Embodiments of golf balls and methods to manufacture golf balls are generally described herein. In one example, a golf ball may include a face regions and a plurality of edge regions. Each face region may include first, second, and third triangular regions, each with a set of dimples. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.

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.

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 disclosure relates to a golf ball, wherein dimples having an extraordinary flight performance by combining the advantages of both circular dimples and polygonal dimples in the related art, in other words, by arranging the combined dimples that give depth to the face of the combined polygon and circle of the same center on the surface of the sphere, the trajectory is bent due to the influence of wind, which is a disadvantage of the conventional polygonal dimples. It is excellent in flight straightness by eliminating the effect, and when flying after hitting, the vertex region, which acts as a small bluff body, rotates and breaks the pressure in advance, causing a quick turbulent transition, and it becomes like an arc of a circular dimple instead of the sides of the general polygonal dimples.

A golf ball 2 has a large number of dimples 10 on a surface thereof. The contours of the dimples 10 are non-circular. A standard deviation of areas of the dimples 10 is equal to or less than 1.7 mm.sup.2. A ratio of a total area of the dimples 10 relative to a surface area of a phantom sphere of the golf ball 2 is equal to or greater than 80%. By comparting lines CS obtained by projecting sides of a regular dodecahedron, which is inscribed in the phantom sphere, onto the phantom sphere, a surface of the phantom sphere can be divided into 12 units Ut each of which meets the following mathematical formula (I):
−2≦(Nt/12)−Nu≦2  (I),
where Nt represents the total number of the dimples 10 and Nu represents the number of the dimples 10 on one unit.

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.

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 according to an aspect of the present invention is a golf ball having a large number of dimples, a surface of the golf ball is covered with a plurality of virtual flat surfaces each having a triangular shape, one or more dimples are arranged so as to correspond to each of the virtual flat surfaces, and an edge of each dimple is formed in a linear shape. Each dimple may have a triangular pyramid shape or a triangular frustum shape.

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

Embodiments of golf balls and methods to manufacture golf balls are generally described herein. In one example, a golf ball may include a plurality of round dimples and a plurality of non-round dimples. Each round dimple may have a dimple diameter, and each non-round dimple may have a dimple diagonal. Other examples and embodiments may be described and claimed.