Mold With Midplate And Method Of Molding Golf Ball
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsThomas J. Kennedy, III, Takahisa Ono, Chin-Shun Ko
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mold for manufacturing hemispherical sections for a golf ball includes a first mold plate including a first cavity, a second mold plate including a second cavity, and a midplate. The midplate includes an indentation on a first side of the midplate and a projection on a second side of the midplate. The indentation of the midplate corresponds to the first cavity of the first mold plate. The projection of the midplate corresponds to the second cavity of the second mold plate.
Claims26
A mold for manufacturing hemispherical sections for a golf ball,comprising:
- a first mold plate including a first cavity;
- a second mold plate including a second cavity;
- and
- a midplate including an indentation on a first surface of the midplate and a projection on a second surface of the midplate;
- wherein the indentation of the midplate corresponds to the first cavity of the first mold plate;
- wherein the projection of the midplate corresponds to the second cavity of the second mold plate;
- wherein a portion of the second surface of the midplate forms a surface against which the preform is molded within the second cavity;
- wherein the portion of the second surface extends from the projection to where the midplate and the second mold plate contact when the mold is closed;
- wherein the portion of the second surface is substantially flat.
A method of manufacturing a golf ball core comprising:
- injection molding an inner core, wherein the inner core is formed of a thermoplastic material;
- placing the inner core in an indentation of a midplate, wherein the midplate has a first side and a second side, and wherein the indentation is formed on the first side of the midplate;
- placing a first preform within a first cavity of a first mold plate, wherein the first cavity is positioned opposite to the indentation, and wherein the preform is made of a thermoset material;
- placing a second preform within a second cavity of a second mold plate, wherein the second cavity is positioned opposite the second side of the midplate;
- and
- closing the mold so that the first preform molds about the inner core and the second preform molds into a hemispherical shape.
A method of manufacturing a golf ball, comprising:
- placing an inner core within a mold that includes a first mold plate, a midplate including an indentation, and a second mold plate;
- wherein the inner core is placed within the indentation of the midplate;
- placing a first preform to be molded into a hemispherical section within a first cavity of the first mold plate, wherein the first preform has a first surface facing the inner core when the first preform is placed in the first cavity and a second surface which contacts the first cavity when the first preform is placed within the first cavity;
- initiating closing the mold so that a center of the first surface comes into direct contact with the inner core before a perimeter of the first surface comes into direct contact with the inner core;
- closing the mold to conform the first preform to the inner core and form the first preform into a first hemispherical section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.