Hot to cold runner system for golf ball injection mold and methods of using same
AssigneeAcushnet Company
InventorAjay Vora
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hot to cold runner system for a golf ball injection mold is disclosed. The hot to cold runner system includes a hot runner for supplying layer-forming material in a molten state, the hot runner including a heated manifold having a hot runner drop connected thereto, and a cold runner operatively connected to the hot runner drop such that the cold runner is in fluid communication with the hot runner. The cold runner injects the material into a mold cavity to form a golf ball layer over a core. Methods of forming a golf ball layer by injection molding using the hot to cold runner system are also disclosed.
Claims17
A method of forming a golf ball component by injection molding, comprising:
- positioning a golf ball core into an injection mold having a substantially spherically shaped mold cavity;
- feeding a layer-forming material through a hot runner disposed substantially around the mold cavity, wherein the hot runner comprises a heated manifold having a hot runner drop connected thereto;
- feeding the layer-forming material into a cold runner fixedly secured to the hot runner;
- filling the mold cavity with the layer-forming material through a gate in the cold runner that extends around a circumference of the mold cavity until the mold cavity is completely filled;
- allowing the layer-forming material to cool and harden around the core while in the mold cavity to form a golf ball component;
- and
- removing the golf ball component from the injection mold.
A method of forming a golf ball by injection molding, comprising:
- positioning a golf ball core in an injection mold having a substantially spherically shaped mold cavity;
- feeding a layer-forming material through a hot runner, wherein the hot runner comprises a heated manifold configured to maintain the layer-forming material at a first temperature and a hot runner drop comprising a heated nozzle tip attached thereto;
- feeding the layer-forming material into a cold runner fixedly secured to the heated nozzle tip;
- filling the cold runner with the layer-forming material, wherein the cold runner maintains the layer-forming material at a second temperature and the second temperature is no more than three degrees lower than the first temperature;
- injecting the layer-forming material into the mold cavity through a gate in the cold runner that extends around a circumference of the mold cavity until the mold cavity is completely filled;
- allowing the layer-forming material to cool and harden around the core while in the mold cavity to form the golf ball;
- and
- removing the golf ball from the injection mold.
A method of forming a golf ball by injection molding, comprising:
- positioning a golf ball core in an injection mold having a substantially spherically shaped mold cavity;
- extending a plurality of retractable pins into the mold cavity to securely position the golf ball core;
- feeding a layer-forming material through a hot runner, wherein the hot runner comprises a heated manifold and a hot runner drop connected thereto, wherein the hot runner drop comprises a heated nozzle tip attached thereto and the heated manifold is configured to maintain the layer-forming material at a first temperature of about 430° F. to about 450° F.;
- feeding the layer-forming material into a cold runner fixedly secured to the heated nozzle tip;
- filling the cold runner with the layer-forming material, wherein the cold runner maintains the layer-forming material at a second temperature and the second temperature is no more than one degree lower than the first temperature;
- injecting the layer-forming material into the mold cavity through a gate in the cold runner that extends around a circumference of the mold cavity until the mold cavity is completely filled;
- and
- allowing the layer-forming material to harden around the core to form the golf ball.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.