Golf Ball Dimple Land Geometry for Uniform Gap Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-density dimple arrangements on golf balls often lead to nonuniform gaps between dimples, compromising aerodynamic performance and flight distance, as the spherical surface makes uniform dimple placement difficult at high surface occupancy ratios.
Innovation Solution
Designing golf balls with land parts having specific shapes, such as concave polygons or heart shapes, connected by points, and optimizing their area and perimeter to maintain a high surface occupancy ratio of dimples while ensuring uniform gaps, thereby improving aerodynamics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the surface occupancy ratio of dimples is increased to improve aerodynamic performance, then air resistance decreases and flight distance increases, but the gaps between dimples become nonuniform due to the spherical surface geometry
Solution Approach 1:
The surface of the golf ball is segmented into dimples and land parts with specific geometric relationships. By defining land parts with vertices that connect adjacent dimples through point connections, the segmentation creates a structured pattern that maintains uniform gaps even at high surface occupancy ratios (65-85%).
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses asymmetric land part shapes (such as triangular, quadrangular, or pentangular shapes with specific vertex configurations) rather than symmetric circular arrangements. This asymmetry in land part geometry allows for optimized gap distribution and uniform spacing between dimples while achieving high surface occupancy ratios.
2Ease of manufacture
If predetermined shaped dimples are arranged on the spherical surface, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but uniform gap arrangement becomes difficult when surface occupancy ratio is high
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by defining specific geometric characteristics for land parts at different locations on the golf ball surface. Each land part has vertices that locally control the gap geometry, allowing uniform gap distribution to be achieved through localized geometric constraints rather than global symmetry.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes geometric parameters of land parts (such as the number of vertices, area ratios, and shape configurations) to optimize the uniformity of gaps between dimples. By adjusting these parameters within specific ranges, uniform gap arrangement is achieved while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized dimple shapes.
3Quantity of substance
If ridge-shaped protrusions are formed instead of dimples, then surface occupancy ratio can be increased easily, but this deviates from conventional aerodynamic design approaches
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of forming protrusions (ridges) as suggested by prior art, the invention inverts the approach by using recesses (dimples) surrounded by land parts with vertex connections. This inversion maintains conventional aerodynamic design philosophy while achieving the benefit of increased effective surface occupancy ratio through the land-dimple pattern.
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
The solution enhances aerodynamic performance by maintaining uniform gaps between dimples, resulting in increased flight distance and improved air resistance reduction.
Implementation Method 1
a decrease in air resistance during flight caused by the dimples arranged on the surface of the golf ball
Data Source
AI summary
A golf ball has uniform gaps between dimples even if the surface occupancy ratio of the dimples is high, and therefore the aerodynamic performance thereof is improved, whereby a longer flight distance can be obtained. In the golf ball having a plurality of dimples and land parts surrounded by the plurality of dimples, the land part has a shape having at least one vertex, the land part is connected to at least two adjacent land parts substantially by a point, and the area of the land part is in the range of about 0.05 mm2 to about 16.0 mm2.