Golf Ball Dimple Layout Using Small Circle Division
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for arranging dimples on a golf ball using great circles result in a large land surface without dimples, increased manufacturing costs, and variations in dimple size affecting flight performance, due to restrictions on dimple area ratios and symmetry, leading to reduced lift and aesthetic issues.
Innovation Solution
Dividing the surface of a sphere using small circles to create symmetric spherical polygons, such as spherical regular hexagons, isosceles triangles, and pentagons, allowing for a more even distribution of dimples and reducing the land surface area, thereby increasing the dimple area ratio.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If dimples are symmetrically arranged by limiting the number to 270-390 in a spherical polyhedron formed by great circles, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but the land surface area increases and dimple area ratio decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from symmetrical arrangement based on regular spherical polygons (formed by great circles) to an asymmetrical arrangement using irregular spherical polygons (formed by small circles). This allows dimples to be more densely packed across the surface while maintaining manufacturing feasibility, thereby reducing land surface area without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity.
2Area of stationary object
If various types of very small dimples are created to fill gaps between large dimples, then land area is reduced, but the number of dimple types increases and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different dimple sizes and distributions in different regions of the golf ball surface. Rather than using uniform small dimples throughout, the arrangement adapts local dimple characteristics to fill spaces efficiently in different areas, reducing land surface without requiring a large number of different dimple types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the golf ball surface into irregular spherical polygon regions formed by small circles, allowing different dimple arrangements in different segments. This segmentation enables efficient space utilization while maintaining a manageable number of dimple types within each segment.
3Manufacturing precision
If dimple diameter sizes are standardized to 2-6 sizes for manufacturing ease, then manufacturing precision is improved, but the ability to fill land areas efficiently is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the underlying spherical polygons from regular (great circles) to irregular (small circles), which enables more flexible dimple placement. This parameter change allows efficient utilization of standardized dimple sizes (2-6 types) to fill surface areas more effectively, reducing land surface while maintaining manufacturing precision.
4Stability of the object's composition
If traditional great circle division is used to form spherical polyhedron, then symmetry is achieved, but dimple area ratio is reduced and aesthetic sense deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent deliberately introduces asymmetry by using irregular spherical polygons formed by small circles instead of regular polygons from great circles. This asymmetrical approach increases the dimple area ratio and improves aesthetics while maintaining a form of symmetry through the systematic arrangement pattern across the golf ball surface.
Data Source
AI summary
In a golf ball, dimples are arranged on a spherical polyhedron formed by dividing a surface of a sphere using small circles and great circles only on the equator, without arranging the dimples on a spherical polyhedron formed by dividing a surface of a sphere using great circles. The formed spherical polyhedron includes two spherical regular hexagons centered on a pole, twelve near-pole spherical isosceles triangles, twelve near-equator spherical pentagons, and twelve near-equator spherical isosceles triangles, in which the dimples are arranged. Thus, a dimple area ratio may be improved by 2 to 4%, compared to the prior art in which dimples are arranged in spherical polygons of a cubeoctahedron (or an octahedron) divided by great circles.