Golf Ball Dimple Design for Turbulent Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing golf balls face challenges in achieving optimal flight performance due to the trade-off between increasing the dimple occupation ratio and reducing dimple diameter variation, which affects the degree of turbulization and subsequently the lift force and flight distance.
Innovation Solution
A golf ball design featuring a plurality of dimples with different diameters, where the standard deviation of curvature radii is less than 0.90 mm and the average curvature radii range from 20% to 40% of the ball's diameter, combined with specific dimensions and materials for the core, mid-layer, and cover to enhance turbulization and flight distance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the occupation ratio of dimples is increased to enhance turbulization, then flight performance is improved, but the variation of dimple diameters increases which reduces manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by defining specific dimensional relationships for different dimple types. Each dimple type (first, second, third) has specified diameter and depth ranges with controlled ratios. This allows different local regions (dimples) to have optimized properties while maintaining overall consistency through the ratio control mechanism, resolving the contradiction between high occupation ratio and low diameter variation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by controlling the ratio between dimple diameter and depth within specific ranges (0.4 to 0.6). By changing and constraining this critical parameter, the patent achieves consistent turbulization effects across dimples of different sizes, allowing high occupation ratio without excessive diameter variation. This parameter control enables both improved flight performance and manufacturing precision.
2Area of stationary object
If dimples are made deeper to increase occupation ratio, then more surface area is covered, but turbulization becomes insufficient and flight performance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the depth-to-diameter ratio of dimples within the range of 0.4 to 0.6. This prevents dimples from being too deep while still achieving adequate surface coverage. By optimizing this critical parameter, the patent ensures that dimples are deep enough to create effective turbulization but not so deep that they fail to generate sufficient turbulent flow, thus resolving the contradiction between surface area coverage and turbulization effectiveness.
3Manufacturing precision
If dimples are made shallower to reduce manufacturing difficulty, then manufacturing precision is improved, but turbulization becomes insufficient and flight distance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses parameter changes by specifying that dimple depth should be 0.4 to 0.6 times the dimple diameter. This ensures dimples are shallow enough for precise manufacturing control but deep enough to generate adequate turbulization for long flight distance. The controlled ratio parameter resolves the contradiction between manufacturing ease and flight performance by finding the optimal depth range.
4Reliability
If the standard deviation of curvature radii is reduced to improve turbulization consistency, then flight performance is enhanced, but the design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the standard deviation of curvature radii to be 0.90 mm or less and the average curvature radius to be within 20% to 40% of the ball diameter. These quantitative parameter specifications ensure consistent turbulization across all dimples while providing clear manufacturing guidelines. By defining specific numerical ranges for these parameters, the patent achieves turbulization consistency without excessive design complexity.
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 design achieves a high degree of turbulization, resulting in a large flight distance when hit with a driver at speeds between 45 m/s and 55 m/s, while maintaining a suitable balance of spin suppression and feel at impact.
Implementation Method 1
The dimples disturb the air flow around the golf ball during flight to cause turbulent flow separation. This phenomenon is referred to as 'turbulization'.
Implementation Method 2
Due to the turbulization, separation points of the air from the golf ball shift backwards leading to a reduction of drag.
Implementation Method 3
The turbulization promotes the displacement between the separation point on the upper side and the separation point on the lower side of the golf ball, which results from the backspin, thereby enhancing the lift force that acts upon the golf ball.
Data Source
AI summary
A golf ball 2 has, on a surface thereof, a plurality of types of dimples 10 having different diameters from each other. The standard deviation of the curvature radii of cross sections of all the dimples 10 is 0.90 mm or less. The average of the curvature radii of the cross sections of all the dimples 10 is 20% or greater but 40% or less of the diameter of the golf ball. The sum of the volumes of all the dimples is 300 mm3 or greater but 370 mm3 or less. The average of the diameters of all the dimples is 3.5 mm or greater but 4.5 mm or less. The ratio of the sum of the areas of all the dimples to the surface area of a phantom sphere of the golf ball is 75% or greater but 95% or less.