Induction heating of golf ball mold for consistent durability and increased knit strength

Abstract

A retractable pin injection molding assembly is used to make a golf ball layer in an injection mold. The injection mold has an induction coil and a mold cavity defining a cavity surface. In a molding process, a golf ball subassembly is positioned in the mold cavity and an injection material is supplied to an injection port of a runner system disposed in the injection mold. The injection material is at an injection temperature at the injection port and the induction coil is activated to heat the cavity surface to a target temperature which is less than the injection temperature. During molding, injection material is forced through the runner system to thereby begin to fill the mold cavity. At a heat stop time, the induction coil is deactivated, allowing the injection material to harden.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.