 18 , wherein the first pattern is a generally pentagonal arrangement containing the non-uniform dimples in the cluster. 
     
     
         21 . A golf ball according to  claim 18 , wherein the first pattern is a generally linear alignment of the non-uniform dimples in the cluster, wherein the non-uniform dimples in the generally linear alignment have their respective axes of symmetry aligned. 
     
     
         22 . A golf ball according to  claim 21 , wherein the first ends of each non-uniform dimple in the generally linear alignment face the same direction. 
     
     
         23 . A golf ball according to  claim 21 , wherein the first ends of two immediately adjacent non-uniform dimples in the generally linear alignment face in opposite directions. 
     
     
         24 . A golf ball according to  claim 21 , wherein the first ends of two immediately adjacent non-uniform dimples in the generally linear alignment face in the same direction. 
     
     
         25 . A golf ball according to  claim 18 , wherein the axes of symmetry of the non-uniform dimples in the first hemisphere are arranged to point toward a geometric center of the dimple cluster in which the non-uniform dimples are contained. 
     
     
         26 . A golf ball according to  claim 25 , wherein the first end of each non-uniform dimple having the axis of symmetry is arranged to be located as close as possible to the geometric center of the dimple cluster in which it is contained. 
     
     
         27 . A golf ball according to  claim 25 , wherein the first end of each non-uniform dimple having the axis of symmetry is arranged to be located as far as possible from the geometric center of the dimple cluster in which it is contained. 
     
     
         28 . A golf ball according to  claim 25 , wherein a first portion of the dimples in a cluster having axes of symmetry are arranged such that their first ends are located as close as possible to the geometric center of the dimple cluster in which they are contained, and wherein a second portion of the dimples in a cluster having axes of symmetry are arranged such that their first ends are located as far as possible from the geometric center of the dimple cluster in which they are contained. 
     
     
         29 . A golf ball according to  claim 18 , wherein each non-uniform dimple cluster on the cover member has the same pattern. 
     
     
         30 . A golf ball according to  claim 18 , wherein each non-uniform dimple cluster includes from 6 to 24 dimples having a non-uniform dimple profile. 
     
     
         31 . A golf ball according to  claim 18 , wherein the first hemisphere further includes at least one non-uniform dimple cluster having a second pattern that differs from the first pattern, and wherein the second hemisphere further includes at least one non-uniform dimple cluster having the second pattern.