Dimple patterns for golf balls

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for arranging dimples on a golf ball surface in which the dimples are arranged in a pattern derived from at least one irregular domain generated from a regular or non-regular polyhedron. The method includes choosing control points of a polyhedron, generating an irregular domain based on those control points, packing the irregular domain with dimples, and tessellating the irregular domain to cover the surface of the golf ball. The control points include the center of a polyhedral face, a vertex of the polyhedron, a midpoint or other point on an edge of the polyhedron and others. The method ensures that the symmetry of the underlying polyhedron is preserved while minimizing or eliminating great circles due to parting lines.

1 . A golf ball having an outer surface comprising a parting line and a plurality of dimples, wherein the dimples are arranged in multiple copies of one or more irregular domain(s) covering the outer surface in a uniform pattern, wherein the irregular domain(s) are defined by non-straight segments, and wherein one of the non-straight segments of each of the multiple copies of the irregular domain(s) forms a portion of the parting line. 
     
     
         2 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the dimples are arranged in two irregular domains formed from a midpoint to midpoint method based on a tetrahedron. 
     
     
         3 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the golf ball comprises 352 dimples. 
     
     
         4 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the golf ball comprises 328 dimples. 
     
     
         5 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the golf ball comprises 312 dimples. 
     
     
         6 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the golf ball comprises 340 dimples. 
     
     
         7 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the golf ball comprises 364 dimples. 
     
     
         8 . The golf ball of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the golf ball comprises 376 dimples. 
     
     
         9 . A method for arranging a plurality of dimples on a golf ball surface, the method comprising:
 generating a first and a second irregular domain based on a tetrahedron using a midpoint to midpoint method comprising:
 providing a single face of the tetrahedron, the face comprising a first edge connected to a second edge at a vertex; 
 connecting the midpoint of the first edge with the midpoint of the second edge with a non-straight segment; 
 rotating copies of the segment about the center of the face such that the segment and the copies fully surround the center and form the first irregular domain bounded by the segment and the copies; and 
 rotating subsequent copies of the segment about the vertex such that the segment and the subsequent copies fully surround the vertex and form the second irregular domain bounded by the segment and the subsequent copies; 
   mapping the first and second irregular domains onto a sphere;   packing the first and second irregular domains with dimples; and   tessellating the first and second domains to cover the sphere in a uniform pattern.   
     
     
         10 . A golf ball having an outer surface comprising a plurality of dimples, wherein the dimples are arranged by the method of  claim 10 . 
     
     
         11 . The golf ball of  claim 10 , wherein the segment, copies thereof, and subsequent copies thereof, form a real parting line and two false parting lines of the golf ball when the first and second domains are tessellated over the surface of the ball.