Golf Ball Dimple Pattern With Heptagonal Dipyramid Surface Coverage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing golf ball dimple patterns struggle to achieve optimal aerodynamic performance while maintaining symmetry and surface coverage, limiting the ability to enhance flight characteristics and reduce drag.
Innovation Solution
A golf ball dimple pattern defined by a heptagonal dipyramid projection, dividing the spherical surface into fourteen identical dimple sections with specific edge configurations and symmetries, ensuring mirror symmetry and optimal dimple arrangement for improved aerodynamics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional geometric shapes (circles, hexagons, triangles) or Platonic solids (Icosahedron, Dodecahedron, Octahedron) are used for dimple patterns, then manufacturing and design simplicity is maintained, but surface coverage is suboptimal and aerodynamic performance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional 2D geometric patterns to a 3D-based approach by projecting the vertices, edges, and faces of a hexagonal dipyramid onto the spherical surface. This dimensional transformation enables more efficient space utilization and achieves superior surface coverage (75-95%) while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through the systematic projection method.
2Stability of the object's composition
If dimple patterns are based on limited symmetric solid plane systems, then aerodynamic symmetry is achieved, but pattern novelty and design versatility are restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the spherical surface into multiple identical sections based on the hexagonal dipyramid structure, creating 24 congruent spherical triangles. This segmentation approach allows for systematic arrangement of dimples while maintaining overall symmetry, and enables design flexibility by allowing different dimple configurations within each segment that repeat across the surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple geometric elements (vertices, edges, and faces of the hexagonal dipyramid) to create a composite dimple pattern structure. This composite approach integrates point-based, line-based, and area-based arrangements into a unified pattern that achieves both symmetry and design versatility.
3Reliability
If dimple number, shape, size, and arrangement are manipulated to improve aerodynamic properties, then flight characteristics are enhanced, but pattern complexity and design difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent systematically varies key parameters including dimple diameter (0.05-0.15 inches), depth (0.002-0.01 inches), and distribution density across different regions of the sphere. By controlling these parameters within specific ranges and combining them with the hexagonal dipyramid geometric framework, the patent achieves optimized aerodynamic performance while managing complexity through parameter standardization.
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 heptagonal dipyramid dimple pattern enhances aerodynamic performance by reducing drag and maintaining symmetry, resulting in improved flight characteristics and consistent ball behavior.
Implementation Method 1
dimples provide a means to energize the flow field and delay the separation of flow, or reduce the low-pressure region behind the ball
Implementation Method 2
drag force on a ball is attributed to parasitic drag forces, which consist of form or pressure drag
Implementation Method 3
The dimples provide an optimal amount of disturbance, triggering the laminar turbulent flow transition while maintaining a sufficiently thin boundary layer region for viscous drag to occur
Implementation Method 4
maintaining a sufficiently thin boundary layer region for viscous drag to occur
Implementation Method 5
Lift force is perpendicular to the direction of flight and is a result of air velocity differences above and below the rotating ball. This phenomenon is attributed to Magnus
Implementation Method 6
Bernoulli's equation relates pressure and velocity where pressure is inversely proportional to the square of velocity
Data Source
AI summary
A golf ball has a generally spherical surface and a plurality of dimples formed on the surface. The dimples are arranged in a dimple pattern defined by a heptagonal dipyramid projected on the surface. The pattern includes fourteen substantially identical dimple sections including seven dimple sections in a first hemisphere and seven dimple sections in a second hemisphere.