Vacuum foaming device and foaming method

Abstract

The present invention provides a vacuum foaming device and a vacuum foaming method, which belong to the field of foaming technology. The device includes a vacuum generating device and a foaming tool. The vacuum generating device includes a closed cavity and a vacuum pump. The vacuum pump is used to extract the air in the closed cavity. The foaming tool includes a foaming machine and a foaming plate. The foaming plate is placed in the closed cavity, and a foaming cavity is provided in the foaming plate. A heating device for heating the foaming plate is provided on the periphery of the foaming plate. The foaming machine is arranged outside the closed cavity and is connected to the foaming cavity through a foaming pipe. The vacuum foaming device can complete the foaming of the foaming material under a vacuum state, reduce the influence of air resistance on the flow of the foaming material, have a good foaming effect, and produce foamed products of excellent quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of foaming, and in particular to a vacuum foaming device and a foaming method. Background Art

[0002] Foam board is a plate-like structure made of sheet metal as the shell and filled with foam material in the shell. It is mainly used in fans, combination cabinets, mining machines and other equipment to play a role in heat insulation. The current production process of foam board is: put the sheet metal shell into the laminator, and then pour the foam material into the cavity of the sheet metal shell. The foam material reacts and expands to fill the cavity of the sheet metal shell. Finally, the foam board is insulated and cured to obtain the final product.

[0003] However, in the existing production process, the foaming process of the foaming material is under normal pressure. The viscosity of the foaming material will increase during the reaction process, so the atmospheric pressure will gradually increase the expansion resistance of the foaming material, which will reduce the flow rate of the foaming material, thereby affecting the uniformity of the density of the foaming material in various places in the foam board, making the density of the foaming material in the corners of the foam board poor. In order to overcome this defect, the existing practice is usually to inject more foaming material into the cavity formed by the sheet metal, but this practice will result in too much foaming material, and even the foaming material will overflow from the sheet metal, resulting in material waste and increased production costs. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to overcome the problems existing in the related art, one of the purposes of the present invention is to provide a vacuum foaming device, which can complete the foaming of the foaming material under a vacuum state, reduce the influence of air resistance on the flow of the foaming material, have a good foaming effect, and produce foamed products of excellent quality.

[0005] A vacuum foaming device, comprising:

[0006] A vacuum generating device, the vacuum generating device comprising a sealed cavity and a vacuum extractor, the vacuum extractor being used to extract air from the sealed cavity;

[0007] A foaming tool, the foaming tool comprising a foaming machine and a foaming plate, the foaming plate being placed in the closed cavity, a foaming cavity being arranged in the foaming plate; a heating device for heating the foaming plate is arranged on the periphery of the foaming plate, the foaming machine is arranged outside the closed cavity and is connected to the foaming cavity through a foaming pipe.

[0008] In a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the closed cavity includes a frame and a vacuum membrane, the vacuum membrane completely covers the frame, and one side of the vacuum membrane is provided with a through hole for the foaming plate to enter and exit.

[0009] In a preferred technical solution of the present invention, a hot melt machine is also included;

[0010] The hot melt machine is arranged at the through opening and is used for sealing the through opening of the vacuum film.

[0011] In a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the foaming plate includes an inner plate, an outer plate and a fixed plate, the inner plate and the outer plate are arranged opposite to each other, and the foaming cavity is formed between the inner plate and the outer plate; the fixed plate is clamped between the inner plate and the outer plate to limit the relative movement of the inner plate and the outer plate.

[0012] In a preferred technical solution of the present invention, a heat insulation layer is provided at the junction of the inner plate and the outer plate; the inner plate and the outer plate are bonded and fixed to each other.

[0013] In a preferred technical solution of the present invention, first folded edges are provided on two opposite sides of the inner plate, and second folded edges are provided on two opposite sides of the outer plate; when the inner plate and the outer plate are arranged relative to each other, the first folded edge and the second folded edge are in contact with each other.

[0014] In a preferred technical solution of the present invention, a connecting structure is provided at the connection between the first folded edge and the second folded edge;

[0015] The connection structure comprises a first connection plate and a second connection plate, wherein the first connection plate is fixed on the first folded edge, and the second connection plate is fixed on the second folded edge and is opposite to the first connection plate;

[0016] The first connecting plate is provided with a groove, and the second connecting plate is provided with a boss matched with the groove. When the first folded edge and the second folded edge are fitted with each other, the boss is inserted into the groove.

[0017] In a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the heating device comprises a heating plate, and the heating plate is arranged on the side walls of the inner plate and the outer plate; the heating plate is formed by splicing a plurality of heating electric plates.

[0018] A second object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum foaming method, wherein the foaming method uses the foaming device as described above to produce a foamed product.

[0019] In a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the vacuum foaming method comprises the following steps:

[0020] Open the sealed cavity, place the foaming board into the sealed cavity, and seal the sealed cavity;

[0021] Vacuuming, using the vacuum extractor to extract the air in the sealed cavity so that the pressure of the sealed cavity reaches a set pressure value;

[0022] Filling the foaming material into the foaming cavity through the foaming machine; and turning on the heating device to heat the foaming plate after the foaming is completed;

[0023] The foaming material is kept warm and solidified under a set vacuum state, and the foaming is completed.

[0024] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0025] The present invention provides a vacuum foaming device, which includes a vacuum generating device and a foaming tool. The vacuum generating device includes a closed cavity and a vacuum pump, and the foaming tool includes a foaming machine and a foaming plate. During use, the foaming plate is placed in the closed cavity, and then the air in the closed cavity is extracted by the vacuum pump. After the air pressure in the closed cavity reaches a set value, the foaming material is poured into the foaming plate by the foaming machine, so that the foaming material completes foaming under a vacuum state. Therefore, the influence of air resistance on the flow of the foaming material can be reduced, so that the foaming effect is good. In addition, the heating device is used to heat the foaming plate during the foaming process, so that the foaming material in the foaming cavity can be quickly insulated and solidified, thereby preventing the obtained foaming plate from deforming and ensuring that the produced foamed product is of excellent quality.

[0026] The present invention also provides a foaming method for foaming production using the vacuum foaming device. The method can reduce the production cost of the foamed board to a low level, and the foamed product obtained is of excellent quality, which can improve the market competitiveness of the foamed product production enterprise. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the vacuum foaming device provided in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the vacuum generating device provided in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the foaming tool provided in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a foaming board provided in Example 2 of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 It is a flow chart of the vacuum foaming method provided by the present invention.

[0032] Reference numerals:

[0033] 100, vacuum generating device; 110, vacuum extractor; 120, closed cavity; 200, foaming tool; 210, foaming board; 220, foaming machine; 300, heating device; 400, fixing plate; 500, thermal insulation layer; 600, hot melt machine; 700, connecting structure; 710, first connecting plate; 720, second connecting plate; 1201, frame; 1202, vacuum membrane; 2101, outer plate; 2102, inner plate; 2103, foaming cavity; 2201, foaming pipe; 7101, groove; 7201, boss; 21011, second folding edge; 21021, first folding edge. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided to make the present invention more thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

[0035] The terms used in the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular forms "a", "the" and "said" used in the present invention and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates other meanings. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0036] It should be understood that although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. may be used to describe various information in the present invention, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the same type of information from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first information may also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as the first information. Thus, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "multiple" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0037] Embodiment 1:

[0038] like Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, a vacuum foaming device comprises a vacuum generating device 100 and a foaming tool 200. The vacuum generating device 100 comprises a sealed cavity 120 and a vacuum extractor 110, wherein the vacuum extractor 110 is used to extract air from the sealed cavity 120.

[0039] The foaming tool 200 includes a foaming machine 220 and a foaming plate 210. The foaming plate 210 is placed in the closed cavity 120, and a foaming cavity 2103 is provided in the foaming plate 210. A heating device 300 for heating the foaming plate 210 is provided on the periphery of the foaming plate 210. The foaming machine 220 is arranged outside the closed cavity 120 and is connected to the foaming cavity 2103 through a foaming pipe 2201.

[0040] More specifically, the vacuum extractor 110 is connected to the sealed cavity 120 through a pipeline. After the vacuum extractor 110 is started, the air in the sealed cavity 120 is extracted, and a vacuum state is achieved in the sealed cavity 120. In a more specific embodiment, the vacuum extractor 110 is provided with a display and an air pressure detection device, the air pressure detection device is electrically connected to the display, and the air pressure detection device is used to detect the pressure in the sealed cavity 120 and display it through the display, so that the operator can intuitively understand the air condition in the sealed cavity 120.

[0041] The foaming machine 220 is connected to the foaming cavity 2103 through a foaming pipe 2201. In actual applications, an opening is provided on the wall of the closed cavity 120 for the foaming pipe 2201 to pass through, and the foaming pipe 2201 and the closed cavity 120 can be sealed by glue to prevent air leakage. A gun head is provided at one end of the foaming pipe 2201 located in the closed cavity 120, and the foaming material is poured into the foaming cavity 2103 through the gun head. The side wall of the foaming plate 210 is provided with an opening for the gun head to pass through. In actual applications, the gun head and the foaming pipe 2201 are both configured to be detachable for subsequent cleaning, replacement, and maintenance.

[0042] The above-mentioned vacuum foaming device includes a vacuum generating device 100 and a foaming tool 200, wherein the vacuum generating device 100 includes a closed cavity 120 and a vacuum extractor 110, and the foaming tool 200 includes a foaming machine 220 and a foaming plate 210. During use, the foaming plate 210 is placed in the closed cavity 120, and then the air in the closed cavity 120 is extracted by the vacuum extractor 110. After the air pressure in the closed cavity 120 reaches the set value, the foaming material is poured into the foaming plate 210 by the foaming machine 220, so that the foaming material completes foaming under a vacuum state. Therefore, the influence of air resistance on the flow of the foaming material can be reduced, so that the foaming effect is good. Moreover, during the foaming process, the heating device 300 is used to heat the foaming plate 210, so that the foaming material in the foaming cavity 2103 can be quickly insulated and solidified, so as to prevent the obtained foaming plate 210 from deforming, and ensure that the quality of the foamed product produced is excellent.

[0043] In a more specific embodiment, the sealed cavity 120 includes a frame 1201 and a vacuum film 1202, wherein the vacuum film 1202 is completely covered on the frame 1201, and a through hole for the foaming plate 210 to enter and exit is provided on one side of the vacuum film 1202. The frame 1201 serves as the main structure of the sealed cavity 120, supporting the entire sealed cavity 120, so that the foaming plate 210 can be conveniently placed in the sealed cavity 120. The vacuum film 1202 is covered outside the frame 1201, and is used to achieve the sealing of the sealed cavity 120.

[0044] In another embodiment, the closed cavity 120 may not include the frame 1201, but the foaming plate 210 and the heating device 300 are used as the frame 1201, and the foaming plate 210 and the heating device 300 are completely covered with the vacuum film 1202 and then sealed to form the closed cavity 120. In this embodiment, the structure of the closed cavity 120 is simpler and the cost is lower. It should be noted that the vacuum film 1202 should be made of heat-resistant material, and more specifically, the softening temperature of the vacuum film 1202 should be higher than the melting temperature of the hot melt adhesive. For example, if the melting temperature of the hot melt adhesive is 150°C, the softening temperature of the vacuum film 1202 should be greater than 160°C to ensure that the vacuum film 1202 will not soften during the foaming process, resulting in the sealing effect of the closed cavity 120 not meeting the requirements.

[0045] Furthermore, the foaming device also includes a hot melt machine 600;

[0046] The hot melt machine 600 is disposed at the through port and is used to seal the through port of the vacuum film 1202 .

[0047] The opening of the vacuum film 1202 is sealed by hot-melt sealing machine 600, which is practical and has good sealing effect. In actual application, the vacuum film 1202 needs to be opened and hot-melt sealed every time foaming is performed to ensure the sealing of the closed cavity 120 formed by the vacuum film 1202. The hot-melt sealing machine 600 can be used to reuse the vacuum film 1202, thereby reducing production costs.

[0048] In this embodiment, the foaming plate 210 includes an inner plate 2102, an outer plate 2101 and a fixed plate 400. The inner plate 2102 and the outer plate 2101 are arranged relative to each other, and the foaming cavity 2103 is formed between the inner plate 2102 and the outer plate 2101; the fixed plate 400 is clamped between the inner plate 2102 and the outer plate 2101 to limit the relative movement of the inner plate 2102 and the outer plate 2101.

[0049] More specifically, the fixing plate 400 is clamped on two sides of the inner plate 2102 and the outer plate 2101 that are away from each other. The fixing plate 400 can prevent the foaming material from spreading the inner plate 2102 and the outer plate 2101 during the foaming process, so as to avoid deformation of the produced products and make them unusable.

[0050] Furthermore, a heat insulation layer 500 is provided at the junction of the inner plate 2102 and the outer plate 2101; the inner plate 2102 and the outer plate 2101 are bonded and fixed to each other. The heat insulation layer 500 is used to prevent the inner plate 2102 and the outer plate 2101 from contacting each other, thereby reducing the heat transfer efficiency between the two and improving product quality.

[0051] In a specific embodiment, the heating device 300 includes a heating plate, which is arranged on the side walls of the inner plate 2102 and the outer plate 2101; the heating plate is formed by splicing a plurality of heating plates. The spliced ​​heating plate can meet the use requirements of different foaming plates 210, which improves the versatility of the heating plate.

[0052] The present invention also provides a foaming method for foaming production using the vacuum foaming device.

[0053] See Figure 5 , the foaming method comprises the following steps:

[0054] S100, the sealed cavity 120 is opened, the foaming board 210 is placed in the sealed cavity 120, and the sealed cavity 120 is sealed; in actual application, the sealed cavity 120 is sealed by melting the vacuum film 1202 through the hot melt machine 600.

[0055] S200, vacuuming, using the vacuum extractor 110 to extract the air in the sealed cavity 120, so that the pressure of the sealed cavity 120 reaches a set pressure value. During the vacuuming process, the air pressure state in the sealed cavity 120 is read through the display screen on the vacuum extractor 110. The set pressure value is usually 0.05 atmospheres.

[0056] S300 , pouring foaming material into the foaming cavity 2103 through the foaming machine 220 ; and turning on the heating device 300 to heat the foaming plate 210 after the foaming is completed.

[0057] S400: The foaming material is heat-insulated and cured under a set vacuum state, and the foaming is completed.

[0058] The method can reduce the production cost of the foam plate 210 to a low level, and the obtained foam product has excellent quality, which can improve the competitiveness of the foam product manufacturing enterprise.

[0059] Embodiment 2:

[0060] like Figure 4 As shown, this embodiment only describes the differences from Embodiment 1, and the remaining technical features are the same as those of the above embodiment.

[0061] In this embodiment, the inner plate 2102 is provided with a first folded edge 21021 on two opposite sides, and the outer plate 2101 is provided with a second folded edge 21011 on two opposite sides; when the inner plate 2102 and the outer plate 2101 are arranged relative to each other, the first folded edge 21021 and the second folded edge 21011 are in contact with each other.

[0062] The inner plate 2102 and the outer plate 2101 that cooperate with each other through the folding edge are convenient to process, simple to align, and easy to splice, which can improve the production efficiency of the foam plate 210.

[0063] Furthermore, a connection structure 700 is provided at the connection between the first folded edge 21021 and the second folded edge 21011;

[0064] The connection structure 700 includes a first connection plate 710 and a second connection plate 720. The first connection plate 710 is fixed on the first folded edge 21021, and the second connection plate 720 is fixed on the second folded edge 21011 and is opposite to the first connection plate 710.

[0065] The first connecting plate 710 is provided with a groove 7101 , and the second connecting plate 720 is provided with a boss 7201 adapted to the groove 7101 . When the first folded edge 21021 and the second folded edge 21011 are fitted with each other, the boss 7201 is inserted into the groove 7101 .

[0066] It should be noted that the material of the first connecting plate 710 and the second connecting plate 720 is different from that of the inner plate 2102 and the outer plate 2101. The first connecting plate 710 and the second connecting plate 720 should be made of heat-insulating hard materials, such as acrylic glue. By setting the connecting structure 700, the splicing of the inner plate 2102 and the outer plate 2101 is more convenient, and there is no need to glue and fix the two. It should be noted that after the boss 7201 is inserted into the groove 7101, it is necessary to ensure that the inner plate 2102 and the outer plate 2101 cannot move radially or axially along the boss 7201.

[0067] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions and numerical values ​​of the parts and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present application. At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship. The technology, methods and equipment known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but in appropriate cases, the technology, methods and equipment should be considered as a part of the authorization specification. In all examples shown and discussed here, any specific value should be interpreted as being merely exemplary, rather than as a limitation. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that the same reference numerals and letters represent the same items in the following drawings, so that once a certain item is defined in an accompanying drawing, it does not need to be further discussed in subsequent drawings. In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the directions or positional relationships indicated by directional words such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "lateral, vertical, perpendicular, horizontal" and "top, bottom" are usually based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise specified, these directional words do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction or be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present application; the directional words "inside and outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the contours of each component itself.

[0068] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "above", "above", "on the upper surface of", "above", etc. may be used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship between a component or feature and other components or features as shown in the figures. It should be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the components in use or operation in addition to the orientations described in the figures. For example, if the components in the drawings are inverted, the components described as "above other components or structures" or "above other components or structures" will be positioned as "below other components or structures" or "below other components or structures". Thus, the exemplary term "above" may include both "above" and "below". The component may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions used herein are interpreted accordingly.

[0069] In addition, it should be noted that the use of words such as "first" and "second" to limit components is only for the convenience of distinguishing the corresponding components. If not otherwise stated, the above words have no special meaning and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of this application. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention may have various changes and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vacuum foaming device, characterized in that: include: A vacuum generating device (100), the vacuum generating device (100) comprising a sealed cavity (120) and a vacuum extractor (110), the vacuum extractor (110) being used to extract air from the sealed cavity (120); A foaming tool (200), the foaming tool (200) comprising a foaming machine (220) and a foaming plate (210), the foaming plate (210) being placed in the closed cavity (120), the foaming plate (210) being provided with a foaming cavity (2103); a heating device (300) for heating the foaming plate (210) being provided on the periphery of the foaming plate (210), the foaming machine (220) being arranged outside the closed cavity (120) and being connected to the foaming cavity (2103) via a foaming pipe (2201); The foaming plate (210) comprises an inner plate (2102), an outer plate (2101) and a fixing plate (400); the inner plate (2102) and the outer plate (2101) are arranged relative to each other, and the foaming cavity (2103) is formed between the inner plate (2102) and the outer plate (2101); the fixing plate (400) is clamped between the inner plate (2102) and the outer plate (2101) to limit the relative movement of the inner plate (2102) and the outer plate (2101); a heat insulation plate is provided at the junction of the inner plate (2102) and the outer plate (2101); layer (500); the inner plate (2102) and the outer plate (2101) are bonded and fixed to each other; the inner plate (2102) is provided with first folded edges (21021) on two opposite sides, and the outer plate (2101) is provided with second folded edges (21011) on two opposite sides; when the inner plate (2102) and the outer plate (2101) are arranged relative to each other, the first folded edge (21021) and the second folded edge (21011) are in contact with each other; a connecting structure (700) is provided at the connection between the first folded edge (21021) and the second folded edge (21011); The connection structure (700) comprises a first connection plate (710) and a second connection plate (720), wherein the first connection plate (710) is fixed on the first folded edge (21021), and the second connection plate (720) is fixed on the second folded edge (21011) and is opposite to the first connection plate (710); The first connecting plate (710) is provided with a groove (7101), and the second connecting plate (720) is provided with a boss (7201) adapted to the groove (7101), and when the first folded edge (21021) and the second folded edge (21011) are fitted with each other, the boss (7201) is inserted into the groove (7101).

2. The vacuum foaming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sealed cavity (120) comprises a frame (1201) and a vacuum membrane (1202), wherein the vacuum membrane (1202) completely covers the frame (1201), and a through opening for the foaming plate (210) to enter and exit is provided on one side of the vacuum membrane (1202).

3. The vacuum foaming device according to claim 2, characterized in that: Also included is a hot melt machine (600); The hot melt machine (600) is arranged at the through opening and is used to seal the through opening of the vacuum film (1202).

4. The vacuum foaming device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heating device (300) comprises a heating plate, which is arranged on the side walls of the inner plate (2102) and the outer plate (2101); the heating plate is formed by splicing a plurality of heating electric plates.

5. A vacuum foaming method, characterized in that: The foaming method adopts the foaming device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4 to produce a foamed product.

6. The vacuum foaming method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Opening the sealed cavity (120), placing the foaming plate (210) into the sealed cavity (120), and sealing the sealed cavity (120); Vacuuming, using the vacuum extractor (110) to extract air from the sealed cavity (120) so that the pressure of the sealed cavity (120) reaches a set pressure value; Filling the foaming material into the foaming cavity (2103) through the foaming machine (220); and turning on the heating device (300) after the foaming is completed to heat the foaming plate (210); The foaming material is kept warm and solidified under a set vacuum state, and the foaming is completed.

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