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US 12,350,869 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.
Claims17
A mold assembly comprising:
- an upper mold cavity;
- a lower mold cavity;
- a plurality of retractable pins;
- a plurality of injection gates spaced 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
- a plurality of cold slug wells, each being disposed entirely inside the mold cavity between consecutive injection gates and each being sized, shaped and contoured to receive polymer that cools to a reduced viscosity within a runner of the mold while progressing toward the injection gate,
- wherein each mold cavity has an arcuate inner surface defining an inverted dimple and fret pattern and collectively creating 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,
- 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;
- wherein the plurality of injection gates are spaced circumferentially about the mold within the wave-shaped parting line without intersecting any dimple of the dimple and fret pattern;
- and
- wherein the retractable pins are sized, shaped and movable to secure the golf ball subassembly within the upper mold cavity and lower mold cavity during molding and withdraw before molding is finished.
9 more elements
A mold comprising:
- an upper mold cavity;
- a lower mold cavity;
- a plurality of injection gates spaced 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
- a plurality of cold slug wells, each being disposed entirely inside the mold cavity between consecutive injection gates and each being sized, shaped and contoured to receive polymer that cools to a reduced viscosity within a runner of the mold while progressing toward the injection gate,
- wherein each mold cavity has an arcuate inner surface defining an inverted dimple and fret pattern and collectively creating 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,
- 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;
- wherein the plurality of injection gates are spaced circumferentially about the mold within the wave-shaped parting line without intersecting any dimple of the dimple and fret pattern,
- wherein each cold slug well extends perpendicular to each runner and radially inward toward a center of the golf ball subassembly secured within the mold, with adjacent injection gates also extending radially inward toward a center of the subassembly,
- wherein the mold comprises at least four cold slug wells, and
- wherein each cold slug well comprises a radial dimension greater than a circumferential dimension.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.