Methods and molds for molding golf balls incorporating a thermoplastic polyurethane cover

A golf ball mold, comprising

• a mold assembly comprising a mold and one or more retractable center vent pins,
• wherein the mold comprises an upper mold cavity and a lower mold cavity, wherein each mold cavity has an arcuate inner surface defining an inverted dimple and fret pattern and collectively create an interior spherical cavity for holding a golf ball subassembly when the upper mold cavity and lower mold cavity are mated together,
• wherein the mold is configured to receive a polymeric material in the interior spherical cavity to mold a cover layer about the subassembly within the mold to form a molded golf ball,
• wherein the retractable center vent pin(s) are configured to secure the subassembly within the mold and be withdrawn from the interior spherical cavity before molding of the cover layer is finished,
• and wherein a portion of the inverted dimple and fret pattern is located within a pole region of each mold cavity and comprises at least one mold cavity center vent extending through an entire thickness of the mold in the pole region and being adapted to eliminate gas from within the interior spherical cavity;
• wherein each mold cavity center vent is sized and shaped to receive a proximal end of one of the retractable center vent pin(s), each retractable center vent pin being configured such that gas exiting the interior spherical cavity through the mold cavity center vent is drawn along the retractable center vent pin and then exhausted from the mold into the atmosphere.

A golf ball, comprising:

• a subassembly comprising at least a core component;
• a cover layer formed of a polymeric material molded around the golf ball subassembly when the subassembly is within an interior spherical cavity of a golf ball mold, the cover comprising a dimple and fret pattern imparted on the cover by an inverted dimple and fret pattern defined on an arcuate inner surface of the golf ball mold,
• wherein the dimple and fret pattern comprises a dimple formed at a location where a retractable center vent pin was present in a mold cavity center vent, the retractable center vent pin configured such that retractable center vent pin supported the subassembly before being withdrawn during the molding of the cover layer around the subassembly, wherein the retractable center vent pin is further configured such that gas exited the interior spherical cavity through the mold cavity center vent by being drawn along the retractable center vent pin and then exhausted from the mold into the atmosphere outside the mold when sufficient suction was applied to an exhaust aperture,
• wherein the cover layer has a thickness of 0.040 inches or less as a result of molding the cover using the retractable center vent pin.