Resin transfer device and shooter

Abstract

To discharge purged resin efficiently and reliably.SOLUTION: The resin transfer device 200 has a horizontally extending transfer section 202, a frame 203 that is positioned on the transfer section 202 and can contain the dropped resin, and a frame drive section 208 that moves the frame 203 horizontally.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a resin transfer device, a shooter, an injection molding system, and a resin transfer technique, and is applicable to, for example, a resin transfer device, a shooter, an injection molding system, and a resin transfer technique effective for discharging resin purged from a nozzle provided in an injection molding machine.

Background Art

[0002] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-23010 (Patent Document 1) describes a technique for promoting the cooling of resin by circulating cooling water in a resin receiver and discharging the resin by means of an inclined resin receiver and air blowing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] For example, a molded product is manufactured by a molding cycle in which an injection molding machine is continuously operated. However, the molding cycle may be interrupted, and in this case, molten resin remains inside the injection molding machine. At this time, the remaining resin may deteriorate due to heat or the like, so it is difficult to resume the molding cycle with the resin remaining.

[0005] Also, when trying to manufacture a new molded product using a resin with different materials, colors, properties, etc. from the resin used so far, if the resin used so far remains inside the injection molding machine, it becomes difficult to manufacture a molded product using the new resin.

[0006] Therefore, in the above-described case, a purge, which is a process of discharging the old resin remaining inside the injection molding machine prior to the molding cycle, is performed. In this purge, the resin material is discharged from the nozzle provided in the injection molding machine. Then, the resin purged from the nozzle hits, for example, a purge shutter disposed opposite to the nozzle, falls vertically downward, and is collected in a resin receiver. Thereafter, the resin collected in the resin receiver is removed.

[0007] Regarding this point, since the resin collected in the resin receiver has been removed, for example, manually, an effective technique for efficiently removing the resin is required. That is, a device for removing the purged resin is desired.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0008] The resin conveying device in one embodiment includes a conveying portion extending in the horizontal direction, a frame body disposed on the conveying portion and capable of containing the fallen resin, and a frame body driving portion for moving the frame body in the horizontal direction.

[0009] The shooter in one embodiment has a seesaw mechanism. Here, the shooter accumulates the resin discharged from the discharge port in a storage portion attached to the seesaw mechanism, and is configured to move the resin to a dust box by the seesaw operation of the seesaw mechanism caused by the weight of the resin accumulated in the storage portion.

[0010] An injection molding system in one embodiment includes an injection molding machine that manufactures a molded product by injecting the resin injected from a nozzle into a mold, and a resin conveying device that conveys the purge resin purged from the nozzle. Here, the resin conveying device has the above-described configuration.

[0011] A resin removing method in one embodiment includes a step of enclosing the resin fallen by purge in a frame body, and a step of horizontally moving the frame body enclosing the resin to the discharge port.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] According to one embodiment, the purged resin can be efficiently and reliably discharged.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] In all the diagrams for explaining the embodiments, the same members are generally denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations thereof are omitted. Note that, for the sake of clarity of the drawings, hatching may be added even to a plan view.

[0015] <Configuration of Injection Molding Machine> Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an injection molding machine 100.

[0016] In Fig. 1, the injection molding machine 100 is composed of a mold clamping device 1 and an injection device 2.

[0017] <<Configuration of Mold Clamping Device>> The mold clamping device 1 has a movable platen 10 that can move and a fixed platen 11 that is fixed, and is configured to be able to variably control the distance between the movable platen 10 and the fixed platen 11. And between the movable platen 10 and the fixed platen 11, a movable mold (die) 12 and a fixed mold (die) 13 can be arranged. Thus, for example, by variably controlling the distance between the movable platen 10 and the fixed platen 11 with the mold clamping device 1, the distance between the movable mold 12 and the fixed mold 13 can be reduced to "close the mold", and the distance between the movable mold 12 and the fixed mold 13 can be increased to "open the mold". At this time, when the movable mold 12 and the fixed mold 13 are "closed", a sealed space is formed between the movable mold 12 and the fixed mold 13, and a molded product is formed by pouring resin into this sealed space. In particular, in the injection molding machine 100 shown in FIG. 1, when the movable mold 12 and the fixed mold 13 are "closed", one sealed space is formed, and a molded product is formed by pouring resin into this sealed space. In this way, the mold clamping device 1 is configured.

[0018] <<Configuration of Injection Device>> Next, as shown in FIG. 1, an injection device 2 for extruding resin is connected to the fixed platen 11, and the resin extruded from the injection device 2 flows into the sealed space formed by "closing the mold" between the movable mold 12 and the fixed mold 13 through the fixed platen 11.

[0019] This injection device 2 has a hopper 21 for putting in resin raw materials and a cylinder 22. When resin raw materials are put into the hopper 21, these resin raw materials are kneaded by a rotatable screw 23 disposed inside the cylinder 22. At this time, a heater 24 is disposed around the cylinder 22, and the resin raw materials put into the cylinder 22 are kneaded by the screw 23 while being heated by the heater 24 to become molten resin 25. And a nozzle 26 is provided at the tip of the cylinder 22. In this way, the injection device 2 is configured.

[0020] <Operation of Injection Molding Machine> Subsequently, the operation of the injection molding machine 100 will be described.

[0021] First, starting from the state shown in FIG. 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the movable platen 10 of the mold clamping device 1 is moved. As a result, the movable mold 12 is brought into contact with the fixed mold 13 to "close the mold". At this time, a large force is applied in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2 from the movable platen 10 so that no gap is generated between the movable mold 12 and the fixed mold 13. On the other hand, in the injection device 2, the state shown in FIG. 1 is maintained, and the molten resin 25 is located between the nozzle 26 and the screw 23. That is, the molten resin 25 is not injected into the sealed space 30 between the movable mold 12 and the fixed mold 13.

[0022] Next, as shown in FIG. 3, starting from the state shown in FIG. 2, the screw 23 is moved by applying a large force in the leftward direction, that is, the forward direction. At this time, the screw 23 is not rotated. As a result, the molten resin 25 is injected from the tip of the nozzle 26 into the sealed space 30 between the movable mold 12 and the fixed mold 13. Here, in the technical field of injection molding, the injection of the molten resin 25 into the sealed space 30 is called "injection". Also, the sealed space 30 between the movable mold 12 and the fixed mold 13 is sometimes called a "cavity".

[0023] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4, after the molten resin 25 is injected, the state where the screw 23 applies pressure to the sealed space 30 is maintained. This state is called a "holding pressure state", and while maintaining this holding pressure state, the movable mold 12 and the fixed mold 13 are cooled. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the resin raw material 40 is filled into the hopper 21. Here, when cooling the movable mold 12 and the fixed mold 13, the screw 23 is rotated to fill the molten resin 25 between the nozzle 26 and the screw 23 for the next injection. Specifically, when the screw 23 is rotated, the resin raw material 40 supplied from the hopper 21 is melted in the cylinder 22 of the injection device 2 and advances in the forward direction.

[0024] As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the molten resin 25 accumulates between the nozzle 26 and the cylinder 22. Then, due to the reaction force, the screw 23 is pushed backward and returns to the state before injection. At this time, the process of feeding the molten resin 25 in the forward direction while retreating the screw 23 in the backward direction so that the molten resin 25 can be injected is called "metering". A heater 24 for heating the cylinder 22 is arranged around the cylinder 22. The heater 24 is arranged so as to surround the periphery of the cylinder 22. Due to the heat from the heater 24 and the shear heat generated by the rotation of the screw 23, the resin raw material 40 supplied from the hopper 21 is heated and melted to become the molten resin 25.

[0025] Subsequently, the movable mold 12 and the fixed mold 13 are cooled to a temperature below the temperature at which the molten resin 25 filled in the sealed space 30 solidifies. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, by operating the mold clamping device 1, the space between the movable mold 12 and the fixed mold 13 is "opened". In this way, when the space between the movable mold 12 and the fixed mold 13 is "opened", the molded product 50 is peeled off from the fixed mold 13 and protruded from the movable mold 12. This molded product 50 becomes a product molded by the injection molding machine 100.

[0026] Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the molded product 50 is taken out from the movable mold 12. By repeating such a series of steps (FIGS. 2 to 7), molded products 50 of the same shape can be continuously manufactured. As described above, it can be seen that the molded product 50 can be mass-produced by repeatedly operating the injection molding machine 100.

[0027] <Necessity of purging> As described above, the molded product 50 is manufactured by a molding cycle in which the injection molding machine 100 is continuously operated. However, the operation of the injection molding machine 100 may be stopped and the molding cycle may be interrupted by cleaning the injection molding machine 100, replacing the resin, or replacing the molds (movable mold 12 and fixed mold 13) attached to the mold clamping device 1. In this case, molten resin remains inside the injection molding machine 100. At this time, the remaining resin may deteriorate due to heat or the like, so it is difficult to resume the molding cycle with the resin remaining. Furthermore, when attempting to manufacture a new molded product 50 using a resin with different materials, colors, properties, etc. from the resin that has been used so far, if the resin that has been used so far remains inside the injection molding machine 100, it becomes difficult to manufacture the molded product 50 using the new resin.

[0028] Therefore, it is necessary to perform a process of discharging the old resin remaining inside the injection molding machine 100 prior to the molding cycle. This process is called "purge". In this purge, the screw 23 is rotationally driven to discharge the resin from the nozzle 26 provided in the injection molding machine 100. The resin purged from the nozzle 26 hits, for example, a purge shutter arranged opposite to the nozzle 26 and falls vertically downward to be collected in a resin receiver. Thereafter, it is necessary to remove the resin accumulated in the resin receiver.

[0029] <Description of Related Art> Here, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the resin 30a purged from the nozzle 26 hits a purge shutter 31 arranged opposite to the nozzle 26 and falls vertically downward. As a result, the resin 30a accumulates in a resin receiving portion 32 arranged below the purge shutter 31. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the resin 30a accumulated in the resin receiving portion 32 is removed manually after it has solidified after the cooling period of the resin 30a.

[0030] In this case, since the cooling period of the resin 30a is long, the dropped resin 30a cannot be removed immediately, and a situation occurs where the resin 30a accumulates in the resin receiving part 32 one after another. Furthermore, since the resin 30a is removed manually, the burden on the operator increases.

[0031] Regarding this point, as a technique for removing the resin 30a without manual intervention, for example, there is a technique related to Patent Document 1 described in the "Background Art".

[0032] This Patent Document 1 describes a technique for promoting the cooling of the resin by circulating cooling water in the resin receiving part, and removing the resin by means of the inclined resin receiving part and air blowing. According to this technique, the resin 30a can be discharged without manual intervention.

[0033] However, there is a possibility that the resin cannot be reliably discharged by the inclination of the resin receiving part and the air blowing used in this technique. This is because the propelling force of the resin in this technique can only obtain a weak force resulting from the air blowing force and the self-weight of the resin itself disposed on the inclined resin receiving part, so it may be difficult to perform the discharging operation against the large frictional force caused by the adhesion of the resin to the resin receiving part. That is, there is room for improvement in the technique described in Patent Document 1 from the viewpoint of reliably discharging the resin.

[0034] Therefore, in this embodiment, a device is provided to overcome the room for improvement existing in the technique described in Patent Document 1. Hereinafter, the technical idea in this embodiment provided with this device will be described.

[0035] <Basic Idea in the Embodiment> The basic idea in this embodiment is to drop the resin purged from the nozzle of an injection molding machine onto a horizontal plane and then apply an external force to the solidified resin to convey the resin horizontally to the discharge port. Here, a more desirable basic idea is to drop the resin purged from the nozzle of an injection molding machine onto a horizontal plane, cool the resin while the resin is disposed on the horizontal plane, and then apply an external force to the solidified resin to convey the resin horizontally to the discharge port. That is, as a basic idea, the configuration of "cooling the resin while the resin is disposed on the horizontal plane" is not essential, but from the viewpoint of efficiently and surely discharging the resin, it is desirable to include this configuration. Hereinafter, this desirable idea will be described.

[0036] The characteristic points of the above-described desirable idea are: (1) cooling the resin while the resin is disposed on the horizontal plane; and (2) applying an external force to the solidified resin for conveyance. Thereby, according to the basic idea, the resin can be efficiently and surely discharged.

[0037] Hereinafter, this point will be described.

[0038] First, the technical significance of the configuration of "cooling the resin while the resin is disposed on the horizontal plane" will be described. For example, in a configuration where the resin is dropped onto an inclined slope and then cooled on this slope as in Patent Document 1, since the resin is disposed on the slope in a molten and highly viscous state, there is a high possibility of sticking due to the self-weight of the resin. That is, even if it is rapidly cooled on the slope, since the resin adheres to the slope while deforming in a highly viscous state, it is considered that the resin easily adheres to the slope depending on the high viscosity of the resin. In particular, the fact that the resin adheres to the slope while deforming in a highly viscous state means that the adhesion area between the resin and the slope expands. Therefore, due to the synergistic factors of a high-viscosity flowing state and an increasing adhesion area with the slope, the resin easily adheres to the slope. And when the resin adheres to the slope, since the resin stays on the slope, it becomes difficult to discharge the resin.

[0039] On the other hand, in a configuration where the resin is cooled with the resin placed on a horizontal plane, it is less affected by the viscosity of the resin. That is, in a configuration where the resin is cooled with the resin placed on a horizontal plane, the resin can be cooled without being affected by the viscosity of the resin. In other words, in a configuration where the resin is cooled with the resin placed on a horizontal plane, due to the fact that the resin is less likely to deform when the resin is cooled, an increase in the contact area between the resin and the horizontal plane is less likely to occur. Considering that the larger the contact area, the easier it is for the resin to stick, this means that the sticking of the resin is suppressed. Therefore, it can be said that the technical significance of the configuration of "cooling the resin with the resin placed on a horizontal plane" lies in making it difficult for the resin to stick to the contact surface.

[0040] Subsequently, the technical significance of the configuration of "applying an external force to the solidified resin and conveying it" will be described. For example, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, it is configured to discharge the resin mainly by sliding it on an inclined surface by the self-weight of the resin and the blowing of air. However, the self-weight of the resin and the blowing of air are weak forces, and the resin is being slid by its own weight from the molten and highly viscous state before solidification. That is, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, a configuration is adopted in which the resin is slid by its own weight and the blowing of air from the molten and highly viscous state before solidification, which is a state where it is difficult to slide before solidification. In this case, the discharge of the resin becomes difficult because the resin is being slid from a state where it is difficult to slide before solidification (the molten and highly viscous state before solidification).

[0041] In contrast, according to the basic idea in this embodiment, after the resin is solidified by "cooling the resin in a state where the resin is disposed on a horizontal plane", a configuration of "applying an external force to the solidified resin and conveying it" is adopted. That is, in the basic idea, the resin is not conveyed in a molten and soft state, but a configuration of conveying the resin after solidification is adopted. Further, a configuration of horizontally conveying the resin by applying an external force stronger than weak self-weight or air blowing to the resin is also adopted. As a result, even if the resin adheres to the horizontal plane, since a strong external force is applied instead of weak self-weight or air blowing, it becomes possible to easily peel off the adhesion of the resin to the horizontal plane and convey it. That is, it can be said that the technical significance of the configuration of "applying an external force to the solidified resin and conveying it" lies in reliably discharging the resin.

[0042] From the above, according to the basic idea in this embodiment, the resin can be reliably discharged. And by embodying this basic idea as an automatic system, a system can be realized that replaces inefficient manual work.

[0043] Hereinafter, an injection molding system that is excellent in efficiency and can reliably discharge the purged resin by embodying the basic idea in this embodiment will be described.

[0044] <Configuration of Injection Molding System> FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an injection molding system 500.

[0045] In FIG. 9, the injection molding system 500 has an injection molding machine 100 and a resin conveying device 200. And the injection molding machine 100 includes a control unit 110. This control unit 110 is configured not only to control the operation of the injection molding machine 100 but also to control the operation of the resin conveying device 200. Thereby, an advantage is obtained that the control unit 110 can control the overall operation of the injection molding system 500 including the injection molding machine 100 and the resin conveying device 200.

[0046] However, the configuration of the injection molding system 500 can be realized not only by the configuration example shown in FIG. 9, but also by, for example, the configuration example shown in FIG. 10 below.

[0047] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing another configuration example of the injection molding system 500.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 10, a control unit 110 is provided in the injection molding machine 100, and a control unit 210 can also be provided in the resin transfer device 200. In this case, the control unit 110 is configured to control the operation of the injection molding machine 100, while the control unit 210 is configured to control the operation of the resin transfer device 200. In this way, it is possible to configure to provide a control unit for each of the injection molding machine 100 and the resin transfer device 200.

[0049] The technical idea in the present embodiment can also be realized by, for example, the injection molding system 500 shown in FIG. 9, or can also be realized by the injection molding system 500 shown in FIG. 10.

[0050] <Configuration of Resin Transfer Device> Next, the configuration of the resin transfer device 200 will be described.

[0051] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the resin transfer device 200.

[0052] In FIG. 11, the resin transfer device 200 is configured to transfer the resin purged from the nozzle 26 provided in the injection molding machine. For example, it has a purge shutter 201, a transfer unit 202, a frame body 203, and a shooter 207. Specifically, the resin transfer device 200 is configured to receive the resin that falls vertically against the purge shutter 201 disposed opposite to the nozzle 26 by the frame body 203 and transfer it to a predetermined position.

[0053] When performing purging, the purge shutter 201 is disposed at a position facing the nozzle 26, and has a function of receiving the resin purged from the nozzle 26 and dropping the resin in the vertically downward direction (-z direction). As shown in FIG. 12, for example, the purge shutter 201 has a rectangular shape in the zy plane (the plane facing the nozzle 26), and desirably has a cooling mechanism for circulating cooling water inside. Thus, when the resin purged from the nozzle 26 hits the surface of the purge shutter 201, the resin is cooled by the cooling mechanism provided in the purge shutter 201 and then drops in the vertically downward direction (-z direction). Further, the surface of the purge shutter 201 may be coated so that the resin does not easily stick to the surface of the purge shutter 201. For example, examples of the coating include coating with a fluororesin and vinyl coating.

[0054] Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, the transport unit 202 extends in the horizontal direction (x direction) and is configured to include a cooling mechanism 205 that cools at least a first region R1 including the resin dropping position. The transport unit 202 is provided with a discharge port 206 for discharging the resin. Here, for example, the surface of the first region R1 may be coated so that the dropped resin does not easily stick. Examples of the coating include coating with a fluororesin and vinyl coating.

[0055] Next, as shown in FIG. 11, a frame body 203 is disposed on the transport unit 202. The frame body 203 is configured to be able to contain the dropped resin. The frame body 203 is configured to be movable in the horizontal direction (x direction). That is, the frame body 203 is configured to be movable in the horizontal direction (x direction) by a frame body drive unit 208. For example, the frame body 203 is configured to be movable by the frame body drive unit 208 from a first position of the transport unit 202 where the dropped resin is contained to a second position of the transport unit 202 while containing the resin.

[0056] Here, specifically, the frame body 203 has a through-hole portion 203a that encloses the resin that has fallen onto the conveying portion 202, and a protruding portion (claw portion) 204 that protrudes from the inner wall of the through-hole portion 203a. And the protruding portion 204 has a function of peeling off the resin that has fallen onto the conveying portion 202 from the surface of the conveying portion 202 at the start of the movement of the frame body 203.

[0057] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, a detection sensor 220 for detecting the position where the frame body 203 is disposed is provided on the frame body 203. And the resin conveying device 200 is configured to control the movement of the frame body 203 based on the output from the detection sensor 220.

[0058] As described above, when the frame body 203 that encloses the resin is disposed at the second position on the conveying portion 202, a discharge port 206 for dropping the resin below the conveying portion 202 is provided on the conveying portion 202. And as shown in FIG. 11, the resin conveying device 200 has a shooter 207 disposed at a position facing the discharge port 206. This shooter 207 has a function of guiding the resin discharged from the discharge port 206 to a dust box (not shown). However, the shooter 207 is not necessarily required, and for example, the resin discharged from the discharge port 206 can also be configured to be directly put into the dust box.

[0059] Note that the resin conveying device 200 may be provided with a sensor 230 for detecting that the resin has been discharged from the discharge port 206. For example, in FIG. 11, a configuration example in which the sensor 230 is provided on the shooter 207 is shown, but it is not limited to this, and a configuration in which the sensor 230 is provided on the conveying portion 202 can also be adopted.

[0060] As described above, the resin conveying device 200 in the present embodiment is configured.

[0061] <Operation of Resin Conveying Device> Subsequently, the operation of the resin conveying device 200 will be described.

[0062] First, as shown in FIG. 14, when purging the resin 250 from the nozzle 26 provided in the injection molding machine, the resin 250 purged from the nozzle 26 hits the purge shutter 201 disposed opposite to the nozzle 26. At this time, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, when a cooling mechanism for circulating cooling water inside the purge shutter 201 is provided, the resin 250 hitting the purge shutter 201 is cooled. As a result, it is suppressed that the purged resin 250 adheres to the purge shutter 201. Further, if a coating for suppressing the adhesion of the resin 250 is applied to the surface of the purge shutter 201, the purged resin 250 becomes less likely to adhere to the purge shutter 201.

[0063] Then, as shown in FIG. 15, the resin 250 hitting the purge shutter 201 falls in the vertically downward direction (-z direction) and enters the inside of the through-hole 203a of the frame body 203 disposed on the conveying unit 202. That is, in the resin conveying device 200, based on the output of the detection sensor 220 in advance, the frame body 203 is disposed at the first position of the conveying unit 202. Thereby, the fallen resin 250 is enclosed in the frame body 203 disposed at the first position of the conveying unit 202.

[0064] Thereafter, the resin 250 enclosed in the frame body 203 is cooled and solidified by the cooling mechanism 205 provided in the conveying unit 202. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the resin 250 in a state of being disposed on the horizontal plane of the conveying unit 202 is cooled, the fallen resin 250 becomes less likely to adhere to the surface of the conveying unit 202. Further, if a coating for suppressing the adhesion of the resin 250 is applied to the surface of the conveying unit 202, the fallen resin 250 can be made less likely to adhere to the surface of the conveying unit 202.

[0065] Next, as shown in FIG. 16, the frame 203 that encloses the resin 250 is moved in the horizontal direction (x direction) from the first position toward the second position by the frame driving unit 208. That is, by applying a strong external force to the frame 203 that encloses the resin 250, the frame 203 moves in the horizontal direction. At this time, when a protruding portion (claw portion) 204 is provided on the inner wall of the through portion 203a of the frame 203, even if the resin 250 was attached to the surface of the conveying unit 202 even after cooling by the cooling mechanism 205, at the start of movement of the frame 203, the resin 250 that has fallen onto the conveying unit 202 by the protruding portion 204 is peeled off from the surface of the conveying unit 202. That is, the protruding portion 204 has a function of peeling off the resin that has fallen onto the conveying unit 202 from the surface of the conveying unit 202. In this way, according to the present embodiment, sticking of the resin 250 can be reliably prevented.

[0066] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 17, when the frame 203 that encloses the resin 250 approaches the second position based on the output from the detection sensor 220, the resin conveying device 200 decelerates the speed of the frame 203 and stops the frame 203 at the second position.

[0067] At this time, when the frame 203 is in the second position, the resin 250 enclosed in the frame 203 falls from the discharge port 206 provided in the conveying unit 202 to the shooter 207 provided below the conveying unit 202. The resin 250 that has fallen onto the shooter 207 is discharged, for example, from the shooter 207 to a dust box (not shown).

[0068] In the present embodiment, for example, a sensor 230 for detecting that the resin 250 has been discharged from the discharge port 206 to the shooter 207 is attached. As a result, the resin conveying device 200 can determine whether or not the resin 250 has been discharged from the discharge port 206 based on the output from the sensor 230. When the resin conveying device 200 recognizes that the resin 250 has been discharged from the discharge port 206, it moves the frame 203 from the second position to the first position by controlling the frame driving unit 208.

[0069] By operating the resin transfer device 200 in this embodiment, the purged resin 250 can be discarded into the dust box.

[0070] <Features in the embodiment> Next, the characteristic points in this embodiment will be described.

[0071] <<Features regarding the purge shutter>> First, the characteristic point regarding the purge shutter 201 is that, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, a cooling mechanism is provided in the purge shutter 201. Thus, when the resin purged from the nozzle provided in the injection molding machine hits the purge shutter 201, the resin is cooled by the cooling mechanism provided in the purge shutter 201. As a result, it is possible to suppress the purged resin from sticking to the purge shutter 201.

[0072] Furthermore, a further characteristic point regarding the purge shutter 201 is that a coating for suppressing the adhesion of resin is applied to the surface of the purge shutter 201 facing the nozzle. Thereby, it is possible to further suppress the resin from sticking to the surface of the purge shutter 201. That is, by combining the point of providing a cooling mechanism in the purge shutter 201 and the point of applying a coating to the surface of the purge shutter 201, it is possible to effectively suppress the adhesion of resin to the purge shutter 201.

[0073] <<Features regarding the frame>> As described in "The basic idea in the embodiment", one of the characteristic points of the basic idea is to apply an external force to the solidified resin for conveyance. And in this embodiment, applying an external force to the solidified resin for conveyance is realized by using the frame 203.

[0074] That is, as shown in FIGS. 14 to 17, with the resin 250 encapsulated inside the frame body 203, the frame body 203 is moved horizontally by the frame body driving unit 208, so that an external force is applied to the solidified resin from the frame body 203, and it is conveyed together with the frame body 203.

[0075] Thus, one of the characteristic points of the basic idea, "applying an external force to the solidified resin and conveying it", is realized by using the frame body 203. In this way, in this embodiment, there is a characteristic point in using the frame body 203 in order to apply an external force to the solidified resin and convey it.

[0076] Furthermore, the technical significance of using the frame body 203 is not only to realize one of the characteristic points of the basic idea, "applying an external force to the solidified resin and conveying it", but also to make it easier to realize another characteristic point of the basic idea, "cooling the resin in a state where the resin is arranged on a horizontal plane". That is, the frame body 203 in this embodiment has, for example, a through-hole 203a as shown in FIG. 15, and the resin 250 is arranged inside this through-hole 203a. At this time, since the through-hole 203a literally has no bottom, the resin 250 arranged inside the through-hole 203a is arranged on the conveying unit 202 exposed from the through-hole 203a. From this, by using the frame body 203 having the through-hole 203a, it becomes possible to arrange the resin 250 on the cooling mechanism 205 provided on the conveying unit 202 while encapsulating the resin 250 inside the frame body 203. In this way, it can be seen that the frame body 203 having the through-hole 203a has the technical significance of making it easier to realize the configuration of "cooling the resin in a state where the resin is arranged on a horizontal plane" while realizing the configuration of "applying an external force to the solidified resin and conveying it".

[0077] Next, as a characteristic point regarding the frame body 203, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, there is a point where a protruding portion 204 is provided so as to protrude from the inner wall of the through portion 203a formed in the frame body 203. Thereby, for example, as shown in FIGS. 15 to 16, even if the resin 250 adheres to the surface of the conveying portion 202, at the start of movement of the frame body 203, the resin 250 that has fallen onto the conveying portion 202 can be peeled off from the surface of the conveying portion 202 by the protruding portion 204. That is, it has a function of peeling off the resin that has fallen onto the conveying portion 202 from the surface of the conveying portion 202. In this way, according to the present embodiment, adhesion of the resin 250 can be reliably prevented.

[0078] <<Features regarding the conveying portion>> Next, a characteristic point regarding the conveying portion 202 is, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, that the conveying portion 202 is configured to include a cooling mechanism 205 that cools a first region R1 including at least the resin dropping position. Thereby, "cooling the resin in a state where the resin is arranged on a horizontal plane", which is one of the characteristic points of the basic idea, is realized. In particular, in the present embodiment, while adopting a configuration in which the frame body 203 having the through portion 203a is arranged in the first region R1, the conveying portion 202 has a cooling mechanism 205 that cools the first region R1, so that "cooling the resin in a state where the resin is arranged on a horizontal plane" and "applying an external force to the solidified resin and conveying it" can be realized simultaneously, which are two characteristic points of the basic idea.

[0079] Here, in the present embodiment, there is a great advantage in that it is only necessary to provide the cooling mechanism 205 only in the first region R1 including the resin dropping position, rather than the entire conveying portion 202.

[0080] For example, in Patent Document 1 described in the "Background Art" section, a configuration is adopted in which the molten resin is cooled while being slid on an inclined surface. From this, in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to provide a cooling mechanism over the entire inclined surface. This is because if the cooling mechanism is provided only in a partial region of the inclined surface, when the resin moves outside the range of the region where the cooling mechanism is provided, the resin cannot be cooled. In the case of a configuration in which the cooling mechanism is provided over the entire inclined surface in this way, there is a demerit that the configuration of the cooling mechanism becomes large-sized.

[0081] On the other hand, in the present embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the resin is arranged and cooled on a horizontal surface instead of an inclined surface. In this case, it is not necessary to cool the resin while sliding it like an inclined surface. That is, even if the cooling mechanism is provided only in a local region including the dropping position of the resin, the resin does not move by its own weight like an inclined surface, and the resin stays at the dropping position, so the resin can be cooled until it solidifies. Thus, according to the present embodiment, in order to sufficiently cool the dropped resin until it solidifies, it is sufficient to provide the cooling mechanism 205 only in the first region R1 including the dropping position of the resin, rather than the entire conveying unit 202. From this, according to the present embodiment, there is an advantage that the cooling mechanism provided in the conveying unit 202 can be downsized.

[0082] <<Other Features>> As other features, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, it is possible to mention providing a detection sensor 220 for detecting the position of the frame body 203 and a sensor 230 for detecting that the resin 250 has been discharged from the discharge port 206. Thereby, the position of the frame body 203 can be accurately grasped, and it can be surely grasped that the resin 250 has been discharged from the discharge port 206. Conversely, due to this feature point, an abnormal position of the frame body 203 or an abnormal discharge of the resin 250 can be detected, and as a result, an operation failure of the resin conveying device 200 can be prevented in advance.

[0083] <Necessity of Devising for the Shooter> As described above, according to the resin transfer device 200 in the present embodiment, the resin 250 can be efficiently and reliably discharged from the discharge port 206. Then, the resin 250 discharged from the discharge port 206 is discarded into the dust box, for example, via a shooter attached as a part of the resin transfer device 200. Therefore, in order to surely discard the resin 250 into the dust box, it is important to make it easy to drop the resin 250 from the shooter into the dust box. Therefore, the inventor has made improvements to the shooter from the viewpoint of facilitating the discharge of the resin 250. Hereinafter, the shooter with this improvement will be described.

[0084] <Configuration of Shooter> FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a shooter 400.

[0085] In FIG. 18, the shooter 400 is disposed to face, for example, a discharge port 206 provided in a transfer unit 202 that transfers resin purged from a nozzle provided in an injection molding machine.

[0086] In particular, as shown in FIG. 18, the shooter 400 is attached to the transfer unit 202 so as to be disposed facing the discharge port 206.

[0087] The shooter 400 includes a base portion 401, a support column 402 attached to the base portion 401, a seesaw mechanism 404 attached to the support column 402 at a center 403, a counterbalance 405 provided at one end portion of the seesaw mechanism 404, a telescopic portion 406 connecting the other end portion of the seesaw mechanism 404 and the transfer unit 202, and a storage portion 407 provided on the seesaw mechanism 404 so as to be disposed facing the discharge port 206 and capable of storing the resin discharged from the discharge port 206.

[0088] In FIG. 18, although not shown, two support columns 402 arranged side by side in the y direction are attached to the base portion 401. The seesaw mechanism 404 is configured to perform a seesaw operation by the weight balance between a counterbalance 405 provided on the left side of the center 403 and a storage portion 407 provided on the right side of the center 403 with the center 403 as a fulcrum. For example, when no resin is stored in the storage portion 407, the counterbalance 405 is heavier, and as a result, the seesaw mechanism 404 tilts to the left. On the other hand, when a large amount of resin is stored in the storage portion 407, the storage portion 407 including the resin becomes heavier, and as a result, the seesaw mechanism 404 tilts to the right. In this way, the seesaw mechanism 404 is configured to perform a seesaw operation by the weight of the resin discharged from the discharge port 206 and stored in the storage portion 407.

[0089] Note that the telescopic portion 406 is composed of, for example, a spring, but is not limited thereto, and can also be composed of a link mechanism or a damper.

[0090] The shooter 400 is configured as described above.

[0091] <Operation of the Shooter> Subsequently, the operation of the shooter 400 will be described.

[0092] First, when no resin is stored in the storage part 407 of the shooter 400, the shooter 400 is in the state shown in FIG. 18. Next, when the resin drops from the discharge port 206 into the storage part 407, the shooter 400 shifts from the state shown in FIG. 18 to the state shown in FIG. 19. That is, as a result of resin being stored in the storage part 407, the mass of the storage part 407 increases. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 19, the seesaw mechanism 404 tilts to the right with the center 403 as the fulcrum. Thereby, the telescopic part 406 extends to the limit. After that, when more resin is stored in the storage part 407, the shooter 400 shifts from the state shown in FIG. 19 to the state shown in FIG. 20. That is, the center 403 slides upward (+z direction), and the tilt angle of the seesaw mechanism 404 increases. As a result, the resin stored in the storage part 407 is discharged from the storage part 407 by its own weight and discarded into the dust box. In this way, the shooter 400 operates. The feature of this shooter 400 is that the tilt angle of the seesaw mechanism 404 is configured to be adjustable in multiple stages, and this feature point provides the advantage that it becomes easier to discharge the resin from the shooter 400 into the dust box.

[0093] <Application Example> Hereinafter, an application example using the resin transfer device 200 in the present embodiment will be described.

[0094] For example, when purging is performed, resin that has dripped from the tip of the nozzle 26 may remain. In this state, since it is difficult to manufacture a new molded product, it is necessary to remove the resin that has dripped from the tip of the nozzle 26.

[0095] Therefore, in this application example, a resin transfer device 200 having a function of removing the resin that has dripped from the tip of the nozzle 26 will be described. For example, the resin transfer device 200 includes a resin cutting part that cuts the resin purged from the nozzle 26, and the resin cutting part includes a resin removal plate provided with an opening capable of contacting the tip of the nozzle 26 and a drive part for moving the resin removal plate.

[0096] <<Configuration of Resin Removal Plate>> Figure 21 is a plan view showing the configuration of the resin removal plate 600 in this application example.

[0097] In FIG. 21, the resin removal plate 600 has a rectangular shape, and an opening 610 is provided inside. The resin removal plate 600 configured in this way has a function of cutting the resin dripping from the tip of the nozzle by purge. And the tip of the nozzle is configured to be able to contact the opening 610 provided in the resin removal plate 600.

[0098] <<Configuration of resin cutting part>> Next, a resin cutting part 700 that cuts the resin purged from the nozzle provided in the injection molding machine using the above-described resin removal plate 600 will be described.

[0099] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the resin cutting part 700.

[0100] In FIG. 22, the resin cutting part 700 has a resin removal plate 600 provided with an opening 610 capable of contacting the tip of the nozzle, and a drive part 710 for moving the resin removal plate 600. For example, as shown in FIG. 22, the drive part 710 is composed of a motor, and the resin removal plate 600 is connected to this motor. As a result, the resin removal plate 600 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction (z direction) by the drive part 710 composed of a motor.

[0101] <<Operation of resin cutting part>> Subsequently, the operation of the above-described resin cutting part 700 will be described.

[0102] FIG. 23 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the resin cutting part 700.

[0103] In FIG. 23, first, after interrupting the molding cycle by the injection molding machine, the nozzle in contact with the stationary platen is retracted (S101). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 24, the nozzle 26 is moved in the direction of the arrow. At this time, above the nozzle 26, a resin removal plate 600 is disposed, and an opening 610 is provided in the resin removal plate 600.

[0104] Next, in FIG. 23, the resin removal plate is lowered (S102). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 25, the resin removal plate 600 provided with the opening 610 is moved in the direction of the arrow.

[0105] Subsequently, in FIG. 23, the tip of the nozzle is brought into contact with the opening provided in the resin removal plate (S103). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 26, by moving the nozzle 26 in the direction of the arrow, as shown in FIG. 27, the tip of the nozzle 26 is brought into contact with the opening 610 provided in the resin removal plate 600.

[0106] Thereafter, in FIG. 23, a purge is performed (S104). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 28, when the purge is performed, the resin 250 discharged by the purge droops from the tip of the nozzle 26. At this time, in this application example, since the tip of the nozzle 26 is in contact with the opening 610 provided in the resin removal plate 600, the resin 250 drooping from the tip of the nozzle 26 is discharged to the outside through the inside of the opening 610.

[0107] Next, in FIG. 23, the resin removal plate is raised (S105). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 29, the resin 250 drooping from the tip of the nozzle 26 is cut by the movement in the upward direction of the opening 610. In other words, by moving the resin removal plate 200 in a direction parallel to the stationary platen, the resin 60 drooping from the tip of the nozzle 26 can be cut. Thus, according to this application example, the resin 250 drooping from the tip of the nozzle 26 by the purge can be firmly removed from the tip of the nozzle 26.

[0108] In addition, FIG. 29 shows a configuration example in which the resin 250 dripping from the tip of the nozzle 26 is cut by moving the opening 610 upward. However, this application example is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 30, the resin 250 dripping from the tip of the nozzle 26 may be cut by moving the opening 610 in the horizontal direction (arrow direction).

[0109] As described above, the resin dripping from the tip of the nozzle 26 can be removed. After that, the cut resin 250 falls inside the frame 203 provided in the resin transfer device 200 in the present embodiment. Then, as described in the embodiment, for example, the operations of the resin transfer device 200 shown in FIGS. 15 to 17 are performed.

[0110] Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiments thereof, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0111] 1 Mold clamping device 2 Injection device 10 Movable platen 11 Fixed platen 12 Movable mold 13 Fixed mold 21 Hopper 22 Cylinder 23 Screw 24 Heater 25 Molten resin 26 Nozzle 30 Sealed space 30a Resin 31 Purge shutter 32 Resin receiving part 40 Resin raw material 50 Molded product 100 Injection molding machine 110 Control unit 200 Resin transfer device 201 Purge shutter 202 Transfer part 203 Frame 203a Through-hole 204 Protrusion 205 Cooling mechanism 206 Outlet 207 Shooter 208 Frame drive unit 220 Detection sensor 230 Sensor 250 Resin 400 Shooter 401 Base part 402 Support pillar 403 Center 404 Shearing mechanism 405 Counterbalance 406 Telescopic part 407 Storage part 500 Injection molding system 600 Resin removal plate 610 Opening 700 Resin cutting part 710 Drive unit

Claims

1. A resin conveying device for conveying resin purged from a nozzle provided in an injection molding machine, comprising: a conveying portion extending in the horizontal direction; a frame disposed on the conveying portion and capable of containing the dropped resin; a frame driving portion for moving the frame in the horizontal direction; and having the frame is configured to be movable by the frame driving portion from a first position of the conveying portion where the frame is disposed to contain the dropped resin to a second position of the conveying portion while containing the resin; the conveying portion is provided with a discharge port for dropping the resin below the conveying portion when the frame containing the resin is disposed at the second position; the resin conveying device has a shooter disposed at a position facing the discharge port; the resin conveying device has a sensor for detecting that the resin has been discharged from the discharge port.

2. A resin conveying device for conveying resin purged from a nozzle provided in an injection molding machine, comprising: a conveying portion extending in the horizontal direction; a frame disposed on the conveying portion and capable of containing the dropped resin; a frame driving portion for moving the frame in the horizontal direction; and having the frame has a through portion for containing the resin dropped on the conveying portion; and a protruding portion protruding from the inner wall of the through portion; and having the protruding portion has a function of peeling off the resin dropped on the conveying portion from the surface of the conveying portion at the start of movement of the frame.

3. A shooter disposed opposite to a discharge port provided in a conveying portion for conveying resin purged from a nozzle provided in an injection molding machine, comprising: the shooter has a base portion; a support column attached to the base portion; a sheave mechanism attached to the support column; a counterbalance provided at one end of the sheave mechanism; a telescopic portion connecting the other end of the sheave mechanism and the conveying portion; and a storage portion provided on the sheave mechanism so as to be disposed opposite to the discharge port and capable of storing the resin discharged from the discharge port.

4. The shooter according to claim 3, wherein the sheave mechanism is configured to be capable of multi-stage adjustment of the inclination angle.

Images