US2025303234A1PendingUtilityA1

Golf ball dimple profile defined by piecewise function

Assignee: ACUSHNET COPriority: Aug 21, 2023Filed: Jun 13, 2025Published: Oct 2, 2025
Est. expiryAug 21, 2043(~17 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
A63B 37/002A63B 37/0019A63B 37/0021A63B 37/0012
78
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Claims

Abstract

A golf ball dimple half profile is disclosed herein that can be defined by a piecewise function. The sub-functions that define the piecewise function can include, for example, a catenary function and a Gabriel's horn function. A transition between the sub-functions defining the piecewise function is smooth. At least one of the sub-functions can have a non-constant radius of curvature. The golf ball dimple half profile is rotated about the dimple's centroid to create the full dimple profile.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A golf ball having a plurality of dimples on a surface thereof, wherein at least a first group of the plurality of dimples has a cross-sectional dimple profile defined by x-y coordinates,
 wherein x=0 corresponds to a central axis of the cross-sectional dimple profile, y=0 corresponds to a maximum depth of the cross-sectional dimple profile which is defined at the central axis, and the cross-sectional dimple profile is symmetrical about the central axis,   wherein a cross-sectional dimple half profile is defined by a piecewise function (y) comprised of a first function (y 1 ) and a second function (y 2 ), and the piecewise function (y) is rotated about the central axis to define the cross-sectional dimple profile,   wherein at least one of the first function (y 1 ) or the second function (y 2 ) has a non-constant radius of curvature, and   wherein the first function (y 1 ) is defined by a catenary function, and the second function (y 2 ) is defined by a Gabriel's horn function.   
     
     
         2 . The golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the first function (y 1 ) and the second function (y 2 ) have the same concavity. 
     
     
         3 . The golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the first function (y 1 ) is defined by: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   y 
                   1 
                 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     d 
                     ⁡ 
                     ( 
                     
                       
                         cosh 
                         ⁡ 
                         ( 
                         
                           SF 
                           · 
                           x 
                         
                         ) 
                       
                       - 
                       1 
                     
                     ) 
                   
                   
                     
                       cosh 
                       ⁡ 
                       ( 
                       
                         SF 
                         · 
                         
                           d 
                           2 
                         
                       
                       ) 
                     
                     - 
                     1 
                   
                 
               
               , 
               
                 0 
                 ≤ 
                 x 
                 ≤ 
                 
                   x 
                   c 
                 
               
             
           
         
         where SF is a shape factor, the shape factor SF is within the following range: 1≤SF≤1,000. 
       
     
     
         4 . The golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the second function (y 2 ) is defined by: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   y 
                   2 
                 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     
                       
                         
                           c 
                           d 
                         
                         ( 
                         
                           d 
                           2 
                         
                         ) 
                       
                       ⁢ 
                       
                         ( 
                         
                           
                             1 
                             
                               x 
                               c 
                             
                           
                           - 
                           
                             1 
                             x 
                           
                         
                         ) 
                       
                     
                     
                       
                         H 
                         ⁢ 
                         F 
                       
                       - 
                       1 
                     
                   
                   + 
                   
                     
                       d 
                       ⁡ 
                       ( 
                       
                         
                           cosh 
                           ⁡ 
                           ( 
                           
                             SF 
                             · 
                             x 
                           
                           ) 
                         
                         - 
                         1 
                       
                       ) 
                     
                     
                       
                         cosh 
                         ⁡ 
                         ( 
                         
                           SF 
                           · 
                           
                             d 
                             2 
                           
                         
                         ) 
                       
                       - 
                       1 
                     
                   
                 
               
               , 
               
                 x 
                 > 
                 
                   x 
                   c 
                 
               
             
           
         
         where SF is a shape factor, and SF is within the following range: 1≤SF≤1,000, and 
         where HF is a horn factor, and HF is defined by: 
       
       
         
           
             
               
                 H 
                 ⁢ 
                 F 
               
               = 
               
                 1 
                 + 
                 
                   
                     
                       c 
                       d 
                     
                     ( 
                     
                       
                         cosh 
                         ⁡ 
                         ( 
                         
                           SF 
                           · 
                           
                             d 
                             2 
                           
                         
                         ) 
                       
                       - 
                       1 
                     
                     ) 
                   
                   
                     2 
                     · 
                     SF 
                     · 
                     
                       x 
                       c 
                       2 
                     
                     · 
                     
                       sinh 
                       ⁡ 
                       ( 
                       
                         SF 
                         · 
                         
                           x 
                           c 
                         
                       
                       ) 
                     
                   
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         5 . The golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein a diameter (d) of the first group of the plurality of dimples is within the following range: 0.100 inches≤d≤0.200 inches. 
     
     
         6 . The golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein a chord depth (c d ) of the first group of the plurality of dimples is within the following range: 0.001 inches≤c d ≤0.010 inches. 
     
     
         7 . The golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the first function (y 1 ) and the second function (y 2 ) are defined by: 
       
         
           
             
               { 
               
                 
                   
                     
                       
                         
                           y 
                           1 
                         
                         = 
                         
                           
                             d 
                             ⁡ 
                             ( 
                             
                               
                                 cosh 
                                 ⁡ 
                                 ( 
                                 
                                   SF 
                                   · 
                                   x 
                                 
                                 ) 
                               
                               - 
                               1 
                             
                             ) 
                           
                           
                             
                               cosh 
                               ⁡ 
                               ( 
                               
                                 SF 
                                 · 
                                 
                                   d 
                                   2 
                                 
                               
                               ) 
                             
                             - 
                             1 
                           
                         
                       
                       , 
                       
                         0 
                         ≤ 
                         x 
                         ≤ 
                         
                           x 
                           c 
                         
                       
                     
                   
                 
                 
                   
                     
                       
                         
                           y 
                           2 
                         
                         = 
                         
                           
                             
                               
                                 
                                   c 
                                   d 
                                 
                                 ( 
                                 
                                   d 
                                   2 
                                 
                                 ) 
                               
                               ⁢ 
                               
                                 ( 
                                 
                                   
                                     1 
                                     
                                       x 
                                       c 
                                     
                                   
                                   - 
                                   
                                     1 
                                     x 
                                   
                                 
                                 ) 
                               
                             
                             
                               
                                 H 
                                 ⁢ 
                                 F 
                               
                               - 
                               1 
                             
                           
                           + 
                           
                             
                               d 
                               ⁡ 
                               ( 
                               
                                 
                                   cosh 
                                   ⁡ 
                                   ( 
                                   
                                     SF 
                                     · 
                                     x 
                                   
                                   ) 
                                 
                                 - 
                                 1 
                               
                               ) 
                             
                             
                               
                                 cosh 
                                 ⁡ 
                                 ( 
                                 
                                   SF 
                                   · 
                                   
                                     d 
                                     2 
                                   
                                 
                                 ) 
                               
                               - 
                               1 
                             
                           
                         
                       
                       , 
                       
                         x 
                         > 
                         
                           x 
                           c 
                         
                       
                     
                   
                 
               
             
           
         
         where SF is a shape factor, and SF is within the following range: 1≤SF≤1,000, 
         where c d  is a chord depth (in inches) of the first group of the plurality of dimples, 
         where d is a diameter (in inches) of the first group of the plurality of dimples, and 
         where HF is a horn factor, and HF is defined by: 
       
       
         
           
             
               
                 H 
                 ⁢ 
                 F 
               
               = 
               
                 1 
                 + 
                 
                   
                     
                       
                         c 
                         d 
                       
                       ( 
                       
                         
                           cosh 
                           ⁡ 
                           ( 
                           
                             SF 
                             · 
                             
                               d 
                               2 
                             
                           
                           ) 
                         
                         - 
                         1 
                       
                       ) 
                     
                     
                       2 
                       · 
                       SF 
                       · 
                       
                         x 
                         c 
                         2 
                       
                       · 
                       
                         sinh 
                         ⁡ 
                         ( 
                         
                           SF 
                           · 
                           
                             x 
                             c 
                           
                         
                         ) 
                       
                     
                   
                   . 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         8 . The golf ball according to  claim 7 , wherein a diameter (d) of the first group of the plurality of dimples is within the following range: 0.100 inches≤d≤0.200 inches. 
     
     
         9 . The golf ball according to  claim 8 , wherein a chord depth (c d ) of the first group of the plurality of dimples is within the following range: 0.001 inches≤c d ≤0.010 inches. 
     
     
         10 . The golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein a y-coordinate of the intersection point (x c , y c ) is defined by the following equation: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 y 
                 c 
               
               = 
               
                 κ 
                 * 
                 
                   c 
                   d 
                 
               
             
           
         
         where κ is a chord depth-contribution factor defined as fraction of a total chord depth (in inches) that is attributable to a depth (in inches) of the first function (y 1 ), and 
         where c d  is a chord depth (in inches) of the first group of the plurality of dimples. 
       
     
     
         11 . The golf ball according to  claim 10 , wherein an x-coordinate of the intersection point (x c , y c ) is defined by the following equation: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 x 
                 c 
               
               = 
               
                 
                   1 
                   
                     S 
                     ⁢ 
                     F 
                   
                 
                 ⁢ 
                 
                   
                     cosh 
                     
                       - 
                       1 
                     
                   
                   ( 
                   
                     
                       
                         κ 
                         · 
                         
                           
                             c 
                             d 
                           
                           ( 
                           
                             
                               cosh 
                               ⁡ 
                               ( 
                               
                                 SF 
                                 · 
                                 
                                   d 
                                   2 
                                 
                               
                               ) 
                             
                             - 
                             1 
                           
                           ) 
                         
                       
                       d 
                     
                     + 
                     1 
                   
                   ) 
                 
               
             
           
         
         where SF is a shape factor, and SF is within the following range: 1≤SF≤1,000. 
       
     
     
         12 . The golf ball according to  claim 10 , wherein the chord depth-contribution factor κ is defined by the following equation:
   0.3207−0.8512 d+ 2.7961 c   d ≤κ≤0.4509−0.5435 d+ 1.8818 c   d .
 
 
     
     
         13 . The golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the first group of the plurality of the dimples includes at least 50% of the plurality of dimples. 
     
     
         14 . The golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein the first group of the plurality of the dimples includes 100% of the plurality of dimples. 
     
     
         15 . The golf ball according to  claim 1 , wherein both the first function (y 1 ) and the second function (y 2 ) has a non-constant radius of curvature.

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