Title GOLF BALL DIMPLE PATTERN

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a dimple pattern for a golf ball. More specifically, the present invention relates to a dimple pattern for a golf ball that has false parting lines.

Background Art

Golf ball designers have been improving the symmetry of a golf ball for many years. Over the years, many golf ball surface patterns have been proposed to improve symmetry.

Yamada, U.S. Patent Number 4744564, discloses a golf ball with smaller volume dimples near the poles than those close to the parting line.

Hiara, U.S. Patent Number 4915389, discloses a golf ball with no parting line and dimples positioned on all great circles.

Yamada, U.S. patent Number 4946167 discloses a golf ball which improves symmetry by arranging dimples within a spherical triangles so as to be in a point or a line symmetrical relationship without intersecting the ridge lines of a complete geodesic 24-hedron.

Oka et al, U.S. Patent Number 5072945, discloses a golf ball with a great

circle zone along a parting line and dimple sin a P region and a S region being geometrically symmetric about the parting line.

Oka, U.S. Patent Number 5078402, discloses a golf ball with dimples arranged to create four great circle zones. Oka et al, U.S. Patent Number 5090745, discloses a golf ball having a parting line and dimples formed thereon.

Oka, U.S. Patent Number 5123652, discloses a golf ball with dimples arranged to create great circle zones with unintersecting dimples.

Oka, U.S. Patent Number 5145180, discloses a golf ball with dimples arranged to create one great circle zone with unintersecting dimples, and 300 to 550 dimples formed on the golf ball.

Oka et al, U.S. Patent Number 5156404, discloses a golf ball having a one great circle and four half great circles without intersecting dimples.

Yamaguchi, et al, U.S. Patent Number 5824258, discloses a golf ball injection mold with gates along the parting line.

Shimosaka, et al, U.S. Patent Number 5827135, discloses a golf ball dimple pattern with dimples intersecting all potential great circles.

Inoue et al., U.S. Patent Number 5840351, discloses a mold with an offset center split which allows for dimples to be formed on a great circle of a golf ball. Stiefel, et al, U.S. Patent Number 5890974, discloses a tetrahedral dimple pattern with six dimple-free great circles.

Shimosaka, et al, U.S. Patent Number 5902193, discloses a golf ball dimple

pattern with dimples on the parting line.

Kasashima, et al., U.S. Patent Number 5906551, discloses a golf ball dimple pattern with large volume dimples on the parting line.

Shimosaka, et al, U.S. Patent Number 5908359, discloses a golf ball dimple pattern without dimples on the parting line, and which is designed to have equal ball hitting effects from the seam and the pole.

Kasashima, et al, U.S. Patent Number 6053820, discloses a golf ball dimple pattern with two to five different dimples in a uniform arrangement.

Shimosaka, et al, U.S. Patent Number 6179731, discloses a golf ball dimple pattern with dimples on the parting line and a raised portion.

Kasashima, et al., U.S. Patent Number 6200232, discloses a golf ball dimple pattern with dimples intersecting all great circles, and the dimples arranged in a polyhedral arrangement.

Kasashima, et al, U.S. Patent Number 6241627, discloses a golf ball dimple pattern with the dimples arranged in a regular icosahedron arrangement.

Shimosaka, et al., U.S. Patent Number 6346054, discloses a golf ball dimple pattern with dimples equally distributed in spherical triangle arrangements.

Winfϊeld, et al., U.S. Patent Number 6527653, discloses a pentagonal hexecontahedron dimple pattern. Winfield, et al, U.S. Patent Number 6533684, discloses a phyllotaxis-based dimple pattern.

Ogg, U.S. Patent Number 6551203, discloses a dimple pattern with 384

dimples covering 86% of the surface area of the golf ball.

There is still a need for a golf ball with improved symmetry.

Summary of the Invention One aspect of the present invention is a golf ball including a plurality of non- partitioning dimples and a plurality of partitioning dimples. The plurality of partitioning dimples includes a first, group, a second group and a third group. The first group of the plurality of partitioning dimples is positioned about an equator of the golf ball to define a non-planar parting line for the golf ball. The first group of partitioning dimples has a first row of partitioning dimples and a second row of partitioning dimples offset from the first row of partitioning dimples. The second group of the plurality of partitioning dimples is preferably positioned around the golf ball to define a first false non-planar parting line for the golf ball. The second group of partitioning dimples has a third row of partitioning dimples and a fourth row of partitioning dimples offset from the third row of partitioning dimples. The first false non-planar parting line is preferably positioned approximately at an angle of sixty degrees to the non-planar parting line. The third group of the plurality of partitioning dimples is preferably positioned around the golf ball to define a second false non- planar parting line for the golf ball. The third group of partitioning dimples has a fifth row of partitioning dimples and a sixth row of partitioning dimples offset from the fifth row of partitioning dimples. The second false non-planar parting line is preferably positioned approximately at an angle of sixty degrees to the non-planar

parting line.

Having briefly described the present invention, the above and further objects, features and advantages thereof will be recognized by those skilled in the pertinent art from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1 is an equatorial front view of a preferred embodiment of a golf ball of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a polar view of the golf ball of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an equatorial front view of a golf ball illustrating only a first group of partitioning dimples.

FIG. 3 is an equatorial front view of a golf ball only illustrating a first group of partitioning dimples. FIG. 4 is an equatorial front view of a golf ball only illustrating the partitioning dimples.

FIG. 5 is an equatorial front view of a golf ball only illustrating the partitioning dimples and the angles between two groups of partitioning dimples.

FIG. 6 is an equatorial front view of a golf ball only illustrating the partitioning dimples and the angles between two groups of partitioning dimples.

FIG. 7 is an equatorial side view of a golf ball only illustrating the partitioning dimples.

FIG. 8 is a polar view of a golf ball only illustrating the partitioning dimples.

FIG. 9 is an equatorial top perspective view of a golf ball only illustrating the partitioning dimples.

FIG. 10 is an isolated view of three adjacent partitioning dimples.

FIG. 11 is an isolated view of four adjacent partitioning dimples.

FIG. 12 is an equatorial front view of a preferred embodiment of a golf ball illustrating the non-planar partitioning line and false non-planar partitioning lines.

Best Mode(s) For Carrying Out The Invention

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a golf ball is generally designated 20. The golf ball has a surface 21, an equator 22 dividing the surface 21 into a first hemisphere 23 a and a second hemisphere 23b, a first pole 24a and a second pole 24b. The golf ball 20 is preferably a two-piece or three-piece golf ball. However, those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize that the golf ball 20 may be of any construction without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

The golf ball 20 has an aerodynamic pattern on the surface 21. The aerodynamic pattern of the golf ball 20 preferably includes a plurality of partitioning dimples 30, a plurality of intersecting dimples 40, a plurality of other dimples and land area 60.

As shown in FIGS. 3-9, the plurality of partitioning dimples 30 preferably includes a first row of partitioning dimples 30a, a second row of partitioning dimples

30b, a third row of partitioning dimples 30c, a fourth row of partitioning dimples 3Od, a fifth row of partitioning dimples 3Oe, and a sixth row of partitioning dimples 30f.

As shown in FIGS. 5-7, the first row of partitioning dimples 30a and the second row of partitioning dimples 30b generally define a first group of parting dimples 32. The third row of partitioning dimples 30c and the fourth row of partitioning dimples 3Od generally define a second group of parting dimples 33. The fifth row of partitioning dimples 30e and the sixth row of partitioning dimples 30f generally define a third group of parting dimples 34. The first group of parting dimples 32 is generally positioned about the equator 22 of the golf ball 20. Each of the first group of parting dimples 32, the second group of parting dimples 33 and the third group of parting dimples 34 is positioned generally at an angle of sixty degrees relative to each other group of parting dimples 32, 33 and 34.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first group of parting dimples 32 generally defines a non-planar parting line 25. The second group of parting dimples 33 generally defines a first false non-planar parting line 26a. The third group of parting dimples 34 generally defines a second false non-planar parting line 26b. Each of the non-planar parting line 25, first false non-planar parting line 26a and second false non-planar parting line 26b is positioned generally at an angle of sixty degrees relative to each other. As shown in FIGS. 12, the non-planar parting line 25, the first false non-planar parting line 26a, and the second false non-planar parting line 26b define a plurality of hexispheres 70 preferably comprising a first hexisphere 70a, a second hexisphere 70b,

a third hexisphere 70c, a fourth hexisphere 7Od, a fifth hexisphere 7Oe and a sixth hexisphere 7Of. The surface area of each of the hexispheres 70 is preferably equal. The number of non-partition dimples 50 of each of the hexispheres 70 is preferably equal. As shown in FIG. 12, the first hexisphere 70a is defined by the first false non-planar parting line 26a and the second false non-planar parting line 26b. The second hexisphere 70b is defined by the non-planar parting line 25 and the first false non- planar parting line 26a. The third hexisphere 70c is defined by the non-planar parting line 25 and the second false non-planar parting line 26b. The fourth hexisphere 7Od is defined by the first false non-planar parting line 26a and the second false non-planar parting line 26b. The fifth hexisphere 7Oe is defined by the non-planar parting line 25 and the first false non-planar parting line 26a. The sixth hexisphere 7Of is defined by the non-planar parting line 25 and the second false non-planar parting line 26b. The first hexisphere 70a, the second hexisphere 70b and the sixth hexisphere 7Of are preferably positioned in the first hemisphere 23a of the golf ball 20. The third hexisphere 70c, the fourth hexisphere 7Od and the fifth hexisphere 7Oe are preferably positioned in the second hemisphere 23b of the golf ball 20. Each hexisphere 70 preferably has 32 to 40 non-partitioning dimples 50. The plurality of non- partitioning dimples 50 and the plurality of partitioning dimples 30 preferably cover from 82% to 87% of a surface area of the golf ball 20, and more preferably cover 85% of the surface area of the golf ball 20. The plurality of non-partitioning dimples 50 and the plurality of partitioning dimples 30 combined preferably number from 360

dimples to 440 dimples, and most preferably 384 dimples. The plurality of partitioning dimples 30 preferably number from 132 dimples to 156 dimples. Each of the plurality of partitioning dimples 30 has a diameter ranging from 0.16 inch to 0.22 inch, and more preferably from 0.20 inch to 0.22 inch or 0.16 inch to 0.18 inch. As shown in FIG. 10, an isosceles triangle is preferably formed by straight lines drawn between a center 35 of each of adjacent partitioning dimples 30. For example, a first line drawn from center 35a to center 35b, a second line drawn from center 35b to center 35c, and a third line drawn from center 35c to center 35a forms an isosceles triangle. As shown in FIG. 11 , an equal-sided parallelogram is preferably formed by straight lines drawn between a center 35 of each of adjacent partitioning dimples 30. For example, a first line drawn from center 35a to center 35b, a second line drawn from center 35b to center 35c, a third line drawn from center 35c to center 35d and a fifth line drawn from center 35d to center 35a forms an equal-sided parallelogram.

Table One illustrates various embodiments of the present invention.

Table One