The present invention relates to a thermoforming machine.
Thermoforming machines are generally used for forming flat sheets made from a material, which can be formed when heated, through form sections with cavities disposed therein, wherein the internal shape of each cavity corresponds to the outer shape of an object to be formed in the cavity. Thermoforming machines are well known and comprise e.g. material loading devices, heating devices, forming devices, unloading devices, etc. The technology to process thermoplastic or thermocurable materials with relatively large sizes through thermoforming machines has developed in response to increasing demands in various industries.
The applicant is e.g. familiar with a thermoforming machine, which is provided as a “twin sheet thermo former”, this means as a thermoforming machine, in which two parts can be manufactured simultaneously. This thermoforming machine has an upper and a lower plate, which can be adjusted with respect to their elevation relative to a frame through motors. Hydraulic pistons are attached to the upper plate, which can be connected in a solid manner through a form-fit connection via connecting elements to the lower plate. Thus the piston rods are inserted into associated opposite elements, and secured to them in a form-fitting manner. Through the operation of the hydraulic pistons, thus the lower and the upper plate can be strongly pulled against each other.
In this approach it has proven to be disadvantageous, that, due to this form-fitting arrangement, damages in the connecting elements can occur when a certain pulling force is exceeded, so that these have to be replaced or repaired. During this time period the thermoforming machine is out of service and productivity declines in an undesirable manner.
Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide an improved thermoforming machine, which assures a more suitable coupling of the lower and the upper plate for pulling them together.
This object is accomplished according to the invention through a thermoforming machine with the features of patent claim 1.
The basic idea of the present invention is that a thermoforming machine comprises a frame, a first plate and a second plate for receiving form sections, wherein at least one of the plates is adjustable relative to the frame, drive means for adjusting the plates relative to each other, and a pulling mechanism for pulling the second plate in the direction of the first plate, wherein the pulling mechanism comprises at least one pulling device, mounted to one of the plates, the pulling device including a pulling rod, which can be clamped by friction locked coupling through an associated clamping device, mounted at the other one of the plates, when adjusting the first and second plates relative to each other.
Thus the present invention has the advantage over the above-described approach, that a damage of the pulling mechanism or the connecting elements for coupling the two plates does not occur when the predetermined maximum value for the respective pulling force acting upon the respective plate is exceeded, since, due to the friction locked clamping connection according to the invention, the two elements clamped together in a friction-locked (non-positive) manner, perform motions relative to each other, which means that a slippage of the pulling rod, e.g. the piston rod, through an associated clamping device is assured, when exceeding a predetermined maximum value for the pulling force acting upon the respective plate, without the respective elements of the pulling mechanism being destroyed or damaged.
The dependant claims include advantageous embodiments and improvements of the thermoforming machine provided in patent claim 1.
According to a preferred embodiment, the thermoforming machine has an upper plate, which is continuously adjustable vertical to the frame, through a drive motor and associated spindles, in particular, ball screw spindles. In an analogous manner, the thermoforming machine additionally comprises a lower plate disposed below the upper plate, which is preferably also vertically adjustable vertical to the frame through an additional drive motor with associated spindles, in particular, ball screw spindles. Thus the lower and the upper plate can be adjusted in their elevation accordingly, depending on the respectively used form sections, and can be brought into a suitable elevation relative to each other.
Additionally, the upper plate and/or the lower plate are preferably also adjustable in a horizontal manner relative to the frame through associated adjustment elements, so that the respectively used form sections of the upper and lower plates can be adjusted relative to each other.
According to an additional preferred embodiment, several, preferably four, piston devices, formed as hydraulic cylinders, are mounted to the upper plate in a solid manner, and respective associated clamping devices, this means preferably four clamping devices, are mounted to the lower plate respectively formed as clamping cylinders. The piston devices or the respective piston rods are aligned with the respectively associated clamping devices, so that during an adjustment of the upper and the lower plate towards each other, the piston rod of a piston device of the upper plate moves into an associated clamping device of the lower plate, so that it can be clamped in a friction locked manner with such clamping force, so that when a predetermined pulling force is exceeded, the piston rod can slide out of the associated clamping cylinders. Thereby, neither the piston rod, nor the clamping devices are damaged, when a maximum pulling force is exceeded.
According to a further preferred embodiment, after providing the friction locked connections between the piston rods of the hydraulic pistons of the upper plate and the associated clamping devices of the lower plate through operating the hydraulic cylinders, the lower plate is pulled in the direction of the upper plate with a predetermined pulling force, and a deformation of the provided material through the form sections coupled with the plates is assured.
In an advantageous manner, the clamping devices are provided as hydraulic or pneumatic clamping cylinders respectively, which have a respective clamping bushing with an outer cone, and a clamping sleeve with an inner cone, wherein the clamping bushing is axially fixated in a housing of the clamping device, and radially movable, and the clamping sleeve is axially guided in the housing and slideable, for clamping a piston rod, which is received in the clamping device, in axial direction along the clamping axis through pneumatic or hydraulic force loading. Thereby, a friction locked coupling between the piston rod and the associated clamping device, or the upper plate, and the lower plate is assured in a simple and cost effective manner, wherein a relative dislocation of the coupled components is possible, and thus damages can be avoided, when a maximum pulling force is exceeded.
Furthermore, the thermoforming machine preferably has an upper heating device, which is provided below the upper plate, and a lower heating device, which is provided above the lower plate, wherein at least one of the heating devices is adjustable vertical to the frame through an associated adjustment device, and comprises several independent heating sections, preferably two heating sections disposed next to each other.
The invention is subsequently described in more detail based on exemplary embodiments, and with reference to the attached figures of the drawings.
In the figures, identical reference numerals designate identical or functionally equivalent components, unless otherwise noted.
As shown in
For example, four ball screw spindles 4 are provided, which are disposed in a rectangular pattern relative to the upper plate 3, allowing a smooth elevation adjustment of the upper plate 3.
As furthermore shown in
Furthermore, the thermoforming machine 1 with reference to
At the lower plate 7, preferably several clamping cylinders 9 are fastened, so that an opposing clamping cylinder 9 is associated in a suitable manner to each piston rod 6 or to each hydraulic cylinder 5 of the upper plate. Thus during an adjustment of the upper plate 3 and the lower plate 7 towards each other through the above-described drives and adjustment elements, each piston rod 6 of a hydraulic cylinder 5 can be inserted accordingly into an associated clamping cylinder 9, and connected to it through friction locking, wherein such coupling will be described subsequently with reference to
Similar to the upper plate 3, the lower plate 7 can also preferably be moved through associated drives and adjustment elements, relative to the frame 2 in a horizontal manner, in order to perform a desired thermoforming process in connection with the accordingly aligned upper plate 3. It is also conceivable that only one of the plates 3, 7 is supported horizontally adjustable.
According to the present embodiment, the thermoforming machine 1 has a heating mechanism, which has, e.g., two upper heating devices 10, 11, which are also vertically adjustable, relative to the frame 2, through suitable drives and adjustment elements, according to the thermoforming process to be performed respectively. Below the upper heater devices 10, 11, preferably two lower heater devices 12, 13 are provided, which are also vertically adjustable through suitable drives and adjustment elements relative to the frame 2. The upper heating devices 10, 11, and the lower heating devices 12, 13 are provided for heating the material to be thermoformed before the thermoforming process.
Subsequently a thermoforming process through the exemplary thermoforming machine 1 of the present embodiment is described in more detail with reference to the
Each clamping cylinder 9 can continuously clamp an associated piston rod 6 without changing its position, and, furthermore, each clamping cylinder 9 can bear axial forces in both directions. The clamping cylinders 9 are activated or deactivated through force loading, in particular through hydraulic force loading. It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, that a pneumatic force loading is also possible.
The clamping cylinders 9 preferably comprise a respective clamping bushing 14 with an outer cone and a clamping sleeve 15 with an inner cone, as illustrated in
In
Through such a coupling of the piston rods 6 with the respectively associated clamping cylinders 9, a friction locked connection between the piston rods 6 and the respectively associated clamping cylinders 9, or between the upper plate 3 and the lower plate 7 is assured.
For performing the thermoforming process, after performing the said friction locked connection, the hydraulic cylinders 5 of the upper plate 3 are driven, so that a pulling force of a predetermined size is imparted to the lower plate 7, comprising the clamping cylinders 9. Thus the lower plate 7 is pulled against the upper plate 3 for delivering the required forming force for thermoforming the heated material through the provided form sections of the upper plate 3 and the lower plate 7 with a predetermined pulling force. Due to the above described friction locked connection between the piston rods 6 and the associated clamping cylinders 9, a sliding motion of the inserted piston rods 6 relative to the associated clamping cylinders 9 advantageously occurs when a predetermined maximum value of the pulling force is exceeded. Through this sliding out of the piston rods 6 from the associated clamping cylinders 9, when a predetermined pulling force is exceeded, damages to the particular components are avoided, contrary to an, e.g., form-fit connection between the respective components.
After a successfully completed thermoforming process, the pulling force imparted upon the lower plate 7 is disengaged through the respective drives of the hydraulic cylinders 5, the upper plate 3 and the lower plate 7 are moved apart from each other through the respective drives and adjustment elements, and the thermoformed piece is removed.
Though the present invention was described in the above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not limited to them, but can be modified in many ways.
For example, pneumatic cylinders can also be used instead of hydraulic cylinders, which assure the respective pulling forces. Also, the number and placement of the piston cylinders on the upper plate, as well as of the associated clamping cylinders on the lower plate, can be modified as appropriate, and shall be preferably selected such that a smooth relative motion of the upper and the lower plates is possible relative to each other.
Furthermore, also different clamping mechanisms, than the ones shown in
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