Dimple patterns for golf balls

Abstract

Golf balls having a dimple pattern arranged in an icosahedral layout are disclosed. The dimple pattern has 20 substantially identical dimple sections, where each dimple section is defined by a spherical triangle. The dimples in each of the 20 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 an icosahedral pattern comprising twenty substantially identical dimple sections, wherein each dimple section is defined by a spherical triangle,   wherein the dimples in each of the twenty substantially identical dimple sections comprise three different dimple diameters including a minimum dimple diameter, a maximum dimple diameter, and at least one additional dimple diameter,   wherein the minimum dimple diameter is less than 0.090 inches, and   wherein the dimples cover about 70 percent or less of the substantially spherical surface, and wherein the pattern results in five 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 in a decimal form. 
 
     
     
         6 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein each substantially identical dimple section comprises at least one shared dimple, the shared dimple having a centroid that intersects an 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 an icosahedral pattern comprising twenty substantially identical dimple sections, wherein each dimple section is defined by a spherical triangle having three vertices,   wherein the dimples in each of the twenty substantially identical dimple sections have a corresponding dimple diameter and a corresponding edge angle,   wherein the dimples in each of the twenty substantially identical dimple sections comprise:
 (i) at least four different dimple diameters including a minimum dimple diameter, a maximum dimple diameter, and at least two additional dimple diameters, wherein each of the at least four different dimple diameters range from about 0.030 inches to about 0.200 inches, and. 
 (ii) substantially identical edge angles, 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 comprises at least one shared dimple, the shared dimple having a centroid that intersects an edge of the dimple section. 
     
     
         9 . The golf ball of  claim 7 , wherein a dimple is located at each of the three vertices of the dimple section such that a portion of the dimple is located within five of the dimple sections. 
     
     
         10 . The golf ball of  claim 7 , wherein the pattern results in six 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 0.080 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 an icosahedral pattern comprising twenty substantially identical dimple sections, wherein each dimple section is defined by a spherical triangle,   wherein the dimples in each of the twenty substantially identical dimple sections have a corresponding dimple diameter and a corresponding edge angle,   wherein the dimples in each of the twenty substantially identical dimple sections comprise five or more different dimple diameters including a minimum dimple diameter, a maximum dimple diameter, and at least three additional dimple diameters, wherein each of the five or more different dimple diameters range from about 0.030 inches to about 0.200 inches and differ by more than 0.005 inches,   wherein the dimples cover about 50 percent or less of the substantially spherical surface and the pattern results in no dimple free great circles on the golf ball.   
     
     
         15 . The golf ball of  claim 14 , wherein the dimples in each of the twenty 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 the dimples are arranged entirely within each of the twenty substantially identical dimple sections. 
     
     
         18 . The golf ball of  claim 14 , wherein each substantially identical dimple section comprises at least one shared dimple, the shared dimple having a centroid that intersects an edge of the dimple section. 
     
     
         19 . The golf ball of  claim 14 , wherein the dimples cover about 30 percent or less of the substantially spherical surface. 
     
     
         20 . The golf ball of  claim 14 , wherein the pattern has three-way rotational symmetry about the center of each substantially identical dimple section.