Metal mold with extended heat transfer surface

Claim 1

A mold assembly for molding thermoplastic particles into a solid thin shell the assembly including a metal shell having a cavity and including an outer surface exposed to a heat source and further including an inner surface on which thermoplastic material is cast and fused to form a thin layer thermoplastic shell the assembly comprising: a plurality of heat transfer pins connected to said metal shell at the outer surface thereof; each of said heat transfer pins including an extended portion having an extended outside surface area exposed to the heat source for heating said metal shell and each of said heat transfer pins further including a large diameter head portion; said large diameter head portion located in juxtaposed relationship with said outer surface and a weld nugget formed solely between said head portion and said metal shell for interconnecting each heat transfer pin to said metal shell; said outer surface of said metal shell having a clean weld-free surface portion formed between said head portions which combines with said extended outside surface areas of said heat transfer pins to define a total heat transfer surface area greater than that of said outer surface for enhancing heat flow from said heat source to thermoplastic material deposited on said inner surface for heating the thermoplastic material to fuse the material into a thin layer thermoplastic shell.