A mold for forming a carbon fiber spring

Abstract

The utility model discloses a mould for forming carbon fiber spring, including upper die and lower mould, be equipped with mandrel and pin needle in the lower mould, and mandrel includes a plurality of independent and hollow ring, and the linear cutting is along the axial direction and makes every ring cut off, and the bottom and top of mandrel are equipped with bottom ring and top ring respectively, and a plurality of rings are located between bottom ring and top ring, and a plurality of rings constitute helical structure, and one end of pin needle inserts into mandrel and passes bottom ring, a plurality of rings and top ring, and the other end of pin needle is exposed outside lower mould, and carbon fiber material is along the ring and is wound. The utility model discloses the mandrel of separable, reduces the difficulty of stripping, improves stripping efficiency, realizes the mass production of complex geometry carbon fiber spring and strips.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a mold, specifically a mold for molding carbon fiber springs. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of running shoe technology, existing technologies mainly rely on passive cushioning materials such as foam and air cushions. These materials absorb the impact energy when the foot lands through their own deformation, and their main function is "cushioning" rather than "propulsion".

[0003] To further improve energy return efficiency, the industry has begun exploring designs that incorporate elastic energy storage elements into the sole, particularly the heel area. For example, some solutions propose incorporating structures such as metal springs, plastic elastic arms, or corrugated sheets into the sole. The intention behind these designs is to store energy during foot compression upon impact and release it during the push-off phase to provide additional propulsion.

[0004] Carbon fiber materials have been applied in various fields of society. Continuous carbon fiber reinforced thermosetting composites are increasingly used in automotive parts. In the market, short fiber reinforced composite springs are also made by adding short glass fiber or short carbon fiber into plastic products through processes such as molding or injection molding to reduce weight and improve performance.

[0005] Existing molding dies generally employ a mandrel structure with recessed threaded grooves on the surface. Carbon fiber material needs to be wound or laid within these grooves to form a spiral shape. This design results in the carbon fiber being tightly embedded inside the grooves after curing, forming a strong bond with the mandrel surface. This makes it difficult to separate the spring from the mandrel during demolding, easily causing damage to the spring structure or deformation of mold components. This not only significantly increases production difficulty but also reduces product yield and manufacturing efficiency, becoming a key bottleneck restricting the large-scale application of carbon fiber springs. Utility Model Content

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides a mold for molding carbon fiber springs.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A mold for molding carbon fiber springs includes an upper mold and a lower mold. The lower mold contains a mandrel and a pin. The mandrel includes several independent and hollow rings. Each ring is cut along the axial direction. The bottom and top of the mandrel are respectively provided with a bottom ring and a top ring. Several rings are located between the bottom ring and the top ring, forming a spiral structure. One end of the pin is inserted into the mandrel and passes through the bottom ring, several rings and the top ring. The other end of the pin is exposed outside the lower mold. Carbon fiber material is wound around the rings.

[0009] The lower mold is provided with a support plate, and the support plate has a lower groove for placing the mandrel.

[0010] The upper mold is equipped with a pressure plate, and the pressure plate has an upper groove. After the upper mold and the lower mold are closed, the pressure plate presses down on the bearing plate, and the upper groove and the lower groove are aligned and spliced ​​together.

[0011] The bearing plate has several lower grooves, and the number of upper grooves on the pressure plate is the same as the number of lower grooves. One mandrel is placed in each lower groove.

[0012] The lower mold has a left sliding block and a right sliding block movably installed on both sides, and the left sliding block and the right sliding block are located on both sides of the support plate, with the pin moving through the left sliding block or the right sliding block.

[0013] The inner surfaces of both the left and right sliding blocks are provided with top blocks for abutting the extrusion mandrel.

[0014] The bearing plate is provided with a positioning slot, and the pressure plate is provided with a positioning protrusion. When the upper mold and the lower mold are closed, the positioning protrusion abuts against the positioning slot.

[0015] The lower mold is equipped with slide rails on both sides, and the bottom surfaces of the left and right sliding blocks are provided with slide grooves that match the slide rails.

[0016] The pins and mandrels are made of the same material.

[0017] This utility model has the following beneficial technical effects:

[0018] By wire cutting the mandrel to form several hollow rings, the cylindrical structure is improved into a threaded ring structure. The carbon fiber material is then wound around the rings, which effectively reduces the demolding difficulty and solves the problem that carbon fiber products with continuous spiral curved surfaces and large winding angles cannot be demolded from the integral mold. This avoids damage to the spring structure and deformation of mold components, and improves product yield and manufacturing efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is an exploded structural diagram of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the mandrel and pin of this utility model.

[0022] Figure label:

[0023] Upper mold 1, lower mold 2, mandrel 3, ring 31, bottom ring 32, top ring 33, bearing plate 4, left sliding block 5, right sliding block 6, pin 7, pressure plate 8, top block 9, slide rail 10, positioning slot 11, positioning protrusion 12. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0025] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that if terms such as "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise" are used to indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, they are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0026] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. They can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection. They can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0027] like Figure 1-3As shown, a mold for molding carbon fiber springs includes an upper mold 1 and a lower mold 2. The lower mold 2 contains a mandrel 3 and pins 7. The mandrel 3 includes several independent, hollow rings 31. Each ring 31 is cut along its axial direction. The mandrel 3 has a bottom ring 32 and a top ring 33 at its bottom and top, respectively. The rings 31 are located between the bottom rings 32 and the top rings 33, forming a spiral structure. One end of the pin 7 is inserted into the mandrel 3, passing through the rings, while the other end is exposed outside the lower mold. Carbon fiber material is wound around the rings. The separable, independent rings and the multi-segment mold mandrel structure significantly reduce demolding difficulty. The bottom and top rings serve as bearing surfaces when subjected to external forces.

[0028] A ring can be understood as a continuous, through-structure formed by cutting along the axis of the mandrel. In practical applications, this ring can be achieved through laser cutting, waterjet cutting, or electrical discharge machining (EDM). Its main purpose is to reduce the adhesion between the carbon fiber material and the mandrel surface, thus facilitating demolding. Furthermore, the hollow internal design of the ring allows for a certain degree of elastic deformation during demolding, preventing jamming caused by a rigid structure. As a preferred embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the ring can be circular, elliptical, or polygonal, selected based on actual requirements.

[0029] The pin 7 can be connected to the mandrel 3 by interference fit to ensure that the ring maintains a precise relative position during the molding process, and can also prevent material from overflowing inward during the molding process.

[0030] The hollow ring design inside the mandrel and the auxiliary fixing structure of the pin effectively solve the problem of difficult demolding caused by surface groove processing in traditional molds. The internal gap design allows for slight elastic deformation, significantly improving demolding performance. Furthermore, the detachable design of the pin further simplifies the demolding process, allowing the molded carbon fiber spring to be easily removed.

[0031] The lower mold 2 contains a support plate 4, which has a lower groove for placing the mandrel. The upper mold 1 contains a pressure plate 8, which has an upper groove. After the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 2 are closed, the pressure plate 8 presses against the support plate 4, and the upper and lower grooves are aligned and joined together. The upper and lower grooves form a complete channel, in which the mandrel is located. The pressure plate exerts downward pressure on the mandrel from top to bottom, while the support plate exerts upward pressure on it.

[0032] The bearing plate 4 has several lower grooves, and the number of upper grooves on the pressure plate is the same as the number of lower grooves. One mandrel is placed in each lower groove.

[0033] Specifically, the pressure plate is a key component that provides upper constraint during mold closing. It can be made of high-strength metal and its purpose is to ensure uniform pressure transmission and limit mandrel displacement during the mold closing process. The upper groove can be understood as a specific structure set on the pressure plate, the shape of which matches the lower groove on the support plate. Specifically, it can be designed as a semi-circle, rectangle, or other geometry adapted to the mandrel's shape. The purpose is to form a continuous annular cavity by splicing the upper and lower grooves to fix the mandrel. The support plate, as the basic component for placing the mandrel, has a lower groove on it that works together with the upper groove on the pressure plate to achieve precise positioning of the mandrel and prevent lateral or rotational displacement.

[0034] Furthermore, a left sliding block 5 and a right sliding block 6 are movably mounted on both sides of the lower mold 1, respectively. The left sliding block 5 and the right sliding block 6 are located on both sides of the support plate 4, and the pin 7 moves through either the left sliding block 5 or the right sliding block 6. The inner surfaces of the left sliding block 5 and the right sliding block 6 are each provided with a top block 9 for abutting the extrusion mandrel 3. Slide rails 10 are mounted on both sides of the lower mold 1, and the bottom surfaces of the left sliding block 5 and the right sliding block 6 are each provided with a groove matching the slide rail, allowing the left and right sliding blocks to move along their respective slide rails.

[0035] The left and right sliding blocks form a pressing and squeezing action from the left and right sides of the mandrel, which, together with the pressure plate and the bearing plate, creates a squeezing action in four directions (up, down, left, and right) to ensure balanced force and stability.

[0036] Furthermore, the left and right sliding blocks can move horizontally under external driving force. This movement not only provides sufficient operating space for the pin but also ensures that the pin maintains uniform lateral support force during extraction, thus preventing deformation of the mandrel. After the upper and lower molds are closed, the pin passes through several ring structures inside the mandrel, providing a fixing function. During the demolding stage, by driving the sliding blocks, the pin can move out of the mandrel synchronously with the sliding blocks, completely eliminating the problem of rigid jamming between the pin and the ring structures. In addition, since the sliding blocks are located on both sides of the support plate, their movement path precisely matches the position of the mandrel on the support plate, ensuring that the mandrel is not disturbed in its stable placement in the lower groove and effectively protecting the integrity of the finished carbon fiber spring. This design significantly simplifies the mold disassembly process and improves production efficiency and mold lifespan.

[0037] Precise compression of the mandrel is achieved by setting top blocks on the inner surfaces of the left and right sliding blocks. When the sliding blocks move in a predetermined direction, the top blocks contact the end of the mandrel and apply pressure. Furthermore, the design of the top blocks fully utilizes the mobility of the sliding blocks, converting the linear motion of the sliding blocks into a stable pushing action on the mandrel.

[0038] The bearing plate 4 is provided with a positioning slot 11, and the pressure plate 8 is provided with a positioning protrusion 12. When the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 2 are closed, the positioning protrusion 12 abuts against the positioning slot 11.

[0039] Specifically, a positioning groove refers to a recessed structure on the bearing plate for precise positioning. It can be shaped like a rectangular groove, an arc groove, or a dovetail groove, and its purpose is to provide a clear guide path for the pressure plate and constrain lateral displacement. A positioning protrusion refers to a protruding structure on the pressure plate that matches the positioning groove. It can be designed into a corresponding shape based on the geometry of the groove, such as a rectangular block, an arc block, or a wedge block, and its purpose is to achieve rapid alignment and stable positioning through rigid fit.

[0040] The pins and mandrels are made of the same material. When both are made of stainless steel, the surfaces need to be polished to create a smooth surface, preventing adhesion issues with the carbon fiber material. If aluminum is used, Teflon coating can be applied to the surface to reduce the difficulty of demolding.

[0041] It should be noted that the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model. Although the present utility model has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. However, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A mold for molding carbon fiber springs, comprising an upper mold and a lower mold, characterized in that, The lower mold is equipped with a mandrel and pins. The mandrel includes several independent and hollow rings. Each ring is cut along the axial direction. The bottom and top of the mandrel are respectively equipped with a bottom ring and a top ring. Several rings are located between the bottom ring and the top ring, forming a spiral structure. One end of the pin is inserted into the mandrel and passes through the bottom ring, several rings and the top ring. The other end of the pin is exposed outside the lower mold. Carbon fiber material is wound along the rings.

2. The mold for molding carbon fiber springs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower mold is provided with a support plate, and the support plate has a lower groove for placing the mandrel.

3. The mold for molding carbon fiber springs according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper mold is equipped with a pressure plate, and the pressure plate has an upper groove. After the upper mold and the lower mold are closed, the pressure plate presses down on the bearing plate, and the upper groove and the lower groove are aligned and spliced ​​together.

4. The mold for molding carbon fiber springs according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bearing plate has several lower grooves, and the number of upper grooves on the pressure plate is the same as the number of lower grooves. One mandrel is placed in each lower groove.

5. The mold for molding carbon fiber springs according to claim 2, characterized in that, The lower mold has a left sliding block and a right sliding block movably installed on both sides, and the left sliding block and the right sliding block are located on both sides of the support plate, with the pin moving through the left sliding block or the right sliding block.

6. The mold for molding carbon fiber springs according to claim 5, characterized in that, The inner surfaces of both the left and right sliding blocks are provided with top blocks for abutting the extrusion mandrel.

7. The mold for molding carbon fiber springs according to claim 2, characterized in that, The bearing plate is provided with a positioning slot, and the pressure plate is provided with a positioning protrusion. When the upper mold and the lower mold are closed, the positioning protrusion abuts against the positioning slot.

8. The mold for molding carbon fiber springs according to claim 5, characterized in that, The lower mold is equipped with slide rails on both sides, and the bottom surfaces of the left and right sliding blocks are provided with slide grooves that match the slide rails.

9. The mold for molding carbon fiber springs according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pins and mandrels are made of the same material.

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