The present invention is directed to a golf ball having a non-planar parting line on its spherical surface. The non-planar parting line includes a plurality of arcuate segments, including at least one elliptical arc segment.

The present invention is directed to a golf ball having a non-planar parting line on its spherical surface.

Golf ball having a generally spherical surface and comprising a plurality of dimples separated by a land area formed on the ball surface, wherein the plurality of dimples includes at least one non-spherical dimple having a non-axially symmetric plan shape and a defined point of maximum dimple depth, wherein: (i) each dimple cross-section of the non-spherical dimple consists of two arcs, each arc extending from the defined point of maximum dimple depth to a point at the land area of the golf ball; and (ii) every point on the perimeter of the non-spherical dimple is located at a radial angle, θ, about a unit circle, where 0<θ<2π, and the edge angle value of the non-spherical dimple at any given point on the perimeter is defined by the solution of an edge angle function f(θ), wherein f(θ) is a non-periodic, continuous, differentiable function.

Golf balls having dimple patterns arranged in dipyramid layouts are disclosed. The patterns may be arranged in triangular dipyramid, quadrilateral dipyramid, pentagonal dipyramid, or hexagonal dipyramid layouts. The dipyramid patterns have six, eight, ten, or twelve substantially identical dimple sections, where each dimple section is defined by a spherical triangle. The dimples in each of the identical dimple sections have at least two different dimple diameters including a minimum dimple diameter and a maximum dimple diameter. The resulting dimple patterns have a surface coverage of about 70 percent or less. The reduced surface coverage helps to reduce the flight of the golf balls.

A golf ball having a North pole and a South pole, an equator and a primary meridian, the equator and primary meridian divide the ball into North, South, East and West hemispheres, and Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest quadrants. A grid pattern projected on the ball surface divides the ball laterally and longitudinally into a number of overlapping zones. The dimples within the zones have average depths hex, hsx, hpx, hei, hsi and hpi and selected values of Δe, Δs and Δp which are the difference between the minimum and maximum values of the relative ratios of the dimple depths, hex.sub.r/hei.sub.r, hsx.sub.r/hsi.sub.r and hpx.sub.r/hpi.sub.r determined when the ball is rotated by a value of θ from 0 to 360° about its polar axis.

Golf balls include dimples for generating a turbulent boundary layer. At least some of the dimples include a fan-shape. The fan-shaped dimple has a plurality of blades. Each blade has a trailing edge flush with a land area of a spherical surface of the golf ball, a leading edge, and a side wall connected to the leading edge. The dimple also has a sloped floor extending from the trailing edge to the leading edge, a blade tip connecting the leading edge to the trailing edge at a distal end of the blade, and a blade root connecting the leading edge to the trailing edge at a proximal end of the blade.

The present disclosure is generally directed to a dimple pattern for a golf ball. In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a specific arrangement of first and second domains each consisting of perimeter dimples and interior dimples. The dimples have at least three different dimple diameters, including a minimum dimple diameter, a maximum dimple diameter, and at least one additional dimple diameter. In a specific aspect, the dimples having the maximum dimple diameter are only present in the first domains, the dimples having the minimum dimple diameter are only present in the second domains, and none of the perimeter dimples in the first domain are maximum dimple diameters.

A golf ball includes a generally spherical surface and a plurality of dimples separated by a land area. At least one of the dimples has a perimeter edge connected to the land area and a dimple surface surrounded by the perimeter edge. The dimple surface includes a plurality of channels and a plurality of channel edges that extend continuously from the perimeter edge to an intersection at a dimple center. The dimple surface defines a dimple point depth in relation to continuation of the land area and a channel point depth in relation to the channel edges. Each channel includes a first area having a plan shape of a circular sector of a channel circle. The channel edges extend radially from the dimple center to a terminal end at the channel circle. The perimeter edge intersects the channel circle only at terminal ends of the plurality of channel edges.

Golf balls including at least one modified dimple group are disclosed. The modified dimple group comprises one or more modified dimples forming an axially symmetric pattern about a Correction Area Centroid located on an axis of symmetry at a latitude greater than 0°, where 0° represents the hemispherical pole and 90° represents the equator. The modified dimples can be altered, for example, by changing dimple coverage, dimple diameter, dimple depth, dimple edge angle, dimple volume, dimple cross-sectional shape, and/or dimple plan shape. Optionally, the dimples have a catenary cross-sectional shape and the modified dimples are altered by changing the shape factor and/or chord depth. Such modifications preferably produce a golf ball that flies more consistently regardless of orientation when struck than a corresponding golf ball without such modifications.

A golf ball which, when orientated in the cross seam direction, has an equator at latitude 0°, and poles at latitude 90° and longitude 0°, an equator region Ex at latitudes 0 to 25°, a region Ei at longitudes 0 to 25°, a shoulder region Sx at latitudes from more than 25° to less than 65°, a region Si at longitudes from more than 25° to less than 65°, a pole region Px at latitudes 65° to 90°, and a region Pi at longitudes 650 to 90°. The ball dimple pattern has the following average dimple depths, hex in the region Ex, hsx in the region Sx, hpx in the region Px, hei in the region Ei, hsi in the region Si and hpi in the region Pi; and the ratios hex/hei, hsx/hsi and hpx/hpi are each greater than or equal to about 0.75 and less than or equal to about 1.20.