Manufacturing device for foam products and methods for manufacturing foam products

Abstract

To solve the problem that the position of the foam product released by the mold opening in the conventional technology shifts significantly to the side.SOLUTION: An aspect of the invention is manufacturing device for foamed products in which foamed resin material in a cavity of a mold that can be opened vertically is foamed to a size that protrudes sideways from the cavity by the opening of the mold, and the foamed products are manufactured. The device for manufacturing foam products is equipped with a rotating arm that is rotatably connected to one side of either the upper or lower die of the mold, and rotates in accordance with the opening and closing of the mold, and changes between a standby posture that extends along the side of the mold in the mold-closed state and a hanging posture that extends in the vertical direction or at an angle to the vertical direction at the side of the space between the upper and lower molds in the mold-opened state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for producing foamed products. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a known method for producing a foamed product by foaming a foaming resin material in a cavity of a mold that can be opened vertically by releasing the pressure in the cavity when the mold is opened, and expanding the material to a size that protrudes laterally from the cavity (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 7-329079 (paragraph

[0027] , Figure 2, Figure 4, etc.) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The conventional technology had a problem that the position of the foamed product released by opening the mold was largely shifted to the side. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the invention is an apparatus for manufacturing foamed products in which a foamed product is produced by opening a cavity of a mold that can be opened vertically, and in which a foamed resin material in the cavity is foamed to a size that extends laterally from the cavity, and the apparatus for manufacturing foamed products is provided with a pivoting arm that is rotatably connected to one side of the upper and lower molds of the mold and rotates in response to the opening and closing of the mold, and changes between a standby position extending along the side of the mold in a closed state, and a hanging position extending in the vertical direction or at an angle to the vertical direction to the side of the space between the upper and lower molds in an open state. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a front view of a manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the manufacturing equipment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of the manufacturing equipment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the manufacturing device taken along line AA in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a pivot arm. [Figure 6] FIG. 6A is a front cross-sectional view of a rotating arm, FIG. 6B is a plan view of the vicinity of the base end of the rotating arm, and FIG. 6B is a plan view of the vicinity of the base end of the rotating arm after narrowing. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a front cross-sectional view of a foamed resin material that has begun to foam and fill the cavity. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a side view of the mold starting to open from a closed state. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a front view of the mold starting to open from a closed state. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a plan view of the mold starting to open from a closed state. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional side view of a mold starting to open from a closed state. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a side view of the mold in the open state. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a front view of the mold in the open state. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a plan view of the mold in the open state. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a side view of a mold according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] [First embodiment] FIG. 1 shows a manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment. The manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment is used to manufacture a foamed product S (see FIG. 13). The manufacturing apparatus 10 is equipped with a mold 11 that can be opened vertically. Specifically, the mold 11 is equipped with an upper mold 12 and a lower mold 13 that approach and separate from each other in the vertical direction, and can be changed between a mold closed state (see FIGS. 1 and 3) in which the upper mold 12 and the lower mold 13 are joined together, and a mold open state (see FIGS. 12 and 13) in which the upper mold 12 and the lower mold 13 are separated. In the example of this embodiment, the upper mold 12 and the lower mold 13 are plate-shaped (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0008] For example, the manufacturing apparatus 10 is provided with an upper die support part 14 that supports the upper die 12 and a lower die support part 15 that supports the lower die 13 (see FIG. 1). The upper die support part 14 is provided with, for example, a hot plate for heating the upper die 12 on its lower surface, and the upper die 12 is placed and fixed to its lower surface. The lower die support part 15 is provided with, for example, a hot plate for heating the lower die 13 on its upper surface, and the lower die 13 is placed and fixed to its upper surface. The upper die support part 14 and the lower die support part 15 move toward and away from each other, whereby the upper die 12 and the lower die 13 move.

[0009] As shown in FIG. 4, the mold 11 has a cavity 16 between the upper mold 12 and the lower mold 13 when the mold is closed, in which the foamed resin material G is placed. The cavity 16 is formed by providing a recess in at least one of the opposing surfaces of the upper mold 12 and the lower mold 13. In this embodiment, a recess 16U is formed in the opposing surface (lower surface) of the upper mold 12, and the opposing surface (upper surface) of the lower mold 13 is flat. The recess 16U has a shape that widens from the back side (upper side) toward the opening side (lower side), so that the foamed product S (see FIG. 9) falls and is easily removed from the mold, as described later.

[0010] In this embodiment, an annular protrusion 16K is formed on the lower surface of the upper mold 12 by the opening edge of the cavity 16 protruding downward (see Figs. 2 and 4). The entire circumferential surface of the annular protrusion 16K abuts against the upper surface of the lower mold 13 when the molds are closed.

[0011] 2, in this embodiment, the lower mold 13 has a larger width in the left-right direction than the upper mold 12. The upper mold 12 and the lower mold 13 may have substantially the same depth in the front-rear direction, or one of the upper mold 12 and the lower mold 13 may be deeper than the other.

[0012] In this embodiment, a side recess 12U that narrows the left-right width of the upper die 12 is formed in a mid-way portion in the front-rear direction of the side surface of the upper die 12. Note that in this embodiment, end projections 12T that project in the left-right direction are formed at both ends in the front-rear direction of the side surface of the upper die 12.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 3, the mold 11 is provided with a rotating arm 20 that is rotatably connected to the side of the upper mold 12. For example, the rotating arm 20 is attached to at least one of the side surfaces (left and right surfaces) of the upper mold 12. In this embodiment, the rotating arm 20 is attached to both side surfaces (both left and right surfaces) of the upper mold 12. In this embodiment, the rotating arm 20 is not connected to the lower mold 13, but is placed on and supported by the upper surface of the lower mold 13.

[0014] When the mold is closed, the rotating arm 20 is in a standby position extending along the side of the mold 11 (the upper mold 12 in this embodiment) (see FIG. 3). In this embodiment, the rotating arm 20 is in a standby position extending forward, and the center of rotation is provided at one end (hereinafter referred to as the base end) (in this embodiment, the base end).

[0015] In this embodiment, a rotation center hole 20H (see FIG. 6B) penetrating the rotation arm 20 is formed at the base end of the rotation arm 20. A rotation support shaft J (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 5) that rotatably supports the rotation arm 20 is inserted into the rotation center hole 20H. The rotation support shaft J is screwed into a screw hole 12H (see FIG. 6B) formed in a side surface of the upper mold 12 (in this embodiment, a rearward portion between the end projections 12T). A nut N is screwed from the outside to the rotation support shaft J as a retaining portion that prevents the rotation arm 20 from coming off. In this way, the rotation arm 20 is attached to the side surface of the upper mold 12. Since the rotation support shaft J is inserted into the rotation center hole 20H so as to be relatively rotatable, the rotation arm 20 is rotatable with respect to the upper mold 12. The rotation support shaft J may be a bolt having a head as a retaining portion that prevents the rotation arm 20 from coming off.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 6B, the manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment is provided with an arm placement adjustment mechanism 40 capable of adjusting the left-right position of the pivot arm 20. The arm placement adjustment mechanism 40 is provided with the above-mentioned pivot support shaft J, screw hole 12H, and retaining portion (nut N), as well as a coil spring 41. The coil spring 41 is sandwiched between the side surface of the upper mold 12 and the pivot arm 20. By providing the coil spring 41, the pivot arm 20 can be sandwiched between the coil spring 41 and the retaining portion (nut N in this embodiment), and the left-right movement of the pivot arm 20 can be restricted. The coil spring 41 biases the pivot arm 20 to press it toward the nut N in a compressed state. In addition, in the arm placement adjustment mechanism 40, the left-right position of the pivot arm 20 can be adjusted by changing the amount of screwing of the nut N into the pivot support shaft J (see FIG. 6C).

[0017] As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the rotating arm 20 includes a cylindrical portion 23, a plate-shaped portion 21, and a rib 22. The cylindrical portion 23 has the above-mentioned rotation center hole 20H on the inside. The cylindrical portion 23 sandwiches the coil spring 41 between itself and the side surface of the upper mold 12. The plate-shaped portion 21 extends in the longitudinal direction of the rotating arm 20 from the cylindrical portion 23 to the tip of the rotating arm 20, and is disposed opposite to the side surface of the upper mold 12 when the mold 11 is closed. In this embodiment, the plate-shaped portion 21 is strip-shaped. The rib 22 protrudes from the plate-shaped portion 21 to the opposite side to the mold 11 and extends in the longitudinal direction of the plate-shaped portion 21 (for example, extends from the cylindrical portion 23 to the tip of the rotating arm 20). In this manner, the rib 22 is provided, thereby reinforcing the plate-shaped portion 21.

[0018] In this embodiment, the tip of the rotating arm 20 abuts against an arm abutment portion 13T on the upper surface of the lower mold 13. As shown in Fig. 3, the tip surface of the rotating arm 20 that abuts against the upper surface of the lower mold 13 (the tip surfaces of the plate-shaped portion 21 and the rib 22 in this embodiment) forms a rounded bulging surface 20M when viewed from the rotation axis direction of the rotating arm 20, and in this embodiment, forms an arc shape.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the rotating arm 20 is provided with a demolding protrusion 24 extending toward the mold 11 (cavity 16). As shown in FIG. 6A, in this embodiment, the demolding protrusion 24 is plate-shaped and is disposed, for example, substantially perpendicular to the plate-shaped portion 21. In this embodiment, an angle-shaped (L-shaped cross section) protruding member 25 is attached to the surface of the plate-shaped portion 21 facing the mold. Specifically, the protruding member 25 has a base plate portion 25B that overlaps with the plate-shaped portion 21, and the demolding protrusion 24 that protrudes toward the mold 11 from one end of the base plate portion 25B in the width direction of the rotating arm 20 (the upper end in the mold closed state shown in FIG. 4). In this embodiment, when the arm arrangement adjustment mechanism 40 is adjusted to bring the rotating arm 20 closer to the upper mold 12 in the left-right direction, the rotating arm 20 is received in the side recess 12U of the upper mold 12.

[0020] The rotating arm 20 rotates in response to the opening and closing of the mold 11. As described above, in this embodiment, the rotating arm 20 is in a standby position in which it extends forward along the side surface of the upper mold 12 in the mold closed state (see Figs. 2 and 3). Also, as described above, in the standby position, the tip end portion of the rotating arm 20 is supported by abutting against the arm abutment portion 13T on the upper surface of the lower mold 13. In detail, in this embodiment, the rotating arm 20 in the standby position extends downward toward the tip end, and the tip end of the rotating arm 20 is supported by abutting against the lower mold 13 from above. Also, in the standby position, the rotating arm 20 is arranged so as to be within the height of the mold 11 in the vertical direction.

[0021] As shown in the change from FIG. 3 to FIG. 12, when the mold 11 is in the mold open state, the rotating arm 20 is in a hanging position disposed to the side of the space R between the upper mold 12 and the lower mold 13. Specifically, when the mold 11 changes from the mold closed state to the mold open state, the rotating arm 20 rotates by its own weight so that the tip side faces downward. During this time, in this embodiment, the tip (bulging surface 20M) of the rotating arm 20 slides against the upper surface (arm abutment portion 13T) of the lower mold 13 and always remains in contact with it. In this embodiment, the rotating arm 20 is in a hanging position inclined downward toward the front.

[0022] When the mold 11 returns from the mold open state to the mold closed state, the rotating arm 20, following the mold 11, performs the reverse operation to the above operation and returns to the standby position.

[0023] Next, a method for manufacturing a foamed product S using the manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment will be described. First, as shown in Fig. 4, a foaming resin material G is placed so as to fit within a cavity 16 of a temperature-controlled mold 11, and the mold 11 is closed. Then, as shown in Fig. 7, the foaming resin material G starts to foam due to heat from the mold 11, filling the cavity 16. In this state, the foaming resin material G is contained within the cavity 16 and its volume is restricted, so it cannot foam and expand further.

[0024] Next, when the mold 11 is opened vertically (see FIG. 8), the pressure in the cavity 16 is released by the mold opening, and the foaming of the foaming resin material G proceeds. Then, as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the foaming resin material G foams and expands to obtain a foamed product S, which is demolded (falls) from the recess 16U of the upper mold 12 into the space R between the upper mold 12 and the lower mold 13. At this time, the foamed product S has expanded to a size that protrudes laterally from the cavity 16 (see FIG. 9 and FIG. 10).

[0025] Here, there is a problem that the position of the foamed product S released by opening the mold in this way is largely shifted to the side. If such a shift occurs, there is a risk of, for example, a decrease in the efficiency of the work of removing the foamed product S from the mold 11. For example, in the mold 11, the foamed product S is removed from the front-rear direction, but if this removal is performed by a robot, it becomes difficult for the robot to remove the foamed product S if the position of the foamed product S is largely shifted in the left-right direction.

[0026] In contrast, the manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment is provided with the above-mentioned rotating arm 20, which is disposed on the side of the space R between the upper mold 12 and the lower mold 13 when the mold 11 changes from a mold closed state to a mold open state (see Figs. 9 and 10). This makes it possible to abut against the foamed product S protruding laterally from the cavity 16 and suppress lateral movement of the foamed product S. Moreover, as shown in Figs. 12 to 14, the rotating arm 20 is always disposed on the side of the space R until the mold 11 is in a completely mold open state, so that it is possible to suppress the left-right positional deviation of the foamed product S until it falls onto the lower mold 13.

[0027] In this embodiment, the portion of the rotating arm 20 that comes into contact with the arm contact portion 13T on the upper surface of the lower mold 13 is an arc-shaped bulging surface 20M, so that the rotating arm 20 can smoothly slide against the arm contact portion 13T. Also, the arm contact portion 13T can be prevented from being damaged by the rotating arm 20.

[0028] Here, when the mold 11 is opened, a situation may occur in which the foamed product S sticks to the upper mold 12 and does not fall. In contrast, in the manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 11, the demolding protrusion 24 of the rotating arm 20 can abut against the foamed product S from above as the mold 11 is opened. Therefore, it is possible to easily demold the foamed product S.

[0029] Furthermore, in the manufacturing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, by providing the arm arrangement adjustment mechanism 40 as described above, it is possible to handle foamed products S having different widths in the left-right direction.

[0030] For example, the manufacturing apparatus 10 may be used for the first foaming when foaming the foaming resin material G in two stages. In this case, for example, the foamed product S is taken out from the front and rear directions by a robot and sent to a manufacturing apparatus for the second foaming. Even in such a case, if the manufacturing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is used, it is possible to suppress the positional deviation of the foamed product S, and therefore it is possible to suppress the decrease in work efficiency.

[0031] [Other embodiments] 15 , the rotating arm 20 may be provided with a roller 20R that is rotatable in contact with the arm contact portion 13T of the lower die 13. The rotation axis of the roller 20R is arranged to be parallel to the rotation central axis of the rotating arm 20.

[0032] In the above embodiment, when the rotating arm 20 is in the hanging posture, the rotating arm 20 is in a tilted posture with the front side downward, but the rotating arm 20 may be in a posture extending vertically downward (for example, in the hanging posture, the rotating arm 20 may be separated from the arm abutment portion 13T). In this case, if the arm abutment portion 13T is made to have a tilted surface with the front side downward, it becomes possible to rotate the rotating arm 20 from the hanging posture to the standby posture when the mold 11 changes from the mold open state to the mold closed state.

[0033] In the above embodiment, the demolding protrusion 24 does not necessarily have to be provided.

[0034] In the above embodiment, the bulging shape of the tip end surface of the rotating arm 20 is arc-shaped, but it may be hemispherical.

[0035] In the above embodiment, the arm contact portion 13T is provided on the upper surface of the lower mold 13. However, for example, it may be provided on the upper surface of the lower mold support portion 15.

[0036] In the above embodiment, the portion to which the rotating arm 20 is rotatably attached is the side portion of the upper mold 12, but it may be the side portion (for example, the side surface) of the upper mold support portion .

[0037] In the above embodiment, the tip of the rotating arm 20 may be connected to the lower die 13 or the lower die support part 15 (for example, it may be connected so as to be rotatable and slidable).

[0038] In the above embodiment, the portion to which the rotating arm 20 is rotatably attached may be a side portion (e.g., a side surface) of the lower mold 13 or the lower mold support portion 15. In this case, for example, the tip side portion of the rotating arm may be rotatably and slidably connected to the side portion (e.g., a side surface) of the upper mold 12.

[0039] In the above embodiment, the mold 11 may be configured such that the mold opening direction is not vertical, but may be horizontal, for example. In such a configuration, for example, the rotating arm 20 is disposed in a position facing the space R between the split molds to be opened in a direction intersecting the mold opening direction.

[0040] In the above embodiment, a non-rotating member may be provided instead of the rotating arm 20 that rotates in response to the opening and closing of the mold 11. For example, as such a member, a fixed member that faces the space R from the side and can suppress lateral positional deviation of the foamed product S may be provided.

[0041] <Additional Notes> The following describes the feature groups extracted from the above-described embodiments, while indicating their effects, etc., as necessary. Note that, in the following, for ease of understanding, the corresponding configurations in the above-described embodiments are appropriately indicated in parentheses, but these feature groups are not limited to the specific configurations indicated in parentheses.

[0042] For example, the following group of features of the present disclosure can be considered to have been conceived in response to a problem in the background art of "a foamed product manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method" in which "a foamed resin material in a cavity of a mold that can be opened up and down is foamed by releasing the pressure in the cavity when the mold is opened, and expanded to a size that protrudes laterally from the cavity to manufacture a foamed product (see, for example, JP 7-329079 (paragraph

[0027] , Figures 2, 4, etc.))." in which "the conventional technology has a problem that the position of the foamed product released by mold opening is significantly shifted to the side." Furthermore, there has been a demand for the development of new technologies related to foamed product manufacturing apparatuses and foamed product manufacturing methods.

[0043] [Feature 1] 1. An apparatus for manufacturing a foamed product, in which a foamed resin material in a cavity of a mold that can be opened upward and downward is expanded to a size that protrudes laterally from the cavity by the opening of the mold, A foam product manufacturing device comprising a pivoting arm that is rotatably connected to one side of the upper and lower molds of the mold, pivots in response to the opening and closing of the mold, and changes between a standby position extending along the side of the mold when the mold is closed, and a hanging position extending in the vertical direction or at an angle to the vertical direction to the side of the space between the upper and lower molds when the mold is open.

[0044] [Feature 2] The rotating arm has one end rotatably connected to the upper mold and rotates from the standby position to the hanging position by its own weight, The foam product manufacturing apparatus according to Feature 1, wherein the lower mold or the support portion of the lower mold is provided with an arm abutment portion that displaces the pivot arm from the hanging position to the standby position when the mold is closed.

[0045] [Feature 3] 3. The foam product manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pivot arm is provided with a demolding protrusion extending toward the cavity.

[0046] [Feature 4] 3. The foamed product manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pivot arm is provided with a roller that is rotatable by contacting the arm contact portion.

[0047] [Feature 5] 5. The foamed product manufacturing device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the rotating arm is provided with a protruding surface that is arc-shaped or semi-spherical and comes into sliding contact with the arm abutment portion.

[0048] [Feature 6] The foam product manufacturing apparatus according to any one of features 1 to 5, further comprising an arm placement adjustment mechanism for adjusting the distance between the pivot arm and the upper mold in the direction of the pivot axis of the pivot arm.

[0049] [Feature 7] The arm arrangement adjustment mechanism includes: a rotation support shaft provided in the upper mold and passing through a rotation center hole penetrating the rotation arm to rotatably support the rotation arm; A retaining portion (nut N) provided on the rotation support shaft for retaining the rotation arm; a coil spring through which the rotation support shaft passes and which is sandwiched between a side surface of the upper mold and the rotation arm; The rotation support shaft is formed with a screw portion, The foamed product manufacturing apparatus according to feature 6, characterized in that the length of the coil spring can be changed by screwing the screw portion into the upper mold or the retaining portion.

[0050] [Feature 8] The foam product manufacturing apparatus according to any one of Features 1 to 7, wherein the rotating arms are attached to both side surfaces of the upper mold.

[0051] [Feature 9] The foam product manufacturing apparatus according to any one of features 1 to 8, wherein the pivoting arm has a plate-shaped portion that is placed on the mold and a rib that protrudes from the plate-shaped portion on the side opposite the mold.

[0052] [Feature 10] A method for producing a foamed product, comprising using the production apparatus according to any one of features 1 to 9 to produce the foamed product.

[0053] [Feature 11] According to each of the above-mentioned features, it is possible to prevent the position of the foamed product released by the mold opening from shifting sideways.

[0054] In addition, although this specification and drawings disclose specific examples of the technology included in the scope of the claims, the technology described in the claims is not limited to these specific examples, but includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples, as well as parts of the specific examples taken alone. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 10 Manufacturing equipment 11 Mold 12 Upper mold 12H screw hole 13 Lower mold 13T Arm contact part 14 Upper mold support part 15 Lower mold support part 16 Cavity 20 Rotating Arm 20H Rotation center hole 20M bulging surface 20R Roller 21 Plate-shaped part 22 Ribs 23 Cylindrical section 24 Protrusion for demolding 40 Arm placement adjustment mechanism 41 Coil spring J Rotation support shaft G. Foam resin material R space S Foam Products

Claims

1. A foamed product manufacturing apparatus, in which a foamed resin material in a cavity of a mold that can be opened up and down is expanded to a size that protrudes laterally from the cavity by the mold opening, A foam product manufacturing device comprising a pivoting arm that is rotatably connected to one side of the upper and lower molds of the mold, pivots in response to the opening and closing of the mold, and changes between a standby position extending along the side of the mold when the mold is closed, and a hanging position extending in the vertical direction or at an angle to the vertical direction to the side of the space between the upper and lower molds when the mold is open.

2. The rotating arm has one end rotatably connected to the upper mold and rotates from the standby position to the hanging position by its own weight, 2. The foam product manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lower mold or a support portion of the lower mold is provided with an arm abutment portion for displacing the pivot arm from the hanging position to the standby position when the molds are closed.

3. 3. The foamed product manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pivot arm is provided with a demolding projection extending toward the cavity.

4. 3. The foamed product manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pivot arm is provided with a roller that is rotatable in contact with the arm contact portion.

5. 2. The foam product manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an arm arrangement adjustment mechanism for adjusting a distance between the pivot arm and the upper mold in a direction of a pivot axis of the pivot arm.

6. 2. The foam product manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotating arms are attached to both side surfaces of the upper mold.

7. A method for producing a foamed product, comprising the steps of: producing the foamed product by using the production apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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