KR19980016017A - Uniformly compressible flat plate - Google Patents

Abstract

A flat plate for use in a clamping operation in which force is generated in a first direction includes a first wall having an edge and a central region and at least first and second sides, the first side being located closest to the clamping actuation . The plate also includes a second wall spaced from and parallel to the first wall such that the first and second walls extend across a first direction of force. The intermediate support structure is located between the walls and is used to guide the force from the edge of the first wall toward the central region to prevent the first wall from being nonuniformly deflected along the first side.

Description

Uniformly compressible flat plate

The present invention relates to a flat plate used in a mold machine and a molding machine, particularly a flat plate having a structure allowing a minimum plate deformation at a minimum plate weight.

Injection molding plates generally take the form of blocks, for example, US Pat. No. 5,188,850 to Hirata et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,066,217 to Fukuku et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,110,283 to Blume et al., U.S. Pat. 5,162,782 and Hirata et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,192,557. In each of the above patents, the mold plate takes the shape of a block having a generally rectangular side supporting the mold halves. During clamp-up of the mold halves, force is generated against the mold mounting surface of the plate. Since this block-shaped flat plate is typical, the mold mounting surface is deformed to be applied to the force acting on the upper and lower sides of the side surface, to bend the flat plate and to provide a tensile force across the flat plate. As a result, the center of the plates under clamp-up will form a gap between mold halves, sometimes forming a flash as a by-product.

U.S. Patent No. 4,615,857 to Beadard discloses a method of capturing and reducing the flash during casting operations. According to this device, the injection and transfer molding of the plastic is carried out in such a manner as to substantially eliminate the flash. The deflection inside the molding machine is measured by the molding machine of the clamping part. The support structure of the mold is arranged such that the shaped support pillars and bars against the forces created while the mold is in the clamping feature act as a uniform spring to exert a uniform force on the mold surface by these support pillars and bars . The spring constants and lengths of the support pillars and bars are calculated to represent the actual deflection found in the molding machine to produce uniform pressure on the mold during clamping of the molding machine.

Therefore, the bending of the mold plate during the mold sealing is measured and the compressibility of the mold mounting block of the apparatus is adjusted as a function of the lateral position on one or both plates to compensate for the bending of the plate, A constant force acts independently of the position. The stiffness and length of the mounting block determine the force provided by the mounting block, and although the Bayard ' s patent compensates for deflection, the resulting method and apparatus need to be designed separately for a particular force generated in a particular mold It is very complicated. Therefore, a design that can be applied equally is not obtained.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a prior art mold plate which takes a slightly different shape than the block-shaped flat plate referred to in the above patents. As shown in FIG. 1A, the mold plate has a side portion including several through openings, and a front wall and a rear wall. Extends to the rear wall, which can have a plurality of slots and ribs at a surface area smaller than the front wall of the plate, as shown in Fig. 1B. In addition, the plate contains holes at its corners for receiving tension bars which resist against the force F between the plates during clamp-up of the mold. Each binding bar has a reaction force F _R as shown. A plurality of ribs and slots are provided to reduce the weight of the plate. That is, the front mold mounting surface is under compression during mold clamp-up, and the back wall is under tension as a single beam. The binding bar is inwardly withdrawn as shown by dashed lines and arrows in FIG. 1A and deformed to follow the movement of the flat surface, thereby bending the mold surface to provide a concave shape in the casting similar to a flat plate in the above patents. Therefore, despite the structure of the mold plate shown in Figs. 1A and 1B, the mold surface bending is not compensated and the possibility of occurrence of the flash still exists. Since both side surfaces of the flat plate are bent, the support portions at the corners of the coupling bars are also bent so as to bring the coupling bar supporting portions into a non-uniform load state. This causes bending of the binding bars and high stress concentration, causing early fatigue failure. The arrow C shows that the binding bar is bent during clamp-up.

Therefore, there is a need for a lightweight flat plate of simple design that includes means for compensating for deformation of the plate during clamp-up of the molder or molding machine and which substantially eliminates the production of flash.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a mold plate which can be used for addressing, clamping or molding, which makes the mold mounting surfaces flat and parallel during clamp-up.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a lightweight mold plate which can be used in an injection molding apparatus.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mold plate configured to guide the clamping force from the coupling bars at the edges of the plate towards the central mold mounting area of the plate, without causing any bending of the plate during clamp-up.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mold plate having a mold mounting surface that is kept substantially flat during clamp-up and substantially prevents the formation of flash.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mold plate having two sides and an intermediate support structure for preventing non-uniform deflection of the mold plate at the mold side during clamp-up.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mold plate having a central arch-shaped intermediate support structure between the two walls and substantially preventing non-uniform deflection of the plate at the two walls and mold sides.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mold plate having a conical intermediate support structure that substantially prevents nonuniform deflection of the plate on both sides and on the mold side.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a flat plate capable of eliminating non-uniform loads on the binding bars and nuts during clamp-up.

The above objects are achieved by a mold plate of the present invention for use in a clamping operation in which force is generated in a first direction. The flat plate includes a first wall having an edge and a central region and at least first and second sides, the first side being configured to be positioned closest to the clamping actuation. The flat plate also includes a second wall spaced from and substantially parallel to the first wall, the first and second walls extending across the first direction of the force. The means for guiding the force from the edge of the first wall toward the central region of the first wall is provided to prevent the first wall from being nonuniformly deflected along the first side. The second wall is provided for the purpose of resisting separation force produced by the intermediate structure.

The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals are used for like parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1A is a side view showing a prior art mold plate and its position taken by force and deflection during clamp-up of the mold plate; FIG.

1B is a front view of the prior art mold plate shown in FIG. 1A;

Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the plate of Figures 3-5 in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

3 is a perspective view of the flat plate of Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment of a plate in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a plate according to the principles of the present invention shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2; FIG.

Description of the Related Art [0002]

10: flat plate 12: mold mounting wall

14: end wall 16: intermediate support structure

17: mold half 18: hole

20: injection unit 25: coupling bar

26, 28: rib 30: central region

31: joint 32, 34: smooth

2 is a side cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a plate of the present invention for use in a casting operation, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the plate 10 shown in Fig. Typically, the plate 10 includes a mold mounting wall 12 configured to condition the mold halves 17, an end wall 14 and an intermediate support structure 16 positioned between these mold walls 12 and the end wall 14, .

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate another embodiment of the plate of the present invention, wherein the embodiments shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5 are similar. Fig. 4 shows an especially preferred embodiment, i.e. an embodiment with angled walls instead of arcuate walls or with conical intermediate parts as shown in Fig. In all the embodiments and drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same parts unless otherwise stated in the description and the following description.

The mold mounting wall 12 is configured to fix the mold half 17 to clamp it sufficiently to the other mold halves by the clamping force F shown by the arrows in alignment with the other half (not shown) to form the mold. The reaction force F _R in the binding bar 25 is shown by an arrow. The mold mounting wall 12 is shown as taking a longitudinal direction, but may take other shapes, extending across the force F, and preferably with the insertion of the injection unit 20 on one of the two plates or machine And a hole 18 passing through the center thereof. The tip portion 22 of the injection unit 20 extends through the hole 18 to connect the mold halves 17, as shown in the cross-sectional view in Figure 2, thereby contributing to efficient space utilization. The mold mounting wall 12 also includes apertures 24 having diameters larger than the coupling bars 25 at each of the corners to receive the coupling bars 25. The mold mounting bottle 12 is configured to receive four binding bars 25 extending therethrough toward the end wall 14. [

The incremental support structure 16 provides a mechanism that prevents the mold mounting wall 12 of the plate 10 from being unevenly folded during operation of the clamping force F to prevent flash formation and wear on the mold part parts .

The intermediate support structure 16 includes at least one inner rib 26 and / or 28 extending from the inner side 27 of the mold mounting wall 12 to the inner side 29 of the end wall 14, The intermediate support structure has a narrow end and a wide end. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the intermediate support structure preferably comprises a continuous wall of semicircular or conical shape attached to the mounting wall and end walls similar to those described below with respect to the upper and lower ribs.

The ribs 26 and 28 are attached to and extend outwardly from a central region 30 of the inner side surface 27 of the mold mounting wall 12 and define an edge portion 32 of the inner side surface 29 of the end wall 14, 34 form a narrow end and form a wide end and cavity 31 between the ribs 26, Thus, the central region 30 is located on the opposite side of the mold mounting area of the mold mounting wall 12. Thus, the ribs 26 and 28 directly support the flat surface on which the mold is located. In one embodiment, a single upper rib 12 extends from and is attached to the upper region 32 of the inner side 29 of the end wall 14 from the central region 30 of the mold apparatus wall 12. The upper ribs 26 are preferably attached to the inner surface 27 of the mounting wall 12 and extend over the entire width thereof, as shown in a perspective view in Fig. Likewise, the lower ribs 28 are also attached to the central region 30 and extend therefrom, preferably along the entire width of the inner side 27 of the mold mounting wall 12, 29 on the lower side. Although the ribs 26, 28 have been described as extending across and extending across the entire width, the present invention is particularly advantageous when the ribs 26, 28 have a small width and are spaced apart from each other and cover the entire width of the mold- It is also considered to be composed of a plurality of individual ribs which are not necessary.

2 and in the related embodiment, the structure formed by the upper rib 26 and the lower rib 28 is substantially arcuate or C-shaped, wherein each rib is in the form of an arcuate outward cavity 31 of the plate 10 do.

The upper and lower ribs 126 and 128 are substantially straight and extend from the central region 130 to the upper edge 132 and lower edge 134 of the end wall 114. In this embodiment, . The shape in this embodiment is V-shape. The cross section taken horizontally is the same in still another embodiment, that is, the cone shown in Fig. 4, which shows a cross-section of the embodiment of FIG. 5, does not include holes 124 and the portion of the coupling bar 125 shown in cavity 131 is not visible because wall 226 is shown in block form.

5 and in the related embodiment, the intermediate support structure 216 has a conical or spherical narrow portion attached to the inner side 227 of the mold mounting wall 212 and an inner support 228 on the inner side 229 of the end plate 214 And includes a conical or spherical wall 226 having a wider conical or spherical portion. The conical or spherical wall may be divided into zones for ease of manufacture or may be a single cast section. The wall 226 of the intermediate portion 216 generally does not extend over the entire width of the end wall and mold mounting wall as described in connection with the embodiment of Figures 2 and 4 because it takes on a conical or spherical shape.

In the embodiment of Figures 2, 4 and 5, the upper and lower ribs of the intermediate support structure or the wall of the conical or spherical support structure are respectively affixed to the mold wall 12, 112 or 212 at an acute angle ω (Similar to FIG. 4, not shown in FIG. 5) and attached to the end walls 14, 114, or 214 at an acute angle .alpha. (Similar to FIG.

The end wall 14 is preferably rectangular in shape but may be of other shapes and extends parallel to the wall 12 and across the force F and has an injection unit (not shown) for injecting the melt into the mold halves 17 20 may be extended. Like the mold wall 12, the end wall 14 also includes an aperture 28 aligned with the hole 24 at each of its corners for receiving the coupling bar. Optionally, each hole 28 also includes a countersink 40 for receiving a coupling bar nut 42. The upper ribs 26 and the lower ribs 2 also have openings 48 and 50 aligned with the holes 24 and 38 of the walls 12 and 14 to receive the binding bars 25, . The end wall 14 may also include a cleansing opening 44 through which the melt is discharged at a location adjacent the ribs 26 and 28 and may be provided to the interior surface 46 of the lower rib 28, Is released from the flat plate through the purging opening (44).

Although the flat plate is formed of a cast material, its elements, namely walls and intermediate support structures, may be formed to be joined together in a detachable manner in any manner that provides the necessary strength to withstand forces generated during clamp-up .

In operation, the flat plate 10 may be used, for example, as a movable and stationary flat plate used in a mold machine and a mechanical molding machine or other clamping machine, wherein the deflection of the flat plate is such that due to the occurrence of a clamp- And single and tandem structures of a molding machine or other clamping machine.

During clamp-up using the plate 10, the intermediate support structure 16 and the arrangement of the mold mounting walls 12 relative to the intermediate support structure 16 ensures that the clamping force F at the edge of the plate is equal to It is oriented towards the center of the plate, that is, it is possible to bridge directly under the mold. Thus, the mold mounting surface of the plate is deformed in a substantially parallel manner to prevent bending and flash generation.

The force F generated on the mold mounting surface of the flat plate 10 during clamp-up is shown by a large arrow in Fig. The force F acting on the plate during mold clamp-up is distributed outward along the inner ribs 26, 28 as the force F _I as shown by the small arrows, whereby the intermediate support structure 16 is compressed And causes the mounting surface of the wall 12 to assume a neutral state in the sense of the bending force acting thereon in a non-opposing relationship. In addition, the end wall 14 is in the tensioned state shown by the arrow T, and the coupling bar with the reaction force F _R is slightly outwardly biased due to the extension of the end wall 14. By the action of forces on and within the plate, the mold mounting surface of the mounting wall 12 is deflected non-uniformly.

The above-described distribution of forces is equally applicable to other embodiments, namely the arcuate or C-shaped intermediate support structure and the V-shaped intermediate support structure shown in Figs. 2 and 4 and the conical or spherical intermediate support structure shown in Fig. 5 .

A major advantage of the present invention is the provision of a mold plate which can be used for casting, clamping or molding to make the mold mounting surfaces flat and parallel during clamp-up. Another advantage is that a lightweight mold plate is provided which can be used in an injection molding apparatus. Another advantage is that a mold plate is provided which is configured to guide the clamping force from the binding bars at the edges of the plate towards the central mold mounting area of the plate, without causing any bending of the plate during clamp-up. Another advantage is that the mold plate is provided with a mold mounting surface that is kept substantially flat during clamp-up and can substantially prevent the formation of flash. Another advantage is the provision of a mold plate with two side surfaces and an intermediate support structure that prevents non-uniform deflection of the mold mounting side of the plate during clamp-up. Another advantage is that a mold plate is provided with a central arch-shaped intermediate support structure between the two walls and substantially preventing the non-uniform deflection of the plate at the mold mounting side. Another advantage is that the plate is provided with a conical or spherical intermediate support structure which substantially prevents nonuniform deflection of the plate and the two walls. Another advantage is that a flat plate is provided with a conical or spherical intermediate support structure that substantially prevents nonuniform deflection of the two walls and the plate on the mold side. Another advantage is that a mold plate is provided that can eliminate the non-uniform loads of the coupling bars and nuts during clamp-up. The bending of the flat plate is minimized so that the load of the binding bar becomes substantially uniform and any bending of the binding bar is substantially prevented.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, which shows only the best mode for carrying out the present invention, and that the shape, size, arrangement and operation of parts in the above embodiment may be changed in different forms. In addition, all modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention described in the claims are also included in the present invention.

Claims (20)

A flat plate for use in a clamping operation in which a force is generated in a first direction, A first wall having at least a first side and a second side configured to be positioned closest to the edge and the central region and the clamping action, A second wall spaced from and parallel to the first wall and extending across the first direction of the force with the first wall, And means for guiding the force from the edge of the first wall toward the central region of the first wall to prevent the first wall from being non-uniformly deflected along the first side. The flat plate of claim 1, wherein the guide means comprises an intermediate support structure located between and attached to the first and second walls. 3. The flatbed of claim 2 wherein the intermediate support structure is formed by a V-shaped support wall defining a cavity between the first wall and the second wall. 3. The flatbed of claim 2, wherein the intermediate support structure is formed by an arcuate support wall defining a cavity between the first wall and the second wall. 5. The flatbed of claim 4, further comprising means for receiving the injection unit through the first and second walls and the intermediate support structure. 6. A flatbed as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first and second walls have an opening in the cavity itself, the cavity and the cavity receiving the injection unit. 6. A flatbed as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second wall comprises means for removing debris generated in the cavity during a casting operation performed using the injection unit. 8. A flatbed according to claim 7, wherein the removal means comprises an inner surface of the arcuate support wall leading to the purging opening through the second wall to permit the release of debris from the cavity. The flat plate of claim 2, further comprising means for guiding on the coupling bar. The flat plate according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate support structure is formed by a support wall having a C-shaped cross section. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an intermediate support structure formed by an arcuate support wall having a narrow end and a wide end, wherein the first wall is attached to the narrow end and the second wall is attached to the wide end . 12. The flatbed of claim 11, wherein the second side of the first wall is attached to the narrow end opposite the first side. 3. The flatbed of claim 2, wherein the first wall is configured to support a first midsection half that is mated to a second mold half to form a mold of the injection molding machine. 3. The flatbed of claim 2, wherein the intermediate support structure includes a plurality of ribs attached thereto between the first wall and the second wall and oriented at an acute angle to the walls. 15. The flatbed of claim 14, wherein the flat plate has a predetermined width, and the plurality of ribs include upper and lower ribs extending across the width of the flat plate. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first wall has a second side having a central region and a second wall having an upper edge and a lower edge, wherein the upper rib extends from the central region to the upper edge and the lower rib extends from the central region to the lower edge A flat plate characterized by being extended. 17. The flatbed of claim 16, wherein the upper and lower ribs form an arcuate intermediate support structure. 17. The flatbed of claim 16, wherein the upper and lower ribs form a conical intermediate support structure. The flat plate of claim 2, wherein the intermediate support structure is formed by a circumferential wall. The flat plate of claim 1, wherein the guide means is configured to prevent the first wall from deflecting the first side in a second direction crossing the first direction.