US 12,268,939 B1
Concentricity measurement and classification system and method for golf balls and golf ball components
Paul Furze, Tiverton, RI (US); Brian Comeau, Berkley, MA (US); Nicholas Nardacci, Barrington, RI (US); and Edward Costa, East Providence, RI (US)
Assigned to Acushnet Company, Fairhaven, MA (US)
Filed by Acushnet Company, Fairhaven, MA (US)
Filed on May 22, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/671,529.
Application 18/671,529 is a continuation of application No. 17/365,313, filed on Jul. 1, 2021, granted, now 11,992,733.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A63B 47/00 (2006.01); A63B 37/00 (2006.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01)
CPC A63B 47/008 (2013.01) [A63B 37/0077 (2013.01); G06T 7/0004 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10012 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10116 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30164 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for determining eccentricity of a plurality of golf balls, comprising:
a ball-holding apparatus configured to secure a plurality of golf balls therein, wherein each of the plurality of golf balls comprise a center and a cover;
an imaging system comprising at least one x-ray source and an imager capable of obtaining a first image of the plurality of golf balls at a first orientation and a second image of the plurality of golf balls at a second orientation, wherein the first orientation and the second orientation are perpendicular;
an analyzer operatively coupled to the imaging system and capable of performing an inspection routine on the first and second images comprising determining eccentricity for each of the plurality of golf balls based on a first eccentricity of each corresponding golf ball in the plurality of golf balls at the first orientation and a second eccentricity of each corresponding golf ball in the plurality of golf balls at the second orientation and determining whether the eccentricity meets at least one predetermined threshold.