Patent Application
20070267783
A better understanding of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention (including alternatives and/or variations thereof) may be obtained with reference to the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments along with the following drawings, in which:
The drawings are not necessarily to scale and are may be illustrated by phantom lines, diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views. In certain instances, details that are not necessary for an understanding of the exemplary embodiments or that render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted.
Preferably, the body 102 is linkable to the mold assembly 104. Responsive to application of mechanical load (such as a force, a pressure, a strain, etc) to the mold assembly 104, the mold assembly 104 substantially prevents mechanical load transmission to the body 102, and in this manner the body 102 remains substantially mechanical-load decoupled. In addition, responsive to application of mechanical load to the mold assembly 104, the mold assembly 104 endures a substantial amount of applied mechanical load while the heat-conductive body 102 endures an insubstantial amount of the applied mechanical load. Optionally, the heat-conductive body 102 is substantially enclosed by the mold assembly 104. Preferably, the body 102 absorbs as little of the transmitted mechanical load as possible (ideally, none of the mechanical load is absorbed by the body 102).
Preferably, the body 102 has a heat conductivity that is greater than that of the mold assembly 104. The mold assembly 104 defines a molding surface 106, and includes a plurality of mold portions, such as: a core mold 108A, a neck mold 108B (also called a “collar mold”) and a cavity mold 108C. The mold assembly 104 is used to mold the preform 18. Preferably, the body 102 is located proximate to the neck mold 108B, and the neck mold 108B is adapted to form a ring collar and/or a threaded-neck portion of the preform 18. Generally, mold assembly 104 may be used to mold a molded article. The preform 18 is merely an example of a molded article. The neck mold 108B is separable so as to permit removal of the preform 18 from the mold assembly 104 after the preform 18 has been molded. A mold support 110 (sometimes called a base or a mold-support base) is configured to support the mold assembly 104. According to variants, the body 102 is placed or disposed proximate to or adjacent to any of the mold portions of the mold assembly 104.
A technical effect, amongst others, of the body 102 (if the body 102 has a heat conductivity that is greater than that of the mold assembly 104) is that a cycle-time reduction of a molding system that uses a mold-cooling device to manufacture a molded article, such as a preform. By increasing the amount of heat removed from a freshly molded article (that is, increasing cooling thereof), the molded article may then be removed sooner (rather than later) from a mold assembly and thus this arrangement permits a reduction (advantageously) in the cycle time of the molding system.
Generally, the mold assembly 104 is used to mold a molded article. The preform 18 is an example of a molded article. The preform 18 is an object that has been subjected to preliminary, usually incomplete shaping or molding, before undergoing complete or final processing. A molded article is: (i) an object that does not require further molding or shaping (that is, it is a completed object), or (ii) an object that requires further molding or shaping.
The device 100 is installable in a molding system such as the HyPET™ System manufactured by Husky Injection Molding Systems Limited (Location: Bolton, Ontario, Canada; WWW-URL: www.husky.ca). The molding system 10 injects a molding material 24 via a nozzle 22 into a mold cavity defined by the mold assembly 104. Once the molding-system 10 and the mold assembly 104 have cooperatively molded the preform 18, the mold assembly 104 is opened so that a preform-removal device (not depicted) may be used to transfer the preform 18 from the mold assembly 104 of the molding system 10 into a blow mold 32 of a blow molding system 30. After suitable temperature conditioning, an air line 34 is inserted into the cavity of the preform 18 and air pressure 36 is then introduced into the cavity of the preform 18. In response to becoming pressurized, the preform 18 is blown to conform to the blow mold 32, which then forms a completed bottle 38. Then the bottle 38 is removed from the blow mold 32, and the bottle 38 is filled with a beverage (for example).
The body 102 includes a material (such as copper or silver) that is multi-directionally heat conductive. Preferably, the mold support 110 and the mold assembly 104 both include a durable material (such as steel); however, other metals and/or alloys may be used as well.
Once the neck mold 108B, the body 102 and the mold support 110 are assembled, the assembly of parts is braised so as to weld the parts together, and then the assembly of parts is cut in half (as known to those skilled in the art); this arrangement permits the halves of the neck mold 108B to be separated after the preform 18 has been molded so that the preform 18 may be easily removed from the neck mold 108B.
A mold support 210 is configured to support a neck mold 208B. A coolant passageway 214 is used to convey a cooling fluid to and away from the body 202. The cooling fluid further improves cooling of the body 202 by assisting in the removal of heat from the preform 18. According to the second exemplary embodiment, the cooling fluid is used in cooperation with the body 202. According to the first exemplary embodiment, a cooling fluid is not used.
Preferably, the coolant passageway 214 is configured in the following manner: the body 202 defines a groove that faces (or is oriented to face) the mold support 210, while the mold support 110 presents an un-grooved surface that faces the body 202. Once the body 202 contacts and seals against the mold support 210, the cooling fluid does not leak from the groove. According to a variant (not depicted), the mold support 210 defines a groove that faces the body 202 while the body 202 presents an un-grooved surface that faces the mold support 210. According to another variant (not depicted), the body 202 defines a coolant passageway therein, and the mold support 210 defines a coolant passageway that connects to the coolant passageway of the body 202. According to another variant (not depicted), the mold support 210 defines a coolant passageway that is aligned proximate to (or adjacent to) the body 202 without touching the body 202.
In an alternative (not depicted), a turbulence-inducing structure extends from the body 202 into the passageway 214, and the deflector is configured to induce cooling-fluid turbulence to further improve the cooling effect of the body 202. In another alternative (not depicted), a deflector extends from the body 202 into the coolant passageway 214. An alternative to the deflector is a recess (not depicted) that may be defined by the body 202 and/or the mold support 210.
The body 102, 202 may be supplied or sold in the following arrangements: (i) the mold-cooling device 100, 200 (respectively), (ii) the molding system 10 that has the mold-cooling device 100, 200 (respectively), (iii) the mold assembly 104, 204 including the mold-cooling device 100, 200 (respectively), (iv) a molded article manufactured by the molding system 10 in cooperation with the mold assembly 104, 204 and the mold-cooling device 100, 200 (respectively), a method of the mold-cooling device 100, 200.
The variant device 200A is similar to that of the device 200, except that the body 202A does not abut the top portion and the bottom portion of the mold support 210A, but rather a gap is permitted therebetween so that thermal expansion of the body 202 may be permitted without having the body 202 experience a mechanical load applied to the mold 204. The body 202 has a propensity to draw heat away from the article being cooled in the mold faster than the rate at which the cooling fluid can draw heat away from the article.
The description of the exemplary embodiments provides examples of the present invention, and these examples do not limit the scope of the present invention. It is understood that the scope of the present invention is limited by the claims. The concepts described above may be adapted for specific conditions and/or functions, and may be further extended to a variety of other applications that are within the scope of the present invention. Having thus described the exemplary embodiments, it will be apparent that modifications and enhancements are possible without departing from the concepts as described. Therefore, what is to be protected by way of letters patent are limited only by the scope of the following claims:
