Pressure forming machine

Abstract

A pressure molding machine is provided. In one embodiment, the pressure molding machine integrates a heater within a pressure chamber, such that the heater and pressure chamber can move together relative to a base of the pressure molding machine. The pressure chamber and base can include multiple locking mechanisms to form a seal between the pressure chamber and the plastic sheet being molded. The base can also include a detachable air compression component to physically distance the air compression to reduce noise perceived by the user. Other embodiments are also provided.

Description

Background Art

[0001] A benchtop molding machine can be used to create a mold from an object. Some molding machines use a vacuum to apply negative pressure to draw heated plastic around the object. Other molding machines use positive pressure to push the heated plastic around the object. In some pressure molding machines, the object is placed on a work surface located next to a hinged pressure chamber. The pressure chamber contains the plastic, and a heater can be moved over the pressure chamber to heat the plastic. In some machines, the heater is movable relative to the pressure chamber. In other machines, the pressure chamber is movable relative to the heater. When the plastic reaches the appropriate temperature for molding, the pressure chamber is rotated 180 degrees to position it over the object. Then, pressure is applied to push the heated plastic onto the object, forming the mold. The pressure chamber is rotated 180 degrees, returning it to its starting position, so that the mold and object can be removed. Summary of the Invention

[0002] The present application provides a pressure forming machine that has a small footprint and eliminates the complex motions and possible mechanical failure points found in related art machines.

[0003] In order to solve the above technical problems, a technical solution adopted in this application is: to provide a pressure forming machine, comprising: a base; a pressure chamber; and a heater placed in the pressure chamber; wherein the pressure chamber and the heater move together between a first position of the pressure chamber away from the base and a second position of the pressure chamber close to the base.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, a technical solution adopted in this application is: to provide a pressure forming machine, comprising: a base, the base including a first locking mechanism; a pressure chamber, the pressure chamber including a second locking mechanism; and a user input device for engaging the first locking mechanism and the second locking mechanism to form a seal between the pressure chamber and the material placed on the base.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, a technical solution adopted in this application is: to provide a pressure forming machine, comprising: a pressure chamber; a first base, wherein the pressure chamber is movable relative to the first base; and a second base, wherein the second base comprises an air compressor, and the air compressor is used to provide compressed air to the pressure chamber, wherein the second base can be separated from the first base.

[0006] Compared with the related art, the present invention has the following advantages: by integrating the heater with the pressure chamber, the footprint of the entire machine can be reduced. At the same time, because the heater and pressure chamber can be simply moved up and down together, the complex movements and possible mechanical failure points existing in the related art machines are eliminated. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a compression molding machine according to one embodiment, wherein the molding machine is in a closed position.

[0008] Figure 2 This is the front view of the pressure forming machine.

[0009] Figure 3 It is the rear view of the pressure forming machine.

[0010] Figure 4 This is the right side view of the pressure forming machine.

[0011] Figure 5 It is the left side view of the pressure forming machine.

[0012] Figure 6 It is a top view of the pressure forming machine.

[0013] Figure 7 It is a bottom view of the pressure forming machine.

[0014] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a compression molding machine according to one embodiment, wherein the molding machine is in an open position.

[0015] Figure 9 This is the right side view of the pressure forming machine.

[0016] Figure 10A is another perspective view of the pressure forming machine, wherein the pressure / heater dome and locking ring are shown in dashed lines.

[0017] Figure 10B is another perspective view of the pressure forming machine with the forming machine in the closed position and the pressure / heater dome and locking ring shown in dashed lines.

[0018] Figure 11A -F is an embodiment of the instructions for use of a pressure forming machine.

[0019] Figure 12 is a partial perspective view of a pressure / heater dome and locking ring, with the pressure / heater dome disengaged from the locking ring, according to one embodiment.

[0020] Figure 13 is a partial perspective view of a pressure / heater dome and a locking ring, wherein the pressure / heater dome is engaged with the locking ring, according to one embodiment.

[0021] Figure 14 is a partial perspective view of a pressure / heater dome and locking ring, with the pressure / heater dome disengaged from the locking ring, according to one embodiment.

[0022] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of a lock ring according to an embodiment.

[0023] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of a locking ring and a locking pin according to an embodiment, wherein the locking ring is disengaged from the locking pin.

[0024] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of a locking ring and a locking pin according to an embodiment, wherein the locking ring is engaged with the locking pin.

[0025] Figure 18 is a partial perspective view of a pressure / heater dome according to one embodiment.

[0026] Figure 19 is a fragmentary perspective view of the edge of a pressure / heater dome according to one embodiment.

[0027] Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view of a pressure / heater dome according to one embodiment.

[0028] Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of a pressure forming machine according to one embodiment wherein the pressure generating portion is removed and physically spaced from the pressure / heater portion.

[0029] Figure 22 FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram of an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] As mentioned above, in some pressure molding machines, the object is placed on a work surface next to a hinged pressure chamber. The pressure chamber contains plastic, and a heater moves above the pressure chamber to heat the plastic. In some machines, the heater is movable relative to the pressure chamber. In other machines, the pressure chamber is movable relative to the heater. When the plastic reaches a suitable temperature for molding, the pressure chamber is rotated 180 degrees to place the pressure chamber above the object. Pressure is then applied to push the heated plastic onto the object, forming the mold. The pressure chamber is rotated 180 degrees, returning the pressure chamber to its starting position so that the mold and object can be removed. Such pressure molding machines may have many mechanical failure points and have a relatively large footprint. The following embodiments avoid these problems by providing a pressure molding machine in which a heater is integrated into the pressure chamber.

[0031] Referring now to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1-7 Schematic diagrams of various views of a compression molding machine 5 according to one embodiment are provided. It will be appreciated that this is merely one exemplary embodiment, and other embodiments are possible. As shown in these figures, in one embodiment, the compression molding machine 5 according to this embodiment includes a lid 10 and a handle 15 coupled to the lid 10. The term "coupled," as used herein, may mean directly connected or indirectly connected via one or more components, whether named or unnamed herein.

[0032] The press former 5 also includes an upper base 20 and a lower base 30. The lower base 30 includes feet 35, wherein the press former 5 can be placed on a countertop by the feet 35. The press former 5 also includes various ventilation openings 52, 54 and 56. The lid 10 and the upper base 20 include a user interface 40, and the user interface 40 includes a display screen and various user input devices, such as a slider 42.

[0033] The pressure forming machine 5 may include hardware and / or software to control the operation of the pressure forming machine 5 (e.g., turning the heater 90 on / off, pressurizing the dome 80, sounding an alarm, etc.). For example, the pressure forming machine 5 may include a processor that executes computer-readable code stored in a memory of the pressure forming machine 5. As another example, the pressure forming machine 5 may include a dedicated hardware component, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The hardware / software component may display information on a display screen and receive input from a user input device of the user interface 40.

[0034] like Figure 3 As shown, the rear portion of the press-forming machine 5 includes various interfaces 60. Some interfaces are located on the upper base 20, while others are located on the lower base 30. In this embodiment, these interfaces (other interfaces may be used in other embodiments) include a power input for receiving power from a wall outlet or battery and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface for transferring data between the press-forming machine 5 and a computing device. In this embodiment, the lower base 30 includes an air compressor, and an interface on the lower base 30 can provide compressed air to a corresponding input interface on the upper base 20 (via a cable (not shown)). Additionally, power provided to the upper base 20 from the power interface can be provided to the lower base 30 via another interface (via a cable (not shown)). As will be discussed in more detail below, the upper and lower bases 20, 30 can be integrated or separate from each other. This allows the air compressor on the lower base 30 to be separated from the upper base 20 and physically distanced from it.

[0035] In this embodiment, the cover 10 can be moved from a first position to a second position, wherein the first position is a position where the cover 10 is away from the upper base 20 (see FIG. Figure 8 ), and the second position is the position where the cover 10 contacts the upper base 20 (see Figure 1 In this embodiment, the lid 10 moves only vertically between the first position and the second position (unlike related pressure forming machines where the hinged lid moves 180 degrees between the open and closed positions). Figure 9As shown, in this embodiment, the piston 110 is used to slow down the movement of the lid 10 from the first position to the second position. As will be described in detail below, in this embodiment, the lid 10 includes a relatively fragile heater 90, and the piston 80 is used to slow down the movement of the lid 10, thereby preventing the heater 90 from being damaged by vibration.

[0036] like Figure 10A As shown, in this embodiment, the upper base 20 includes a work surface 60, wherein the work surface 60 is used for a user to place a plastic sheet and then place an object of interest. Therefore, the plastic sheet can be molded around the object of interest. The dome 80 is inside the lid 10, and the dome 80 includes a pressure chamber and a heater 90 located in the pressure chamber (see FIG. Figure 18 The heater 90 may be of any suitable shape, such as, but not limited to, a ring-shaped heating element made of ceramic or quartz.

[0037] Since the heater 90 is disposed inside the pressure chamber, the heater 90 moves with the pressure chamber as the lid 10 moves between the first and second positions (in contrast to related art machines in which the pressure chamber and the heater are separate components that can move independently relative to each other). In this embodiment, a locking ring 70 (covered by a locking ring cover 71) is disposed below the circumference of the working surface 60. The locking ring cover 71 has one or more openings 72 sized to accommodate one or more locking pins 84 of the dome 80 (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 12 ). It will be appreciated that although a dome and a circular plastic sheet are used to illustrate this example, other suitable shapes may be used.

[0038] like Figure 12-17 As shown in more detail in Figures 19 and 19, when the lid 10 is lowered to the second position, the locking pin 84 on the dome 80 is inserted into the opening 72 of the locking ring cover 71. Figure 15 and 16 As shown, locking ring 70 has a plurality of U-shaped grooves. When dome 80 is lowered onto the top of work surface 60, locking pins 84 are adjacent to these grooves. When the user moves slider 42 in user interface 40, locking ring 70 rotates 45 degrees within locking ring cover 71 and moves the grooves so that the grooves engage with locking pins 84. When locking ring 70 is rotated and engages with locking pins 84, dome 80 is tightened against locking ring cover 71, locking the two components in place.

[0039] like Figure 12-14As shown, the edge of the dome 80 includes an elastic seal 82 along its circumference. Therefore, when the lock ring 70 is rotated and the dome 80 is tightened on the lock ring cover 71, the elastic seal 82 is pressed between the elastic seal 82 and the plastic plate 100 (see FIG. 1 ) located on the working surface 60 (the edge of the plastic plate is disposed between the elastic seal 82 and the lock ring cover 71). Figure 14 ) to form a seal between. In one embodiment, the resilient seal 82 comprises a compressible silicone seal that is capable of forming a pressurized seal with materials of varying thicknesses (e.g., 0.25 to 0.5 mm).

[0040] Figures 11A-11F The operation of the pressure forming machine 5 is shown. To begin, the user raises the cover 10 to the first position using the handle 15 and places the circular plastic plate 100 on the work surface 60 ( Figure 11A ). The user then closes the lid 10 and moves the slider 42, thereby engaging the dome 80 with the locking ring 70, as described above, to form a seal between the resilient seal 82 of the dome 80 and the circumference of the plastic plate 100, supported by the locking ring cover 71 ( Figure 11B Then, the user raises the cover 10 to the first position again ( Figure 11C As the locking ring 70 engages with the locking pin 84 of the dome 80, the locking ring 70 rises and disengages from the upper base 20. The user then places the three-dimensional object 101 to be formed on the work surface 60 ( Figure 11D ).

[0041] At this point, the plastic sheet 100 is sealed to the dome 80 and is positioned above the object 101. Figure 18 and 20 As shown, in this embodiment, the dome 80 includes a plurality of air ports 81 for receiving compressed air (so that the dome 80 serves as a pressure chamber) and a heater 90. When the heater 90 is activated (for example, under the instruction of the user interface 40), the heater 90 heats the plastic sheet 100 fixed to the dome 80. The user can select the type and thickness of the plastic sheet (or other material) through the user interface 40, which can be used to determine the heat and pressure required for molding. In this embodiment, the compressor in the lower base 30 pressurizes the air provided by the two air tanks. When the appropriate temperature and pressure are reached, the user is alerted, and the user can then move the lid 10 down to the second position ( Figure 11E The heated plastic sheet 100 is now semi-molten and soft enough to be molded around the object 101 on the work surface 60 when the mechanical pressure generated by closing the lid 10 forces the plastic sheet 100 to cover the object 101. The compressed air entering the pressure chamber / dome 80 further pushes the plastic sheet 100 onto the object 101 to capture the object's details. Once the shape cools, the user lifts the lid 10 and removes the plastic sheet from the work space 60 ( Figure 11F) removes the molded plastic 100 (the object 101 is now three-dimensional and no longer a piece of plastic).

[0042] The advantages associated with these embodiments are numerous. As mentioned above, due to the use of separate pressure and heating chambers, conventional press molding machines have a relatively large footprint. In contrast, in these embodiments, by integrating the heater with the pressure chamber, the overall machine footprint can be reduced. Furthermore, because the heater and pressure chamber can be moved up and down together in a simple manner, these embodiments eliminate the complex movements and potential mechanical failure points present in conventional machines.

[0043] Some alternatives can be used for these embodiments. For example, Figure 21 As described above, in one embodiment, the lower base 30 can be separated from the upper base 20 (and the foot 35 can be moved from one component to the other). This allows the lower base 30 to be physically distanced from the upper base 20, with the interfaces 62 and 64 connected to the longer connector 25. This arrangement may be for the purpose of reducing noise. More specifically, in this embodiment, the lower base 30 includes two air chambers and a pneumatic pump, wherein the pneumatic pump can be quite loud. Moving the lower base 30 away from the upper base 20 (and the user) can create a less noisy environment for the user. Figure 21 As shown, a longer cable 25 can provide pressure, power, and electrical power between the upper base 20 and the lower base 30. A shorter cable can be used when the upper base 20 and the lower base 30 are placed on top of each other. Note that in this example, the two bases are on top of each other, but other arrangements are also possible (for example, the two bases can be adjacent to each other instead of on top of each other).

[0044] Another alternative is to Figure 22 The circuit diagram is shown in Figure 1. Different countries use different voltages. For example, the United States and Canada use 120 volts, while the United Kingdom and Europe use 240 volts. To avoid making different products for different countries, you can use Figure 22 The circuit shown. Figure 22 As shown, in this embodiment, two heaters are used. Depending on whether the product detects 120 volts or 240 volts, the switch relay automatically switches to connect the heaters in parallel or in series.

[0045] As another alternative, if the pressure of the air entering the dome 80 is so high that it could damage the heater 90, a barrier material may be placed near the air port of the dome 80 and / or the heater 90 to prevent such damage.

[0046] The foregoing detailed description should be understood as an illustration of selected forms that the invention may take, and not as a limitation of the invention. It is solely the following claims, including all equivalents, that are intended to define the scope of the invention. Finally, it should be noted that any aspect of any embodiment described herein may be used alone or in combination with one another.

Claims

1. A pressure forming machine, characterized in that: include: base; pressure chamber; and a heater placed in the pressure chamber; wherein the pressure chamber and the heater move together between a first position in which the pressure chamber is away from the base and a second position in which the pressure chamber is close to the base; a first locking mechanism fixed to the pressure chamber and movable along with the pressure chamber between a first position and a second position; a second locking mechanism releasably located on the base; and and a user input device for engaging the second locking mechanism with the first locking mechanism, wherein the second locking mechanism is adapted to engage with the first locking mechanism and the second locking mechanism engaged with the first locking mechanism is movable with the pressure chamber away from the base when the pressure chamber moves from the second position to the first position.

2. The pressure forming machine according to claim 1, characterized in that The edge of the pressure chamber includes a resilient seal.

3. The pressure forming machine according to claim 1, characterized in that Further included is an additional heater and a circuit for operating the heater and the additional heater in parallel or in series based on the detected voltage amount.

4. The pressure forming machine according to claim 1, wherein The second locking mechanism includes a locking ring; The first locking mechanism includes at least one locking pin for engaging with the locking ring.

5. The pressure forming machine according to claim 4, characterized in that Movement of the locking ring engages the locking ring with at least one locking pin of the pressure chamber.

6. The pressure forming machine according to claim 1, characterized in that The pressure chamber and the heater move only in a vertical direction between the first position and the second position.

7. The pressure forming machine according to claim 1, characterized in that Further included is a piston for slowing down movement of the pressure chamber from the first position to the second position.

8. The pressure forming machine according to claim 1, wherein: The heater includes a ring-shaped heating element.

9. The pressure forming machine according to claim 1, characterized in that The pressure chamber is dome-shaped.

10. The pressure forming machine according to claim 1, wherein The base includes a first component and a second component removable from the first component.

11. The pressure forming machine according to claim 10, characterized in that The second component includes an air compressor.

12. A pressure forming machine, characterized in that: include: The first component comprises: base; dome-shaped pressure chamber; an annular heating element positioned within the dome-shaped pressure chamber, wherein the dome-shaped pressure chamber and the annular heating element move together between a first position in which the dome-shaped pressure chamber is away from the base and a second position in which the dome-shaped pressure chamber is closer to the base; at least one locking pin secured to the dome-shaped pressure chamber and movable with the dome-shaped pressure chamber between the first position and the second position; a locking ring detachably located on the base; a user input device for engaging the locking ring with the at least one locking pin, wherein the locking ring is configured to engage the at least one locking pin and the locking ring, in engagement with the at least one locking pin, is movable with the pressure chamber away from the base when the pressure chamber moves from the second position to the first position; and The second component is separable from the first component, and the second component includes an air compressor, and the air compressor is used to provide compressed air to the dome-shaped pressure chamber.

13. The pressure forming machine according to claim 12, characterized in that The edge of the dome-shaped pressure chamber includes a seal.

14. The pressure forming machine according to claim 12, wherein: Further included is an additional heater and a circuit for operating the annular heating element and the additional heater in parallel or in series depending on the amount of voltage detected.

15. The pressure forming machine according to claim 12, wherein: The dome-shaped pressure chamber and the annular heating element move vertically only between the first position and the second position, and the pressure forming machine further includes a piston for slowing down the movement of the dome-shaped pressure chamber from the first position to the second position.

16. A pressure forming machine, characterized in that: include: The first component comprises: base; pressure chamber; a heater positioned within the pressure chamber, wherein the pressure chamber and the heater move together between a first position in which the pressure chamber is distal to the base and a second position in which the pressure chamber is proximate to the base; a first locking mechanism fixed to the pressure chamber and movable together with the pressure chamber between the first position and the second position; a second locking mechanism detachably located on the base; a user input device for engaging the second locking mechanism with the first locking mechanism, wherein the second locking mechanism is adapted to engage the first locking mechanism and the second locking mechanism engaged with the first locking mechanism is movable with the pressure chamber away from the base when the pressure chamber moves from the second position to the first position; and A second component includes an air compressor for providing compressed air to the pressure chamber, wherein the second component is separable from the first component.

17. The compression molding machine according to claim 16, wherein: Further included is a cable for providing the compressed air from the second component to the first component.

18. The compression molding machine according to claim 16, wherein: A cable is further included for providing power between the first component and the second component.

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