A wood pallet hot press forming scraping device
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- JIANGSU TONGXIN WOOD CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-15
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-07
AI Technical Summary
[0005]本实用新型主要解决的技术问题是提供一种木托盘热压成型的刮料装置,解决了作业安全性低的问题
[0024] 1. The movable vertical rod assembly drives the scraper to scrape off excess wood fiber material in the lower mold, reducing the risk of manual contact with the high-temperature lower mold and improving the safety of the operation.
Smart Images

Figure CN224601918U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of wooden pallet processing technology, and in particular to a scraping device for hot pressing and forming wooden pallets. Background Technology
[0002] High-temperature compression pallets are made from wood materials such as pine, birch, and poplar, processed through high-temperature (usually above 100℃) and high-pressure treatment to densify the wood. This process induces physical and chemical changes within the wood, comprehensively improving pallet performance: heating methods such as steam and hot pressure evaporate moisture and soften resin in the wood, while simultaneously breaking some hydrogen bonds in the wood fibers, effectively reducing the wood's hygroscopicity and deformation risk; the high-temperature environment also has a bactericidal and insecticidal effect, reducing the possibility of the pallet carrying microorganisms or insect eggs, meeting international logistics quarantine standards. By compressing the wood along the fiber direction using mechanical pressure, the wood cell structure becomes denser, increasing density by 30%–50%. The compressed wood is significantly stronger, with superior bending and compressive strength compared to ordinary wooden pallets, enabling it to support heavier goods.
[0003] A thermoforming machine is required during the processing of wooden pallets. This equipment includes an upper mold and a lower mold with heating function. During operation, the crushed wood fiber material is placed into the cavity of the lower mold. After the thermoforming machine is started, the upper mold moves downward to thermoform the wood fiber material, ultimately pressing it into a wooden pallet.
[0004] However, the aforementioned existing technical solutions have significant drawbacks: when feeding wood fiber material into the lower mold cavity, workers typically need to use a scoop to collect the material and place it into the lower mold cavity. At this time, the wood fiber material often protrudes above the upper surface of the lower mold, and then needs to be leveled with a hand scraper. Due to the high surface temperature of the lower mold, when workers use the scraper to scrape away excess material, they are very likely to suffer burns from touching the lower mold, severely reducing operational safety. Utility Model Content
[0005] The main technical problem solved by this utility model is to provide a scraping device for hot pressing of wooden pallets, which solves the problem of low operational safety.
[0006] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a scraping device for hot pressing of wooden pallets, comprising: a mounting frame, a vertical drive rod mechanism, an upper mold and a lower mold with heating function, wherein the vertical drive rod mechanism is fixed on the mounting frame and its lower end is connected to the upper mold, a fixed platform is connected to the mounting frame, the upper surface of the fixed platform is connected to the lower mold, a scraper is provided above the upper mold, connecting blocks are respectively connected to both ends of the scraper, movable vertical rod assemblies are respectively connected to the outer ends of the connecting blocks, and a first rake tooth assembly and a second rake tooth assembly that can extend into the cavity of the lower mold are respectively provided on both sides of the scraper.
[0007] It also includes an elastic lower drive assembly and guide upper drive assemblies respectively disposed at both ends of the scraper. The guide upper drive assembly is connected to the first rake tooth assembly and the second rake tooth assembly respectively, and is adapted to drive the first rake tooth assembly and the second rake tooth assembly near the inner side of the lower mold to move upward. The elastic lower drive assembly is connected to the first rake tooth assembly and the second rake tooth assembly respectively, and is adapted to drive the first rake tooth assembly and the second rake tooth assembly to move downward and extend into the inner cavity of the lower mold.
[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, during use, the inner cavity of the lower mold is first filled with pulverized wood fiber material, at which point some of the wood fiber material will be higher than the upper surface of the lower mold. Then, the vertical drive rod mechanism is activated, driving the scraper to move from one end of the lower mold to the other. While scraping away excess wood fiber material, the scraper also drives the first and second rake tooth assemblies to move synchronously. The scraping action of the first and second rake tooth assemblies makes the wood fiber material more evenly distributed. When the first or second rake tooth assembly moves close to the inner side of the lower mold, the guide upper drive assembly actively drives the first and second rake tooth assemblies upwards a certain distance, thus avoiding interference with the lower mold. During this process, the scraper scrapes excess wood fiber material to the side of the lower mold, while the first and second rake tooth assemblies comb through the wood fiber material within the lower mold, ensuring its even distribution. This structural design significantly reduces the need for manual intervention and greatly improves operational safety. When the movable vertical rod assembly drives the scraper to move in the opposite direction, the elastic lower drive assembly will drive the first rake tooth assembly and the second rake tooth assembly to move downward and re-enter the wood fiber material in the lower mold to scrape and comb the material again, further ensuring uniform distribution.
[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the present invention can be further configured such that: the movable vertical rod assembly includes a vertical rod body, a linear slide table, and a servo motor connected to the linear slide table; the lower end of the vertical rod body is connected to the linear slide table, the linear slide table is fixed on the mounting frame, and the upper end of the vertical rod body is fixedly connected to a connecting block.
[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, the servo motor drives the vertical rod on the linear slide to move left and right in the horizontal direction, and the vertical rod drives the scraper to move horizontally.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the present invention can be further configured such that: the first rake tooth assembly includes a movable rod and a plurality of rhomboid-shaped rake teeth, the rake teeth being linearly arrayed and connected to the lower plane of the movable rod.
[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, the rake teeth on the moving rod comb the wood fiber material in the lower mold during the movement process, thereby enhancing the uniformity of distribution.
[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the present invention can be further configured such that: the second rake tooth assembly includes a second movable rod and a plurality of rhomboid-shaped rake teeth, the rake teeth being linearly arrayed and connected to the lower plane of the second movable rod, and the rake teeth being staggered with the first rake tooth in the longitudinal direction.
[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, the second rake tooth on the second moving rod combs the wood fiber material in the lower mold during the movement process, which enhances the uniformity of distribution. Since the second rake tooth and the first rake tooth are staggered in the longitudinal direction, the combing effect on the wood fiber material is improved.
[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the present invention can be further configured as follows: the elastic lower drive assembly includes elastic elements respectively connected to both sides of the scraper, the elastic element includes a fixed plate and a spring, the upper end of the spring is connected to the fixed plate, the fixed plate is connected to the scraper, the lower end of the spring on the left elastic element is connected to the first rake tooth assembly, and the lower end of the spring on the right elastic element is connected to the second rake tooth assembly.
[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, the elastic force of the spring drives the left and right elastic components to move downward and extend into the wood fibers inside the lower mold, thereby combing the wood fiber material.
[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the present invention can be further configured as follows: the guided upper drive assembly includes a guide plate and a guide member. The guide plate includes a horizontal strip plate and a T-shaped plate connected between the ends of the first rake tooth assembly and the second rake tooth assembly. A roller is rotatably connected to the T-shaped plate. An upper inclined plate is connected to each end of the horizontal strip plate. A horizontal support plate is connected to the outer end of the upper inclined plate. The roller is in a rolling connection with the horizontal strip plate. The horizontal strip plate, the upper inclined plate, and the horizontal support plate are all connected to the lower mold. The guide member includes grooves respectively provided on both sides of the connecting block. A guide rod is slidably connected in the groove. The lower end of the guide rod is connected to the T-shaped plate.
[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, when the roller forms a rolling connection with the horizontal strip plate, the first and second rake tooth assemblies maintain horizontal movement; when the roller rolls along the inclined surface of the upper inclined plate, the first and second rake tooth assemblies move obliquely upwards a certain distance to avoid the lower mold and prevent interference; and when the roller rolls on the horizontal support plate, it can drive the scraper to efficiently scrape off excess wood fiber material. Furthermore, the sliding of the guide rod within the groove significantly enhances the stability of the first and second rake tooth assemblies during movement, ensuring precise and reliable overall operation.
[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the present invention can be further configured as follows: process holes are provided on both sides of the mounting bracket, an inclined guide groove is provided in the process hole, the upper inclined end of the inclined guide groove is connected to the lower mold, and a plastic receiving box is provided below the lower inclined end of the inclined guide groove.
[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, the wood fiber material scraped off by the scraper flows into the inner cavity of the plastic receiving box through the inclined guide chute, making it convenient to collect the wood fiber material for reuse.
[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the present invention can be further configured as follows: the vertical drive rod mechanism includes a hydraulic cylinder and four vertical guide rods. The hydraulic cylinder is fixed to the top of the mounting frame and its extended end is connected to the upper mold. The rectangular array of vertical guide rods is fixed to the top of the mounting frame and its lower end is connected to the upper mold.
[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, when the telescopic rod of the hydraulic cylinder extends outward, it drives the upper mold to move towards the lower mold. During this process, the upper mold simultaneously applies heat and pressure to the wood fibers inside the lower mold, ultimately compressing the wood fibers inside the lower mold into a wooden pallet.
[0023] In summary, this utility model has at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:
[0024] 1. The movable vertical rod assembly drives the scraper to scrape off excess wood fiber material in the lower mold, reducing the risk of manual contact with the high-temperature lower mold and improving the safety of the operation.
[0025] 2. The scraping action of the first and second rake tooth assemblies ensures a uniform distribution of wood fiber material within the lower mold, reducing the probability of pallet forming defects caused by uneven raw material accumulation. Attached Figure Description
[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort, wherein:
[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of a scraping device for hot pressing and forming of wooden pallets according to the present invention.
[0028] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first rake tooth assembly, the second rake tooth assembly, the elastic lower drive assembly, the guided upper drive assembly, and the connection between the lower mold and the scraper.
[0029] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the first rake tooth assembly.
[0030] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second rake tooth assembly.
[0031] In the diagram: 1. Mounting frame; 20. Vertical drive rod mechanism; 30. Movable vertical rod assembly; 40. First rake tooth assembly; 50. Second rake tooth assembly; 60. Elastic lower drive assembly; 70. Guided upper drive assembly; 11. Upper mold; 12. Lower mold; 13. Fixed platform; 14. Scraper; 15. Connecting block; 16. Process hole; 17. Inclined guide chute; 18. Plastic receiving box;
[0032] 21. Hydraulic cylinder; 22. Vertical guide rod component;
[0033] 31. Vertical rod; 32. Linear slide; 33. Servo motor;
[0034] 41. Moving rod one; 42. Rake teeth one;
[0035] 51. Moving rod two; 52. Rake teeth two;
[0036] 61. Elastic element; 611. Fixing plate; 612. Spring;
[0037] 71. Guide plate; 72. Guide component; 711. Horizontal strip plate; 712. T-shaped plate; 713. Roller; 714. Upper inclined plate; 715. Horizontal support plate; 721. Slide groove; 722. Guide rod. Detailed Implementation
[0038] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.
[0039] It should be noted that these figures are simplified schematic diagrams, which only illustrate the basic structure of the present invention in a schematic manner, and therefore only show the components related to the present invention.
[0040] Reference Figures 1-4 This utility model discloses a scraping device for hot pressing and forming of wooden pallets, comprising: a mounting frame 1, a vertical drive rod mechanism 20, an upper mold 11 and a lower mold 12 with heating function. The vertical drive rod mechanism 20 is fixed on the mounting frame 1 and its lower end is connected to the upper mold 11. A fixed platform 13 is connected to the mounting frame 1. The upper surface of the fixed platform 13 is connected to the lower mold 12. The lower mold 12 is filled with wood fiber material.
[0041] The vertical drive rod mechanism 20 includes a hydraulic cylinder 21 and four vertical guide rods 22. The hydraulic cylinder 21 is fixed to the top of the mounting frame 1 and its extended end is connected to the upper mold 11. The rectangular array of vertical guide rods 22 is fixed to the top of the mounting frame 1 and its lower end is connected to the upper mold 11. When the telescopic rod of the hydraulic cylinder 21 extends outward, it drives the upper mold 11 to move towards the lower mold 12. During this process, the upper mold 11 simultaneously applies heat and pressure to the wood fibers in the lower mold 12, ultimately compressing the wood fibers in the lower mold 12 into a wooden pallet.
[0042] A scraper 14 is provided above the upper mold 11. A connecting block 15 is connected to both ends of the scraper 14. A movable vertical rod assembly 30 is connected to the outer end of the connecting block 15. A first rake tooth assembly 40 and a second rake tooth assembly 50 that can extend into the cavity of the lower mold 12 are provided on both sides of the scraper 14.
[0043] The movable vertical rod assembly 30 includes a vertical rod body 31, a linear slide 32, and a servo motor 33 connected to the linear slide 32. The lower end of the vertical rod body 31 is connected to the linear slide 32, which is fixed on the mounting frame 1. The upper end of the vertical rod body 31 is fixedly connected to the connecting block 15. The servo motor 33 drives the vertical rod body 31 on the linear slide 32 to move left and right in the horizontal direction, and the vertical rod body 31 drives the scraper 14 to move horizontally.
[0044] The first rake tooth assembly 40 includes a moving rod 41 and several rake teeth 42 with a rhomboid cross section. The rake teeth 42 are linearly arrayed and connected to the lower plane of the moving rod 41. During the movement of the moving rod 41, the rake teeth 42 comb the wood fiber material in the lower mold 12, thereby enhancing the uniformity of the distribution.
[0045] The second rake tooth assembly 50 includes a second movable rod 51 and several rake teeth 52 with a rhomboid cross-section. The rake teeth 52 are linearly arrayed and connected to the lower plane of the second movable rod 51. The rake teeth 52 and the first rake tooth 42 are staggered in the longitudinal direction. During the movement of the second movable rod 51, the rake teeth 52 comb the wood fiber material in the lower mold 12, which enhances the uniformity of distribution. Since the rake teeth 52 and the first rake tooth 42 are staggered in the longitudinal direction, the combing effect on the wood fiber material is improved.
[0046] It also includes an elastic lower drive assembly 60 and guide upper drive assemblies 70 respectively disposed at both ends of the scraper 14. The guide upper drive assembly 70 is connected to the first rake tooth assembly 40 and the second rake tooth assembly 50 respectively, and is adapted to drive the first rake tooth assembly 40 and the second rake tooth assembly 50 near the inner side of the lower mold 12 to move upward. The elastic lower drive assembly 60 is connected to the first rake tooth assembly 40 and the second rake tooth assembly 50 respectively, and is adapted to drive the first rake tooth assembly 40 and the second rake tooth assembly 50 to move downward and extend into the inner cavity of the lower mold 12.
[0047] The elastic lower drive assembly 60 includes elastic elements 61 connected to both sides of the scraper 14. Each elastic element 61 includes a fixed plate 611 and a spring 612. The upper end of the spring 612 is connected to the fixed plate 611, which is connected to the scraper 14. The lower end of the spring 612 on the left elastic element 61 is connected to the first rake tooth assembly 40, and the lower end of the spring 612 on the right elastic element 61 is connected to the second rake tooth assembly 50. Through the elastic force of the spring 612, the left and right elastic elements 61 are driven to move downward and extend into the wood fibers inside the lower mold 12 to comb the wood fiber material.
[0048] The guided upper drive assembly 70 includes a guide plate 71 and a guide member 72. The guide plate 71 includes a horizontal strip plate 711 and a T-shaped plate 712 connected between the ends of the first rake tooth assembly 40 and the second rake tooth assembly 50. A gap exists between the end of the scraper 14 and the T-shaped plate 712. A roller 713 is rotatably connected to the T-shaped plate 712. Upper inclined plates 714 are connected to both ends of the horizontal strip plate 711, and horizontal support plates 715 are connected to the outer ends of the upper inclined plates 714. The roller 713 is in a rolling connection with the horizontal strip plate 711. The horizontal strip plate 711, the upper inclined plates 714, and the horizontal support plates 715 are all connected to the lower mold 12. The guide member 72 includes grooves 721 respectively provided on both sides of the connecting block 15. A guide rod 722 is slidably connected in the groove 721, and the lower end of the guide rod 722 is connected to the T-shaped plate 712. When the roller 713 forms a rolling connection with the horizontal strip plate 711, the first rake tooth assembly 40 and the second rake tooth assembly 50 move horizontally. When the roller 713 rolls along the inclined surface of the upper inclined plate 714, the first rake tooth assembly 40 and the second rake tooth assembly 50 will move obliquely upward a certain distance to avoid the lower mold 12 and prevent interference. When the roller 713 rolls on the horizontal support plate 715, it can drive the scraper 14 to efficiently scrape off excess wood fiber material. In addition, by means of the sliding of the guide rod 722 in the groove 721, the stability of the first rake tooth assembly 40 and the second rake tooth assembly 50 during movement can be significantly enhanced, ensuring that the overall operation is accurate and reliable.
[0049] The mounting frame 1 has process holes 16 on both sides, and an inclined guide groove 17 is provided in the process hole 16. The upper inclined end of the inclined guide groove 17 is connected to the lower mold 12, and a plastic receiving box 18 is provided below the lower inclined end of the inclined guide groove 17. The wood fiber material scraped off by the scraper 14 flows through the inclined guide groove 17 into the inner cavity of the plastic receiving box 18, which facilitates the collection of wood fiber material for reuse.
[0050] The implementation principle of this embodiment is as follows: In use, the pulverized wood fiber material is first filled into the inner cavity of the lower mold 12, at which point some of the wood fiber material will be higher than the upper surface of the lower mold 12. Subsequently, the vertical drive rod mechanism 20 is activated, driving the scraper 14 to move from one end of the lower mold 12 to the other. While scraping away excess wood fiber material, the scraper 14 drives the first rake tooth assembly 40 and the second rake tooth assembly 50 to move synchronously. Through the scraping action of the first rake tooth assembly 40 and the second rake tooth assembly 50, the wood fiber material is distributed more evenly. When the first rake tooth assembly 40 or the second rake tooth assembly 50 moves close to the inner side of the lower mold 12, the guide upper drive assembly 70 actively drives the first rake tooth assembly 40 and the second rake tooth assembly 50 to move upwards a certain distance, thereby avoiding interference with the lower mold 12. During this process, the scraper 14 scrapes excess wood fiber material to the side of the lower mold 12, while the first rake tooth assembly 40 and the second rake tooth assembly 50 comb the wood fiber material within the lower mold 12 to ensure its uniform distribution. This structural design significantly reduces the need for manual intervention and greatly improves operational safety. When the movable vertical rod assembly 30 drives the scraper 14 to move in the opposite direction, the elastic lower drive assembly 60 drives the first rake tooth assembly 40 and the second rake tooth assembly 50 to move downwards, re-entering into the wood fiber material within the lower mold 12 to scrape and comb the material again, further ensuring uniform distribution.
[0051] The above description is merely an embodiment of this utility model and does not limit the patent scope of this utility model. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made using the content of this utility model specification, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this utility model.
Claims
1. A scraping device for hot-pressing wooden pallets, comprising: The assembly comprises a mounting frame (1), a vertical drive rod mechanism (20), an upper mold (11) with heating function, and a lower mold (12). The vertical drive rod mechanism (20) is fixed on the mounting frame (1) and its lower end is connected to the upper mold (11). A fixed platform (13) is connected to the mounting frame (1). The upper surface of the fixed platform (13) is connected to the lower mold (12). The upper mold (11) is characterized by having a scraper (14) above it. Both ends of the scraper (14) are connected to connecting blocks (15). The outer ends of the connecting blocks (15) are connected to movable vertical rod assemblies (30). The scraper (14) has a first rake tooth assembly (40) and a second rake tooth assembly (50) that can extend into the cavity of the lower mold (12) on both sides. It also includes an elastic lower drive assembly (60) and a guide upper drive assembly (70) respectively disposed at both ends of the scraper (14). The guide upper drive assembly (70) is connected to the first rake tooth assembly (40) and the second rake tooth assembly (50) respectively, and is adapted to drive the first rake tooth assembly (40) and the second rake tooth assembly (50) near the inner side of the lower mold (12) to move upward. The elastic lower drive assembly (60) is connected to the first rake tooth assembly (40) and the second rake tooth assembly (50) respectively, and is adapted to drive the first rake tooth assembly (40) and the second rake tooth assembly (50) to move downward and extend into the inner cavity of the lower mold (12).
2. The scraping device for hot pressing of wooden pallets according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable vertical rod assembly (30) includes a vertical rod body (31), a linear slide (32), and a servo motor (33) connected to the linear slide (32). The lower end of the vertical rod body (31) is connected to the linear slide (32), the linear slide (32) is fixed on the mounting frame (1), and the upper end of the vertical rod body (31) is fixedly connected to the connecting block (15).
3. The scraping device for hot pressing and forming wooden pallets according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first rake tooth assembly (40) includes a moving rod (41) and a plurality of rhomboid-shaped rake teeth (42), which are linearly arrayed and connected to the lower plane of the moving rod (41).
4. The scraping device for hot pressing and forming wooden pallets according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second rake tooth assembly (50) includes a second moving rod (51) and several rake teeth (52) with a rhomboid cross section. The rake teeth (52) are linearly arrayed and connected to the lower plane of the second moving rod (51). The rake teeth (52) and the first rake tooth (42) are staggered in the longitudinal direction.
5. The scraping device for hot pressing and forming wooden pallets according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic lower drive assembly (60) includes elastic elements (61) respectively connected to both sides of the scraper (14). Each elastic element (61) includes a fixed plate (611) and a spring (612). The upper end of the spring (612) is connected to the fixed plate (611), and the fixed plate (611) is connected to the scraper (14). The lower end of the spring (612) on the left elastic element (61) is connected to the first rake tooth assembly (40), and the lower end of the spring (612) on the right elastic element (61) is connected to the second rake tooth assembly (50).
6. The scraping device for hot pressing and forming wooden pallets according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guided upper drive assembly (70) includes a guide plate (71) and a guide member (72). The guide plate (71) includes a horizontal strip plate (711) and a T-shaped plate (712) connected between the ends of the first rake tooth assembly (40) and the second rake tooth assembly (50). A roller (713) is rotatably connected to the T-shaped plate (712). An upper inclined plate (714) is connected to both ends of the horizontal strip plate (711). The outer ends of the upper inclined plate (714) are respectively connected to... There is a horizontal support plate (715), the roller (713) is connected to the horizontal strip plate (711) by rolling, the horizontal strip plate (711), the upper inclined plate (714) and the horizontal support plate (715) are all connected to the lower mold (12), the guide member (72) includes a sliding groove (721) respectively set on both sides of the connecting block (15), a guide rod (722) is slidably connected in the sliding groove (721), and the lower end of the guide rod (722) is connected to the T-shaped plate (712).
7. The scraping device for hot pressing and forming wooden pallets according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting bracket (1) has process holes (16) on both sides. An inclined guide groove (17) is provided in the process hole (16). The upper inclined end of the inclined guide groove (17) is connected to the lower mold (12). A plastic receiving box (18) is provided below the lower inclined end of the inclined guide groove (17).
8. The scraping device for hot pressing and forming wooden pallets according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vertical drive rod mechanism (20) includes a hydraulic cylinder (21) and four vertical guide rods (22). The hydraulic cylinder (21) is fixed to the top of the mounting frame (1) and its extended end is connected to the upper mold (11). The vertical guide rods (22) are arranged in a rectangular array and fixed to the top of the mounting frame (1) and their lower ends are connected to the upper mold (11).