Casting tool, method and use of a casting tool for post-molding a casting, and casting

Abstract

The invention relates to a casting tool (1) for post-molding a cantilevered arrow from a casting, wherein the casting tool (1) has a tool piece (20) which, in a casting position (22), at least partially delimits a void (18) in the casting tool (1) forming a negative mold (12) of the arrow (8) and which is transferable from the casting position (22) to a parting position along a parting direction (28) for demolding the casting, wherein the void (18) has an undercut (24) with respect to the parting direction (28) formed by the tool piece (20) in the casting position (22). The present invention also relates to a method for post-molding such a casting, the use of such a casting tool (1), and a casting having a cantilevered arrow. Figure for the abbreviation: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Casting tool, method and use of a casting tool for post-molding a casting, and casting

[0001] The present invention relates to a casting tool for manufacturing a casting with an arrow, as well as a method for manufacturing such a casting. The present invention further relates to the use of such a casting tool. The invention further relates to a casting having a cantilevered arrow.

[0002] In many technical fields, castings are manufactured with cantilevered arrows in casting tools and are used in numerous applications, such as in electrical engineering in the form of connector housings, where the arrows serve, for example, as a snap-fit ​​mechanism and can be arranged as snap-fit ​​hooks. The snap-fit ​​hooks serve, for example, to snap-fit ​​contact elements into contact chambers of the connector housing. To achieve this, the snap-fit ​​hooks extend along the contact chamber and provide the contact element inside the chamber with a suitable bearing surface.

[0003] The shaping of the casting, and in particular of the cantilevered arrow that can be produced with conventional casting tools, is, however, subject to limitations. On the one hand, in the case of such castings, the behavior of the material during the cooling process often causes unintentional deformation of the arrow, so that its geometry or final position after demolding no longer corresponds to its original state as it exited the casting tool. On the other hand, the space that must be occupied by the casting tool itself during the casting process is inherently inaccessible to the arrow.

[0004] In certain circumstances, this can mean, for connector housings with snap-on hooks already mentioned as an example, that due to cooling, the snap-on hooks deform as they move away from their respective contact chambers, thus eliminating the available bearing surface. However, the snap-on hooks cannot be arbitrarily cast to protrude into the contact chamber to increase the bearing surface, since the casting tool itself largely occupies the contact chamber during the casting process in order to mold it.

[0005] The present invention therefore aims to provide a solution enabling, when manufacturing cast parts with arrows, to circumvent or at least minimize the aforementioned restrictions.

[0006] This goal is achieved by a casting tool for post-molding an arrow cantilevered from a casting, in which the casting tool has a tool piece which, in a casting position, at least partially delimits an empty space in the casting tool forming a negative mold of the arrow and which is transferable from the casting position along a parting direction into a parting position for demolding the casting, in which the empty space has an undercut with respect to the parting direction formed by the tool piece in the casting position.

[0007] The casting tool may be, for example, but not exclusively, an injection molding tool, in particular a plastic injection molding tool. The void space constitutes a section or segment of the cavity of the casting tool, in which this cavity forms the negative mold of the entire casting. In the context of the present invention, the negative mold is a negative contour formed in the casting tool or a negative of the respective external mold.

[0008] The casting tool according to the invention is advantageous because it is suitable not only for manufacturing the casting by intrinsic primary manufacturing, but also for post-molding the casting. In particular, the undercut of the void space allows for targeted post-molding of the cantilevered arrow, making it possible to achieve a geometry and / or final position of the arrow that would not be possible with conventional casting tools, or not to such an extent. This is explained in more detail below:

[0009] During the casting process, the arrow can be molded in the void space of the casting tool, the undercut of the void space producing a corresponding undercut of the arrow. The tool piece is therefore in the casting position.

[0010] During demolding, the tool and the casting are then moved relative to each other along the separation direction until, in the separation position, the casting is detached from the tool. In particular, a relative displacement occurs between the tool and the undercut of the newly created arrow. Since this is an undercut with respect to the separation direction, the arrow must "dodge" the tool. In other words, during demolding, the arrow is at least partially displaced or deflected from its original position by the tool.

[0011] This displacement or deviation preferably takes place in the non-completely solidified or hardened state of the casting in the form of a deformation at least The arrow is partially plastic and can therefore be used to adjust the arrow's end position and / or to compensate for subsequent deformation of the casting. For example, the arrow can be bent to a position previously blocked by the casting tool. If the direction of deformation of the casting due to cooling is predictable, the arrow can be bent in the opposite direction, so that after overlaying it with the anticipated deformation of the casting, a balanced final position is achieved.

[0012] Consequently, the restrictions mentioned above can be circumvented or at least minimized with the help of the casting tool according to the invention.

[0013] The invention can be further improved through the developments and designs below, which can be combined with each other in any advantageous way.

[0014] According to an easily implemented embodiment, the undercut can be formed by a section of the tool part with a shape complementary to the undercut. For example, the undercut can be formed by an undercut-type projection on the tool part. Alternatively, the undercut can also be formed by a hollow or recess in the tool part.

[0015] According to a further possible embodiment, the casting tool may have an additional tool part, preferably separate, which also at least partially delimits the void space. The tool parts can thus together create the void space and / or the cavity. Preferably, in the casting position, the tool parts are arranged facing each other with respect to the void space and / or the cavity.

[0016] Preferably, the additional tool piece does not create an undercut in the empty space relative to the separation direction. Advantageously, the additional tool piece can therefore be removed first during demolding and create a free space to deflect the arrow.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the tool parts can be arranged so as to be separable from one another along the separation direction. This results in a simple casting tool structure. In particular, the tool parts can be moved one after the other or simultaneously during separation. Moreover, the tool parts can be arranged separably in opposite or codirectional directions with respect to the separation direction. In certain circumstances, it is also sufficient to move only one tool part during separation.

[0018] To convert the aforementioned relative displacement along the separation direction into a displacement transverse to the separation direction, the undercut can extend from one tool part towards the other tool part, in particular transversely to the separation direction. Consequently, the deflection can advantageously be deflected transversely with respect to the separation direction.

[0019] If the undercut is formed by the aforementioned undercut projection, this projection may protrude into the void transversely to the separation direction. If the undercut is formed by the aforementioned hollow or recess, this projection may open into the void transversely to the separation direction. In other words, the projection extends from the tool part into the void, and the hollow or recess extends from the void into the tool part.

[0020] To prevent the arrow from becoming entangled with the undercut at the tooling during demolding and potentially being torn away from the rest of the casting, the tooling preferably has an extraction slope. The extraction slope extends in the form of a chamfer or a curve on the surface of the tooling, particularly on the undercut protrusion or in the hollow or recess of the tooling.

[0021] According to another possible embodiment, the casting tool may have two casting mold halves as tool parts, one casting mold half being arranged as a sprue portion and the other casting mold half being arranged as an ejector portion. The sprue portion may be arranged so as to be connected to a plasticizing unit, in particular via a nozzle, while the ejector portion is arranged so as to be connected to an ejector unit. The casting tool according to the invention can thus be used directly in conventional casting machines.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the undercut can be formed by half of the casting mold arranged as part of an ejector. This results in an advantageous synergistic effect:

[0023] On the one hand, this has the advantage that the casting remains securely attached to the ejector portion during the separation of the casting mold halves and does not sometimes fall outside the ejector unit's operating area by remaining on the sprue portion. Consequently, the undercut of the casting tool according to the invention eliminates the need for other undercuts that would only serve to retain the casting and would otherwise fulfill no other function.

[0024] On the other hand, the undercut on the ejector portion allows for the desired plastic deformation of the arrow directly within the ejection process. In particular, the relative displacement between the tooling and the casting during ejection can be exploited, so that post-molding does not cause any delay.

[0025] According to a cumulative or alternative embodiment, the casting tool may have two slides as tool parts. The use of slides allows for a greater degree of freedom in the design of the molded part. Slides can be supplied instead of, or in addition to, the casting mold halves. Consequently, the void space can be at least partially defined by the slides, and the undercut of the void space can be formed by one of the slides.

[0026] The two slides can also be arranged to be withdrawn, particularly individually, from the rest of the casting tool, especially when the withdrawal of one slide is blocked by the other slide. Preferably, the withdrawal of the slide with the undercut by the slide without undercut is blocked in the casting position. In particular, the slide without undercut is located in the path of the aforementioned deflection or deflection of the deflection, so that the deflection cannot avoid the slide with the undercut. In other words, the withdrawal of the slide with the undercut in the casting position is prevented due to the undercut.

[0027] According to another possible embodiment, the casting tool can be arranged to mold a connector housing, the arrow forming part of the connector housing and having at least one snap hook or snap tab, and the empty space representing the negative mold of at least one snap hook or snap tab. The entire cavity of the casting tool correspondingly forms the negative mold of the connector housing.

[0028] This embodiment is advantageous because it allows compensation, by means of the post-molding function already described, for a defect due to the cooling of the latching hook or latching tab. Furthermore, during the post-molding process, the latching hook or tab can be bent into a position that provides a particularly large bearing surface for contact elements.

[0029] According to an alternative embodiment, the casting tool can be arranged to mold a component with an internal gap, the arrow being a flap-shaped element which, after post-molding, at least partially closes the internal gap. Thus, the closing of the gap by means of the flap-shaped element can already be performed by the casting tool and is not a separate post-processing step.

[0030] The casting to be manufactured can, of course, also have several cantilevered arrows. In this case, for example, the tooling delimits a void space for each arrow, forming a negative mold of the respective arrow. Each void space can then have a corresponding undercut.

[0031] The initial objective can further be achieved by a casting demolded from a casting tool with a cantilevered arrow having an undercut, wherein the cantilevered arrow has, in the demolded state of the casting under zero force, a position that is displaced, offset or deflected in the direction of a side opposite to the undercut, compared to an unmolded state of the part casting. This displacement, offset, or deviation is the result of the post-molding of the casting already described and serves to align the deflection in a targeted manner and, where necessary, to compensate for a deflection defect due to cooling. Consequently, in the case of the casting according to the invention, the restrictions mentioned at the beginning during the manufacture of castings are circumvented or at least minimized by deflections.

[0032] The arrangement of the undercut on the arrow allows for targeted influence of the post-molding direction by positioning the undercut on the side of the arrow toward which the arrow is to be moved, offset, or deflected. In particular, the arrow can extend along a longitudinal direction and have as an undercut a convexity or a concavity extending transversely to the longitudinal direction, which is opposite to the desired post-molding direction.

[0033] According to one possible embodiment of the cast part, the arrow can be at least partially plastically deformed compared to the unmolded state, in particular the state immediately after casting. This advantageously provides a lasting influence on the geometry and / or the final position of the arrow.

[0034] The casting is preferably manufactured using a casting tool according to one of the preceding embodiments. In particular, the casting may be a connector housing with a contact chamber, the arrow forming part of the connector housing and having at least one snap hook. For example, the arrow may protrude or extend from an internal wall of the connector housing into the contact chamber in the form of a snap arm or a cantilever arm.

[0035] The initial objective can further be achieved by a post-molding method for an overhanging arrow of a casting in a casting tool, wherein the casting tool has a tool piece that at least partially delimits an empty space forming a negative mold of the arrow with an undercut, wherein the tool piece is moved along a parting direction to demold the casting and thus deflects the arrow by means of the undercut. Preferably, the tool piece is transferred from a casting position relative to the casting to a parting position, in which the casting is detached from the tool piece. To generate this relative displacement, the tool piece and / or the casting can be moved.

[0036] Like the casting tool and the casting according to the invention, the process according to the invention is also advantageous, because the post-molding of the arrow already described offers the possibility of circumventing or at least minimizing the restrictions mentioned above when manufacturing castings with arrows.

[0037] According to one possible embodiment of the method, the deflection can be deflected during the transfer of the tool part from the casting position to the separation position. In particular, the deflection can be deflected non-destructively by the undercut of the tool part moved in the separation direction. Thus, the integrity of the deflection is guaranteed.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the deflected arrow can be at least partially plastically deformed, in particular as part of post-molding, to obtain a lasting influence on the geometry and / or the final position of the arrow.

[0039] According to another possible embodiment, a casting tool comprising two tool parts can be used for the process. The tool parts can, in particular, be arranged as slides removable from the rest of the casting tool, with only one of the slides forming the undercut, and this slide being removed during demolding after the slide that does not form the undercut. Advantageously, the slide removed first leaves a free space into which the deflection can be deflected.

[0040] This free space can be, for example, a contact chamber created during the casting process of the aforementioned connector housing. Due to plastic deformation, the arrow can be permanently bent within the contact chamber and provide, for example, as a snap hook, an enlarged bearing surface for a contact element received in the contact chamber.

[0041] The method according to the invention can be implemented integrated into a casting process for manufacturing the casting. The casting process may further include the preceding steps of providing the casting tool with a cavity representing a negative mold of the casting to be manufactured, introducing, pouring or injecting a molten mass, for example a molten mass of plastic material into the cavity, allowing the molten mass to at least partially harden to form the casting and demolding the casting from the casting tool.

[0042] In order to ensure sufficient moldability of the casting during post-molding, post-molding, in particular deflection of the arrow, can be carried out before complete hardening of the casting or the melt.

[0043] The use of a casting tool for post-molding an arrow cantilevered from a casting also makes it possible to achieve the aforementioned objective. Thus, the casting tool has a tool part which, in a casting position, at least partially delimits an empty space forming a negative mold of the arrow and which is arranged so as to be transferable from the casting position along a parting direction to a parting position for demolding the casting, the arrow having, with respect to the parting direction, an undercut relative to the parting direction which mutually engages with The tooling. In other words, the casting and the tooling mechanically interlock by means of the undercut of the arrow, this interlocking being lifted in the context of the use according to the invention with arrow deflection. The arrow deflection, in turn, preferably results in a targeted plastic deformation of the arrow, so that, when using the casting tool according to the invention, the aforementioned limitations in manufacturing castings with arrows can be circumvented or at least minimized by post-molding the arrow.

[0044] In particular, when using the casting tool according to the invention, the undercut is used to permanently bend the arrow when demolding the cast part out of the casting tool, in order to align the arrow in a targeted manner and, where appropriate, to compensate for a defect in the arrow due to cooling.

[0045] Preferably, in the process according to the invention and the use according to the invention, a casting tool according to one of the above embodiments is used.

[0046] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, which illustrate several exemplary embodiments whose various features can be combined at will, in accordance with the preceding remarks. In the drawings, similar, identical, and functionally identical elements are assigned identical numerical references, where appropriate. Regarding the drawings:

[0047] Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a casting tool according to the invention in an exemplary embodiment;

[0048] Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of a casting tool according to the invention and of a casting according to another embodiment by way of example;

[0049] Fig. 3 is another perspective cross-sectional view of the casting tool and casting of Fig. 2;

[0050] Fig. 4 is another perspective cross-sectional view of the casting tool and casting of Fig. 2;

[0051] Figure 5 is another perspective cross-sectional view of the casting tool and casting of Figure 2; and

[0052] Fig. 6 is a detailed schematic perspective view of a casting according to the invention in another embodiment by way of example.

[0053] First, the schematic structure of a casting tool 1 according to the invention and of a casting 2 according to the invention, with reference to Figures 1 to 6, is explained in exemplary embodiments. According to the invention, a post-molding method for the casting 2 is further explained with reference to Figures 2 to 5.

[0054] The casting tool 1 shown in [Fig. 1] can be, for example, but not exclusively, an injection molding tool 4, in particular a plastic injection molding tool 6. As explained in more detail below, the casting tool 1 according to the invention is suitable for post-molding a casting 2 previously manufactured in the casting tool 1 (see [Fig. 2]). In particular, an overhanging arrow 8 of the casting 2 can be subsequently molded in a targeted manner with the casting tool 1, in order to compensate, for example, for a defect due to the cooling of the arrow 8, or to obtain a desired geometry or final position 10 (see [Fig. 5]) of the arrow 8.

[0055] In the casting tool 1 illustrated by way of example, a negative mold 12 of the casting 2 is present in the form of a cavity 14. In addition, a section 16 of this cavity 14 is arranged in the form of a void 18 which forms the negative mold 12 of the arrow 8. The casting tool 1 has a tool piece 20 which, in a casting position 22, at least partially delimits the void 18, in which the void 18 has an undercut 24 formed by the tool piece 20. The function of this undercut 24 is explained in more detail below.

[0056] For demolding the casting 2, the tool 20 can be transferred from the casting position 22 to a separation position 26 (see [Fig. 5]). In particular, the tool 20 can be transferred from the casting position 22 to the separation position 26 along a separation direction 28. The undercut 24 of the void space 18 is an undercut with respect to the separation direction 28 and is mainly formed by the tool 20 when the latter is in the casting position 22.

[0057] During the casting process, the tool piece 20 is in the casting position 22, so that by introducing a molten mass of material (not shown) into the casting tool 1 in the void space 18, the arrow 8 can be molded, while the rest of the casting 2 is created in the rest of the cavity 14. In particular, the undercut 24 of the void space 18 produces a corresponding undercut 24 of the arrow 8. The tool piece 20 and the arrow 8 are in contact with each other during the solidification process (see [Fig.2]).

[0058] During demolding, the tool part 20 and the casting 2 are then moved relative to each other along the separation direction 28 (see [Fig. 4]) until, in the separation position 26, the casting 2 is detached from the tool part 20 (see [Fig. 5]). A relative displacement 30 occurs between the tool part 20 and the undercut 24 of the newly created arrow 8. To generate this relative displacement 30, the tool part 20 and / or the casting 2 can be actively moved.

[0059] Since this is an undercut with respect to the separation direction 28, the arrow 8 is forced, during the relative movement 30, to "dodge" the tool piece 20. In other words, during demolding, the arrow 8 is at least partially displaced or deflected from its original position by the tool piece 20 (see [Fig. 4]). Preferably, this displacement or deflection occurs in a non-destructive manner.

[0060] In particular, if this displacement or deflection occurs in the still partially solidified state of the casting 2, a plastic deformation of the arrow 8 can be at least partially achieved (see [Fig. 5]). In this way, the final position 10 of the arrow 8 can be adjusted in a way that conventional casting tools do not allow, or do not allow to such an extent. For example, the arrow 8 can be bent using the undercut 24 to a position previously blocked by the casting tool 1 itself, or to a position in which the arrow 8 would have previously blocked the casting tool 1.

[0061] Alternatively, or in addition, the plastic deformation of the arrow 8 can be used in a targeted manner to compensate for the aforementioned cooling defect of the arrow 8, provided that the direction 32 and, preferably, the extent of the cooling defect are predictable in advance. For this purpose, the casting tool 1 is arranged so that the arrow 8 is bent in the opposite direction to the direction 32 by the undercut 24 immediately after demolding and even before the cooling defect occurs. In particular, the arrow 8 can be bent beyond a desired final position to the specified extent. As soon as the cooling defect occurs, it returns the arrow 8 to the desired final position.In other words, the influence of the cooling defect on deflection 8 can be compensated in a targeted manner or at least minimized by a sequential superposition of plastic deformation and cooling defect.

[0062] The undercut 24 can be formed by a section 34 of the tool part 20 with a shape complementary to the undercut 24. In the embodiment shown in [Fig.1], the undercut 24 is formed by a recess 36 in the tool part 20. Alternatively, the undercut can also be formed by an undercut-type projection 38 on the tool part (see [Fig.6]).

[0063] In order for the aforementioned relative displacement 30 to be converted along the separation direction 28 into a displacement transverse to the separation direction 28, the undercut 24 can extend transversely to the separation direction 28. In the exemplary embodiment shown in [Fig. 1], in which the undercut 24 is formed by the recess 36, the recess 36 opens into the empty space 18 transversely to the separation direction 28. In other words, the recess 36 extends from the empty space 18 into the tool part 20.

[0064] In order to avoid possible snagging of the arrow 8 on the tool part 20, the tool part 20 has an extraction slope 40 on the undercut 24. In [Fig.1], the extraction slope 40 is represented by a curvature 42 on the surface of the tool part 20. Alternatively, the extraction slope 40 can also be formed by a chamfer 44 (see [Fig.6]).

[0065] As can be seen in [Fig. 1], the casting tool 1 may have an additional tool piece 20', preferably separate, which also at least partially delimits the void 18. Furthermore, the tool pieces 20, 20' can together produce the cavity 14 and be arranged opposite each other with respect to the cavity 14 in the casting position 22. [Fig. 2] shows that the tool pieces 20, 20' can be arranged opposite each other only with respect to the void 18 in the casting position 22. The undercut 24 then preferably extends from one tool piece 20 towards the other tool piece 20'.

[0066] The additional tool piece 20' does not create an undercut in the empty space 18 with respect to the separation direction 28 and is first removed during demolding. Thus, a free space 48 can be created in advance to deflect the arrow 8 (see [Fig.3]).

[0067] The tool parts 20, 20' shown in [Fig. 1] each represent half of a casting mold 50, 50', which can be separated from each other along the separation direction 28. In particular, half of the casting mold 50 can be moved away from half of the casting mold 50' along the separation direction 28, or vice versa. The separation direction 28 can, for example, be perpendicular to a separation plane 52 extending between the casting mold halves 50, 50'.

[0068] One half of the casting mold 50' is arranged as a sprue portion 54 and the other half of the casting mold 50 as an ejector portion 56. The sprue portion 54 can, in particular, be connected to a plasticizing unit (not shown) via a nozzle 58. The ejector portion 56 can, in turn, be arranged on an ejector unit (not shown) for demolding. In particular, an ejector device 60 of the ejector unit, such as an ejector rod 62, can partially penetrate the ejector portion 56. This is indicated in [Fig. 1] by dashed lines.

[0069] In the embodiment of [Fig. 1], the undercut 24 is formed by the casting mold half 50 arranged as part of an ejector 56. This has the advantage, firstly, that the casting 2 remains securely attached to the ejector part 56 in the active zone of the ejector unit during the separation of the casting mold halves 50, 50'. Secondly, the formation of the undercut 24 on the ejector part 56 advantageously allows for the post-molding of the arrow 8 described above. at the same time as the demolding of the casting 2, so that the cycle time does not need to be extended.

[0070] Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment in which the casting tool 1 has two slides 64, 64' as tool parts 20, 20'. The slides 64, 64' can be provided in addition to the casting mold halves (not shown in Figure 2). Consequently, the void 18 can be at least partially delimited by the slides 64, 64', and the undercut 24 of the void 18 can be formed by one of the slides 64.

[0071] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the slides 64, 64' can be arranged to be withdrawn from the rest of the casting tool 1, in particular individually, one after the other and in opposite directions. The withdrawal of the slide 64 with the undercut 24 is blocked by the slide 64' or the undercut as long as the latter is in the casting position 22. In particular, the slide 64' without the undercut is in the path of the displacement or deflection of the arrow 8 already described, so that the arrow 8 cannot avoid the slide 64 with the undercut 24 and therefore the slide 64 with the undercut 24 cannot be withdrawn.

[0072] Of course, one tool part can also be arranged as one half of a casting mold and the other tool part as a slide. The casting tool may further, for example, have a core (not shown) or other mold components.

[0073] Figures 2 to 6 illustrate exemplary embodiments of the casting 2 according to the invention. The casting 2 has the cantilevered arrow 8 already mentioned with the undercut 24. In particular, the arrow 8 extends along a longitudinal direction 66 and has as an undercut 24 a projection 68 extending transversely to the longitudinal direction 66.

[0074] In the demolded state 70 (see [Fig. 5]) of the casting 2 with zero force, the arrow 8 has a position which, compared to an unmolded state 72 (see [Fig. 2]) of the casting 2, is deflected in the direction of a side 74 opposite to the undercut 24. This is illustrated in [Fig. 5]. In particular, the position of the arrow 8 in the demolded state 70 and the position of the arrow 8 in the unmolded state 72, indicated by dashed lines, are juxtaposed to illustrate the deflection of the arrow 8.

[0075] The direction of the deflection, and therefore the direction of the post-molding, can be influenced in a targeted manner, since the undercut 24 is arranged on the reverse side of the arrow 8 towards which the arrow 8 is to be deflected. For this purpose, the projection 68 of the arrow 8 can be positioned opposite the side 74.

[0076] In figures 4 and 5, the arrow 8 is plastically deformed at least partially compared to the unmolded state 72, in particular compared to the state immediately after casting, and is thus permanently deflected.

[0077] The cast part 2 of [Fig.2] to [Fig.5] is for example a connector housing 76 with a contact chamber 78. This contact chamber 78 can, for example, result from the free space 48 already mentioned, left by the tool part 20'.

[0078] The arrow 8 is part of the connector housing 76. In particular, the arrow 8 is arranged as a snap hook 79 or a snap tab 80 that protrudes from an internal wall 82 of the connector housing 76, extends into the contact chamber 78, and extends at least partially along the contact chamber 78. Inside the contact chamber 78, the snap tab 80 provides a bearing surface 84 for a contact element received in the contact chamber 78 (not shown). Through plastic deformation, the snap tab 80 can be permanently bent within the contact chamber 78 to further overlap the contact chamber 78 and thus increase the bearing surface 84 available for the contact element.

[0079] The casting tool 1 shown in Figures 2 to 5 is arranged accordingly to mold the connector housing 76. The empty space 18 represents the negative mold 12 of the snap-on tab 80. The entire cavity 14 of the casting tool 1 in turn forms the negative mold 12 of the entire connector housing 76.

[0080] The casting 2 according to the invention can, of course, also have several cantilevered arrows 8. In this case, for example, the tool piece 20 defines for each arrow 8 a void 18 which forms a negative mold of the respective arrow 8 in the tool piece 20. In order for each void 18 to have an undercut 24, several undercut-type projections 38 are, for example, provided on the tool piece 20. This is indicated in the detailed view of [Fig. 6] by dashed lines which represent the tool piece 20 in the casting position 22.

[0081] The cast part 2 according to the invention shown in [Fig.6] is a component 86 with an internal positioning element 88 which must be removed without burrs if necessary and which is therefore held only on an internal wall 82 of the component 86 by insulated material bridges 90. Between the internal wall 82 and the positioning element 88 extends an internal gap 92 of the component 86, which cannot be closed by an adhesive bond between the positioning element 88 and the internal wall 82 due to the necessary removability.

[0082] In order to keep the gap 92 as small as possible, the arrows 8 are arranged respectively as flap-shaped elements 94, which are subsequently formed during the demolding of the component 86 by means of the undercuts 24. In particular, the elements 94 are folded down by the undercut projections 38 during the removal of the tool part 20, in order to at least partially close the internal gap 92. This is indicated on [Fig.6] by dashed arrows 100.

[0083] The method according to the invention for post-molding the casting 2 can be implemented in an integrated manner within a casting process for manufacturing the casting 2. As part of the casting process, a casting tool 1 according to one of the above embodiments is provided in the casting position 22. In the cavity 14 of the casting tool 1, the aforementioned molten material, for example, a molten plastic, is introduced, poured, or injected. The molten material is then at least partially hardened, so that it at least partially solidifies into a casting 2. Figure 2 illustrates this state, in which, for the sake of clarity, the casting mold halves surrounding the exposed casting 2 and the slides 64, 64' are not explicitly shown.

[0084] Finally, the casting 2 is demolded from the casting tool 1. For this purpose, for example, the slide 64' without undercut 24 is first removed from the casting tool 1 along the separation direction 28. This is indicated in [Fig. 3] by arrow 102. As also shown in [Fig. 3], the casting 2 remains with the undercut 24, partly due to the undercut 24 on the slide 64. In addition, the casting 2 can also be held by the casting mold halves not shown.

[0085] Next, the slide 64 with undercut 24 is withdrawn from the casting tool 1 in the opposite direction. This is indicated in [Fig. 4] by the arrow 104. The arrow 8 is deflected by means of the undercut 24 transversely to the separation direction 28. In order to ensure sufficient malleability of the arrow 8 during this time, this deflection takes place, if possible, before the complete hardening of the casting 2 or the molten mass. This results in the plastic deformation of the arrow 8 shown in [Fig. 5].

[0086] In other words, the post-molding of the arrow 8 occurs during the demolding of the casting 2 due to the intentionally designed undercut 24. In particular, the casting 2 may still be in the casting tool 1 or be about to be completely detached from the tool part 20 with the undercut 24.

[0087] Numerical references 1 Casting tool 2 Cast piece 4 Injection Molding Tool 6 Plastic Injection Molding Tool 8 Arrow 10 Final position 12 Negative Mold 14 Cavity Section 16 18 Empty space 20, 20' Tool piece 22. Casting position 24 Undercut 26 Separation position 28 Separation direction 30 Relative displacement 32 Direction Section 34 36 Obviously 38 Projection 40 Extraction slope 42 Curvature 44 Chamfer 48 Free space 50, 50' Half of a casting mold 52 Separation Plan 54 Part of carrot 56 Ejector part 58 Nozzle 60 Ejector device 62 Ejector rod 64, 64' Slide 66 Longitudinal direction 68 Projection 70 State 72 State 74 Side 76 Connector housing 78 Contact chamber 79 Snap Hooks 80 Snap-on tab 82 Internal wall 84 Supporting surface 86 Component 88 Positioning element 90 Material Bridge 92 Interstice 94 Elements 100 Arrows 102 Arrow 104 Arrow

Claims

Demands

1. A casting tool (1) for post-molding a cantilevered arrow (8) of a casting (2), wherein the casting tool (1) has a tool piece (20) which, in a casting position (22), at least partially delimits a void (18) in the casting tool (1) forming a negative mold (12) of the arrow (8), and which is transferable from the casting position (22) along a parting direction (28) to a parting position (26) for demolding the casting (2), wherein the void (18) has an undercut (24) with respect to the parting direction (28) formed by the tool piece (20) in the casting position (22), and the casting tool (1) is arranged to mold a connector housing (76), wherein the arrow (8) is part of the connector housing (76) and has at least one snap hook (79),and wherein the empty space (18) represents the negative mold (12) of at least one snap hook (79).

2. Casting tool (1) according to claim 1, wherein the casting tool (1) has an additional tool piece (20') which at least partially delimits the void space (18) and does not form an undercut (24) of the void space (18) with respect to the separation direction (28).

3. Casting tool (1) according to claim 2, wherein the undercut (24) extends from one tool piece (20) towards the other tool piece (20') transversely to the separation direction (28).

4. Casting tool (1) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the tool parts (20, 20') are arranged so as to be separable from each other along the separation direction (28).

5. Casting tool (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the casting tool (1) has two casting mold halves (50, 50') as tool parts (20, 20'), wherein one casting mold half (50') is arranged as a sprue part (54) and the other casting mold half (50) is arranged as an ejector part (56), and wherein the undercut (24) is formed by the casting mold half (50) arranged as an ejector part (56).

6. Casting tool (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the casting tool (1) has two slides (64, 64') as tool parts (20, 20'), wherein the two slides (64, 64') are arranged to be removed from the rest of the casting tool (1), and wherein the removal of one slide (64) is blocked by the other slide (64').

7. Casting (2) demolded from a casting tool (1) with an overhanging arrow (8) having an undercut (24), wherein the overhanging arrow (8) has, in the demolded state (70) of the casting (2) at zero force, a position which is displaced in the direction of a side (74) opposite to the undercut (24), compared to an undemolded state (72).

8. Cast part (2) according to claim 7, wherein the arrow (8) is at least partially plastically deformed compared to the unmolded state (72).

9. A method for post-molding a cantilevered arrow (8) of a casting (2) located in a casting tool (1) arranged to mold a connector housing (76), wherein the arrow (8) is part of the connector housing (76) and has at least one snap hook (79), and the casting tool (1) has a tool piece (20) that at least partially delimits a void space (18) forming a negative mold (12) of the arrow (8) having at least one snap hook (79) with an undercut (24), wherein the tool piece (20) is moved along a parting direction (28) to demold the casting (2) and thereby deflects the arrow (8) by means of the undercut (24).

10. Method according to claim 9, wherein the arrow (8) is deflected in a non-destructive manner by the undercut (24) of the tool part (20) moved in the separation direction (28).

11. A method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the deflected arrow (8) is at least partially plastically deformed.

12. A method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the casting tool (1) has two tool pieces (20, 20'), which are arranged as slides (64, 64') removable from the rest of the casting tool (1), wherein only one of the slides (64) forms the undercut (24), and wherein this slide (64) is removed during demolding after the slide (64') which does not form the undercut (24).

13. A method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the post-molding is carried out before complete hardening of the casting (2).

14. Use of a casting tool (1) arranged to mold a connector housing (76) for post-molding a cantilevered arrow (8) of a casting (2), the arrow (8) being part of the connector housing (76) and having at least one snap hook (79), and the casting tool (1) having a tool part (20), which, in a casting position (22), at least partially delimits a void (18) forming a negative mold (12) of the arrow (8) having at least one snap hook (79) and which is arranged so as to be transferable from the casting position (22) along a parting direction (28) into a parting position (26) for demolding the casting (2), in which the arrow (8) has an undercut (24) relative to to the separation direction (28) which mutually engages with the tool part (20).

Images