Universal Mold Frames With Eccentric Locator Pins For Golf Ball Cavities
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mold frames for producing golf balls with various dimple patterns face challenges in accurately positioning mold cavities, leading to misalignment and defects, especially when dealing with different dimple layouts, due to the interchangeable nature of single-design cavities which can result in improper alignment during the molding process.
Innovation Solution
The development of universal mold frames with lower and upper frame plates featuring multiple annular recesses and eccentric locator pin layouts allows for easy alignment and accommodation of mold cavities with various dimple patterns, ensuring proper positioning and minimizing misalignment by using locator pins and slots with specific separation and proximity angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If single-design mold cavities are used interchangeably in upper and lower frames, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but positioning accuracy deteriorates leading to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by providing different locator pin configurations for upper and lower frame plates. The lower frame plate has locator pins arranged in a first pattern while the upper frame plate has locator pins arranged in a second pattern, creating asymmetric positioning constraints that prevent improper alignment even when using identical mold cavities in both positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces locator pins and locator slots as intermediary elements between the mold cavities and frame plates. These intermediaries mediate the positioning relationship, ensuring accurate alignment by requiring the locator slots in the mold cavities to engage with the specifically arranged locator pins on the frame plates, thereby preventing misalignment while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple locator pins are used to ensure accurate positioning, then alignment precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing locator pins at specific locations on the frame plates rather than uniformly distributing them. The lower frame plate has locator pins at specific positions to engage with corresponding locator slots, and the upper frame plate has locator pins at different specific positions, creating localized positioning constraints that achieve accurate alignment without requiring excessive numbers of locator pins throughout the entire structure.
Data Source
AI summary
Universal mold frames for producing multi-piece golf balls are provided. The mold frames include lower and upper frame plates having locator pins that are inserted into corresponding locator slots in the mold cavities. The eccentric pin layout of the frame plates and corresponding slots in the cavities means the cavities can be fitted easily and aligned in the frame plates. The interior surfaces of the mold cavities define a specific dimple pattern such as icosahedron or tetrahedron-based patterns. The mold frames can accommodate cavities having different dimple patterns. A castable liquid polymer, for example, polyurethane is dispensed into the mold cavities, which are then pressed together to form the spherical cover for the ball.