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US 11,618,192 B2Granted
Injection molding method and mold
AssigneeAcushnet Company
InventorsAjay Vora, John M. Thornton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Improved injection molding methods and molds, for forming TPU layers, especially thin TPU covers, into golf ball constructions, and having improved number, shape and placement of both the injection gates and the cold slugs within the mold in order to minimize/eliminate damage to dimples strategically positioned close to the parting line of a mold in order to maximize aerodynamic properties of the resulting golf ball.
Claims11
A method of molding a golf ball, comprising the steps of:
- providing a mold having an upper mold cavity and a lower mold cavity;
- wherein each mold cavity has an arcuate inner surface defining an inverted dimple and fret pattern;
- and the upper mold cavity and a lower mold cavity collectively create a mold having an interior spherical cavity for holding a golf ball subassembly when mated together to provide a mated mold;
- wherein the mated mold has a wave-shaped parting line that extends circumferentially about the mold at an interface between the upper mold cavity and the lower mold cavity;
- and
- wherein the wave-shaped parting line contacts fret portions of the inverted dimple and fret pattern without contacting any dimple portion of the inverted dimple and fret pattern;
- and
- wherein the mold has a plurality of injection gates that are spaced circumferentially about the mold within the wave-shaped parting line at an interface between the upper mold cavity and the lower mold cavity without intersecting any dimple of the dimple and fret pattern;
- wherein the dimple and fret patterns of the upper mold cavity and the lower mold cavity each includes at least a plurality of first dimples adjacent the wave-shaped parting line and a plurality of second dimples adjacent the wave-shaped parting line, wherein the first dimples are smaller than the second dimples;
- wherein each injection gate has a center that is located at an intersection of the wave-shaped parting line and a phantom equator that extends circumferentially about the mold;
- wherein each injection gate is made up of a first portion in the upper mold cavity and a second portion in the lower mold cavity;
- and
- wherein at least one injection gate includes a first portion positioned directly between the wave-shaped parting line and a first dimple in the dimple and fret pattern of the upper mold cavity, and at least one injection gate includes a second portion positioned directly between the wave-shaped parting line and a first dimple in the dimple and fret pattern of the lower mold cavity;
- loading the golf ball subassembly into the interior spherical cavity of the mold;
- securing the subassembly within the mold using a plurality of retractable pins;
- injecting a polymeric material into the spherical cavity to mold a cover layer about the golf ball sub-assembly within the mold and form a molded golf ball;
- withdrawing the retractable pins before molding is finished;
- and
- separating the upper mold cavity and lower mold cavity and removing the molded golf ball from the mold.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.