The present invention relates to a heat transfer system and more particularly to a heat transfer system for a mold having improved thermal and economic properties.
Plastic molding is a process used to form substances into desired shapes. Typically, a plastic substance, in a fluid state, is placed into a mold by gravity or mechanical force. Most molds consist of two or more conjoined blocks, which are separated after the substance has solidified. The finished part is removed from the mold and the molding process is repeated. Certain post-mold process steps may be taken to finish the part.
Plastics may be molded using a variety of processes including blow molding, injection molding, compression molding, transfer molding, rotational molding and extrusion. Blow molding is basically a bulging process. A tubular piece of plastic is heated and then pressurized internally and expanded into the cavity of a relatively cool mold. Products made from blow molding are typically hollow, thin-walled containers or articles, such as two liter beverage containers.
One drawback of any molding process is that a mold has a tendency to heat up during use due to one or more factors, including friction, pressure or heat transfer from other components in the molding machinery. This undesired heat can cause production delays, safety issues to operators and potentially damage to the molds and molding machinery. Further, the setting of the molded part can be delayed. In some cases, it may be desirable to actively cool the mold to or below ambient temperature in order to facilitate the timely setting of the part within the mold. Therefore, it is conventional to use cast in internal tubing in molds to provide a heat transfer system to cool the molds. One such internal tubing system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,750 to Overmyer et al., issued Dec. 9, 2003. After the molded part is formed, a heat transfer fluid such as water is directed through the internal tubes to cool the mold.
Heat transfer systems of this and other similar designs have certain undesirable limitations. The internal tubing must have sufficient strength to withstand the pressure and temperature conditions of the initial mold casting process. As a result, expensive material having less than optimal thermal properties are typically used, such as stainless steel. Further, once the tubing is in place, additions or modifications to the number or path of the cooling tubes is impractical. Therefore, what is needed in the art is a heat transfer system for molds offering improved thermal and economic properties.
The present invention provides a new and improved heat transfer system for a mold. The system uses copper tubing on an external surface of the mold rather than stainless steel internal pipes or tubes. This increases the thermal conductivity between the mold and the cooling fluid. Copper tubing is less expensive and easier to bend than stainless steel piping thereby reducing the overall material and labor costs of the molding process. Also, the external system is adaptable to a variety of molding processes and mold geometries. As a result, the present invention allows for a wide variety of initial system designs and easier modification or retrofitting of the coolant passages after initial use of the mold or modification of the mold cavity.
A heat transfer system for facilitating heat transfer in a mold is disclosed. The system allows heat to transfer from a relatively cooler heat transfer fluid to a mold, mold base, or molded part.
The apparatus includes a mold and a hollow elongated member defining an enclosed passageway for transporting heat transfer fluid that is attached to the outside of the mold. The hollow elongated member may be tube shaped. More preferably, the hollow elongated member is a copper tube.
Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The Detailed Description of the Invention merely describes preferred embodiments of the invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims in any way. Indeed, the invention as described by the claims is broader than and unlimited by the preferred embodiments, and the terms in the claims have their full ordinary meaning.
Referring now to the drawings, a perspective view of a mold assembly 10 constructed according to a first embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
The first block 12 includes a mold cavity 16 in which a molded part is formed. In the practice of the present invention, the mold assembly 10 may include structure (not shown) necessary for blow molding, or any other suitable molding technique. As illustrated, the first block 12, and consequently the mold cavity 16, are shown in an upper position relative to the second block 14. The position shown is for exemplary purposes only to better illustrate the heat transfer system on the external surface of first block 12. In production use, the first block 12 would typically be positioned below the second block 14. Nonetheless, it should be understood by others with ordinary skill in the art that the invention can be practiced with a variety of mold styles and designs and is not limited to the embodiments illustrated herein.
The first block 12 includes an underside surface 20 on a side opposite the molding cavity 16. A majority of the surface 20 forms a planar section between two protruding leg supports 22, 24. Upon this planar section, a series of elongated tubes 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, 30e, 30f, 30g, 30h are attached. The tubes are rigidly attached to the surface 20 by a binding material 34. To be discussed later in greater detail, the tubes 30a, . . . 30h are part of a heat transfer apparatus for facilitating heat transfer in the mold assembly 10. The tubes may be in fluid communication as a result of piping connections (not shown) to permit water to flow within a plurality of pipes.
In the embodiment show in
The base 50 structurally supports the elongated member 56. More specifically, the elongated member is held rigidly attached to the base by binding material 58. The elongated member 56 may be held contiguous to the planar external surface 52 by clips or other suitable tooling while the binding material is applied. Alternatively as shown in
The hollow elongated member 60 defines an enclosed passageway 57 that serves to transport heat transfer fluid. By circulating a relatively cold material through the elongated member 56, the base 50 and mold attached thereto may be cooled. Concurrently, the recently molded part within the mold may be cooled by the mold. The hollow elongated member 56 may be formed in any configuration upon a surface or surfaces of the base. The elongated member may have any shape, but preferably is tubular. The elongated member may be made from any material, but is preferably copper due to copper's relatively high heat transfer efficiency. In a preferred embodiment, the elongated member is a β inch diameter copper tube.
As discussed, the binding material 58 functions to attach the hollow elongated member 56 to the external surface 52 of the base 50. The binding material also functions to facilitate heat transfer between the hollow elongated member and the base. The binding material may be an epoxy. Preferably, the binding material is a highly thermal conductive material such as a metal (e.g. aluminum) similar or identical to the base material. Thus, a superior joint may be formed between the binding material and the base.
The binding material may be applied continuously along the length of the enclosed passage as shown in
Referring to any cross section of the elongated member 56, the binding material may be applied around part of or all of the circumference of that section.
As shown in
The binding material may be applied in any thickness to the surface of the base and elongated member. In a preferred embodiment, a layer of approximately ΒΌ to β inch of material is applied. Although not required, the binding material may be machined after application to remove any excess.
A perspective view of an apparatus 70 constructed according to a second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
In this embodiment, a mold section 72 constructed of aluminum or similar thermally conductive material is used. In the practice of the invention, the mold section 72 may be any top, bottom, side or plate addition to a conventional mold. The invention can be practiced on one or any combination of one or more surfaces in a mold.
One example is illustrated in
Referring again to
The tube 78 is hollow and defines an enclosed passageway 84 for transporting heat transfer fluid. As a function of fluid being transported through the tube, heat transfers from the mold section 72 to the heat transfer fluid. Preferably, as a function of fluid being transported through the tube, heat also transfers from the molded part to the mold section 72.
As discussed, at least a portion of the tube 78 is positioned within the channel in this embodiment. The entire tube is within the channel in
A suitable binding material 86 is used to attach the tube 78 to the mold section 72. The binding material may be an epoxy, or preferably is a spray metal such as aluminum. In an embodiment shown in
A method of fabricating an apparatus for facilitating heat transfer in a mold includes the principle steps of positioning a hollow elongated member adjacent a mold section, applying a binding material upon at least a portion of an external surface of the hollow elongated member and upon at least a portion of an external surface of the mold section, and allowing the binding material to solidify. As a result, the hollow elongated member and the mold section become rigidly attached.
A preferred method for fabricating the system for facilitating heat transfer includes the following steps. First, the necessary channel pattern is machined into the mold block or mold block attachment, plate or section. Alternatively, the channel pattern may also be placed in the mold or attachment during its original casting. Next, the appropriate length of tubing is put in place within the channels. The passage material may be bent as required during this application step. The tubing may be tapped into place using a hammer in combination with a tool which will not damage the passage. The tubing may be deformed slightly, or mushroomed, in order to purge any air from between the channel and the tubing.
The next step is to rigidly attach the tubing to the channel. The tubing may be temporarily held in place using mechanical clips. Next, the binder is applied in a liquid form and allowed to solidify. If the binding material is a metal, its application may be made using a spray gun. An example of such a commercially available spray gun is the Wire-Fix 96 model spray gun by Addifix. The application process may be manually or computer controlled. After the binding material has solidified, excess material may be machined or ground off.
In the practice of the invention, the tubing can be attached by alternative techniques using other types of binding material. For example, the binding material may take the form of fasteners, clips, bolts or other connector designs. Preferably, these bindings are made of a highly thermal conductive material to increase the heat transfer efficiency of the overall apparatus.
While several embodiments of the invention has been illustrated and described in considerable detail, the present invention is not to be considered limited to the precise construction disclosed. Various adaptations, modifications and uses of the invention may occur to those skilled in the arts to which the invention relates. It is the intention to cover all such adaptations, modifications and uses falling within the scope or spirit of the claims filed herewith.
Number | Date | Country | |
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60481888 | Jan 2004 | US |