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 provides a golf ball wherein each hemisphere has a dimple pattern based on a pyramid having dissimilar sides. The resulting overall dimple pattern is not based on preexisting polyhedral, and is not attainable using conventional dimple packing methods.

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.

The present invention concerns golf balls having a modified aerodynamic configuration and a method for creating a modified aerodynamic configuration that improves dimple coverage, interdigitation, and non-alignment in golf ball dimple patterns by rotating the repeating area elements about pre-determined center points, with further optional steps of expanding or contracting the elemental arrangements about pre-determined center points, enlarging or reducing the sizes of dimples, and adding extra dimples to occupy land areas created by the previous steps. The resulting modified aerodynamic configuration with a rotated element has increased dimple coverage, greater interdigitation and improved non-alignment.

A golf ball 2 has a large number of dimples 10 on a surface thereof. Fifteen axes are assumed for a phantom sphere of the golf ball 2. 30240 points on a predetermined region of the surface of the golf ball 2 during backspin about each axis are determined. A length L1 of a perpendicular line that extends from each point to the axis is calculated. A total length L2 is calculated by summing 21 lengths L1 calculated based on 21 perpendicular lines arranged in a direction of the axis. A transformed data constellation is obtained by performing Fourier transformation on a data constellation of 1440 total lengths L2 calculated along a direction of rotation about the axis. A peak value and an order of a maximum peak of the transformed data constellation are calculated. A minimum value of 15 peak values is not less than 95 mm.

The present invention concerns golf balls having a modified aerodynamic configuration and a method for creating a modified aerodynamic configuration that improves dimple coverage, interdigitation, and non-alignment in golf ball dimple patterns by rotating the repeating area elements about their pre-determined center points, with further optional steps of expanding or contracting the elemental arrangements about their pre-determined center points, enlarging or reducing the sizes of dimples, and adding extra dimples to occupy land areas created by the previous steps. The resulting modified aerodynamic configuration with a rotated element has increased dimple coverage, greater interdigitation and improved non-alignment.

A golf ball 2 includes a large number of dimples 10 on a surface thereof. The surface has a northern hemisphere N and a southern hemisphere S. Each of the hemispheres has a high-latitude region 14, a mid-latitude region 18 and a low-latitude region 16. The high-latitude region 14 has a latitude range of 40 or greater but 90 or less. The mid-latitude region 18 has a latitude range of 20 or greater but less than 40. The low-latitude region 16 has a latitude range of 0 or greater but less than 20. The number of planes that can divide a dimple pattern of the hemisphere so that divided dimple patterns are mirror symmetry to each other is one. Neither a dimple pattern of the high-latitude region 14 nor a dimple pattern of the low-latitude region 16 is rotationally symmetrical.

Golf balls according to the present invention achieve flight symmetry and overall satisfactory flight performance due to a dimple volume ratio that is equivalent between opposing hemispheres despite the use of different dimple geometries on the opposing hemispheres.

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.