Patents by Inventor Nicholas M. Nardacci

Nicholas M. Nardacci 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).

  • Publication number: 20200276479
    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: May 18, 2020
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20200276478
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to golf balls having improved aerodynamic performance due, at least in part, to the alteration of the dimple surfaces. In particular, the present invention relates to a golf ball that includes at least a portion of its dimples having circular perimeters and dimple profiles having a concentric groove or a non-concentric groove on the surface of the dimple. The golf ball dimples of the present invention provide golf ball surfaces having unique appearances, while maintaining ideal aerodynamic characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20200276480
    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: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Patent number: 10758784
    Abstract: Golf ball comprising dimple(s) incorporating three or more linear channels having the same channel length L and same channel width CW; all linear channels extend radially outward from a centroid of the dimple toward a perimeter of the dimple without intersecting the dimple's centroid. Each linear channel may extend radially outward from a location on the dimple that is a distance Cd from the dimple's centroid, wherein Cd>0. Alternatively, at least one of the three or more linear channels has a different channel length L and/or a different channel width CW than at least one other linear channel. Dimple may have circular or non-circular plan shape; channels may not intersect each other; at least one linear channel may intersect the dimple's perimeter; and linear channels may be spaced by n separation angles ?S, wherein n is number of linear channels, which may be equal, or at least two differ.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Patent number: 10758785
    Abstract: The present invention is a golf ball which comprises spherical-cosine dimples on the surface thereof. The spherical-cosine dimples have a cross-sectional shape defined by the superposition of a spherical function and a cosine function. Each of the spherical-cosine dimples preferably has a dimple diameter of 0.180 inches or greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Patent number: 10758782
    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: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Patent number: 10729937
    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: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Patent number: 10722754
    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: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Patent number: 10722753
    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: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20200230467
    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, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20200230466
    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, 2020
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Patent number: 10716970
    Abstract: The present invention provides a golf ball having an aerodynamic subsurface for packing dimples. More particularly, the invention relates to a golf ball having an exterior surface and at least a first subsurface containing at least two dimples located solely on the subsurface and lying below the exterior surface of the golf ball. A transition zone between the exterior surface and the subsurface is disclosed having an angle of transition and a top radius and a bottom radius. According to the present invention, the exterior surface and at least the first subsurface have at least a first and second surface colors that are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Emilia DaCosta, Nicholas M. Nardacci, Chris Hixenbaugh
  • Patent number: 10709936
    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: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20200206571
    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 low frequency periodic functions along a closed simple path. In addition, the present invention provides methods for designing dimples having a plan shape defined by a low frequency periodic function along a closed simple path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20200188738
    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: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Patent number: 10682551
    Abstract: The present invention provides a golf ball having an aerodynamic subsurface for packing dimples. More particularly, the invention relates to a golf ball having an exterior surface and at least a first subsurface containing at least two dimples located solely on the subsurface and lying below the exterior surface of the golf ball. A transition zone between the exterior surface and the subsurface is disclosed having an angle of transition and a top radius and a bottom radius. According to the present invention, the exterior surface and at least the first subsurface have at least a first and second surface textures that are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Nicholas M. Nardacci, Michael R. Madson, Chris Hixenbaugh
  • Patent number: 10675509
    Abstract: Golf balls comprising a core having at least one layer and a cover having at least one layer are provided. At least one of the layers is made from a thermoplastic composition preferably comprising a borophene material. Mixtures of borophene material and polybutadiene rubbers or ethylene acid copolymers can be prepared. The borophene-containing compositions can be used to make a core layer having good strength and impact durability and it also should help provide the ball with high resiliency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20200171356
    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, 2020
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Publication number: 20200171357
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a golf ball having a non-planar parting line on its spherical surface. At least a portion of the parting line comprises a series of main arcs connected by at least one intermediate arc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2020
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Applicant: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci, David P. Hunt
  • Patent number: 10668327
    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: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci