Patent Application
20110049755
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an in mold decoration process and, in particular, to a speed improvement to the process, and the process offers an improved accuracy and registration of decorations.
2. Description of the Related Art
IMD (In Mold Decoration) is a method that has been widely used to decorate a part with colors and patterns. This technology is generally classified in three techniques, namely IMF (In Mold Forming), IML (In Mold Label) and IMR (In Mold Rolling). The IMD process includes decorating a film with colors and designs; and placing the film into an injection mold tool so that the film undergoes an injection molding procedure. After the injection molding procedure, the film is bounded to a plastic surface. The process enables a plastic part to be quickly decorated, and reduce the cost of manufacture; and in the IMF and IMR processes, the film is reserved and utilized to serve as a protective layer on the surface of the plastic part.
In the present IMF process, the film is inserted into a forming mold tool and undergoes a high-pressure forming procedure to form a shape which fits to the profile of the forming mold tool. Further, the film is manually removed from the forming mold tool and is manually inserted into an injection mold tool. Further, the film is injected with molten resin, and the molten resin is solidified and bounded to the film. The present IMF process requires a person to remove the film from the forming mold tool and insert it into the injection mold tool; however, it is time-consuming and non-economical. Further, once the film is removed from the forming mold tool, it is impossible to precisely insert the film into the injection mold tool without encountering any positioning error. Further, the film is liable to deformation due to a temperature variation so that it is difficult to insert into the injection mold tool. In this regard the molten resin is not injected accurately on a predetermined position of the film, and resulting low yield rate and the production of the process is not effectively reduced. It is noted that a notebook case has a gross profit margin 3%˜5%, and any defect would incur an increase in manufacturing cost.
The present invention is, therefore, intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in the prior art.
According to the present invention, an in mold decoration process includes inserting a film with decorations into a first mold tool cavity side. The first mold tool cavity side is then engaged with a first mold tool core side and the film in the first mold tool cavity side is undergone a high-pressure heat forming procedure. After the forming procedure, the film is formed with a cavity and maintained in the first mold tool cavity side. The first mold tool cavity side is then disengaged from the first mold tool core side and engaged with a second mold tool core side, and the film is undergone an injection molding procedure. The cavity is injected with a molten resin. After the molding procedure, the molten resin becomes a plastic component and bounded to the film to form a semi-finished product. The semi-finished product is then ejected out of the first mold tool cavity side and trimmed to form a finished product.
It is an object of the present invention that it is unnecessary to remove the film from the first mold tool cavity side during the process. Thus, the film has no problem to encounter position errors with respect to the first and second mold tool core sides.
It is another object of the present invention that the process doesn't require a person to transfer the film to different mold tools as set forth in the “Description of the Related Art”.
Other objects, advantages, and new features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanied drawings
Referring to the drawings, a device for an in mold decoration process in accordance with the present invention includes two first mold tool cavity sides 20 and 20A mounted on a base side of a rotating member 50. The rotating member 50 is rotatable about an axle 51, and the first mold tool cavity sides 20 and 20A are disposed on different sides of the axle 51. Each of the first mold tools cavity sides 20, 20A includes a joint face 21, and a forming section 22 extended from the joint face 21. Preferably, the forming section 22 defines a hollow. Additionally, each of the first mold tool cavity sides 20 and 20A includes a negative pressure piping 23 extended from and connected with the joint face 21. Further, the device includes a first mold tool core side 30 and a second mold tool core side 40. The first mold tool core side 30 includes a joint face 31, a positive pressure piping 32 extended from and connected with the joint face 31, and a thermo piping 33 for heating the first mold tool core side 30. The second mold tool core side 40 includes a joint face 41, a forming section 42 protruded from the joint face 41. Preferably, the forming section 42 includes a shape corresponding to the forming sections 22 of the related first mold tool cavity sides 20 and 20A. Additionally, the second mold tool core side 40 includes a passage 44 and an ejecting member 45 extended to a surface of the forming section 42. The passage 44 is utilized to deliver molten resin “A”. The ejecting member 45 can extend outside the surface of the forming section 42. Preferably, the second mold tool core side 42 includes two ejecting members 45. Preferably, the two ejecting members may be disposed on different sides of the passage 44.
In view of forgoing, it is unnecessary to remove the film 10 from the first mold tool cavity side 20 during the process. In this regard, the film 10 has no problem of encountering position errors with respect to the first and second mold tool core side 30 and 40. Further, the process doesn't require a person to transfer the film 10 to different mold tools as set forth in the “Description of the Related Art”.
Further, the two first mold tool cavity sides 20 and 20A are utilized and selectively engaged with the first and second mold tool core side 30 and 40 to achieve a continuous cycle, and resulting an increase in the yield rate.
While the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of invention, and the scope of invention is only limited by the scope of the accompanying claims.
