Noncircular Golf Ball Dimples with Tangential Facets
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional noncircular dimples on golf balls have complex border shapes leading to ridge-like or valley-like lines on their bottom surfaces, increasing air resistance and compromising aerodynamic performance and aesthetic appeal.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates noncircular dimples with border lines formed by connecting line and curved segments, using a virtual sphere to determine at least five facets, ensuring a smooth contour by employing a reference plane and tangential curved reference lines, thereby reducing air resistance and enhancing appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If noncircular dimples are used to increase surface coverage and carry, then aerodynamic performance is improved, but the complex border shape creates ridge-like or valley-like lines on the bottom surface that increase air resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom surface of the noncircular dimple is divided into multiple facets (at least five) that are connected smoothly. Each facet is defined by curved reference lines that are tangential to a reference plane, creating a segmented yet continuous surface that eliminates sharp transitions and reduces air resistance while maintaining the noncircular border shape for optimal carry.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs curved reference lines that are tangential to a reference plane at each reference point, ensuring that the bottom surface of the noncircular dimple has a smooth, continuous curvature. This curved geometry eliminates ridge-like or valley-like lines, reducing turbulence and air resistance while preserving the aerodynamic benefits of the noncircular dimple configuration.
2Area of stationary object
If noncircular dimples with complex border shapes are used to maximize dimple coverage, then carry is increased, but the surface smoothness is compromised leading to increased air resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom surface is segmented into multiple facets (at least five) that are smoothly connected. Each facet is bounded by curved reference lines that are tangential to a reference plane, creating a precise and smooth surface geometry that maintains high dimple coverage while ensuring surface smoothness for reduced air resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the dimple bottom surface by defining it through curved reference lines that are tangential to a reference plane. This parameterization ensures smooth transitions between facets and maintains surface smoothness, while the noncircular border shape preserves maximum dimple coverage for optimal carry.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional methods section the bottom surface into multiple facets, then manufacturing is simplified, but ridge-like or valley-like lines remain on the bottom surface that compromise aerodynamic performance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses curved reference lines that are tangential to a reference plane at each reference point to define the facets of the noncircular dimple bottom surface. This curved geometry ensures smooth transitions between facets, eliminating ridge-like or valley-like lines that would otherwise increase air resistance, while maintaining ease of manufacture through the systematic facet segmentation approach.
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 results in a golf ball with reduced air resistance, improved aerodynamic performance, and a smoother, more aesthetically pleasing surface, optimizing the golf ball's surface shape for better carry and game performance.
Implementation Method 1
each of the curved reference lines passes a reference point set inside a virtual sphere and any one of at least five border points provided respectively at positions on the boundary line excluding connecting points of the border segments, and is tangential to a reference plane at the reference point
Implementation Method 2
the golf ball has been heretofore designed to include multiple recessed parts, or dimples, on the surface thereof, and to use these dimples to produce aerodynamic effects when the golf ball is flying after being hit by a golf club
Data Source
AI summary
A golf ball includes noncircular dimples having smooth bottom surfaces; a method for designing the golf ball is disclosed. A noncircular dimple DNC has a border line which is a boundary line on the surface, the boundary line formed by connecting segments at some connecting points. The segments include at least one type of line segments LS and smoothly curved segments CS. A bottom surface BS of the noncircular dimple DNC includes at least five facets formed of at least five curved reference lines RC, each connecting a reference point A and one of at least five border points B, and each being tangential, at the reference point A, to a reference plane RP inside a virtual sphere having the radius of the ball, the reference point A set on the reference plane RP, the border points B set respectively at positions on the boundary line excluding the connecting points.