Spray mechanism, resin molding device, and method for manufacturing resin molded article

Abstract

To improve the mold releasability of a forming mold having an upper mold and a lower mold, while easily and reliably spraying either or both of the upper mold and the lower mold with a mold release agent.SOLUTION: The present invention is a spray mechanism 20 for spraying either or both of an open upper mold 171 and a lower mold 172 with the mold release agent, wherein the spray mechanism comprises: a mold release agent spray part 20S for spraying the liquid mold release agent as a mist; and a spray direction-changing mechanism 20T for blowing a gas to the mold release agent sprayed as a mist from the mold release agent spray part 20S, thereby changing the spray direction of the mold release agent as a mist.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a spray mechanism, a resin molding device, and a method for manufacturing a resin molded product. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as shown in Patent Document 1, in a resin molding device, a release agent is sprayed onto the lower mold, which is the resin molding mold after cleaning, in order to make it easier to release the molded product from the resin molding mold after resin molding.

[0003] In this resin molding device, a cavity is formed in the lower mold of a resin molding die, and a release agent is supplied to the mold surface of the lower mold by a micro-mist supply unit. The mist injection ports of the micro-mist supply unit are arranged so that the release agent is sprayed over the entire mold surface as the micro-mist supply unit moves back and forth within the resin molding die.

[0004] However, the above-mentioned micro-mist supply unit has a mist injection port formed facing the mold surface of the lower mold, and therefore cannot supply the release agent to the mold surface of the upper mold. Furthermore, when supplying the release agent to the mold surface of the upper mold, in addition to the micro-mist supply unit that supplies the release agent to the mold surface of the lower mold, another micro-mist supply unit that supplies the release agent to the mold surface of the upper mold is required, which makes the device configuration complicated and may lead to an increase in the size of the device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-253849 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its main object is to easily and reliably spray a release agent onto both or one of the upper and lower dies while improving the releasability of a molding die having an upper die and a lower die. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] That is, the spraying mechanism according to the present invention is a spraying mechanism that sprays a release agent onto both or one of the upper and lower dies that have been opened, and is characterized by comprising: a release agent spraying section that sprays the liquid release agent in the form of a mist; and a spray direction changing mechanism that blows gas onto the mist of release agent sprayed from the release agent spraying section, thereby changing the spray direction of the mist of release agent. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention configured as described above, the mold release agent can be sprayed onto both or one of the upper and lower dies simply and reliably while improving the releasability of a molding die having an upper and lower dies. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a configuration of a resin molding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 10 is a diagram showing a forming die, a first moving body, a second moving body, and their surrounding structure in the same embodiment, as viewed from the X direction. FIG. [Figure 3] 10 is a view seen from the X direction, schematically showing a cable bear connected to each moving body of the embodiment and its surrounding structure. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a detailed configuration of the spray mechanism of the embodiment (a state in which atomized release agent is sprayed onto the lower mold). [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a detailed configuration of the spray mechanism of the embodiment (a state in which atomized release agent is sprayed onto the upper mold). [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a detailed configuration of the spray mechanism of the embodiment (in a state where a release agent is being replenished). [Figure 7]FIG. 2(a) is a diagram showing a nozzle unit and a nozzle unit moving part in the spray mechanism of the same embodiment. [Figure 8] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating a release agent detection unit and a determination unit of the embodiment. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a spraying operation onto the casting mold of the same embodiment. [Figure 10] 5A is a schematic diagram showing irradiation of ultraviolet light and spraying of a mold release agent in the method for producing a resin molded article according to the embodiment; FIG. [Figure 11] 5C is a schematic diagram showing the loading of an object to be molded (resin material), and FIG. 5D is a schematic diagram showing resin molding (mold clamping) in the method for manufacturing a resin molded product according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] 5(e) is a schematic diagram showing the removal of the resin molded product and FIG. 5(f) is a schematic diagram showing cleaning with a brush in the manufacturing method of the resin molded product of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Next, the technology according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples, although the present invention is not limited to the following technology.

[0011] The spraying mechanism of the first technique according to the present invention is a spraying mechanism that sprays a release agent onto both or one of the upper and lower dies that have been opened, and is characterized by comprising: a release agent spraying unit that sprays the liquid release agent in the form of a mist; and a spray direction changing mechanism that blows gas onto the mist of release agent sprayed from the release agent spraying unit to change the spray direction of the mist of release agent.

[0012] With this spraying mechanism, the release agent is sprayed onto both or one of the upper and lower dies, which improves the releasability of the resin molded product and suppresses contamination of the mold due to resin molding, thereby improving the quality of the resin molded product. Furthermore, the spray direction of the atomized release agent sprayed from the release agent spraying section is changed by blowing gas onto the atomized release agent, so that the release agent can be sprayed easily and reliably onto both or one of the upper and lower dies. Here, because gas is blown onto the atomized release agent, the atomized release agent easily penetrates into depressions caused by the surface roughness of the surface of the upper die or the surface of the lower die, thereby improving the releasability of the surface of the upper die or the surface of the lower die. Specifically, the release agent penetrates into the depressions caused by the surface roughness, thereby reducing the anchoring effect of the depressions, reducing adhesion and improving the releasability. Furthermore, there is no need to provide a release agent spraying section for spraying the release agent onto the upper mold and a release agent spraying section for spraying the release agent onto the lower mold, and a common release agent spraying section can be used, which prevents the spraying mechanism from becoming large.

[0013] In addition to the configuration of the above-described technique 1, the spraying mechanism of technique 2 according to the present invention is preferably configured such that the spray direction changing mechanism has a first gas nozzle that sprays gas downward onto the atomized release agent and a second gas nozzle that sprays gas upward onto the atomized release agent, and the spray direction of the atomized release agent is changed by switching between spraying and stopping spraying from the first gas nozzle and the second gas nozzle. With this configuration, the spray direction can be easily switched between upward and downward simply by switching between the injection from the first gas nozzle and the injection from the second gas nozzle. Furthermore, by switching between the injection from the first gas nozzle and the injection from the second gas nozzle, the conditions for spraying the release agent onto the upper mold and the lower mold can be individually adjusted by adjusting the injection amount from each gas nozzle. Furthermore, when a release film (mold release film) is placed on the upper mold, the configuration can be easily changed to one in which the release agent is sprayed only onto the lower mold.

[0014] In addition to the configuration of the above-described technique 2, the spraying mechanism of technique 3 according to the present invention has the following features: the spray direction changing mechanism moves the first gas nozzle and the second gas nozzle individually with respect to the release agent spraying section; and it is desirable that the nozzles that spray gas among the gas nozzles are moved to the front of the spraying side of the release agent spraying section, and the nozzles that do not spray gas are moved to a retracted position away from the front of the spraying side of the release agent spraying section. With this configuration, when one gas nozzle is spraying gas, the other gas nozzle does not interfere with the spray direction of the other gas nozzle. This allows the atomized release agent to be reliably sprayed onto the surface of the mold. For example, when spraying gas using the first gas nozzle, the first gas nozzle is located in front of the spray side of the release agent spray section, and the second gas nozzle is located in a retracted position away from the front of the spray side of the release agent spray section. Also, when spraying gas using the second gas nozzle, the second gas nozzle is located in front of the spray side of the release agent spray section, and the first gas nozzle is located in a retracted position away from the front of the spray side of the release agent spray section.

[0015] The spraying mechanism of Technology 4 according to the present invention has the same configuration as any one of Technology 1 to Technology 3, and it is desirable that the release agent spraying unit is a single unit that sprays the release agent by ultrasonic atomization. With this configuration, by using a spray unit that uses ultrasonic atomization, it is possible to spray a small amount of release agent uniformly. In addition, the configuration of the release agent spray unit can be simplified and made compact.

[0016] The spraying mechanism of Technique 5 according to the present invention has the same configuration as any one of Techniques 1 to 4 described above, and further has the following features: the release agent spraying unit has a spray nozzle that sprays the release agent, and a release agent supply unit that supplies the release agent to the spray nozzle; and the release agent supply unit has a supply pipe connected to the spray nozzle and a syringe that is connected to the supply pipe and contains the release agent. With this configuration, since a syringe is used as the release agent supply section, it is possible to supply the release agent continuously without pulsation, and it is possible to stably spray the atomized release agent. Here, when the release agent spraying unit has a single configuration (a configuration having a single spray nozzle), the number of supply pipes and syringes can be reduced, and the cost of the release agent spraying unit, which uses an expensive nozzle with an ultrasonic vibrator, can be reduced. Furthermore, when adjusting the release agent spraying unit, only one system is required, making the adjustment work easier. On the other hand, when the release agent spraying unit has multiple configurations (a configuration having multiple spray nozzles), the processing time for spraying the release agent can be shortened, and a drive shaft for moving the spray nozzle during the process of spraying the release agent can be eliminated.

[0017] In addition to the configuration of the above-described technology 5, the spraying mechanism of technology 6 according to the present invention is preferably configured such that the release agent supply unit has a supply pipe connected to the supply pipe via a switching valve in the middle of the supply pipe, and a storage container to which the supply pipe is connected and which stores the release agent, and the release agent is supplied from the storage container to the syringe unit through the supply pipe by the syringe unit performing a suction operation. With this configuration, the release agent can be replenished in the syringe portion, which allows for continuous supply of the release agent and stable spraying of the atomized release agent.

[0018] It is desirable that the spraying mechanism of Technology 7 according to the present invention further comprises, in addition to the configuration of any one of Technology 1 to Technology 6, a release agent detection unit that detects the mist of release agent sprayed from the release agent spray unit, and a determination unit that determines the spray state of the mist of release agent based on the detection signal from the release agent detection unit. With this configuration, it is possible to determine whether the mist of release agent is stable. After determining that the mist of release agent is stable, gas is blown onto the mist of release agent to change the spray direction of the mist of release agent, thereby making it possible to spray a stable mist of release agent onto the molding die.

[0019] The spraying mechanism of Technique 8 according to the present invention has, in addition to the configuration of any one of Techniques 1 to 7, a release agent recovery section that is provided in front of the release agent spraying section on the spraying side and that recovers the atomized release agent sprayed from the release agent spraying section, and it is desirable that the release agent recovery section has a recess that stores the liquefied release agent, and that a suction port is formed in the bottom surface of the recess. With this configuration, the spray direction is not changed by the spray direction changing mechanism, and it is possible to prevent the mist of release agent sprayed in front of the spray mechanism from scattering around and causing contamination. In particular, it is possible to prevent the mist of release agent sprayed in front of the spray mechanism from scattering around and causing contamination from the period from the start of spraying until the mist of release agent stabilizes. Furthermore, it is possible to recover the liquefied release agent contained in the recess from the suction port. Moreover, it is possible to recover the mist of release agent from the suction port even if there is no liquefied release agent in the recess. The release agent receiving part may have a function as a lid that covers the nozzle part of the spray nozzle. In this case, the release agent receiving part is configured to be movable between a state in which it covers the nozzle part of the spray nozzle and a state in which it moves forward from the nozzle part of the spray nozzle on the spray side and is separated from the nozzle part of the spray nozzle. With this configuration, when the release agent is not being sprayed from the spray nozzle, the release agent receiving part covers the tip of the spray nozzle, thereby preventing the evaporation, drying, and deterioration of the components of the release agent. When the release agent is being sprayed from the spray nozzle, the release agent receiving part moves forward from the tip of the nozzle on the spray side and is separated from the tip of the spray nozzle. Specifically, a sealing member such as a rubber packing is provided at the part of the release agent receiving part that serves as the cover and comes into contact with the spray nozzle. The sealing member is pressed against the spray nozzle to maintain airtightness, thereby preventing evaporation, drying, and deterioration.

[0020] The resin molding device of Technology 8 according to the present invention is a resin molding device that uses a molding die having an upper die and a lower die to mold a resin into a molding object, and is characterized by including a spraying mechanism having the configuration of any one of Technology 1 to Technology 7 above that sprays a mold release agent onto both or one of the upper die and the lower die when the die is opened. With this resin molding device, the release agent is sprayed onto the upper and lower dies before the pre-molding object is loaded, improving the releasability of the resin molded product and suppressing contamination of the mold due to resin molding, thereby improving the quality of the resin molded product.

[0021] In addition to the configuration of Technology 8, the resin molding apparatus of Technology 9 according to the present invention preferably further comprises an irradiation unit that irradiates ultraviolet rays onto both or one of the upper and lower dies that have been opened, and after the irradiation unit irradiates both or one of the upper and lower dies with ultraviolet rays, the spraying mechanism preferably sprays a mold release agent onto both or one of the upper and lower dies. When both or one of the upper and lower dies are irradiated with ultraviolet light to remove dirt adhering to the upper or lower die, the releasability of the upper or lower die is significantly reduced by the ultraviolet light irradiation. Therefore, the releasability of the upper or lower die can be restored by spraying a release agent after the ultraviolet light irradiation.

[0022] Furthermore, a manufacturing method of a resin molded product according to Technology 10 of the present invention is a manufacturing method of a resin molded product using the resin molding apparatus of Technology 8 or 9, characterized in that a release agent is sprayed onto the upper and lower dies that have been opened before an object to be molded is carried in, and the object to be molded is carried in the upper and lower dies to which the release agent has been sprayed, and then resin molding is performed. In this method for manufacturing resin molded products, the release agent is sprayed onto the upper and lower dies before the pre-molding object is carried in, which improves the releasability of the resin molded product and suppresses contamination of the mold due to resin molding, thereby improving the quality of the resin molded product.

[0023] <One embodiment of the present invention> An embodiment of a resin molding apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that, for ease of understanding, all of the drawings shown below are drawn in a schematic manner with appropriate omissions or exaggerations. Identical components are designated by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted where appropriate.

[0024] <Overall Configuration of Resin Molding Apparatus 100> The resin molding apparatus 100 of this embodiment resin-moldes a molding object W to which an electronic component (not shown) is connected, using a resin material J by transfer molding.

[0025] Here, the molding object W may be, for example, a metal substrate, a resin substrate, a glass substrate, a ceramic substrate, a circuit board, a semiconductor substrate, a wiring board, a lead frame, or the like, with or without wiring. The resin material J for resin molding is, for example, a composite material containing a thermosetting resin, and the resin material J may be in the form of granules, powder, liquid, sheet, tablet, or the like. Furthermore, the electronic component (not shown) connected to the upper surface of the molding object W may be, for example, an electronic element such as a bare chip, a resistor element, or a capacitor element, or at least one of these electronic elements sealed with resin.

[0026] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the resin molding apparatus 100 includes, as its components, a supply module 100A that supplies a molding object W (hereinafter simply referred to as "molding object W") and a resin material J before molding, a molding module 100B having a molding die 17 for resin molding, and a storage module 100C that stores the molding object W (hereinafter referred to as "resin molded product P") after molding. Note that the supply module 100A, molding module 100B, and storage module 100C can be attached to and detached from the other components, and can be replaced. In this embodiment, the apparatus is configured with two molding modules 100B, but the number of each component can be increased or decreased, such as by using one molding module 100B or three or more molding modules 100B.

[0027] The operation of the resin molding apparatus 100 including the modules 100A to 100C described below is controlled, for example, by a control unit CTL provided in the supply module 100A. The control unit CTL has a processing element such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls the operation by executing a program stored in a storage unit (not shown). The control unit CTL may be provided in modules 100B and 100C other than the supply module 100A. The control unit CTL may also have multiple processing elements. In this case, the processing elements of the control unit CTL may be arranged in at least two of the modules 100A to 100C.

[0028] Supply module 100A supplies molding workpieces W to molding module 100B and also supplies resin material J to molding module 100B. Specifically, supply module 100A has a molding workpiece supply section 11 that supplies molding workpieces W, a molding workpiece placement section 12 that receives and delivers molding workpieces W, a resin material accommodation section 13 that accommodates resin material J, a resin material alignment section 14 that aligns resin material J, and a carry-in section 15 (hereinafter referred to as "loader 15") that transports molding workpieces W from molding workpiece placement section 12 to molding module 100B and transports resin material J from the resin material alignment section 14 to resin molding module 100B. Here, loader 15 is movable at least in the X and Y directions by a transport movement mechanism 16.

[0029] The two molding modules 100B use the molding object W and resin material J transported by the loader 15 to resin-mold the molding object W. Each molding module 100B includes a molding die 17 that forms a cavity C into which the resin material J is filled, and a clamping mechanism (not shown) that clamps the molding die 17. In this embodiment, the molding dies 17 provided in the two molding modules 100B are arranged in a row along the X direction.

[0030] The molding die 17 has an upper die 171 and a lower die 172 arranged opposite to each other, and a recess that forms a cavity C is formed in both or one of the upper die 171 and the lower die 172. A pot 17a that contains a resin material J is formed in the lower die 172. Furthermore, a resin passage (not shown) that connects the pot 17a to the cavity C is formed in the upper die 171 or the lower die 172. In addition, an air vent (not shown) is formed in the upper die 171 on the side opposite to the pot 17a.

[0031] Then, with the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 clamped together by the mold clamping mechanism, the molten resin material J is extruded from the pot 17a by a plunger (not shown), and the molten resin material J passes through the resin passage described above and is injected into the cavity C. Then, the electronic components of the molding object W accommodated in the cavity C are sealed with resin.

[0032] A ceramic layer containing yttrium oxide, nitrogen, and cations of a Group 4A element is formed on the surface of the upper mold 171 and the surface of the lower mold 172. Here, the surface of the upper mold 171 and the surface of the lower mold 172 refer to the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 that face each other (the lower surface of the upper mold 171 and the upper surface of the lower mold 172). This makes the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 excellent in releasability and low adhesion (anti-fouling properties). Note that the Group 4A element may be, for example, at least one element selected from the group consisting of titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), and rutherfordium (Rf).

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, the storage module 100C has a storage section 18 that stores the resin molded product P, and an unloading section 19 (hereinafter referred to as "unloader 19") that receives the resin molded product P from the molding module 100B and unloads it to the storage section 18. The resin molded product P stored in the storage section 18 can be removed from outside the device. The unloader 19 is movable in at least the X and Y directions by a transfer movement mechanism 16. In this embodiment, the loader 15 and the unloader 19 are movable by a common transfer movement mechanism 16. This transfer movement mechanism 16 is provided along the arrangement direction (X direction) of the multiple molding dies 17, and in this embodiment, is provided on one side, i.e., the rear side, of the molding dies 17.

[0034] <Automatic cleaning function of resin molding device 100> The resin molding apparatus 100 of this embodiment has a function of automatically cleaning the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. The parts that perform the automatic cleaning function described below may be modularized, and the cleaning modules may be configured to be detachable from each of the modules 100A to 100C. When the cleaning modules are configured to be detachable, the control unit of the cleaning module may be provided inside or outside the cleaning module.

[0035] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the resin molding apparatus 100 includes a spraying mechanism 20 that sprays a release agent onto the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, an irradiation unit 21 that irradiates the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with ultraviolet rays, and a cleaning unit 22 that cleans the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with a brush 221.

[0036] The spraying mechanism 20 sprays a release agent onto the surface of the upper mold 171 and the surface of the lower mold 172. This spraying mechanism 20 is mainly intended to reduce contamination due to resin molding on the inner surface of the recess that will become the cavity C of the upper mold 171 and / or the inner surface of the recess that will become the cavity C of the lower mold 172. In addition, the spraying mechanism 20 restores the releasability of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 by spraying a release agent after irradiation with ultraviolet rays, which will be described later.

[0037] The release agent may be, for example, a fluorine-based coating liquid or an oil-based release agent that is liquid at room temperature. The fluorine-based coating liquid has, for example, a three-part structure: a fluorine-based polymer part that has release properties, a functional group part that adheres to the mold surface, and a junction part that connects them. It is a reactive fluorine-based compound dissolved in a fluorine-based volatile solvent. The oil-based release agent is, for example, a silicone flow-resistant, halogen-free, water-free agent with a viscosity of 100 mPa·s (cP) or less.

[0038] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the spraying mechanism 20 has a spray nozzle 20a that sprays the release agent and a release agent supply unit 20b that supplies the release agent to the spray nozzle 20a. The spraying mechanism 20 of this embodiment is configured to spray the release agent onto the surface of the upper mold 171 and the surface of the lower mold 172 using a common spray nozzle 20a. When this spraying mechanism 20 enters between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 that have been opened, it sprays the release agent onto the surface of the upper mold 171 and the surface of the lower mold 172. This spraying mechanism 20 is provided on a first moving body 23 that is moved by a processing moving mechanism 25, which will be described later. Other specific configurations of the spraying mechanism 20 will be described later.

[0039] The irradiation unit 21 irradiates the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with ultraviolet light to remove dirt adhering to these surfaces. Here, the dirt adhering to the surfaces is mainly composed of wax contained in the resin. The irradiation unit 21 mainly vaporizes and removes wax-based dirt adhering to the inner surfaces of the recesses that will become the cavities C of the upper mold 171 and / or the inner surfaces of the recesses that will become the cavities C of the lower mold 172.

[0040] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the irradiation unit 21 includes an upper-die irradiation unit 21a that irradiates the surface of the upper die 171 with ultraviolet light, and a lower-die irradiation unit 21b that irradiates the surface of the lower die 172 with ultraviolet light. A gas ejection unit (not shown) is provided adjacent to each of the irradiation units 21a and 21b, and ejects anti-adhesion gas (e.g., air) during ultraviolet light irradiation to expel gas vaporized from resin due to ultraviolet light irradiation and prevent adhesion to each of the irradiation units 21a and 21b. The upper-die irradiation unit 21a includes multiple ultraviolet LEDs arranged in a plane, and the lower-die irradiation unit 21b includes multiple ultraviolet LEDs arranged in a plane. The ultraviolet LEDs emit ultraviolet light in a wavelength band of, for example, 400 nm or less. When the irradiation unit 21 enters between the opened upper mold 171 and lower mold 172, the upper mold irradiation unit 21a irradiates ultraviolet light onto the surface of the upper mold 171, and the lower mold irradiation unit 21b irradiates ultraviolet light onto the surface of the lower mold 172. The irradiation unit 21 is provided on the first moving body 23 on which the spray mechanism 20 is provided. In other words, the spray mechanism 20 and the irradiation unit 21 are provided on the common first moving body 23. Here, it is conceivable that the spray nozzle 20a of the spray mechanism 20 is provided on the tip of the first moving body 23, the upper mold irradiation unit 21a is provided on the upper surface of the first moving body 23, and the lower mold irradiation unit 21b is provided on the lower surface of the first moving body 23.

[0041] The cleaning unit 22 cleans the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with a brush 221. The cleaning unit 22 mainly removes resin adhering to the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 and to the air vents.

[0042] 1 and 2, the cleaning unit 22 has an upper mold cleaning unit 22a that cleans the surface of the upper mold 171 with a brush 221, and a lower mold cleaning unit 22b that cleans the surface of the lower mold 172 with the brush 221. The cleaning unit 22 also has a dust collection mechanism (not shown) that collects the resin removed by the brush 221. When the cleaning unit 22 enters the opened upper mold 171 and lower mold 172, it cleans the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with the brush 221. The cleaning unit 22 is provided on a second moving body 24 that is separate from the first moving body 23 on which the spraying mechanism 20 and the irradiation unit 21 are provided. The second moving body 24 is moved by a processing moving mechanism 25, which will be described later.

[0043] 1 and 2, the above-mentioned spraying mechanism 20, irradiation unit 21, and cleaning unit 22 are configured to enter between the opened upper mold 171 and lower mold 172 from the front side, which is the other side of the molding die 17. Furthermore, the first moving body 23 provided with the spraying mechanism 20 and irradiation unit 21, and the second moving body 24 provided with the cleaning unit 22 are configured to be able to move independently of each other.

[0044] 1 and 2, resin molding apparatus 100 is equipped with a processing moving mechanism 25 that moves spray mechanism 20, irradiation unit 21, and cleaning unit 22 along the arrangement direction (X direction) of multiple molding dies 17. This processing moving mechanism 25 is provided in front of multiple molding dies 17. As mentioned above, transport moving mechanism 16 that moves loader 15 and unloader 19 is provided behind multiple molding dies 17 (see FIG. 1).

[0045] 2, the moving mechanism for processing 25 has a first moving part for processing 25a that moves the first moving body 23, on which the spraying mechanism 20 and the irradiation part 21 are provided, along the arrangement direction (X direction), and a second moving part for processing 25b that moves the second moving body 24, on which the cleaning part 22 is provided, along the arrangement direction (X direction). Here, the first moving part for processing 25a is provided below the second moving part for processing 25b.

[0046] 2, first processing movement unit 25a has X-direction guide rails 25a1 provided along the X direction in front of forming mold 17, and a drive unit (not shown) that moves first moving body 23 along X-direction guide rails 25a1. The drive unit may be configured using, for example, a motor and an idler belt. As first moving body 23 moves along X-direction guide rails 25a1, spray mechanism 20 and irradiation unit 21 move to each forming mold 17. In addition, Z-direction movement unit 26 is provided between X-direction guide rails 25a1 and first moving body 23, and moves first moving body 23 up and down (Z direction). Z-direction moving section 26 moves along X-direction guide rail 25a1 and has Z-direction guide rail 261 provided along the Z direction, Z-direction slider 262 that slides on Z-direction guide rail 261, and a drive section (not shown) that moves Z-direction slider 262 along Z-direction guide rail 261. Furthermore, first moving body 23 has Y-direction moving section 27 for moving in the front-to-rear direction (Y direction) toward and away from forming die 17.

[0047] Here, the Y-direction moving unit 27 uses a rack-and-pinion mechanism and has racks 27a, 28, a pinion 27b that meshes with the racks 27a, 28, and a motor (not shown) that rotates the pinion 27b. The rack 27a is fixed to a Z-direction slider 262 of the Z-direction moving unit 26. The rack 28 is provided on the forming die 17 or a peripheral member thereof. The pinion 27b is provided on the first moving body 23. In addition, the first moving body 23 is provided with support rollers 27c, 27d, such as cam followers, for supporting the load of the first moving body 23 with respect to the racks 27a, 28. The support rollers 27c, 27d come into contact with the upper surfaces of the racks 27a, 28.

[0048] Then, first moving body 23 is moved in the X direction together with Z-direction moving unit 26 along X-direction guide rail 25a1, and first moving body 23 and rack 27a are moved in the Z direction by Z-direction moving unit 26, moving first moving body 23 to the front of forming die 17. At this time, rack 28 and rack 27a are close to each other and aligned in a straight line. When pinion 27b is rotated by the motor in this state, pinion 27b advances on rack 27a and rack 28, and first moving body 23 enters between upper die 171 and lower die 172. During this entry, the rack with which pinion 27b meshes switches from rack 27a to rack 28. Furthermore, support rollers 27c and 27d also transfer from rack 27a to rack 28. In other words, the first moving body 23 is self-propelled and moves back and forth between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, eliminating the need to provide the first moving section for processing 25a with a drive mechanism for moving it back and forth, thereby reducing the footprint. The footprint refers to the area of ​​the floor that the resin molding device occupies when installed.

[0049] 2, second processing mover 25b has X-direction guide rails 25b1 provided along the X direction in front of forming mold 17, and a drive unit (not shown) that moves second mover 24 along X-direction guide rails 25b1. The drive unit may be configured using, for example, a motor and an idler belt. As second mover 24 moves along X-direction guide rails 25b1, cleaning unit 22 moves to each forming mold 17. In addition, a Z-direction mover 29 is provided between X-direction guide rails 25b1 and second mover 24 to move second mover 24 up and down (Z direction). Z-direction moving section 29 moves along X-direction guide rail 25b1 and has Z-direction guide rail 291 provided along the Z direction, Z-direction slider 292 that slides on Z-direction guide rail 291, and a drive section (not shown) that moves Z-direction slider 292 along Z-direction guide rail 291. Furthermore, second moving body 24 has Y-direction moving section 30 for moving in the front-to-rear direction (Y direction) toward and away from forming die 17.

[0050] Here, the Y-direction moving unit 30 uses a rack-and-pinion mechanism and has racks 30a, 28, a pinion 30b that meshes with the racks 30a, 28, and a motor (not shown) that rotates the pinion 30b. The rack 30a is fixed to a Z-direction slider 292 of the Z-direction moving unit 29. The rack 28 is provided on the forming die 17 or a peripheral member thereof. The pinion 30b is provided on the second moving body 24. In addition, the second moving body 24 is provided with support rollers 30c, 30d, such as cam followers, for supporting the load of the second moving body 24 relative to the racks 30a, 28. The support rollers 30c, 30d come into contact with the upper surfaces of the racks 30a, 28.

[0051] Then, second movable body 24 is moved in the X direction together with Z-direction moving unit 29 along X-direction guide rail 25b1, and second movable body 24 and rack 30a are moved in the Z direction by Z-direction moving unit 29, moving second movable body 24 to the front of forming mold 17. At this time, rack 28 and rack 30a are close to each other and aligned in a straight line. When pinion 30b is rotated by the motor in this state, pinion 30b advances on rack 28 and rack 30a, and second movable body 24 enters between upper mold 171 and lower mold 172. During this entry, the rack with which pinion 30b engages switches from rack 30a to rack 28. Support rollers 30c and 30d also transfer from rack 30a to rack 28. In other words, the second moving body 24 is self-propelled and moves back and forth between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, so there is no need to provide a drive mechanism in the second processing moving section 25b for moving it back and forth, making it possible to reduce the footprint.

[0052] 1, the moving mechanism for processing 25 can move the spray mechanism 20, the irradiation unit 21, and the cleaning unit 22 to a retracted position EP located outside the plurality of forming molds 17 along the arrangement direction (X direction). In this embodiment, the retracted position EP is set closer to the supply module 100A than the forming molds 17. Specifically, the first moving mechanism for processing 25a extends to the front of the supply module 100A. The first moving mechanism for processing 25a can move the first movable body 23 to the retracted position EP, thereby moving the spray mechanism 20 and the irradiation unit 21 to the retracted position EP. The second moving mechanism for processing 25b extends to the front of the supply module 100A. The second moving mechanism for processing 25b can move the second movable body 24 to the retracted position EP, thereby moving the cleaning unit 22 to the retracted position EP.

[0053] In this embodiment, when the spraying mechanism 20, the irradiation unit 21, and the cleaning unit 22 are moved to the retracted position EP by the moving processing mechanism 25, the opening / closing units 31 provided corresponding to each casting mold 17 can be opened. Here, the opening / closing units 31 are provided on the front side of the apparatus, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, are provided on the front side of a housing 33 that houses the moving processing mechanism 25, each of the moving bodies 23 and 24, and the cable bears 32a and 32b connected to each of the moving bodies 23 and 24. The opening / closing unit 31 in this embodiment is configured using a shutter cover. This shutter cover may be configured to be opened and closed manually, or may be configured to be opened and closed automatically using an actuator such as a rodless cylinder.

[0054] The cable bears 32a and 32b are configured to be movable in the X direction together with the movable bodies 23 and 24, and deform in accordance with the Y direction movement of the movable bodies 23 and 24. In addition, another cable bear (not shown) that deforms in accordance with the X direction movement of the cable bears 32a and 32b is connected to the device side ends (ends opposite the movable bodies) of the cable bears 32a and 32b.

[0055] Furthermore, the cable bear 32a of the first moving body 23 and the cable bear 32b of the second moving body 24 are configured so as not to interfere with each other. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, when viewed from the X direction, the cable bear 32b of the second moving body 24, which moves above, is arranged inside the cable bear 32a of the first moving body 23, which moves below. Each cable bear 32a, 32b extends upward from each moving body 23, 24, and is arranged so as to follow the front and top surfaces of the device main body. Note that each cable bear 32a, 32b does not have to be arranged so as to follow the top surface of the device main body.

[0056] <Specific Configuration of Spray Mechanism 20> Next, the specific configuration of the spray mechanism 20 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 8. Note that in Figures 4 to 6, the configuration of the first moving body 23 and the like is omitted.

[0057] 4 to 6, the spraying mechanism 20 includes a release agent spraying section 20S that sprays the liquid release agent in the form of a mist, and a spray direction changing mechanism 20T that changes the spray direction of the mist of release agent by blowing gas onto the mist of release agent sprayed from the release agent spraying section 20S. The spraying mechanism 20 of this embodiment can switch the direction of the release agent sprayed from the spray nozzle 20a between facing the surface of the upper mold 171 (see FIG. 5) and facing the surface of the lower mold 172 (see FIG. 4).

[0058] The release agent spraying section 20S is a single unit that sprays the release agent by ultrasonic atomization. The release agent spraying section 20S has a spray nozzle 20a that sprays the release agent and a release agent supply section 20b that supplies the release agent to the spray nozzle 20a.

[0059] The spray nozzle 20a is a nozzle having an ultrasonic vibrator. Specifically, the spray nozzle 20a has a nozzle section 20a1 having a plurality of outlets formed at the tip surface through which the release agent flows out, and an ultrasonic vibrator 20a2 that vibrates the tip surface of the nozzle section 20a1. When the release agent flows out of the tip surface that is ultrasonically vibrating in this spray nozzle 20a, the surface tension is broken and the atomized release agent is sprayed. Note that the spray nozzle 20a is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration as long as it has a configuration that can spray the atomized release agent.

[0060] Spray nozzle 20a is provided so that its spray direction (central axis) is parallel to the surface of upper mold 171 (or lower mold 172). Specifically, spray nozzle 20a is provided at the tip of first movable body 23 so that its spray direction (central axis) faces the direction in which first movable body 23 enters forming mold 17 (Y direction).

[0061] The release agent supply unit 20b has a supply pipe 20b1 connected to the spray nozzle 20a and a syringe unit 20b2 connected to the supply pipe 20b1 and containing the release agent. Both the supply pipe 20b1 and the syringe unit 20b2 are provided on the first movable body 23.

[0062] The syringe section 20b2 is a non-pulsating pump. The syringe section 20b2 has a syringe 201 that contains a release agent and a plunger 202 that pushes out the release agent contained in the syringe 201. The plunger 202 is driven by an actuator (not shown). The position of the plunger 202 can be detected by a position sensor (not shown). By detecting the position of the plunger 202, when the remaining amount of release agent in the syringe 201 becomes less than a predetermined amount, the syringe 201 is replenished with the release agent. Alternatively, the syringe 201 can be replenished with the release agent at an appropriate timing, such as every time the operation of spraying the release agent onto the mold 17 is completed.

[0063] Here, the release agent supply unit 20b has a supply pipe 20b4 connected to the supply pipe 20b1 via a switching unit 20b3 in the middle thereof, and a storage container 20b5 to which the supply pipe 20b4 is connected and which stores the release agent, in order to supply the release agent to the syringe 201. The switching unit 20b3 is, for example, a three-way electromagnetic valve, and is controlled by the control unit CTL.

[0064] When the release agent is supplied to the spray nozzle 20a in the release agent supply unit 20b, the plunger 202 of the syringe unit 20b2 is pushed in while the syringe unit 20b2 and the spray nozzle 20a are connected by the switching unit 20b3, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. In other words, the syringe unit 20b2 performs a discharge operation, and the atomized release agent is sprayed from the spray nozzle 20a.

[0065] On the other hand, when the release agent is to be replenished to the syringe portion 20b2 in the release agent supply portion 20b, the switch portion 20b3 is used to connect the syringe portion 20b2 to the storage container 20b5, and the plunger 202 of the syringe portion 20b2 is pulled back, as shown in FIG. 6. That is, the syringe portion 20b2 performs a suction operation, and the release agent is replenished from the storage container 20b5 to the syringe portion 20b2 via the supply pipe 20b4. When the syringe portion 20b2 performs a suction operation, the atmosphere vent portion 20b6 provided in the storage container 20b5 is opened to the atmosphere. An air filter is provided in the atmosphere vent portion 20b6 to prevent foreign matter from entering the storage container 20b5. In addition, since air may be mixed in when replenishing the release agent into the syringe portion 20b2, the syringe portion 20b2 and the storage container 20b5 are in communication with each other, and the syringe portion 20b2 repeats the discharging and suctioning operations a predetermined number of times to discharge the air.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a sensor (not shown) is provided to measure the remaining amount of release agent in the storage container 20b5, and when the remaining amount measured by the sensor falls below a predetermined amount, the control unit CTL can output a notification signal. Note that the predetermined amount is, for example, the amount of release agent sprayed once onto the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. When the notification signal is output from the control unit CTL, a user or an automatic guided vehicle (AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) or AGV (Autonomous Guided Vehicle)) can replace the storage container 20b5.

[0067] 4 to 6, the spray direction changing mechanism 20T changes the spray direction of the atomized release agent that is sprayed from the spray nozzle 20a along the plane of the upper die 171 (or the lower die 172). Specifically, the spray direction changing mechanism 20T has a first gas nozzle 20c that blows gas downward onto the atomized release agent, and a second gas nozzle 20d that blows gas upward onto the atomized release agent.

[0068] The first gas nozzle 20c is used to spray the atomized release agent onto the surface of the lower mold 172, and is provided above the spray nozzle 20a at the tip of the first movable body 23. This first gas nozzle 20c bends the spray direction of the atomized release agent sprayed from the spray nozzle 20a downward by approximately 90 degrees. As a result, the atomized release agent is sprayed from above in a vertical direction onto the surface of the lower mold 172. The first gas nozzle 20c is connected to a compressed air source (not shown) and is an air nozzle to which compressed air is supplied.

[0069] The second gas nozzle 20d is for spraying the atomized release agent onto the surface of the upper mold 171, and is provided below the spray nozzle 20a at the tip of the first movable body 23. This second gas nozzle 20d bends the spray direction of the atomized release agent sprayed from the spray nozzle 20a upward by approximately 90 degrees. As a result, the atomized release agent is sprayed vertically from below onto the surface of the upper mold 171. The second gas nozzle 20d is an air nozzle that is connected to a compressed air source (not shown) and is supplied with compressed air. The compressed air source can be common to the first gas nozzle 20c and the second gas nozzle 20d.

[0070] The spray direction change mechanism 20T changes the spray direction of the atomized release agent by switching between spraying and stopping spraying from the first gas nozzle 20c and the second gas nozzle 20d. The spray direction change mechanism 20T of this embodiment has a first on-off valve 20e provided in a first flow path connecting the first gas nozzle 20c and the compressed air source, and a second on-off valve 20f provided in a second flow path connecting the second gas nozzle 20d and the compressed air source. The first on-off valve 20e and the second on-off valve 20f may be configured as a single three-way valve.

[0071] In this configuration, by opening the first on-off valve 20e and closing the second on-off valve 20f, gas is sprayed from the first gas nozzle 20c and gas spray from the second gas nozzle 20d is stopped. As a result, the atomized release agent is sprayed in the direction toward the surface of the lower mold 172 (see FIG. 4). Furthermore, by closing the first on-off valve 20e and opening the second on-off valve 20f, gas spray from the first gas nozzle 20c is stopped and gas is sprayed from the second gas nozzle 20d. As a result, the atomized release agent is sprayed in the direction toward the surface of the upper mold 171 (see FIG. 5).

[0072] 4 and 5, the spray direction change mechanism 20T can move the first gas nozzle 20c and the second gas nozzle 20d individually relative to the spray nozzle 20a. Specifically, the spray direction change mechanism 20T has a first nozzle movement unit 20g that moves the first gas nozzle 20c relative to the spray nozzle 20a, and a second nozzle movement unit 20h that moves the second gas nozzle 20d relative to the spray nozzle 20a.

[0073] Each of the nozzle moving units 20g and 20h is configured to move each of the gas nozzles 20c and 20d in the front-to-rear direction (Y direction) relative to the spray nozzle 20a. Each of the nozzle moving units 20g and 20h can be configured using an actuator such as an air cylinder or a solenoid.

[0074] Then, the spray direction change mechanism 20T moves the gas nozzles 20c, 20d that eject gas forward on the spray side of the spray nozzle 20a. Specifically, the spray direction change mechanism 20T moves the gas nozzles 20c, 20d that eject gas so that their ejection ports are positioned forward of the tip surface of the nozzle portion 20a1. Meanwhile, the spray direction change mechanism 20T moves the gas nozzles 20c, 20d that do not eject gas to a retracted position away from the front of the spray side of the spray nozzle 20a. Specifically, the spray direction change mechanism 20T moves the gas nozzles 20c, 20d that do not eject gas rearward (toward the first movable body 23) of the tip surface of the nozzle portion 20a1. Then, the spray direction change mechanism 20T moves one of the gas nozzles 20c, 20d to the spray side forward of the spray nozzle 20a, and moves the other gas nozzle 20c, 20d to a retracted position, and then starts spraying gas from one of the gas nozzles 20c, 20d.

[0075] 7, in spray mechanism 20, nozzle unit 20U including spray nozzle 20a, first gas nozzle 20c, and second gas nozzle 20d is provided at the tip of first movable body 23 so as to be movable in the left-right direction (X direction). Note that in FIG. 7, the configurations of first gas nozzle 20c and second gas nozzle 20d are not shown. Specifically, nozzle unit 20U is movable by nozzle unit moving section 231 provided at first movable body 23. Note that nozzle unit moving section 231 has, at the tip of first movable body 23, a guide rail that guides nozzle unit 20U along the X direction, and a drive section that moves nozzle unit 20U on the guide rail.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 8, the nozzle unit 20U may further include a release agent detector 20i that detects the mist of release agent sprayed from the spray nozzle 20a and a determination unit that determines the spray state of the mist of release agent based on the detection signal from the release agent detector 20i. Note that FIG. 8 omits the configuration of the first gas nozzle 20c and the second gas nozzle 20d. The release agent detector 20i may be, for example, an optical sensor, and in this embodiment, a limited reflection optical sensor is used. The release agent detector 20i includes a light-emitting element 20i1 and a light-receiving element 20i2. The release agent detector 20i is disposed between the spray nozzle 20a and the gas nozzles 20c and 20d in the vertical direction (Z direction) and to the side of the spray nozzle 20a and the gas nozzles 20c and 20d in the horizontal direction (X direction). Here, light-emitting unit 20i1 is provided between spray nozzle 20a and second gas nozzle 20d in the vertical direction (Z direction), and light-receiving unit 20i2 is provided between spray nozzle 20a and first gas nozzle 20c in the vertical direction (Z direction).

[0077] The light-emitting unit 20i1 and the light-receiving unit 20i2 may be arranged in any manner that allows them to detect the atomized release agent sprayed from the spray nozzle 20a, and either the light-emitting unit 20i1 or the light-receiving unit 20i2 may be arranged on the upper side. The light-emitting unit 20i1 and the light-receiving unit 20i2 may be arranged in a direction other than the up-down direction, such as a left-right direction, in addition to being arranged in the up-down direction. Furthermore, the light-emitting unit 20i1 and the light-receiving unit 20i2 may be arranged so that the optical axis of the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 20i1 and the optical axis of the light detected by the light-receiving unit 20i2 intersect in front of the spray nozzle 20a, for example, in a V-shape. Alternatively, the light-emitting unit 20i1 and the light-receiving unit 20i2 of the release agent detection unit 20i, which is a limited reflection optical sensor, may be separate entities.

[0078] The detection signal from the release agent detection unit 20i indicates whether or not the release agent detection unit 20i has detected the mist of release agent. The determination unit can be configured by the control unit CTL. The release agent detection unit 20i repeatedly outputs a detection signal, and the determination unit determines whether or not the spray state of the mist of release agent is stable based on the multiple detection signals repeatedly output. When the determination unit determines that the spray state of the mist of release agent is stable, the gas nozzles 20c and 20d start to spray the release agent onto the upper mold 171 or the lower mold 172.

[0079] 4 to 6 and 8, the spraying mechanism 20 of this embodiment further includes a release agent recovery section 20j that recovers the atomized release agent sprayed from the release agent spraying section 20S. The release agent recovery section 20j is provided on the first moving body 23.

[0080] As shown in Fig. 8, the release agent recovery section 20j recovers the atomized release agent that is sprayed in front of the release agent spraying section 20S without the spray direction being changed by the spray direction changing mechanism 20T. The release agent recovery section 20j is provided in front of the spray nozzle 20a on the spray side of the release agent spraying section 20S. Specifically, the release agent recovery section 20j is provided in front of the spray nozzle 20a on the spray side, at a position that does not interfere with the atomized release agent whose spray direction has been changed by the spray direction changing mechanism 20T (see Figs. 4 and 5). In other words, the release agent recovery section 20j is provided at a position farther from the tip of the spray nozzle 20a than the positions of the first gas nozzle 20c and the second gas nozzle 20d.

[0081] The release agent recovery section 20j is provided opposite the spray nozzle 20a in the spraying direction (central axis). Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 and 8, the release agent recovery section 20j has a recess 20k for accommodating the liquefied release agent, and a suction port 20l is formed in the bottom surface of the recess 20k. In this embodiment, the release agent recovery section 20j has an opposing wall facing the spray nozzle 20a and a side wall surrounding the opposing wall. The recess 20k is provided at the bottom of the release agent recovery section 20j. A suction pipe 20m is connected to the suction port 20l, which sucks the release agent using a suction mechanism (not shown), such as a vacuum ejector. This allows the release agent stored in the recess 20k to be sucked by the suction pipe 20m and returned to, for example, a storage container 20b5. It is possible to remove air mixed in the release agent using a gas-liquid separation filter (not shown) before returning the release agent to the storage container 20b5.

[0082] From the start of spraying the release agent by the spray nozzle 20a until the atomized release agent stabilizes, the gas injection from the gas nozzles 20c and 20d is stopped. In this state, the atomized release agent sprayed from the spray nozzle 20a is collected by the release agent recovery unit 20j (see FIG. 8). Suction from the suction port 20l may be started after a predetermined period has elapsed since the start of spraying the release agent, or may be performed continuously from the start of spraying the release agent until the atomized release agent stabilizes. Suction from the suction port 20l may also be performed repeatedly at predetermined intervals.

[0083] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 6, the release agent recovery section 20j may have a configuration that functions as a lid that covers the nozzle portion 20a1 of the spray nozzle 20a. In this case, the release agent recovery section 20j is configured to be movable between a state in which it covers the nozzle portion 20a1 of the spray nozzle 20a (see Fig. 6) and a state in which it moves forward from the nozzle portion 20a1 of the spray nozzle 20a on the spray side and is separated from the nozzle portion 20a1 of the spray nozzle 20a (see Figs. 4, 5, and 8). In addition, the release agent recovery section 20j (specifically, the opening formed by the side peripheral wall) is provided with a sealing member (not shown), such as a rubber packing, that is in close contact with the nozzle portion 20a1 of the spray nozzle 20a.

[0084] In this configuration, when the release agent is not being sprayed from the spray nozzle 20a, the release agent recovery section 20j covers the nozzle part 20a1 of the spray nozzle 20a. In this case, the seal member maintains airtightness, preventing the evaporation, drying, and deterioration of the components of the release agent. When the release agent is being sprayed from the spray nozzle 20a, the release agent recovery section 20j moves forward from the nozzle part 20a1 of the spray nozzle 20a on the spray side and is separated from the nozzle part 20a1 of the spray nozzle 20a.

[0085] <Spraying operation of release agent by spraying mechanism 20> 9(a) and 9(b), the nozzle unit moving section 231 moves the nozzle unit 20U back and forth in the X direction in accordance with the movement of the first moving body 23 in the Y direction between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. This makes it possible to spray the atomized mold release agent onto the entire surface of the upper mold 171 or the lower mold 172.

[0086] When spraying the release agent onto the surface of the lower mold 172, the atomized release agent is sprayed from the spray nozzle 20a and gas is ejected from the first gas nozzle 20c (see FIG. 4). While the nozzle unit 20U is fixed at a predetermined position on the first movable body 23, the first movable body 23 is moved in the front-to-back direction (Y direction) between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 (see FIG. 9(a)). As a result, spraying is performed linearly along the Y direction on the surface of the lower mold 172 (first line of spraying). After the first line of spraying is completed, the nozzle unit 20U is moved a predetermined distance in the left-to-right direction (X direction) relative to the first movable body 23 (pitch-fed in the X direction) to change the predetermined position where the first movable body 23 is fixed. Then, the first movable body 23 is moved in the front-to-back direction (Y direction) between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. By repeating this operation of spraying in a line along the Y direction, the release agent is sprayed onto the entire surface of the lower mold 172 (see FIG. 9(a)). This operation of spraying the release agent onto the entire surface of the lower mold 172 may be performed two or more times as necessary.

[0087] When spraying the release agent onto the surface of the upper mold 171, the atomized release agent is sprayed from the spray nozzle 20a, and gas is injected from the second gas nozzle 20d (see FIG. 5). The spraying operation is repeated in a line, similar to the spraying of the release agent onto the lower mold 172, to spray the release agent onto the entire surface of the upper mold 171. This spraying operation of the release agent onto the entire surface of the upper mold 171 may be performed two or more times as necessary. During the spraying operation by the spray mechanism 20, a shutter (not shown) provided around the molding die 17 may be closed to prevent the atomized release agent from scattering to the outside. After the spraying operation by the spray mechanism 20 is completed, dust may be collected from the space between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 before proceeding to the next step (loading of the molding object and resin material).

[0088] 9(b), the release agent can be sprayed onto the entire surface of the upper mold 171 or the lower mold 172 by repeating the operation of spraying in a line along the X direction. In this case, while the first movable body 23 is fixed at a predetermined position, the nozzle unit 20U is moved in the X direction relative to the first movable body 23, and spraying is performed linearly along the X direction on the surface of the upper mold 171 or the lower mold 172 (first line spraying). After the first line spraying is completed, the first movable body 23 is moved a predetermined distance in the front-to-back direction (Y direction) relative to the lower mold 172 (pitch feed in the Y direction) to change the predetermined position where the first movable body 23 is fixed. Thereafter, the nozzle unit 20U is moved in the left-to-right direction (X direction) relative to the first movable body 23. By repeating the operation of spraying in a line along the X direction in this way, the release agent is sprayed onto the entire surface of the upper mold 171 or the lower mold 172.

[0089] During the pitch feed (between one row of spraying and the next row of spraying), the spraying from each of the gas nozzles 20c, 20d can be temporarily stopped. At this time, the release agent recovery section 20j provided in front of the spraying side of the spray nozzle 20a can prevent the atomized release agent from the spray nozzle 20a from scattering to the outside.

[0090] In addition, a drip receiver (not shown) may be provided below the spray nozzle 20a at the standby position or below the spray nozzle 20a that is being pitch-fed. Also, the nozzle part 20a1 of the spray nozzle 20a at the standby position or the spray nozzle 20a that is being pitch-fed may be configured to be closed with, for example, a rubber cover or a release agent recovery part 20j.

[0091] <Method of manufacturing resin molded product P> Next, the operation of the resin molding apparatus 100 of this embodiment and the method for manufacturing the resin molded product P will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 12. The following operation is performed by a control unit CTL provided in the supply module 100A, for example, controlling each unit.

[0092] After starting the resin molding apparatus, before the loader 15 loads the molding object W and the resin material J into the molding die 17, the irradiation unit 21 irradiates ultraviolet light as shown in FIG. 10( a). Specifically, the first moving body 23 moves in front of the molding die 17 in the open state before resin molding. In this embodiment, the height position of the first moving body 23 when moving left and right (X direction) is set, and when moving left and right (X direction), the first moving body 23 first moves up and down (Z direction) to the set height position and then moves left and right (X direction). The first moving body 23 then enters between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 from the front. While the first moving body 23 is moving between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, the irradiation unit 21 irradiates the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with ultraviolet light.

[0093] Then, immediately after the irradiation of ultraviolet light by the irradiation unit 21 is completed, as shown in FIG. 10(b), a release agent is sprayed onto the opened upper and lower dies 171 and 172. Note that FIG. 10(b) illustrates a state in which the release agent is being sprayed onto the lower die 172. Specifically, the first moving body 23 enters between the upper and lower dies 171 and 172 from the front. While the first moving body 23 moves between the upper and lower dies 171 and 172, the spraying mechanism 20 sprays the release agent onto the surfaces of the upper and lower dies 171 and 172. Note that the ceramic layers on the surfaces of the upper and lower dies 171 and 172 have a matte finish (fine irregularities), and the spraying of the release agent supplies the release agent into the recesses of this matte finish. This reduces the anchor effect due to the recesses of the matte finish of the ceramic layer, reducing adhesion and improving releasability. In this embodiment, as in the above-described <Spraying operation of the release agent by the spraying mechanism 20>, the release agent is sprayed onto the surface of the lower mold 172 using the spray nozzle 20a and the first gas nozzle 20c, and then the release agent is sprayed onto the surface of the upper mold 171 using the spray nozzle 20a and the second gas nozzle 20d. The order in which the release agent is sprayed can be either the upper mold 171 or the lower mold 172.

[0094] After the spraying mechanism 20 (first movable body 23) retreats forward from between the opened upper mold 171 and lower mold 172, the loader 15 carries the molding object W and the resin material J from the rear between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, as shown in Fig. 11(c). After the release agent is sprayed and before the molding object W and the resin material J are carried in, the space between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 is evacuated by a dust collector (not shown) to remove the atomized release agent. In Figure 11(c), the first moving body 23 and the second moving body 24 are lowered when the molding object W and the resin material J are loaded (the second moving body 24 is positioned in front between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172), but the first moving body 23 and the second moving body 24 may be lowered after the molding object W and the resin material J are loaded, or at the latest, the first moving body 23 and the second moving body 24 may be lowered before the unloader 19 enters and loads the resin molded product P.

[0095] Then, as shown in FIG. 11(d), the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 into which the molding object W and the resin material J have been carried are clamped by a clamping mechanism, and the molding object W is resin-molded.

[0096] When the mold clamping mechanism opens the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 after resin molding, as shown in FIG. 12(e), the unloader 19 enters between the opened upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 from the rear and carries out the resin molded product P. At this time, the second moving body 24 moves to the front of the molding die 17. In this embodiment, the height position of the second moving body 24 when moving left and right (X direction) is set, and when moving left and right (X direction), the second moving body 24 first moves up and down (Z direction) to the set height position (different from the height position of the first moving body 23), and then moves left and right (X direction).

[0097] 12(e), in conjunction with or after the unloader 19 retreats rearward from between the opened upper mold 171 and lower mold 172, the second moving body 24 advances from the front between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. While the second moving body 24 is moving between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, the cleaning unit 22 cleans the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with the brush 221.

[0098] Thereafter, the next resin molding operation (loading of molding object / resin material → resin molding (mold clamping) → unloading of resin molded product → cleaning with a brush) is performed a predetermined number of times. Here, the predetermined number is two or more, for example, 300 times. After the predetermined number of resin molding operations have been performed, ultraviolet irradiation and spraying of a release agent are performed again in succession. As described above, in the resin molding apparatus 100 of this embodiment, cleaning with a brush by the cleaning unit 22 is performed for each resin molding. Furthermore, irradiation of ultraviolet light by the irradiation unit 21 and spraying of a release agent by the spray mechanism 20 are performed for each predetermined number of resin moldings (for example, 300 times). Note that, since the resin material J contains wax that functions as a release agent, spraying of a release agent by the spray mechanism 20 does not need to be performed for each resin molding.

[0099] <Effects of this embodiment> According to the resin molding apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the release agent is sprayed onto both the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. This improves the releasability of the resin molded product P and suppresses contamination of the molding die 17 due to resin molding. As a result, the quality of the resin molded product P can be improved. Furthermore, gas is blown onto the atomized release agent sprayed from the release agent spraying unit 20S to change the spray direction of the atomized release agent. This allows the release agent to be easily and reliably sprayed onto both the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. Since gas is blown onto the atomized release agent, the atomized release agent easily penetrates into recesses caused by surface roughness on the surface of the upper mold 171 or the surface of the lower mold 172, thereby improving the releasability of the surface of the upper mold 171 or the surface of the lower mold 172. Furthermore, there is no need to provide a release agent spraying unit for spraying onto the upper mold 171 and a release agent spraying unit for spraying onto the lower mold. Instead, a common release agent spraying unit 20S can be used. This prevents the spraying mechanism 20 from becoming larger.

[0100] <Other Modified Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0101] For example, the spraying mechanism 20 may be configured to spray the release agent onto only one of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. Furthermore, the spraying mechanism 20 may switch between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 to spray the release agent, for example, every predetermined number of resin moldings.

[0102] The irradiation unit 21 may be configured to irradiate ultraviolet rays onto only one of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. Furthermore, the irradiation unit 21 may switch between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 to irradiate ultraviolet rays, for example, every predetermined number of resin moldings.

[0103] The cleaning unit 22 may be configured to clean only one of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with the brush 221. Furthermore, the cleaning unit 22 may switch between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 to be cleaned with the brush 221, for example, for each resin molding. When switching between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 in this way, it is possible to move the cleaning unit 22 up and down with a vertical drive mechanism (not shown) so that the cleaning unit 22 comes into contact with only the mold to be cleaned. Furthermore, the cleaning unit 22 may be configured to clean with the brush 221 after each resin molding, or after a predetermined number of resin moldings.

[0104] In the above embodiment, the spray mechanism 20 and the irradiation unit 21 are provided on the first moving body, but the spray mechanism 20 and the irradiation unit 21 may be provided on separate moving bodies. Also, the spray mechanism 20, the irradiation unit 21, and the cleaning unit 22 may be provided on one moving body. Furthermore, the spray mechanism 20 and the cleaning unit 22 may be provided on one moving body, or the irradiation unit 21 and the cleaning unit 22 may be provided on one moving body.

[0105] In the above embodiment, the processing moving mechanism 25 was configured to have a first processing moving part 25a and a second processing moving part 25b, but it may also be configured so that the first moving body 23 and the second moving body 24 are moved by a single processing moving part.

[0106] In the above embodiment, the loader 15 and the unloader 19 are movable by the common transfer movement mechanism 16, but the loader 15 and the unloader 19 may be configured to be movable by separate transfer movement mechanisms.

[0107] The manner in which each gas nozzle 20c, 20d is moved may be such that it is moved to a retracted position away from the front of the spray nozzle 20a on the spray side, and is not limited to linear movement along the Y direction as in the above embodiment, but may also be linear movement along the X direction or rotational movement.

[0108] The release agent supply unit 20b in the above embodiment is configured using the syringe unit 20b2, but may be configured using a non-pulsating pump such as a tube pump or a flow pump.

[0109] In the above embodiment, the resin molding apparatus that performs resin molding by transfer molding has been described, but the present invention can also be applied to a resin molding apparatus that performs resin molding by compression molding.

[0110] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 100...Resin molding equipment W: Object to be molded before molding P... Molded object after molding (plastic molded product) 171...upper mold 172...lower mold 20...Spray mechanism 20S···Mold release agent spraying unit 20a···Spray nozzle 20b....Mold release agent supply section 20b1...Supply pipe 20b2···Syringe part 20b3...Switching valve 20b4...Supply pipe 20b5 Storage container 20T...Spray direction change mechanism 20c···First gas nozzle 20d...Second gas nozzle 20i···Release agent detection unit CTL...Control unit (judgment unit) 21. Irradiation unit

Claims

1. A spraying mechanism that sprays a release agent onto both or one of the upper and lower molds that have been opened, a release agent spraying unit that sprays a liquid release agent in the form of a mist; a spray direction changing mechanism that changes the spray direction of the atomized release agent by blowing gas onto the atomized release agent sprayed from the release agent spraying unit.

2. The spray direction changing mechanism is a first gas nozzle that sprays gas downward onto the atomized release agent; a second gas nozzle that blows gas upward onto the atomized release agent, 2. The spraying mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the spray direction of the atomized release agent is changed by switching between spraying and stopping spraying from the first gas nozzle and the second gas nozzle.

3. the spray direction changing mechanism moves the first gas nozzle and the second gas nozzle individually relative to the release agent spraying unit, Among the gas nozzles, a nozzle for spraying gas is moved forward of the spray side of the release agent spraying section, 3. The spraying mechanism according to claim 2, wherein among the gas nozzles, a nozzle that does not spray gas is moved to a retracted position away from the spraying front side of the release agent spraying section.

4. 4. The spraying mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the release agent spraying unit is a single unit that sprays the release agent by ultrasonic atomization.

5. The release agent spraying unit includes: a spray nozzle for spraying the release agent; a release agent supply unit that supplies the release agent to the spray nozzle, The release agent supply unit includes: a supply pipe connected to the spray nozzle; The spray mechanism according to claim 1 , further comprising a syringe portion connected to the supply pipe for replenishing the release agent.

6. The release agent supply unit includes: a supply pipe connected to the supply pipe via a switching valve; a storage container to which the supply pipe is connected and which stores the release agent, 6. The spray mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the release agent is supplied to the syringe portion from the reservoir via the supply pipe by the syringe portion performing a suction operation.

7. a release agent detection unit that detects the atomized release agent sprayed from the release agent spray unit; 7. The spray mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit that determines a spray state of the atomized release agent based on a detection signal from the release agent detection unit.

8. a release agent recovery section that is provided in front of the release agent spray section on the spraying side and that recovers the atomized release agent sprayed from the release agent spray section, the release agent recovery section has a recess for accommodating the liquefied release agent, The spray mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein a suction port is formed in a bottom surface of the recess.

9. A resin molding apparatus for molding a resin into a molding object using a molding die having an upper die and a lower die, A resin molding apparatus comprising the spray mechanism according to claim 1 , which sprays a mold release agent onto both or one of the upper mold and the lower mold when the molds are opened.

10. An irradiation unit that irradiates ultraviolet light onto both or one of the upper mold and the lower mold that have been opened, 10. The resin molding apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the irradiation unit irradiates both or one of the upper mold and the lower mold with ultraviolet light, and then the spray mechanism sprays a release agent onto both or one of the upper mold and the lower mold.

11. A method for manufacturing a resin molded product using the resin molding apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, spraying a mold release agent onto the upper mold and the lower mold which have been opened before a molding object to be molded is carried in; The method for manufacturing a resin molded product includes carrying the pre-molding object into the upper mold and the lower mold onto which the mold release agent has been sprayed, and molding the resin.

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