Patents by Inventor Michael R. Madson

Michael R. Madson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11207571
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to golf balls having improved aerodynamic performance due, at least in part, to the selection of the plan shapes of the dimples thereon. In particular, the present invention is directed to a golf ball that includes at least a portion of its dimples having a plan shape defined by a periodic cosine function mapped along a circular closed path. In addition, the present invention provides methods for designing dimples having a plan shape defined by a periodic cosine function mapped along a circular closed path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Nicholas M. Nardacci, Michael R. Madson
  • Patent number: 11173346
    Abstract: A golf ball dimple pattern based on a square dipyramid, i.e., two square pyramids connected base-to-base, is disclosed. The dimples are arranged within four substantially identical triangular sections on each of two substantially identical hemispheres of the ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: Michael R. Madson
  • Patent number: 11173347
    Abstract: Golf balls according to the present invention achieve flight symmetry and overall satisfactory flight performance due to a dimple surface volume ratio that is equivalent between opposing hemispheres despite the use of different dimple geometries, different dimple arrangements, and/or different dimple counts on the opposing hemispheres.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20210308532
    Abstract: Buoyant dimpled golf ball having CoR ?0.810, specific gravity <1.00 g/cc, initial velocity ?250 ft/s, first aerodynamic coefficient magnitude between about 0.25 and about 0.30 and first aerodynamic force angle between about 29 degrees and 34 degrees at Reynolds Number of 230000 and spin ratio of 0.085; and second aerodynamic coefficient magnitude between about 0.26 and about 0.31 and second aerodynamic force angle between about 31 degrees and 36 degrees at Reynolds Number of 180000 and spin ratio of 0.101. Golf ball may additionally have third aerodynamic coefficient magnitude between about 0.27 and about 0.32 and third aerodynamic force angle between about 34 degrees and 39 degrees at Reynolds Number of 133000 and spin ratio of 0.133; and fourth aerodynamic coefficient magnitude between about 0.33 and about 0.38 and fourth aerodynamic force angle between about 38 degrees and 43 degrees at Reynolds Number of 89000 and spin ratio of 0.183.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Courtney N. Engle, Derek A. Ladd, Michael J. Sullivan, Mark L. Binette, William E. Morgan
  • Patent number: 11117021
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to golf balls having improved aerodynamic performance due, at least in part, to the selection of the plan shapes of the dimples thereon. In particular, the present invention is directed to a golf ball that includes at least a portion of its dimples having a plan shape defined by a periodic triangle wave function mapped along a circular closed path. In addition, the present invention provides methods for designing dimples having a plan shape defined by a periodic triangle wave function mapped along a circular closed path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Nicholas M. Nardacci, Michael R. Madson
  • Patent number: 11110321
    Abstract: The present invention relates to golf balls, specifically, to a golf ball with multifaceted dimples comprising two discrete geometries including a circular perimeter and a depression or protrusion based on a polyhedral prismatoid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Patent number: 11045692
    Abstract: A golf ball dimple pattern based on a square dipyramid, i.e., two square pyramids connected base-to-base, is disclosed. The dimples are arranged within four substantially identical triangular sections on each of two substantially identical hemispheres of the ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: Michael R. Madson
  • Publication number: 20210178228
    Abstract: The present invention provides a golf ball wherein each hemisphere has a dimple pattern based on a pyramid having dissimilar sides. The resulting overall dimple pattern is not based on preexisting polyhedral, and is not attainable using conventional dimple packing methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Courtney N. Engle, Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20210162264
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Patent number: 11020634
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20210138305
    Abstract: Golf balls including at least one modified dimple group are disclosed. The modified dimple group comprises one or more modified dimples forming an axially symmetric pattern about a Correction Area Centroid located on an axis of symmetry at a latitude greater than 0°, where 0° represents the hemispherical pole and 90° represents the equator. The modified dimples can be altered, for example, by changing dimple coverage, dimple diameter, dimple depth, dimple edge angle, dimple volume, dimple cross-sectional shape, and/or dimple plan shape. Optionally, the dimples have a catenary cross-sectional shape and the modified dimples are altered by changing the shape factor and/or chord depth. Such modifications preferably produce a golf ball that flies more consistently regardless of orientation when struck than a corresponding golf ball without such modifications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Courtney N. Engle, Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20210106877
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to golf balls having improved aerodynamic performance due, at least in part, to the selection of the plan shapes of the dimples thereon. In particular, the present invention is directed to a golf ball that includes at least a portion of its dimples having a plan shape defined by a periodic triangle wave function mapped along a circular closed path. In addition, the present invention provides methods for designing dimples having a plan shape defined by a periodic triangle wave function mapped along a circular closed path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Nicholas M. Nardacci, Michael R. Madson
  • Publication number: 20210093925
    Abstract: A golf ball dimple pattern based on a square dipyramid, i.e., two square pyramids connected base-to-base, is disclosed. The dimples are arranged within four substantially identical triangular sections on each of two substantially identical hemispheres of the ball.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: Michael R. Madson
  • Publication number: 20210093928
    Abstract: A golf ball dimple pattern based on a square dipyramid, i.e., two square pyramids connected base-to-base, is disclosed. The dimples are arranged within four substantially identical triangular sections on each of two substantially identical hemispheres of the ball.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: Michael R. Madson
  • Publication number: 20210093929
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are golf balls having a thermoplastic outer cover layer formed from a thermoplastic polyurethane composition. The golf balls are produced without the use of a secondary treatment step that would result in the crosslinking of the polyurethane cover composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Scott Cooper, Brian Comeau, Matthew F. Hogge, Michael R. Madson, Donald A. Serino, Michael J. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 10940365
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Patent number: 10933283
    Abstract: The present invention provides a golf ball wherein each hemisphere has a dimple pattern based on a pyramid having dissimilar sides. The resulting overall dimple pattern is not based on preexisting polyhedral, and is not attainable using conventional dimple packing methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Patent number: 10933284
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20210052948
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20210052946
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci