Golf Ball Dimple Configuration for Enhanced Aerodynamic Performance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional golf balls with circular dimples have a limited dimple surface coverage, which restricts their aerodynamic performance and flight distance, as the practical upper limit for dimple surface coverage is about 75%, leaving room for further improvement in reducing air resistance and enhancing flight performance.
Innovation Solution
The golf ball features a combination of circular and non-circular dimples, with arcuate first lands along the edges of circular dimples and recessed second lands bridging between them, optimizing the land shapes to increase dimple surface coverage and reduce the land surface area, thereby enhancing aerodynamic performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If circular dimples are arranged uniformly on the spherical surface, then the uniformity of dimple arrangement is improved, but the dimple surface coverage is limited to about 75%
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces non-circular dimples with asymmetric shapes (such as teardrop, elliptical, or polygonal forms) alongside circular dimples. This asymmetric design allows for more efficient packing arrangements that increase overall dimple surface coverage beyond the 75% limit of purely circular arrangements, while maintaining uniform distribution across the spherical surface through carefully designed polyhedral patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the dimple population into multiple types (circular, non-circular, teardrop, elliptical, polygonal) with different geometries and sizes. This segmentation enables more flexible and dense packing arrangements on the spherical surface, allowing the dimples to fill space more efficiently and achieve higher surface coverage while preserving uniformity through systematic polyhedral distribution patterns.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the land surface area is reduced to enhance aerodynamic performance, then the dimple surface coverage increases, but the complexity of land shape design increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different land shape designs in different local regions of the golf ball surface. Specifically, it creates multiple types of lands (first lands, second lands, third lands, fourth lands) with different geometries positioned between different types of dimples. This local differentiation allows optimization of aerodynamic performance in specific regions while managing overall design complexity through systematic categorization of land types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs curved and rounded land shapes rather than sharp angular forms. The lands feature curved boundaries that smoothly connect dimples, with rounded corners and arcuate edges. This curvature reduces stress concentration points and creates more favorable aerodynamic flow patterns, enhancing performance while the systematic use of curved geometry across all land types provides a manageable design framework.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration increases the dimple surface coverage, reducing the land surface area and resulting in improved flight distance and aerodynamic performance, allowing the ball to travel farther with better isotropy and reduced lateral dispersion.
Implementation Method 1
it is important for the ball itself to have a high rebound and for the air resistance during flight to be reduced by dimples arranged on the surface of the ball
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a golf ball having, on a surface thereof, a plurality of circular dimples, a plurality of non-circular dimples, and a land area which is a non-dimple region composed of a plurality of arcuate first lands, each formed along an edge of one of the circular dimples, and a plurality of second lands, each arranged so as to bridge between two neighboring circular dimples and having a shape that is recessed at a center portion thereof. The non-circular dimples have an edge shape defined by a plurality of the first lands in combination with a plurality of the second lands. In this golf ball, by fashioning the lands on the ball surface into a unique shape, the surface area of the lands is minimized and the dimple surface coverage is made even larger, increasing the aerodynamic performance and thus enabling the ball to travel even farther.