1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for creating a customizable mold by selecting from a plurality of pre-engineered mold bases and/or plates.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Custom tooling, such as injection molds, typically require long lead times and costly construction. However, even custom molds often have similar basic designs and numerous overlapping parts and configurations. Leveraging such basic designs and common components may result in an inventoried mold base capable of numerous off-the-shelf configurations thereby cutting down costs and lead times. Thus, there is a need for a customizable mold system that enables a mold builder to insert the desired cores and cavities into a production ready mold base.
According to a preferred embodiment of this invention, a pre-engineered kit-style mold system is contemplated that includes a configurable mold base having a series of interchangeable plates and/or optional components and features. The mold base is preferably reusable and/or reconfigurable into additional desired configurations following use in a particular project and/or molding run. For ease of explanation, the description of this invention will be focused on a pre-engineered kit-style mold system for creating a mold for manufacturing caps and containers. However, it is understood that the teachings of this invention can be used in the manufacture of various components, including, but not limited to, toy parts, tools, toothbrushes and car parts.
The term “mold” as used herein refers to both mold bases or frames sold by mold manufacturers without the final cores and/or cavities therein, as well as to molds that include cores and/or cavities. Thus, it is contemplated that a mold base or frame may be sold prior to an actual cavity being formed. Similarly, although plastic injection molds are shown and described by example, the system as described may be used in connection with any reciprocating, molding or cycling manufacturing equipment including but not limited to blow molding, stamping, die casting, etc.
According to an embodiment of this invention, the mold includes a first mold half and a second mold half. The first mold half and the second mold half preferably reciprocate relative to each other from a closed position to an open position. In the closed position, the first mold half and the second mold half mate to each other to form a molded product, wherein one of the first mold half and the second mold half contain a core and a corresponding cavity, respectively. While the open position allows for ejection of the molded component. In a preferred embodiment, the first mold half includes a top clamp plate, an X-plate and an A-plate. The second mold half includes a B-plate, an action plate and a bottom clamp plate. In an alternative embodiment, any of the top clamp plate, the X-plate, the A-plate, the B-plate, the action plate and the bottom clamp plate may be omitted and/or additional intermediary plates, including a hot runner plate, may be added to the mold in order to create the molded product. In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the plates include a cavity insert and/or a core insert to impart features onto the molded component, including, but not limited to, a surface texture, a shape and/or a coring style.
A custom mold may be created from the pre-engineered kit-style mold system using the following steps. A component size is first selected. In an embodiment of this invention, the pre-engineered kit-style mold system includes plates that provide for a small outer diameter cap size and a large outer diameter cap size. Second, a gating option is selected. In an embodiment of this invention, the pre-engineered kit-style mold system includes various gating options including a three plate, a hot runner and a sub-gate. The hot runner gating option may further include a valve gate option and a top gate option. Third, a coring style is selected. In an embodiment of this invention, the coring style may be selected from dovetail, jump thread and unscrewing. Fourth, a number of cavities is selected. In an embodiment of this invention, the system includes plates with various cavitation options including 4, 8, 16 and 24 cavities. In an alternative embodiment, any number of cavities may be selected. Fifth, a mold base style is selected. In an embodiment of this invention, the system includes plates with various mold base styles including a European standard (DIN), a U.S. standard (US/Inch) and a Japanese standard (JIS).
The mold system as described is preferably usable in connection with a standardized approach to molding and monitoring that includes standardized tooling and components, standardized maintenance practices, standardized performance review and optimized part design based upon use of the mold system as described.
The standardization of the mold systems described herein avoids the repetitive and time consuming process required of mold builders to create a custom mold. Instead, a builder or molder merely specifies the configurations described above and the desired mold is available off-the-shelf and pre-configured as desired.
According to one preferred embodiment, the subject mold system is designed to permit interchangeability between various coring styles, for instance, between the dovetail core and the jump thread style molding detail. Preferably, a dovetail action plate and molding specific inserts, such as dovetail core, stripper ring and cavity inserts, are removable and replaceable with those required for a jump thread style. These inserts can be replaced while the tool is still in the molding press thereby saving the time required to set up the mold for the press. As a result, an entirely new mold is not required. According to a preferred embodiment, most or all molding specific components are designed to fit in the same pockets, thereby permitting the same mold and/or mold base to be used, for example, for dovetail or for jump thread style molding. This permits a molder the flexibility of changing between mold styles in a single mold while the mold is in press and ready for operation.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the attached figures.
These and other objects and features of this invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:
a-f show a variety of molds that can be created using the system of this invention;
a-f show individual plates of a three plate mold that can be created using the system of this invention;
a-f show a assembly views the three plate mold of
In accordance with the present invention, an injection mold or similar actuating manufacturing tool is created by selecting from a collection of pre-engineered mold bases and plates. This eliminates custom mold engineering and reduces variability of mold performance. An existing or newly developed and customer owned tool standard can be implemented into the manufacturing and supply process. Mold bases may be reused for a variety of projects as opposed to conventional systems requiring a single mold for each contemplated molded part or family of parts.
In the embodiment of
As described above, the first mold half 12 and the second mold half 14 reciprocate relative to each other to form the molded form in a closed position and to allow for the ejection of the molded component in an open position. In a preferred embodiment and in addition to the movement of the first mold half and the second mold half, at least one of the top clamp plate 18, the X-plate 20, the A-plate 22, the B-plate 24, the action plate 26 and the bottom clamp plate 27 reciprocates relative to at least one other plate to allow for a multiple-stage separation of the plates to facilitate the ejection of the molded component. Additionally, the multiple-stage separation may allow for formation of undercuts and/or formation molded details on the molded component.
Using the steps described above, a variety of molds may be created including, but not limited to, the examples shown in
The resulting mold may then be identified by a catalog/part number, for example, the three plate mold 110 of
Details of this invention will be described for a three plate mold 770 according to one embodiment of this invention. It should be understood that while details of the plates will be described for the three plate mold 770, a person having ordinary skill in the art will be able to create other mold configurations using the detailed description of the three plate mold 770 including the hot runner mold and the sub-gate mold.
a-f show individual plates of the three plate mold 770. The three plate mold in
a shows a top clamp plate 700 for the three plate mold 770. The top clamp plate 700 includes a plurality of top clamp plate posts 702, a plurality of top clamp plate pins 704 and a plurality of latch bars 706. In this embodiment, the plurality of top clamp posts extend perpendicularly from a surface 708 of the top clamp plate. The plurality of top clamp posts 702 align, at least some of, the plates of the three plate mold 770 in order consistently form a molded component. The top clamp plate pins 704 also extend perpendicularly from the surface 708 of the top clamp plate 708. The top clamp plate pins 704 allow another plate, in this case an X-plate 710, to move a limited distance from the surface 708 of the top clamp plate 700. This movement may assist in the formation of the molded component and/or the ejection of the molded component. The plurality of latch bars 706 are positioned on a side of the top clamp plate 700 and extend parallel to the top clamp plate posts 702. The latch bars 706 along with a wedge block 718 and a cam bar 720 form a locking device. The locking device provides a two-stage separation of plates to facilitate the ejection of one or more pieces formed in a closed mold position. A preferred locking device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,963,758, issued on 21 Jun. 2011, herein incorporated by reference for explanation of locking devices.
b shows the X-plate 710 according to one embodiment of this invention. The X-plate 710 includes a plurality of top clamp plate post receivers 712, a plurality of X-plate pins 714 and a top clamp plate pin receiver 716. Each of the top clamp post receivers 712 receive top clamp plate post 702 to maintain the alignment of the X-plate 710 to the top clamp plate 700. The plurality of X-plate pins 714 extend perpendicularly from a surface 722 of the X-plate 710. The X-plate pins allow another plate, in this case an A-plate 724, to move a limited distance from the surface 722 of the X-plate 710. This movement may assist in the formation of the molded component and/or the ejection of the molded component. The top clamp plate pin receiver 716 receives the top clamp plate pin 704.
c show the A-plate 724 according to one embodiment of this invention. The A-plate 724 includes a plurality of bottom clamp plate post receivers 726, a plurality of top clamp plate post receivers 728, a plurality of X-plate pin receivers 730 and a plurality of A-plate insert sockets 732. Each of the bottom clamp plate post receivers 726 receive a bottom clamp plate post 734 to maintain the alignment of a first mold half 700, 710, 724 to a second mold half 736, 738, 740 as the first mold half reciprocate relative to the second mold half. Each of the top clamp plate post receivers 728 receive the top clamp plate post 702 to maintain the alignment of the A-plate 724 to the top clamp plate 700. Each of the plurality of X-plate pin receivers 730 receives a respective X-plate pin 714. The plurality of A-plate insert sockets 732 may receive a cavity insert and/or a core insert for forming at least a portion of the molded component. Alternatively, each of the plurality of A-plate insert sockets 732 may operate to form a surface of the molded product without the cavity insert and/or the core insert.
d shows the B-plate 740 according to an embodiment of this invention. The B-plate 740 includes X-plate pin receivers 748, top clamp plate post receivers 750, bottom clamp plate post receivers 752, B-plate insert socket 754, B-plate pins 756 and B-plate cam bars 758. The X-plate pin receivers 748 receive a respective X-plate pin 714. Each of the bottom clamp plate post receivers 752 receive the bottom clamp plate post 734 and each the top clamp plate post receivers 750 receive the top clamp plate posts to maintain the alignment of the first mold half 700, 710, 724 and the second mold half 736, 738, 740 as the first mold half reciprocates relative to the second mold half. The plurality of B-plate insert sockets 754 may receive a cavity insert and/or a core insert for forming a portion of the molded component. Alternatively, each of the plurality of B-plate insert sockets 754 may form a surface of the molded product without the cavity insert and/or the core insert. The B-plate pins 756 allow the B-plate 740 to move a limited distance from a surface 7 of the bottom clamp plate 736.
e shows the bottom clamp plate 736 according to an embodiment of this invention. The bottom clamp plate includes the plurality of bottom clamp plate posts 734, a plurality of X-plate pin receivers 742, a plurality of B-plate pin receivers 744, a plurality of bottom clamp plate insert sockets 746 and a bottom clamp plate latch bars 760. The X-plate pin receivers 742 receive a respective X-plate pin 714. The B-plate pin receivers 744 receive a respective B-plate pin 756. The bottom clamp plate latch bars 760 along with a wedge block 774 and the B-plate cam bars 758 form a second locking device. The second locking device provides a two-stage separation of plates to facilitate the ejection of one or more pieces formed in the closed mold position. The plurality of bottom clamp plate insert sockets 732 may receive a cavity insert and/or a core insert for forming at least a portion of the molded component. Alternatively, the plurality of bottom clamp plate insert sockets 732 may provide access to a cavity insert and/or a core insert positioned on another plate, allowing for actuation of the cavity insert and/or the core insert positioned on another plate.
f shows the action plate 738 according to an embodiment of this invention. The action plate 738 includes bottom clamp plate post receivers 762, top clamp plate post receivers 764, B-plate pin receivers 766, the action plate cam bars 720 and a plurality of core inserts 768. The bottom clamp plate post receivers 762 receive the bottom clamp plate posts 734. The top clamp post receivers 764 receive the top clamp posts 702. The B-plate pin receivers 766 receive the B-plate pins 756. In this embodiment, the plurality of core inserts 768 are dovetail core inserts. In an alternative embodiment, the core inserts 768 can be any coring style.
a-f show an assembly view the three plate mold 770 of
Additionally, as shown in
The system according to the subject invention permits cycle times to be scrutinized and, when necessary, troubleshooting may be provided remotely and/or on-site. Mold maintenance assessments and support may also be offered remotely and/or on-site. In this manner, a manufacturer can obtain molding oversight, first article review, live, realtime, monitoring of the manufacturing process and a standardized maintenance plan using an off-the-shelf customizable mold system. As a result of the options described above, a user may test the viability of, for instance, a dovetail coring style with an 1 to 4 cavity tool, prove out savings over existing unscrewing molds and then commit to a higher cavitation base and still utilize all the system manufacturing benefits.
Thus, the invention provides a system for creating custom molds that leverages basic designs and common components to create an off the shelf mold.
It will be appreciated that details of the foregoing embodiments, given for purposes of illustration, are not to be construed as limiting the scope of this invention. Although only a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention, which is defined in the following claims and all equivalents thereto. Further, it is recognized that many embodiments may be conceived that do not achieve all of the advantages of some embodiments, particularly of the preferred embodiments, yet the absence of a particular advantage shall not be construed to necessarily mean that such an embodiment is outside the scope of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
61407074 | Oct 2010 | US |