Method for manufacturing golf ball

Details Method for manufacturing golf ball Method for manufacturing golf ball

2000-01-04

2003-11-04

Lee, Edmund H. (Department: 1732)

Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes

Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article

To produce composite, plural part or multilayered article

C264S279100, C264S347000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06641771

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a mold for manufacturing a golf ball.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional method for manufacturing a core of a multiple piece golf ball, such as a two-layer core, or a three-layer core, is described below.
In
FIG. 11A
, a mold for preliminary forming rubber shells having a lower mold
31
and an upper mold
35
is shown. The lower mold
31
has a pair of mold halves
30
connected by a hinge. Each of the mold halves
30
is provided with hemispherical concave portions
32
. The upper mold
35
is provided with hemispherical convex portions
34
corresponding to the concave portions
32
. As shown in
FIGS. 11B
,
11
C and
11
D, an unvulcanized rubber material
33
is placed into each of the concave portions
32
, and the upper mold
35
is lowered to press the rubber materials
33
against the lower mold
31
. Thus hemispherical unvulcanized rubber shells
36
are formed.
After that, as shown
FIG. 11E
, a vulcanized inner core
37
is placed into each of the unvulcanized rubber shells
36
formed on each of the concave portions
32
of either one of the mold halves
30
. Then as shown in FIG.
11
F and
FIG. 12A
, the other mold half
30
is folded so as to be placed on the mold half
30
containing the inner cores
37
, after which the mold is closed, and pressed. Thus the inner cores
37
are covered with the unvulcanized rubber shells
36
formed on the other mold half
30
, as shown in FIG.
12
B. That is to say, each of the inner cores
37
is covered with each pair of the unvulcanized rubber shells
36
to form spherical intermediate products
38
. Then, as shown in
FIG. 12C
, ejectors
39
provided on one side of the mold halves
30
are moved to eject the products
38
. The products
38
are then set in a mold for vulcanization molding
40
as shown in
FIG. 12D
, and the unvulcanized shells
36
of the products
38
are vulcanized to form cores, not shown.
In the conventional method described above, there is a problem in the process of covering the inner cores
37
with the shells
36
such that the inner cores
37
are moved by the process pressure and become greatly eccentric.
There is also a quality problem of the cores wherein a connected face, or the joint of each pair of the shells
36
which cover the inner core
37
sometimes becomes separated. To prevent the separation of the connected faces, the temperature of the mold in the process of covering, the temperature of the rubber materials, the pressure applied to the mold in the pressing process, and the pressing time of the pressing process are optimized. However, the separation of the connected faces can not be prevented completely. Moreover, it is not possible to produce a large number of cores at one time using the conventional method.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a golf ball which greatly reduces the eccentricity of an inner core of a golf ball whereby a golf ball of high quality can be effectively manufactured. It is another object of the present invention to provide a mold and a method for manufacturing a golf ball wherein a large number of cores are manufactured at one time.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2376085 (1945-05-01), Radford et al.
patent: 3278992 (1966-10-01), Strauss
patent: 4410387 (1983-10-01), Halkerston et al.
patent: 4625964 (1986-12-01), Yamada
patent: 5882567 (1999-03-01), Cavallaro et al.
patent: 6036907 (2000-03-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 6207095 (2001-03-01), Gosetti
patent: 6342019 (2002-01-01), Boehm et al.

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