A plastic toy component injection molding apparatus

Abstract

The application belongs to the technical field of injection molding, and discloses a plastic toy part injection molding equipment, which comprises an injection molding machine barrel for pushing plastic in a molten state, a mold set comprising a fixed mold plate and a movable mold plate, wherein the fixed mold plate and the movable mold plate are both provided with a plurality of cavities with different sizes, a plurality of conduits, each conduit being installed on the fixed mold plate and connected with one cavity, and a switching valve, the inlet end of each conduit being connected with the switching valve, the switching valve being used for controlling the opening of the inlet end of one conduit, the plastic pushed by the injection molding machine barrel passing through the switching valve and entering one conduit, and then being guided into one cavity through the conduit. The application realizes the efficient, flexible and low-cost continuous production of various specifications of toy parts by a single injection molding equipment, through the setting of a plurality of cavities with different specifications on the same mold set and the selective conduction of the switching valve and the conduit.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the technical field of injection molding, and particularly relates to a plastic toy part injection molding equipment. BACKGROUND

[0002] An injection molding machine, also known as an injection molding machine, is an industrial equipment for obtaining a desired plastic product by injecting a thermoplastic or thermosetting plastic into a mold cavity after heating, plasticizing and pressurizing, and then cooling and solidifying. It is one of the most widely used and most important molding equipment in the plastic processing industry. At present, injection molding machines are widely used in electronic, automotive, medical, packaging, daily necessities, building, etc. industries, such as Lego blocks, children's toys, combs, toothbrush handles, etc.

[0003] In the injection molding production process of toy parts, there are various sizes of products, and the existing injection molding machine cannot produce toy parts of various sizes with one equipment. Usually, the mold module needs to be frequently replaced or adjusted to adapt to different types of production. This process results in long mold changing time and complex debugging, which seriously affects the production efficiency of injection molding. If multiple injection molding machines are used to run at the same time, a dedicated mold and equipment are configured for each size, which can avoid frequent mold replacement, but will result in a significant increase in the number of equipment, significantly increasing the equipment investment and production operation cost. Therefore, how to ensure production flexibility while improving efficiency and controlling cost has become a major challenge in current toy injection molding production. SUMMARY

[0004] Therefore, the application aims to provide a plastic toy part injection molding equipment to solve the problems in the background art.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the technical scheme of the application is a plastic toy part injection molding equipment, which comprises an injection molding machine barrel for pushing molten plastic, a mold set comprising a fixed mold plate and a movable mold plate, wherein the fixed mold plate and the movable mold plate are provided with a plurality of cavities of different sizes, a plurality of conduits installed on the fixed mold plate, each conduit being connected to one cavity, and a switching valve connected to the inlet end of the conduit, wherein the switching valve is used to control the opening of the inlet end of one conduit, and the injection molding machine barrel pushes the plastic through the switching valve into one conduit and guides it into one cavity.

[0006] Preferably, the conversion valve comprises a base, the base is installed on the back of the fixed mold plate, a sliding groove is formed on the side of the base away from the fixed mold plate, the inlet end of the conduit is in communication with the inner wall of the sliding groove, and the inlet ends of the plurality of conduits are arranged equidistantly on the inner wall of the sliding groove in a ring shape; a rotating disc is movably installed in the sliding groove, and a through hole is formed in the rotating disc, the position of the through hole corresponds to the inlet end of the conduit.

[0007] Preferably, the plastic toy part injection molding equipment further comprises a driving device and a control device, the control device controls the driving device to start, so as to drive the conversion valve to act.

[0008] Preferably, the driving device comprises a first gear, a second gear, a chain and a motor, the first gear is fixedly arranged on the outside of the rotating disc, and the first gear is in transmission connection with the second gear through the chain, and the motor controls the rotation of the second gear.

[0009] Preferably, a leakage cavity is arranged between the injection molding machine barrel and the conversion valve; a leakage port is arranged at the bottom of the leakage cavity; an adjusting valve is arranged on the outside of the leakage cavity, and is used for adjusting the leakage flow of the leakage port.

[0010] Preferably, the adjusting valve comprises a ring body movably installed on the outside of the leakage cavity and a connecting rod used for fixedly connecting the ring body and the first gear; a plurality of subdivided holes with different radii are arranged in a ring shape on the ring body, and the positions of the subdivided holes are in the same vertical plane as the leakage port.

[0011] Preferably, a box body is arranged below the leakage cavity, and is used for storing the molten plastic discharged from the leakage cavity.

[0012] Preferably, the plastic toy part injection molding equipment further comprises a machine body and at least two positioning rods arranged on the machine body; the fixed mold plate is fixedly connected with the positioning rods through bolts; and the movable mold plate is slidably installed on the positioning rods.

[0013] Preferably, a limiting hole is formed in the center of the first gear, and the leakage cavity is clamped in the limiting hole.

[0014] Preferably, at least one heating module is arranged on the outer wall of the leakage cavity.

[0015] The technical effects of the present application mainly embody in the following aspects:

[0016] When a certain specification of toy parts needs to be produced, the operator sets the target cavity through the control system. After receiving the instruction, the switching valve only opens the inlet end of the conduit leading to the corresponding specification cavity, and the remaining conduits are closed. The molten plastic pushed by the injection molding machine barrel enters the selected conduit through the switching valve, and is then guided into the corresponding cavity. After the plastic cools and solidifies in the cavity, the desired part is formed, which can be removed after the mold is opened.

[0017] When another specification needs to be switched to production, the mold does not need to be replaced, and only the channel of the switching valve needs to be adjusted to switch to another conduit, and then the injection molding of the next specification can be started. The product specification is quickly switched without stopping, avoiding the time-consuming process of disassembling and assembling the mold, debugging and aligning in the traditional way, greatly shortening the mold changing time. Multiple specification cavities are integrated in the same mold set, reducing the equipment start-stop and preparation time. There is no need to configure independent injection molding machines or complete sets of molds for each specification, reducing equipment investment and floor space. The mold maintenance and management cost is also reduced accordingly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 is a structural diagram of the present application;

[0019] Figure 2 is Figure 1 the structure diagram of the middle conduit and the switching valve;

[0020] Figure 3 is a structural top view of the present application;

[0021] Figure 4 is Figure 3 the enlarged view of a in the figure;

[0022] Figure 5 is Figure 4 the structure diagram of the drainage cavity in the figure;

[0023] In the figure: 1, injection molding machine barrel; 2, mold set; 3, conduit; 4, switching valve; 6, drainage cavity; 7, control device; 8, machine body; 9, positioning rod; 21, fixed mold plate; 22, movable mold plate; 23, cavity; 41, base; 42, rotating disc; 51, first gear; 52, second gear; 53, chain; 54, motor; 61, drainage port; 62, regulating valve; 63, box body; 411, sliding groove; 421, through hole; 511, limiting hole; 601, heating module; 621, ring body; 622, connecting rod; 6211, subdivided hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The specific embodiments of the present application are described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that the technical solutions of the present application are easier to understand and master. In the embodiments, it should be understood that the terms "intermediate", "upper", "lower", "top", "right side", "left end", "upper", "back", "middle" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, in the present specific embodiments, the connection or fixing manner between components is not specifically described, and the connection or fixing manner can be bolted or pinned, or connected by a pin shaft, which is commonly used in the prior art. Therefore, in the present embodiments, it will not be described in detail.

[0025] Embodiment one

[0026] As shown in Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 , a plastic toy part injection molding equipment, comprising an injection molding machine barrel 1 for pushing plastic in a molten state;

[0027] A mold set 2 comprising a fixed mold plate 21 and a movable mold plate 22, a plurality of cavities 23 of different sizes are provided on the fixed mold plate 21 and the movable mold plate 22; it should be noted that the cavities 23 can be of different shapes.

[0028] A plurality of conduits 3, the conduit 3 is installed on the fixed mold plate 21, each conduit 3 is connected to one cavity 23; specifically, one end of the conduit 3 is connected to the cavity 23, and the other end is connected to the switching valve 4. Through the conduit 3, the molten plastic can enter the cavity 23.

[0029] A switching valve 4, the inlet end of the conduit 3 is connected to the switching valve 4, the switching valve 4 is used to control the opening of the inlet end of one of the conduits 3, the injection molding machine barrel 1 pushes the plastic through the switching valve 4 into one of the conduits 3, and guides it into one of the cavities 23 through the conduit 3.

[0030] In the present embodiment, the injection molding machine barrel 1 is responsible for heating the plastic raw material to a molten state and providing pressure to push the molten material. The mold set 2 comprises a fixed mold plate 21 and a movable mold plate 22, which are integrated with a plurality of cavities 23 of different sizes, which can simultaneously accommodate the molding requirements of various toy parts. Each conduit is connected to one cavity 23, and the molten plastic passes from the switching valve 4 to the designated cavity 23. The switching valve 4 is installed between the injection molding machine barrel 1 and each conduit 3, and has a selective conduction function, which can control the flow direction of the molten material to one of the conduits 3.

[0031] When a certain specification of toy parts needs to be produced, the operator sets the target cavity 23 through the control system. After receiving the instruction, the switching valve 4 only opens the inlet end of the conduit 3 leading to the corresponding specification cavity 23, and the remaining conduits 3 are closed. The molten plastic pushed by the injection molding machine barrel 1 enters the selected conduit 3 through the switching valve 4, and is then guided into the corresponding cavity 23. After the plastic cools and solidifies in the cavity 23, the desired part is formed, which can be removed after the mold is opened. When another specification needs to be switched, there is no need to stop and replace the mold, just adjust the channel of the switching valve 4 to switch to another conduit 3, and the next specification injection can start. The product specification is quickly switched without stopping, avoiding the time-consuming process of disassembling and adjusting the mold in the traditional way, greatly shortening the mold changing time. Multiple specification cavities are integrated in the same mold set, reducing equipment start and preparation time. There is no need to configure independent injection molding machines or complete mold sets for each specification, reducing equipment investment and floor space. Mold maintenance and management costs are also reduced accordingly.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2 Further, the switching valve 4 includes a base 41 mounted on the back of the fixed mold plate 21, and a sliding groove 411 is opened on the side of the base 41 away from the fixed mold plate 21. The inlet end of the conduit 3 communicates with the inner wall of the sliding groove 411, and the inlet ends of multiple conduits 3 are arranged equidistantly on the inner wall of the sliding groove 411 in a ring shape. The ring equidistant layout facilitates high-precision angle positioning and automatic control.

[0033] A turntable 42 is movably mounted in the sliding groove 411, and a through hole 421 is opened on the turntable 42, the position of the through hole 421 corresponding to the inlet end of the conduit 3.

[0034] In this embodiment, the turntable 42 can rotate in the sliding groove 411, usually driven by a motor or a pneumatic device, realizing automatic control. The molten plastic output by the injection molding machine barrel 1 first enters one end of the sliding groove 411, but at this time it has not entered any conduit 3. The control system issues an instruction to drive the turntable 42 to rotate according to the current required production specification of the toy parts. The turntable 42 rotates to a predetermined angle, so that the through hole 421 accurately aligns with the inlet end of the target conduit 3. At this time, the molten plastic flows into the corresponding conduit 3 through the through hole 421 on the turntable 421, and finally is injected into the target cavity 23. When the specification needs to be switched, only the turntable 42 needs to be rotated to align the through hole 421 with the inlet end of the next conduit, so that the molten plastic can be quickly switched to the next specification.

[0035] The turntable 42 can be driven by a servo motor or a stepper motor, and combined with an encoder to realize precise positioning, which is easy to integrate into a PLC or MES system to realize fully automatic production scheduling. The mold changing process is simplified, and there is no need to disassemble the mold or replace parts, the mold changing time is shortened from tens of minutes to seconds, greatly improving the production rhythm.

[0036] Need to explain, in addition to the above examples, the conversion valve 4 can also be hydraulic / pneumatic multi-way valve, using hydraulic cylinder or air cylinder drive valve core movement, switching different flow channel, similar to the direction control valve in hydraulic system. Can also be, electric ball valve array, a plurality of electric ball valve in parallel, each connected to a catheter, control system to open the target ball valve, close the rest. Or, electromagnetic reversing valve group, similar to pneumatic solenoid valve, but for high temperature melt channel, through the solenoid control valve core position switching flow channel. And so on, such prior art is not described in detail.

[0037] Further, the plastic toy parts injection molding equipment also includes driving device and control device 7, the control device 7 control the driving device start, so as to drive the conversion valve 4 action.

[0038] Need to explain, in this embodiment, the control device 7 can be a PLC based automation control system, can also be a single chip microcomputer system, also can be a combination of PLC and HMI man-machine interface system. And so on, such prior art is not described in detail.

[0039] Further, the driving device includes first gear 51, second gear 52, chain 53 and motor 54, the first gear 51 is fixedly arranged on the outside of the rotating disc 42, and is drivenly connected with the second gear 52 through the chain 53, and the motor 54 controls the rotation of the second gear 52.

[0040] Need to explain, the first gear 51 is close to one side of the base 41 or the side of the base 41 close to the first gear 51, which can be optionally provided with a layer of damping pad, so as to avoid the excessive extrusion or excessive loose condition between the first gear 51 and the base 41, so that the relative movement between the first gear 51 and the base 41 is relatively gentle.

[0041] In this embodiment, when the motor 54 is started, the second gear 52 is driven to rotate, the chain 53 is driven, and the first gear 51 is rotated, and finally the rotating disc 42 is rotated in the sliding groove 411. By controlling the rotation direction and angle of the motor 54, such as using a servo motor and an encoder, the through hole 421 on the rotating disc 42 can be accurately controlled to align with the inlet end of which catheter 3, so as to realize automatic mold selection.

[0042] Need to explain, the driving device can also have a variety of alternative ways, for example, hydraulic motor through the shaft or gear connection rotating disc, using hydraulic power drive.

[0043] As Figure 5 , in combination Figure 1As shown, further, the injection molding machine barrel 1 and the switching valve 4 are provided with a leakage cavity 6; it should be noted that the switching valve 4 and the leakage cavity 6 can be designed as a layer structure for closely fitting the switching valve 4 and the leakage cavity 6, so as to avoid the molten plastic flowing out from the gap between the switching valve 4 and the leakage cavity 6 during the injection molding process; specifically, a layer of elastic sealing pad can be arranged on the side of the leakage cavity 6 close to the switching valve 4, or a layer of elastic sealing pad can be arranged on the side wall of the limiting hole 511, so that when the switching valve 4 and the leakage cavity 6 are clamped, a gap between the switching valve 4 and the leakage cavity 6 can be avoided.

[0044] The bottom of the leakage cavity 6 is provided with a leakage port 61 for discharging excess molten plastic.

[0045] The outer side of the leakage cavity 6 is provided with an adjusting valve 62 for adjusting the leakage flow of the leakage port 61.

[0046] In this embodiment, the amount of molten plastic pushed by the injection molding machine barrel 1 is the same each time, but the amount of molten plastic required to fill the cavity 23 of different specifications is different, so excess molten plastic needs to be discharged through the leakage cavity 6 to adapt to the injection molding of cavities 23 of different specifications. The adjusting valve 62 is installed on the outer side of the leakage cavity 6 to control the opening size of the leakage port 61, thereby adjusting the leakage flow.

[0047] It should be noted that the leakage cavity 6 and the matching adjusting valve 62 are mainly used to discharge or return the excess molten plastic output by the injection molding machine barrel when changing the mold, debugging or when the pressure is abnormal, so as to protect the system, prevent material mixing and stabilize the pressure. The device capable of realizing the functions of excess molten material treatment, pressure release, flow channel switching buffer, etc. can also be other structures or mechanisms, for example, a closed-loop return channel is arranged to guide the unused molten material back to the front end of the barrel or a special storage cylinder to realize cyclic utilization. Or a closable needle valve is arranged at the end of the main flow path, when not injecting, the needle valve is closed to prevent molten material from flowing out, and excess pressure is absorbed by the internal buffer of the system.

[0048] Further, the adjusting valve 62 includes a ring body 621 movably installed on the outer side of the leakage cavity 6 and a connecting rod 622 for fixedly connecting the ring body 621 and the first gear 51.

[0049] A plurality of subdivided holes 6211 with different radii are arranged in a ring shape on the ring body 621, and the positions of the subdivided holes 6211 are in the same vertical plane as the leakage port 61. It should be noted that the diameter of the subdivided hole 6211 is not greater than the diameter of the leakage port 61. The number of subdivided holes 6211 and the size of the diameter change can be designed during production, which is not limited here.

[0050] In the embodiment, the first gear 51 rotates under the drive of the motor 54, driving the rotating disc 42 to rotate and switch the inlet end of the different pipes 3; at the same time, the rotating movement of the first gear 51 is transmitted to the ring body 621 through the connecting rod 622, so that the ring body 621 rotates synchronously.

[0051] When the ring body 621 rotates, the plurality of subdivision holes 6211 with different radii on the ring body 621 pass through the flow discharge port 61 in turn. Due to the different radii, the overlap areas between each through hole and the flow discharge port 61 are different, thereby forming different flow passage cross-sectional areas: the through hole with a larger radius has a larger overlap area with the flow discharge port, and the flow discharge is large; the through hole with a smaller radius has a smaller overlap area, and the flow discharge is small. Without an additional control system, the adjusting valve 62 automatically adjusts with the mold switching, ensuring that the flow discharge state matches the current process after each mold switching.

[0052] Further, the lower portion of the flow discharge cavity 6 is provided with a tank 63 for storing the molten plastic discharged from the flow discharge cavity 6, which can be reused in the injection molding device to avoid waste of production materials. It should be noted that the tank 63 can be connected to the feeding funnel through a pipeline, and the molten plastic is forced to flow back to the feeding funnel through the pipeline by the existing compression method such as hydraulic pressure, realizing material recycling.

[0053] Further, the plastic toy part injection molding device further comprises a machine body 8 and at least two positioning rods 9 arranged in parallel on the machine body 8 as guide rails for the movement of the mold plate.

[0054] The fixed mold plate 21 is fixed to the positioning rod 9 by bolts, and the fixed mold plate 21 in the fixed mold set 2 is installed and fixed by bolts directly locked with the positioning rod 9, so that the position is unchanged during work. At the same time, it can also be disassembled.

[0055] The movable mold plate 22 is slidingly installed on the positioning rod 9. The mold closing process: the driving mechanism pushes the movable mold plate 22 to slide along the positioning rod 9 towards the fixed mold plate 21; when the movable mold plate 22 is closed with the fixed mold plate 21, the plurality of cavities 23 between the two forms a complete closed mold cavity, ready for injection molding. The mold opening and part taking process: the driving mechanism reverses the action, pulls the movable mold plate 22 to retreat along the positioning rod 9, realizing mold opening; the molded part is ejected from the movable mold plate 22 and taken out.

[0056] Further, a limiting hole 511 is formed in the center of the first gear 51, and the flow discharge cavity 6 is clamped in the limiting hole 511.

[0057] In the embodiment, the leakage cavity 6 is only clamped in the limiting hole 511, when the bolt between the positioning rod 9 and the fixed mold plate 21 is loosened, the fixed mold plate 21 is moved to remove the clamping state of the leakage cavity 6 and the limiting hole 511, the conversion valve 4 is horizontally moved out, and the inside of the conversion valve 4 and the leakage cavity 6 can be cleaned.

[0058] Further, the outer wall of the leakage cavity 6 is provided with at least one heating module 601. Avoiding the solidification of plastic in the leakage cavity 6, blocking the conduit 3.

[0059] In the embodiment, the heating module is a key component for realizing the transition of the plastic raw material from solid state to molten state, which is usually integrated in the inside or outside of the injection molding machine barrel 1, and is used for heating and plasticizing the plastic particles. In addition to the commonly understood "resistance heating ring", according to the technical development and application requirements, the heating module here can also be other forms, for example, resistance heating ring, using resistance wire to generate heat by electrification, heating the outer wall of the machine cylinder through heat conduction, and then transferring to the internal plastic. Or, electromagnetic induction heater, winding coil outside the machine cylinder, inputting high-frequency alternating current to generate alternating magnetic field, generating eddy current in the metal machine cylinder to generate heat by itself. Or, infrared radiation heating module, using infrared radiation elements to emit infrared rays to directly heat the plastic material, such as quartz tube, ceramic infrared.

[0060] Of course, the above is only a typical example of the present application, in addition to this, the present application can have other various specific embodiments, and any technical solutions formed by equivalent replacement or equivalent transformation fall within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A plastic toy part injection molding apparatus characterized by, The injection molding machine barrel is used for pushing the plastic in a molten state. The mold set comprises a fixed mold plate and a movable mold plate, and a plurality of cavities with different sizes are arranged on the fixed mold plate and the movable mold plate. A plurality of conduits are arranged on the fixed mold plate, and each conduit is connected to one cavity. A switching valve is arranged at the inlet end of the conduit, and the switching valve is used to control the opening of the inlet end of one conduit, so that the injection molding machine barrel pushes the plastic through the switching valve into one conduit and guides the plastic into one cavity through the conduit. The switching valve comprises a base, and the base is arranged on the back of the fixed mold plate. The inner wall of the sliding groove is in communication with the inlet end of the conduit, and the inlet ends of the plurality of conduits are arranged at equal intervals on the inner wall of the sliding groove. A driving device and a control device are arranged on the plastic toy part injection molding equipment. The control device controls the driving device to drive the switching valve to act. The driving device comprises a first gear, a second gear, a chain and a motor. The first gear is fixedly arranged on the outside of the rotating disc, and the second gear is in transmission connection with the first gear through the chain. The motor controls the rotation of the second gear.

2. The plastic toy part injection molding equipment according to claim 1, wherein a leakage cavity is arranged between the injection molding machine barrel and the switching valve. A leakage port is arranged at the bottom of the leakage cavity. An adjusting valve is arranged on the outside of the leakage cavity, and is used to adjust the leakage flow of the leakage port.

3. The plastic toy part injection molding equipment according to claim 2, wherein the adjusting valve comprises a ring body movably arranged on the outside of the leakage cavity and a connecting rod used to fixedly connect the ring body and the first gear. A plurality of sub-holes with different radii are arranged on the ring body in a ring shape, and the positions of the sub-holes are in the same vertical plane as the leakage port.

4. The plastic toy part injection molding equipment according to claim 2, wherein a box body is arranged below the leakage cavity, and is used to store the plastic in a molten state discharged from the leakage cavity.

5. The plastic toy part injection molding equipment according to claim 2, wherein the plastic toy part injection molding equipment further comprises a machine body and at least two positioning rods arranged on the machine body. The fixed mold plate is fixedly connected to the positioning rods through bolts. The movable mold plate is slidably arranged on the positioning rods.

6. The plastic toy part injection molding equipment according to claim 5, wherein a limiting hole is arranged at the center of the first gear, and the leakage cavity is clamped in the limiting hole.

7. The plastic toy part injection molding equipment according to claim 2, wherein at least one heating module is arranged on the outer wall of the leakage cavity. ​ ​

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