The present invention is directed to a golf ball having a non-planar parting line on its spherical surface. At least a portion of the parting line comprises a series of main arcs connected by at least one intermediate arc.

A method of producing a golf ball applies ultrasonic welding on two half shells to form at least one intermediate layer, at least one cover layer, or at least one intermediate layer and at least one cover layer. The ultrasonic welding may include pressing the two half shells together, delivering a high power electrical signal to a welding stack, and converting the high power electrical signal at the welding stack to ultrasonic energy. The converting may include converting the high power electrical signal into a mechanical vibration, modifying an amplitude of the mechanical vibration to generate a modified mechanical vibration, and applying the modified mechanical vibration to an interface of the two half shells to weld them together ultrasonically. Aspects also relate to golf balls, or one or more layers thereof, made using ultrasonic welding.

The present invention is directed to a golf ball having multiple indicia for aiding a golfer in positioning the golf ball with the intended ball path. In one embodiment, the golf ball has at least three distinct primary indicia aligned on the golf ball within a quarter of the circumference of the golf ball. The primary indicia includes a first primary indicia which is spaced a first distance from a second primary indicia, and a third primary indicia which is spaced a second distance from the second primary indicia. In an embodiment, the two distances are different. In another embodiment the distances are the same. Other versions have supplemental indicia positioned between the primary indicia and/or can be positioned proximate the first and/or third primary indicia. The supplemental indicia are preferably lighter in color intensity than the primary indicia so that the primary indicia is more readily visible to a golfer when the golfer is ready to putt.

The present invention provides a method for arranging dimples on a golf ball surface in which the dimples are arranged in a pattern derived from at least one irregular domain generated from a regular or non-regular polyhedron. The method includes choosing control points of a polyhedron, generating an irregular domain based on those control points, packing the irregular domain with dimples, and tessellating the irregular domain to cover the surface of the golf ball. The control points include the center of a polyhedral face, a vertex of the polyhedron, a midpoint or other point on an edge of the polyhedron and others. The method ensures that the symmetry of the underlying polyhedron is preserved while minimizing or eliminating great circles due to parting lines.

The present invention provides a method for arranging dimples on a golf ball surface in which the dimples are arranged in a pattern derived from at least one irregular domain generated from a regular or non-regular polyhedron. The method includes choosing control points of a polyhedron, generating an irregular domain based on those control points, packing the irregular domain with dimples, and tessellating the irregular domain to cover the surface of the golf ball. The control points include the center of a polyhedral face, a vertex of the polyhedron, a midpoint or other point on an edge of the polyhedron and others. The method ensures that the symmetry of the underlying polyhedron is preserved while minimizing or eliminating great circles due to parting lines.

The present invention concerns a golf ball having dimples with a cross-sectional profile comprising a conical top portion and a bottom portion. More particularly, the profiles of the present invention are defined by three independent parameters: dimple diameter (D.sub.D), edge angle (.sub.EDGE), and saucer ratio (S.sub.r). These parameters fully define the dimple shape and allow for greater flexibility in constructing a dimple profile versus conventional spherical dimples. The dimples optionally have a transition surface connecting the conical top portion to the land area of the golf ball and/or a transition surface connecting the conical top portion to the bottom portion.

The present invention is directed to golf balls having surface textures with unique appearances and improved aerodynamic characteristics due, at least in part, to the use of curvilinear dimple plan shapes. In particular, the present invention is directed to a golf ball that includes at least a portion of its dimples having a plan shape defined by a number of convex or concave arcs that are derived from the vertices of a regular n-sided polygon, for example, an equilateral triangle or square.

Golf balls having a multi-layered core made of a foamed composition are provided. The core assembly preferably includes a foam inner core (center) and surrounding outer core layer. Preferably, a polyurethane foam composition is used to form the foam center. The core layers have different hardness gradients and specific gravity values. The foamed inner core assembly includes a geometric center, outer surface (skin), and thermal barrier layer that helps protect the foamed center region from the negative effects of high temperatures used during the ball-manufacturing process. Non-foamed thermoset materials such as polybutadiene rubber may be used to form the thermal barrier layer. The foam cores have good resiliency, thermal stability, and durability over a wide temperature range. The ball further includes a cover that may be multi-layered.

A golf ball has a main body 12 and a paint layer 10 positioned outside the main body 12. The main body 12 has a plurality of minute projections 18 on a surface thereof. The paint layer 10 has a thickness Tp of not less than 5 m and not greater than 30 m. Each minute projection 18 is embedded in the paint layer 10. An average value Hav of heights H of the minute projections 18 is not less than 0.5 m and not greater than 80% of the thickness Tp. A ratio Pp of a sum of areas of all the minute projections 18 to a surface area of a phantom sphere of the golf ball is not less than 7%. An average value Dav of diameters D of the minute projections 18 is not less than 5 m and not greater than 50 m.

The present invention provides a method for arranging dimples on a golf ball surface in which the dimples are arranged in a pattern derived from at least one irregular domain generated from a regular or non-regular polyhedron. The method includes choosing control points of a polyhedron, generating an irregular domain based on those control points, packing the irregular domain with dimples, and tessellating the irregular domain to cover the surface of the golf ball. The control points include the center of a polyhedral face, a vertex of the polyhedron, a midpoint or other point on an edge of the polyhedron and others. The method ensures that the symmetry of the underlying polyhedron is preserved while minimizing or eliminating great circles due to parting lines.