Hot forming equipment

Abstract

To provide a thermoforming device equipped with a transport device that enables space-saving mold replacement. [Solution] In a thermoforming device 100 equipped with a thermoforming section 150 which performs thermoforming of a resin sheet S using a receiving jig 50 which holds a substrate B, and a jig transport section 200 which transports the receiving jig 50 from an input position to the thermoforming section 150, the receiving jig 50 includes a first jig 50a and a second jig 50b, the jig transport section 200 is composed of an upper transport roller 220 and a lower transport roller 230 which transport the receiving jig 50 in a straight line, stacked in two tiers, and is arranged adjacent to the jig transport section 200 and is equipped with a jig lifting table 210 for moving the receiving jig 50 up and down, and the thermoforming section 150, the jig transport section 200 and the jig lifting table 210 are arranged side by side.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for changing molds in a thermoforming device, and more particularly to a technique for performing molding using one mold while molding using the other mold. [Background technology]

[0002] When manufacturing thermoformed products, there are two methods: continuous molding using roll sheets, and batch processing using rectangular sheets. When using batch processing, there is a problem with reducing the time required for mold changes, etc.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for a method of hot molding a thermoplastic resin sheet. A single plate made of a thermoplastic resin sheet is set in a frame-shaped receiving mold that supports the outside of the molded portion, and the receiving mold is moved sequentially to a predetermined position to perform a heating process in which the molded portion is sandwiched between a pair of heaters to be softened, a molding process in which the molded portion is molded into a predetermined shape, and an unloading process in which the molded product is removed from the receiving mold. The movement of the receiving mold is configured to be a rotational movement, which enables reliable alignment and molding. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-170321 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, adopting a configuration using an index table as shown in Patent Document 1 poses problems such as the need for a large installation space for the device. When using an index table to move between the heating process, molding process, and unloading process as required, it is necessary to place the devices that perform the processes on all four sides of the axis of the index table in order to move the processes by rotating them. This requires a large installation space for the molding device. Depending on the layout of the factory, it may not be possible to secure such space, so a different method of saving space was required.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a thermoforming apparatus equipped with a conveying device that enables mold replacement in a space-saving manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a thermoforming apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention has the following features.

[0008] (1) A mold or a jig for holding a substrate is used to form a resin sheet. Heating and forming and a jig transport section that transports the jig from an input position to the thermoforming section, The jig includes a first jig and a second jig, The jig transport unit includes: One of the first jig and the second jig is linearly transported from the thermoforming section to the input position with the molded product molded in the thermoforming section placed thereon. First conveyor section and 、 The other of the first jig or the second jig is linearly conveyed from the input position to the thermoforming section for performing the heating and forming. Second conveyor section 、 It is made up of two layers, A jig lifting mechanism is provided in contact with the jig transport section to lift and move the jig up and down; The thermoforming unit, the jig transport unit, and the jig lifting mechanism are arranged side by side; It is characterized by:

[0009] The above aspect (1) makes it possible to provide a compact thermoforming device capable of shortening the takt time. This is because the jig conveying section used for mold exchange uses a two-story first conveying section and a second conveying section, and while molding is being performed in the thermoforming section using the first jig, it is possible to prepare a mold or a base material for the second jig. For example, while molding is being performed using the first jig, a mold or a base material is prepared for the second jig and moved by the first conveying section. Next, the first jig with the molded product placed thereon after molding can be moved by the second conveying section. In other words, different routes (separated into the first conveying section and the second conveying section) can be used for the outbound and return trips, and the two-story structure allows the jig conveying section to be configured in a space-saving manner.

[0010] In addition, since the jig is configured to move the first and second transport sections by the jig lifting mechanism, it is possible to smoothly replace the first and second jig. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the installation space of the device compared to a configuration using an index table such as that shown in Patent Document 1.

[0011] (2) In the thermoforming apparatus according to (1), The thermoforming section is provided with an upper container that opens downward for performing compressed air / vacuum forming, and a lower container that opens upward, The upper container or the lower container has a holding function for holding the jig; is preferred.

[0012] According to the aspect described in (2) above, a mold or a substrate is held in the jig, and compressed air / vacuum forming is performed while the jig is held in the upper container or the lower container. Therefore, when a mold is used, precise forming of the resin sheet can be performed, and when a substrate is used, adhesion between the resin sheet and the substrate can be improved.

[0013] (3) A thermoforming apparatus including a thermoforming section that performs thermoforming of a resin sheet using a jig that holds a metal mold or a substrate, and a jig transport section that transports the jig from an input position to the thermoforming section, The jig includes a first jig and a second jig, The jig transport section includes a first transport section and a second transport section that transport the jig in a straight line, the first transport section and the second transport section being stacked in two stages, A jig lifting mechanism is provided in contact with the jig transport section to lift and move the jig up and down; The thermoforming unit, the jig transport unit, and the jig lifting mechanism are arranged side by side; The jig is formed by stacking a support frame for holding the resin sheet and a support part for holding the mold or the base material, The thermoforming unit has a separation function for separating the support unit and the holding frame when the resin sheet is inserted. is preferred.

[0014] According to the aspect described in (3) above, the jig is composed of a frame having a function of holding a resin sheet and a support part for holding a mold or a substrate, which are stacked on top of each other, and therefore can be separated or stacked as necessary. Therefore, when the resin sheet is to be inserted, the frame and the support part can be separated so as not to interfere with the mold or substrate being held, and by providing the thermoforming part with this separation function, the resin sheet can be inserted in the thermoforming part, thereby realizing space saving.

[0015] (4) A thermoforming apparatus including a thermoforming section that performs thermoforming of a resin sheet using a jig that holds a metal mold or a substrate, and a jig transport section that transports the jig from an input position to the thermoforming section, The jig includes a first jig and a second jig, The jig transport section includes a first transport section and a second transport section that transport the jig in a straight line, the first transport section and the second transport section being stacked in two stages, A jig lifting mechanism is provided in contact with the jig transport section to lift and move the jig up and down; The thermoforming unit, the jig transport unit, and the jig lifting mechanism are arranged side by side; The jig lifting mechanism is provided with a lift-up cylinder that lifts up the resin sheet after molding in the thermoforming section together with the mold or the base material; is preferred.

[0016] According to the aspect described in (4) above, by operating the lift-up cylinder with the jig lifting mechanism, it becomes possible for the jig lifting mechanism to knock out the molded product. As a result, it is possible to contribute to improving the ease of work, such as removing the molded product. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a thermoforming device according to the present embodiment (Step 1). [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a thermoforming device in the present embodiment (step 2). [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a thermoforming device in the present embodiment (step 3). [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a thermoforming device in the present embodiment (step 4). [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a thermoforming device in the present embodiment (step 5). [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a thermoforming device in the present embodiment (step 6). [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a thermoforming device in the present embodiment (step 7). [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a thermoforming device in this embodiment (step 8). [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a thermoforming device in this embodiment (step 9). [Figure 10] 4 is a timing chart of a molding procedure in the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] First, the outline of the configuration of the thermoforming device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the thermoforming device. The upper side of the drawing is the Z-axis plus direction, and the right side is the X-axis plus direction. The thermoforming device 100 has a thermoforming section 150, a jig conveying section 200, and a jig lifting table 210, and is configured to adhere a resin sheet S to the upper surface of a substrate B by thermoforming. The thermoforming section 150 has a function of heating and forming the resin sheet S to adhere it to the substrate B, and the jig conveying section 200 has a function of conveying the receiving jig 50. The jig lifting table 210 has a function of raising and lowering the receiving jig 50. Therefore, the jig conveying section 200 and the jig lifting table 210 realize mold exchange.

[0019] First, the configuration of the thermoforming section 150 will be described. The thermoforming section 150 includes an upper container 101 that opens downward and a lower container 102 that opens upward. The upper container 101 and the lower container 102 are made of highly pressure-resistant containers, and are structured to maintain the internal pressure during vacuum and pressure forming. The lower container 102 includes a lifting mechanism (not shown) that can be raised and lowered, and the lower container 102 is moved toward or away from the upper container 101 using the lifting mechanism. That is, the lower container 102 has a function of raising the lower container 102 in the positive direction of the Z axis shown in FIG. 1 and lowering it in the negative direction of the Z axis. In this embodiment, the lower container 102 has a function of stopping at at least three positions, that is, a position at the lower end where the receiving jig 50 is received and the resin sheet S is inserted, a position at the upper end where the receiving jig 50 is abutted against the upper container 101 via the receiving jig 50, and an intermediate position for discharging the receiving jig 50.

[0020] The upper heating means 110 is a group of heaters 111 that perform radiative heating from the upper surface of the resin sheet S, and is composed of a plurality of heaters 111 arranged in a tiled pattern. The upper heating means 110 is disposed in the upper container 101 and has a lifting function (not shown), and is configured to be able to approach or move away from the resin sheet S held between the upper container 101 and the lower container 102 using the lifting function. In other words, it has the function of moving inside the upper container 101 in the negative Z-axis direction (approaching) and moving in the positive Z-axis direction (moving away).

[0021] The receiving jig 50 is composed of a frame body 51 and a base portion 52 stacked on top of each other, the frame body 51 having a rectangular frame-like shape and functioning to hold the resin sheet S on its upper surface, and the base portion 52 having a rectangular flat plate shape and functioning to position and hold the substrate B. Two receiving jigs 50 are used in the thermoforming device 100, and for convenience of explanation, they may be described as a first jig 50a and a second jig 50b, but when the receiving jig 50 is referred to without any particular distinction, it refers to either or both of the first jig 50a and the second jig 50b.

[0022] This receiving jig 50 is used with a frame body 51 stacked on a base portion 52, and a substrate B is placed within the frame body 51. When the frame body 51 is stacked on the base portion 52, it is positioned so as not to shift laterally, and the frame body 51 is structured so as to be easily separable in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). It is preferable to position it using a positioning pin (not shown) or by processing the upper surface of the base portion 52 to have a step. In addition, a plurality of through holes 52a for a lift-up cylinder 215 shown in FIG. 9 are provided on the bottom surface of the base portion 52 for reasons that will be described later.

[0023] As described above, the resin sheet S is held on the upper surface of the frame body 51, and positioning pins (not shown) or the like are provided so that the resin sheet S can be held without shifting relative to the frame body 51. The thickness of the frame body 51 is set to be thicker than the height of the substrate B, and the frame body 51 in a state where it holds the resin sheet S is positioned such that the lower surface of the resin sheet S does not touch the substrate B with the substrate B held on the upper surface of the base part 52 (i.e., the frame body 51 and the base part 52 are overlapped and the substrate B is disposed within the frame of the frame body 51).

[0024] The resin sheet S is a rectangular sheet material that is attached to the surface of the substrate B, and is a sheet material made of thermoplastic resin and printed with a pattern. According to the JIS standard, a film is defined as a plastic membrane having a thickness of less than 250 μm, and anything thicker than that is defined as a sheet material, but for convenience, the term sheet material is used in this embodiment, and film materials can be used in the present invention as needed.

[0025] In this embodiment, the substrate B is assumed to be a resin-made, approximately rectangular bathtub counter, and a resin sheet S with a printed pattern is attached to the surface of the substrate B, which will be the bathtub counter, by thermoforming to enhance the design of the product. Of course, the substrate B is not limited to this, and can be applied to various containers and automobile interior parts, etc., where the resin sheet S is attached to the surface to give functions or improve the aesthetics. In the thermoforming device 100, since two substrates B appear inside the device, they are referred to as the first substrate B1 and the second substrate B2 for convenience of explanation. In addition, when the substrate B is referred to without special notice, it refers to either or both of the first substrate B1 and the second substrate B2.

[0026] The mold lifting platform 120 is provided inside the lower container 102, and moves up and down inside the lower container 102 by a lifting function (not shown). The mold lifting platform 120 also has a function of holding the base portion 52 of the receiving jig 50. That is, the base portion 52 and the substrate B held thereon can be raised and lowered by moving in the positive direction of the Z axis (upward) or moving in the negative direction of the Z axis (downward). The mold lifting platform 120 also has a built-in pickup cylinder 121 that lifts up the receiving jig 50, and has a function of lifting up only the receiving jig 50 from the upper surface of the mold lifting platform 120.

[0027] 2 shows the state in which the thermoforming unit 150 is closed. The state is shown in which the lower container 102 is close to the upper container 101 and closed, and the resin sheet S is sandwiched between the frame 51 and the upper attachment 60. In this manner, when the upper container 101 and the lower container 102 are in a closed state, the upper chamber 150A, which is the space on the upper container 101 side, and the lower chamber 150B, which is the space on the lower container 102 side, are separated by the resin sheet S. At this time, piping connected to a compressed air tank or vacuum tank (not shown) capable of adjusting the internal pressure of the upper chamber 150A and the lower chamber 150B is connected to the upper container 101 and the lower container 102, respectively.

[0028] Next, the configuration of the jig conveying section 200 side will be described. The jig conveying section 200 is equipped with an upper conveying roller 220 and a lower conveying roller 230, which correspond to the first conveying section and the second conveying section. The lower conveying roller 230 has a function of linearly conveying the receiving jig 50 in a certain direction, and together with the upper conveying roller 220 stacked on top of it, forms a two-story mold self-propelled front roller 240. The upper conveying roller 220 and the lower conveying roller 230 use roller conveyors, and have a function of supporting and conveying the receiving jig 50 on the conveying surface. The jig lifting table 210 provided adjacent to the jig conveying section 200 can move the receiving jig 50 from the position of the upper conveying roller 220 to the position of the lower conveying roller 230. In addition, a mold loading cylinder 125, which will be described later, is provided, and has a function of moving the receiving jig 50 on the lower conveying roller 230 onto the mold lifting platform 120.

[0029] The jig lifting table 210 is a pantograph arm type lifting device, and the arm 211 extends and retracts to allow the receiving jig 50 to be lifted and lowered. A plurality of motor-equipped loading / unloading rollers 212 are arranged on the upper surface of the jig lifting table 210, and the lifting end of the arm 211 is set at a height where the conveying surface of the upper conveying roller 220 and the conveying surface of the loading / unloading roller 212 coincide. The lowering end of the arm 211 is set at a height where the conveying surface of the lower conveying roller 230 and the conveying surface of the loading / unloading roller 212 coincide. In other words, the jig lifting table 210 is configured to change the holding position of the receiving jig 50 and to allow loading and unloading.

[0030] The jig lifting table 210 also incorporates a lift-up cylinder 215 for lifting the substrate B from the conveying surface of the carry-in / out rollers 212, and the cylinder rod 215a extends and retracts, allowing only the substrate B to be raised and lowered. In other words, it has the function of raising and lowering the substrate B in the Z-axis direction. Note that the lift-up cylinder 215 only needs to function when the jig lifting table 210 is at the lower end, so the lift-up cylinder 215 itself is not configured to follow the raising and lowering caused by the arm 211, but this does not prevent the lift-up cylinder 215 from being configured to follow the raising and lowering caused by the arm 211.

[0031] Such a jig lifting table 210 is disposed at an end of the mold self-propelled front roller 240, far from the thermoforming section 150. That is, the thermoforming section 150, the mold self-propelled front roller 240, and the jig lifting table 210 are disposed in a line, and for convenience of explanation, the thermoforming section 150 side is set as the molding position St1, and the jig lifting table 210 side is set as the mold replacement position St2.

[0032] Further above the upper conveying rollers 220, a conveying beam 245 is disposed in parallel to the upper conveying rollers 220, and a mold chuck 241 is movably provided below the conveying beam 245. The mold chuck 241 is fixed to a table 242a of an advance / retract cylinder 242 using a linear motion mechanism such as a rodless cylinder provided on the conveying beam 245, so that the mold chuck 241 can chuck and move the receiving jig 50. The mold chuck 241, the advance / retract cylinder 242, and the conveying beam 245 constitute a mold retraction unit 250.

[0033] With the receiving jig 50 held on the jig lifting table 210, the work of loading the substrate B is performed as described below, but an opening and closing door 300 is arranged to prevent an operator from accessing the mold replacement position St2 while the jig lifting table 210 is in operation. The opening and closing door 300 is configured to move in the vertical direction and is supported by a frame (not shown). An area sensor may be used instead of the opening and closing door 300, or the opening and closing door 300 and the area sensor may be used together.

[0034] Next, a description will be given of the molding procedure of the thermoforming apparatus 100. Fig. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the thermoforming apparatus 100 in a state of step 2. Similarly, Figs. 3 to 9 show a schematic configuration of the thermoforming apparatus 100 in a state of steps 3 to 9. Fig. 10 shows a timing chart.

[0035] (Step 1) First, at the molding position St1, a resin sheet S is put on the frame 51 by a sheet supply unit (not shown). This is performed in the thermoforming section 150 with the lower container 102 lowered as shown in FIG. 1. The frame 51 of the first jig 50a is held in contact with the opening end face of the lower container 102, and the base part 52 is held on the mold lifting platform 120. That is, the first jig 50a is held on the lower container 102 side of the thermoforming section 150 in a state where it is separated into the frame 51 and the base part 52. Therefore, the mold lifting platform 120 is at the lower end side inside the lower container 102. This makes it possible to prevent interference between the resin sheet S placed on the frame 51 and the first substrate B1. The resin sheet S is held by the frame 51 after being put on the frame 51.

[0036] Furthermore, at the mold replacement position St2, the substrate B (second substrate B2) is loaded into the second jig 50b. The jig lifting table 210 is in a state in which the arm 211 is folded so as to be located at the lower end. In this state, the second jig 50b is held on the lifting table 210, and the lift-up cylinder 215 provided at the lower part of the lifting table 210 is advanced (raised), and the worker loads the second substrate B2. At this time, the second substrate B2 is placed at the tip of the cylinder rod 215a, thereby positioning the second substrate B2.

[0037] (Step 2) Next, at the molding position St1, the lower container 102 is lifted up. This state is shown in Fig. 2, and the lower container 102 is lifted up so as to approach the upper container 101 with the resin sheet S held on the upper surface of the frame 51. Then, the resin sheet S is sandwiched between the upper attachment 60, which is held so as to contact the end surface of the upper container 101, and the frame 51, which is held on the lower container 102. With the resin sheet S sandwiched between the upper attachment 60 and the frame 51, the resin sheet S is heated by the upper heating means 110.

[0038] Furthermore, at the mold replacement position St2, the cylinder rod 215a, which is at the forward end and holds the second substrate B2, is retracted. As a result, the second substrate B2 is moved into the second jig 50b. At the stage when the second substrate B2 is placed inside the second jig 50b, the second substrate B2 is positioned and held with respect to the second jig 50b.

[0039] (Step 3) Next, at the molding position St1, compressed air / vacuum molding is performed in the molding mechanism unit 150 so that the resin sheet S is in close contact with the first substrate B1. This state is shown in FIG. 3, and the mold lifting table 120 is lifted up, the first substrate B1 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the resin sheet S after heating, the upper chamber 150A is pressurized, and the pressure in the lower chamber 150B is reduced to perform compressed air / vacuum molding. In addition, the second jig 50b is moved from the mold replacement position St2. The second jig 50b is arranged on the upper part of the jig lifting table 210 and on the conveying surface of the conveying roller 212 as shown in FIG. 2, and the second jig 50b is sent to the lower conveying roller 230 side by driving the conveying roller 212. Then, the lower conveying roller 230 is driven to move the second jig 50b to the front of the lower container 102 shown in FIG. 3. In addition, since the lower conveying roller 230 is provided with a stopper (not shown), the second jig 50b stops at a predetermined position.

[0040] (Step 4) Next, at the molding position St1, molding of the resin sheet S is completed and the lower container 102 is lowered. This state is shown in Fig. 4. After the internal pressure of the upper container 101 and the lower container 102 is returned to atmospheric pressure, the lower container 102 is lowered to open the mold. At this time, the lower container 102 has moved to an intermediate position so that the first jig 50a can be removed in the following procedure. The forward / reverse cylinder 242 provided in the mold retraction unit 250 moves the mold chuck 241 to a standby position.

[0041] (Step 5) Next, the first jig 50a is removed from the thermoforming section 150 at the molding position St1. This is shown in Fig. 5. The forward / backward cylinder 242 provided in the mold retraction unit 250 is moved to the forward end, and the mold chuck 241 is opened and closed to grip the first jig 50a. Also, at the mold replacement position St2, the arm 211 of the jig lifting table 210 is operated to lift up so that the conveying surface of the carry-in / out rollers 212 coincides with the conveying surface of the upper conveying rollers 220.

[0042] (Step 6) Next, the first jig 50a chucked by the mold chuck 241 is removed from the molding position St1 by driving the forward / backward cylinder 242. As shown in Fig. 6, the first jig 50a chucked by the mold chuck 241 fixed to the table 242a of the forward / backward cylinder 242 is moved by moving the table 242a to the backward end of the forward / backward cylinder 242. As a result, the first jig 50a passes through the conveying surface of the upper conveying roller 220 and is moved to above the jig lifting table 210 on the mold replacement position St2 side. Then, at the molding position St1, the lower container 102 is moved to the lower end.

[0043] (Step 7) Next, in a state where the lower container 102 has been moved to the lower end position at the molding position St1, the second jig 50b is moved to the mold lift table 120. As shown in Fig. 7, the second jig 50b is in a standby state on the lower conveying roller 230, so it is moved to the mold lift table 120 side at the molding position St1 by using the mold carry-in cylinder 125. At this time, the mold lift table 120 side is in a position where the pickup cylinder 121 has advanced, and the second jig 50b is moved onto the pickup cylinder 121.

[0044] (Step 8) Next, the second jig 50b inserted in the molding position St1 is positioned, and the jig lifting table 210 carrying the unchucked first jig 50a is moved to the lower end at the mold replacement position St2. As shown in FIG. 8, at the mold replacement position St2, the second jig 50b carried by the mold retreat unit 250 is placed on the upper surface of the jig lifting table 210 by opening the mold chuck 241. In this state, the jig lifting table 210 is moved to the lower end, and the conveying surface of the lower conveying roller 230 and the conveying surface of the carry-in / out roller 212 are made to the same level. Meanwhile, at the molding position St1, the second jig 50b is positioned by the pickup cylinder 121.

[0045] (Step 9) Next, the resin sheet S is introduced at the molding position St1. As shown in Fig. 9, at the molding position St1, the frame 51 of the second jig 50b is held in contact with the end face of the lower container 102, and the resin sheet S is introduced onto the upper surface of the frame 51. At this time, the mold lift table 120 is moved to the lower end, and the base part 52 of the second jig 50b is lowered while being held on the upper surface of the mold lift table 120, so that there is no interference between the second substrate B2 held by the base part 52 and the lower surface of the resin sheet S to be introduced.

[0046] Then, at the mold replacement position St2, the first base material B1 after molding held by the first jig 50a is lifted (knocked out) by the lift-up cylinder 215 provided on the jig lifting table 210. Here, since the base part 52 held by the mold lifting platform 120 has a plurality of through holes 52a through which the cylinder rod 215a of the lift-up cylinder 215 penetrates, it becomes possible to lift only the first base material B1 held by the base part 52 of the first jig 50a by the cylinder rod 215a. As a result, the molded resin sheet S held by the frame body 51 is knocked out together with the first base material B1, and can be taken out. Here, the procedure is to open the opening and closing door 300 and have the worker take out the molded product.

[0047] In this way, by repeating the operations shown in steps 1 to 9, the resin sheet S is molded and adhered to the surface of the substrate B, resulting in a molded product. Therefore, molding is performed by alternately using the first jig 50a and the second jig 50b. Note that a plurality of receiving jigs 50 may be prepared and used while removing waste materials and performing maintenance.

[0048] The thermoforming apparatus 100 of this embodiment has the above-mentioned configuration and therefore provides the following functions and effects.

[0049] First, the space required for the device can be reduced. This is because the thermoforming device 100 includes a thermoforming section 150 that performs thermoforming of the resin sheet S using a receiving jig 50 that holds the base material B, and a jig transport section 200 that transports the receiving jig 50 from the input position to the thermoforming section 150. The receiving jig 50 includes a first jig 50a and a second jig 50b, and the jig transport section 200 is composed of a first transport section (upper transport roller 220) and a second transport section (lower transport roller 230) that transport the receiving jig 50 in a straight line, which are stacked in two stages, and is disposed adjacent to the jig transport section 200. The jig transport section 200 is provided with a jig lifting mechanism (jig lifting table 210) for lifting and lowering the receiving jig 50, and the thermoforming section 150, the jig transport section 200, and the jig lifting table 210 are disposed side by side.

[0050] In other words, the thermoforming section 150, the jig conveying section 200, and the jig lifting table 210 are arranged side by side, so that it is expected to be more compact and have a higher degree of freedom in layout than when an index table such as that shown in Patent Document 1 is used. This is because, when an index table is used, the equipment for each process needs to be arranged around the rotation axis of the index table, but with the thermoforming device 100 of this embodiment, the thermoforming section 150, the jig conveying section 200, and the jig lifting table 210 can be arranged side by side, so that it can be installed without taking up width. In addition, by making the jig conveying section 200 a two-story structure consisting of the upper conveying roller 220 and the lower conveying roller 230, it is possible to arrange the receiving jig 50 in a space-saving manner, which contributes to space saving.

[0051] It is preferable that the thermoforming section 150 is provided with an upper container 101 that opens downward for performing compressed air / vacuum forming, and a lower container 102 that opens upward, and is provided with a holding function for holding the receiving jig 50 in the upper container 101 or the lower container 102 (holding the receiving jig 50 by the opening end face of the lower container 102 and the mold lifting platform 120).

[0052] The receiving jig 50 is composed of a frame body 51 for holding the resin sheet and a support part (base part 52) ​​for holding the substrate B stacked together, and the frame body 51 is stacked so as to be positioned around the substrate B held by the base part 52, and it is preferable that the thermoforming part 150 has a separation function (a mold lifting platform 120 and a lower container 102 for receiving and holding the frame body 51) for separating the frame body 51 and the base part 52 when the resin sheet S is inserted.

[0053] In this embodiment, of the receiving jig 50 in the lower container 102, the frame 51 is held on the open end surface of the lower container 102, and the base portion 52 is held on the upper surface of a mold lifting platform 120 provided in the lower container 102. By holding the frame 51 in the lower container 102, it is possible to move the base portion 52 held on the mold lifting platform 120 to the lower end when the resin sheet S is poured onto the upper surface of the frame 51.

[0054] In this way, the resin sheet S is sandwiched between the upper surface of the frame 51 and the upper attachment 60, and in this state, when the resin sheet S is heated by the upper heating means 110, even if the resin sheet S is drawn down during this process, it is possible to avoid contact with the substrate B. If the surfaces of the drawn-down resin sheet S and the substrate B come into contact with each other, unintended parts may come into contact and cause wrinkles, heat may escape from the resin sheet S to the substrate B, resulting in insufficient heating, or the resin sheet S may become twisted and air bubbles may be trapped, which may result in defects. Since this can be prevented, it is expected that the yield of molded products will improve.

[0055] It is preferable that the jig lifting table 210 is provided with a lift-up cylinder 215 that lifts up the resin sheet S together with the substrate B after molding in the thermoforming section 150. This makes it easy to remove the substrate B from the receiving jig 50. In addition, since the resin sheet S is held by the frame 51, it is possible to knock out the molded product. If a cutting process or the like is required for knocking out, it can be provided on the jig lifting table 210, for example.

[0056] The thermoforming device 100 according to the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the present embodiment, the receiving jig 50 holds the substrate B, but it may hold a metal mold for forming the resin sheet S. In addition, the receiving jig 50 is described as using two jigs, the first jig 50a and the second jig 50b, but as described above, it is not prohibited to use three or more jigs for the purpose of replacement. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] B Base material S Plastic Sheet 50, 50a, 50b: receiving jig, first jig, second jig 100 Thermoforming equipment 150 Thermoforming section 200 Jig transport section 210 Jig lifting table

Claims

1. A thermoforming apparatus including a thermoforming section that heats and forms a resin sheet using a jig that holds a metal mold or a substrate, and a jig transport section that transports the jig from an input position to the thermoforming section, The jig includes a first jig and a second jig, The jig transport unit includes: a first conveying section that conveys one of the first jig or the second jig in a straight line from the thermoforming section to the input position while carrying a molded product formed in the thermoforming section; a second conveying section that linearly conveys the other of the first jig or the second jig from the input position to the thermoforming section to perform the heating and forming; It is made up of two layers, A jig lifting mechanism is provided in contact with the jig transport section to lift and move the jig up and down; The thermoforming unit, the jig transport unit, and the jig lifting mechanism are arranged side by side; A thermoforming device comprising:

2. 2. The thermoforming apparatus of claim 1, The thermoforming section includes an upper container that opens downward for performing compressed air / vacuum forming, and a lower container that opens upward; The upper container or the lower container has a holding function for holding the jig; A thermoforming device comprising:

3. A thermoforming apparatus comprising: a thermoforming section for thermoforming a resin sheet using a jig for holding a metal mold or a substrate; and a jig transport section for transporting the jig from an input position to the thermoforming section, The jig includes a first jig and a second jig, The jig transport section includes a first transport section and a second transport section that transport the jig in a straight line, the first transport section and the second transport section being stacked in two stages, A jig lifting mechanism is provided in contact with the jig transport section to lift and move the jig up and down; The thermoforming unit, the jig transport unit, and the jig lifting mechanism are arranged side by side; The jig is formed by stacking a frame body for holding the resin sheet and a support part for holding the mold or the base material, and the frame body is stacked so as to be disposed around the mold or the base material held by the support part, The thermoforming section has a separation function for separating the frame body and the support section when the resin sheet is inserted. A thermoforming device comprising:

4. A thermoforming apparatus comprising: a thermoforming section for thermoforming a resin sheet using a jig for holding a metal mold or a substrate; and a jig transport section for transporting the jig from an input position to the thermoforming section, The jig includes a first jig and a second jig, The jig transport section includes a first transport section and a second transport section that transport the jig in a straight line, the first transport section and the second transport section being stacked in two stages, A jig lifting mechanism is provided in contact with the jig transport section to lift and move the jig up and down; The thermoforming unit, the jig transport unit, and the jig lifting mechanism are arranged side by side; The jig lifting mechanism is provided with a lift-up cylinder that lifts up the resin sheet after molding in the thermoforming section together with the mold or the base material; A thermoforming device comprising:

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