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.

The present invention is directed to a golf ball having a non-planar parting line about non-circular dimples on its spherical surface. The parting line comprises non-concentric arcs having straight connecting line segments between the arcs. Each arc maintains a tangency with its connecting lines and a relief distance greater than or equal to 0.003 inches when measured from an average non-circular dimple diameter to one of the non-concentric arcs and an absolute relief distance of at least 0.001 inches when measured from all points on the non-circular dimple perimeter to one of the non-concentric arcs. The sum of the lengths of the non-concentric arcs relates to the sum of the straight connecting line segments according to the equation:

(0.15)L.sub.ARCSL.sub.LINES(0.50)L.sub.ARCS.

The present invention relates to golf balls having improved packing efficiency and aerodynamic characteristics and a high degree of dimple interdigitation. In particular, the present invention relates to a golf ball including at least a portion of dimples having a plan shape defined by low frequency periodic functions having high amplitudes. The present invention is also directed to methods of developing the dimple plan shape geometries, as well as methods of making the finished golf balls with the inventive dimple patterns applied thereto.

The present invention relates to golf balls, specifically to a golf ball comprising an aerodynamic pattern having novel shaped dimple structures which reduce the variation in airflow turning angle thereby improving the golf ball's flight performance. The dimple structures have a conical shaped base with a dimple in the center and reduced or no flat land areas between the dimples.

A golf ball includes plural dimples formed on a surface thereof and plural depressed or protruded portions spaced apart from each other and arranged along an outer periphery of at least one of the plural dimples. The plural depressed or protruded portions each has, as a part of a contour thereof, a shape substantially similar to a part of a contour of the dimple surrounded with the plural depressed or protruded portions. The plural depressed or protruded portions each has a length of more than 1/10 and less than of an outer peripheral length of the dimple surrounded with the plural depressed or protruded portions.

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 is directed to golf balls having improved aerodynamic performance due, at least in part, to the selection of the plan shapes of the dimples thereon. 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 low frequency periodic functions along a closed simple path. In addition, the present invention provides methods for designing dimples having a plan shape defined by a low frequency periodic function along a closed simple path.

Methods for making golf balls and golf ball components using three-dimensional (3D) additive manufacturing systems are provided. The golf ball includes at least one three-dimensional piece. Preferably, a continuous liquid interface printing method is used to make the three-dimensional structure. Ultraviolet (UV)-light polymerizable materials are used in the method. The method may be used to make single-piece or multi-piece balls. For example, the ball may include an inner core produced by the liquid interface printing method. An outer core layer may be disposed about the inner core, and a cover comprising inner and outer cover layers may encapsulate the core assembly to form the finished golf ball. The outer core and cover layers may be made using conventional molding technologies or methods of this invention.

A golf ball has, on a surface thereof, a rugged pattern composed of a land and a large number of dimples. A method for designing the rugged pattern includes the steps of: (1) assuming a large number of circles on a surface of a phantom sphere; (2) assuming a large number of generating points 16 based on positions of the large number of circles; (3) assuming a large number of Voronoi regions 18 on the surface of the phantom sphere by a Voronoi tessellation based on the large number of generating points 16; and (4) assigning a dimple and a land to the surface of the phantom sphere based on contours of the large number of Voronoi regions 18.

In a golf ball having numerous dimples on its surface, at least a given proportion of the dimples are optimal dimples having momentum thicknesses smaller than those of reference model dimples, thereby increasing the aerodynamic performance at the ball surface and enabling an improved flight performance to be achieved.