Method and apparatus for forming golf ball dual cores
AssigneeAcushnet Company
InventorVince Simonds
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Mold assemblies and methods for compression molding dual cores of golf balls are provided. The mold assemblies and methods for molding dual cores allow for direct and independent temperature control of both the shell forming plate and the mold cavity plate during manufacturing of the dual cores. The shell forming plate and the mold cavity plate are temperature-controlled by independent platens. The ability to precisely control the temperature of the shell forming plate independent from the temperature of the mold cavity plate prevents under and overcuring of the outer core layer, which can adversely affect core durability, concentricity, and manufacturing yields.
Claims19
A method of forming a hemispherical shell for a dual core of a golf ball, comprising:
- depositing a preform into a hemispherical cavity of a mold cavity plate,
- loading the mold cavity plate into a mold assembly, the mold assembly comprising a shell forming plate mounted above the mold cavity plate, the shell forming plate comprising a hemispherical protrusion extending therefrom,
- heating the shell forming plate to a first temperature via a first platen operatively connected thereto, wherein the first platen is temperature-controlled by thermally cycled water from a first source,
- heating the mold cavity plate to a second temperature via a second platen operatively connected thereto, wherein the second platen is temperature-controlled by thermally cycled water from a second source independent from the first source and the thermally cycled water from the second source has a lower temperature than the thermally cycled water from the first source, and wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature,
- aligning the hemispherical protrusion of the shell forming plate with the hemispherical cavity of the mold cavity plate, and
- pressing the mold cavity plate against the shell forming plate, wherein the hemispherical protrusion compresses the preform in the hemispherical cavity to form the hemispherical shell for the dual core.
A method of forming a dual core for a golf ball, comprising:
- forming an inner core layer;
- forming two hemispherical shells by:
- depositing a preform into a hemispherical cavity of a mold cavity plate,
- loading the mold cavity plate into a mold assembly, the mold assembly comprising a shell forming plate mounted above the mold cavity plate, the shell forming plate comprising a hemispherical protrusion extending therefrom,
- heating the shell forming plate to a first temperature via a first platen operatively connected thereto, wherein the first platen is temperature-controlled by thermally cycled water from a first source,
- heating the mold cavity plate to a second temperature via a second platen operatively connected thereto, wherein the second platen is temperature-controlled by thermally cycled water from a second source independent from the first source and the thermally cycled water from the second source has a lower temperature than the thermally cycled water from the first source, and wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature, and
- pressing the mold cavity plate against the shell forming plate, wherein the hemispherical protrusion compresses the preform in the hemispherical cavity to form a hemispherical shell for the dual core;
- assembling the two hemispherical shells as an outer core layer around the spherical inner core layer;
- and
- curing the two hemispherical shells to form a unitary outer core layer by compression molding the two hemispherical shells around the spherical inner core layer to form the dual core.
A method of forming a hemispherical shell for a dual core of a golf ball, comprising:
- loading a preform into a mold cavity plate,
- heating a shell forming plate to a first temperature by circulating a heated fluid from a first source through a first platen operatively connected thereto,
- heating the mold cavity plate to a second temperature less than the first temperature by circulating a heated fluid from a second source through a second platen operatively connected thereto, wherein the first source is different from the second source and the heated fluid from the second source has a lower temperature than the heated fluid from the first source, and
- pressing the mold cavity plate against the shell forming plate to form the hemispherical shell for the dual core.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.