Process for designing rugged pattern on golf ball surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9403062-B2
Application number	US-201314072902-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2013
Priority date	Nov 7, 2012
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

A golf ball has, on a surface thereof, a rugged pattern composed of a land and a large number of dimples. A method for designing the rugged pattern includes the steps of:
(1) assuming a large number of circles on a surface of a phantom sphere; (2) assuming a large number of generating points 16 based on positions of the large number of circles; (3) assuming a large number of Voronoi regions 18 on the surface of the phantom sphere by a Voronoi tessellation based on the large number of generating points 16 ; and (4) assigning a dimple and a land to the surface of the phantom sphere based on contours of the large number of Voronoi regions 18.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for designing a rugged pattern on a golf ball surface, the process comprising the steps of:
(1) creating a phantom sphere corresponding to the golf ball surface of a golf ball;
(2) assuming a large number of circles on a surface of the phantom sphere;
(3) assuming a large number of generating points based on positions of the large number of circles;
(4) assuming a large number of Voronoi regions on the surface of the phantom sphere by a Voronoi tessellation based on the large number of generating points; and
(5) assigning a dimple and a land to the surface of the phantom sphere based on contours of the large number of Voronoi regions; and
(6) making a rugged pattern including dimples and lands on the golf ball surface based on the assigned dimple and land on the surface of the phantom sphere,
wherein, at the step (2), a large number of circles whose diameters are equal to or greater than 2.0 mm but equal to or less than 6.0 mm are assumed.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein, at the step (2), the large number of circles are assumed such that each circle does not intersect another circle adjacent to the circle.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a number of the circles assumed at the step (2) is equal to or greater than 280 but equal to or less than 400.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a total area of the circles assumed at the step (2) relative to an area of the surface of the phantom sphere is equal to or greater than 60%.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein, at the step (3), a center of each circle is assumed as a generating point.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein, at the step (3), a point obtained by projecting a center of each circle onto the surface of the phantom sphere is assumed as a generating point.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the step (4) comprises the steps of:
(4.1) assuming a large number of minute cells on the surface of the phantom sphere;
(4.2) selecting a generating point that is closest to each cell;
(4.3) assuming, for each generating point, a set of cells for which said each generating point is a closest generating point; and
(4.4) setting each set as a Voronoi region.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein, at the step (5), the land is assigned to a vicinity of the contour of each Voronoi region of the surface of the phantom sphere.

Assignees

• Dunlop Sports Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Hyoungchol
• Onuki Masahide
• Sajima Takahiro
• Mimura Kohei

Classifications

• A63B37/002 Primary

  Specified dimple diameter · CPC title

• A63B37/0006 Primary

  Arrangement or layout of dimples · CPC title

• A63B37/0007

  Non-circular dimples · CPC title

• A63B37/0018

  Specified number of dimples · CPC title

• G06T17/20

  Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, {tesselation} · CPC title