Preheating device

Abstract

To perform mating of joints to each other smoothly and securely and temperature-rising of a mold efficiently.SOLUTION: In a state that a mating surface 1402 of a first mold split body 14 and a mating surface 1602 of a second mold split body 16 are mated in a horizontal direction on a top face 1002 of a base 10, a leg 1410 of a second mold split body 14 is pushed to a second mold split body 16 by a hydraulic cylinder 30, and a state where the mating surface 1402 of the first mold split body 14 and the mating surface 1602 of the second mold split body 16 are mated to each other is sustained.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a preheating device for heating a mold.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a preheating device for preheating a mold used in injection molding or die casting to a temperature close to that required for molding in advance (see Patent Document 1). As such a preheating device, there is one that heats a mold by circulating a fluid such as heated water, steam, or oil through a preheating circulation path inside the mold placed on the upper surface of a base. As such a mold, there is provided one that consists of a first mold split body and a second mold split body that are joined together at a mating surface, each having a preheating circulation path, and further having a first mold side joint and a second mold side joint connected to the preheating circulation path provided on the bottom surfaces of the first mold split body and the second mold split body, respectively. In this case, on the upper surface of the base, there are provided a base side first joint and a base side second joint that are respectively detachably coupled to the first mold side joint and the second mold side joint. Therefore, in order to couple the base side first joint and the base side second joint to the first mold side joint and the second mold side joint, respectively, legs for separating the bottom surfaces of the first mold split body and the second mold split body from the upper surface of the base are provided at the ends of the bottom surfaces of the first mold split body and the second mold split body in a direction away from each other. And the first mold split body and the second mold split body are in a state of being supported cantilevered by the legs in a state where they are joined together at their mating surfaces.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Therefore, as described above, if the first mold segment and the second mold segment are cantilevered by their legs, and the length of the first mold segment is greater than that of the second mold segment, the first mold segment may tilt using its legs as a pivot point, potentially creating a gap between the mating surface of the first mold segment and the mating surface of the second mold segment that gradually increases as it goes downwards. When such a gap is formed, the positions of the first mold-side joint and the base-side first joint become misaligned, making it impossible to connect the joints, thus requiring some kind of improvement. This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a heating device that can smoothly and reliably connect joints, is advantageous in efficiently raising the temperature of the mold, and is advantageous in ensuring the quality of molded products while reducing costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To achieve the above objective, the present invention Preheating device related to One embodiment is a base It consists of a first mold segment and a second mold segment, and the base On the upper surface The aforementioned The mating surface of the first mold part and The aforementioned The mating surfaces of the second mold segment align. Become mold and, The first mold segment Established in Preheating circulation Road and, On the bottom surface of the first mold split Established , First mold-side joint connected to the preheating circulation path And, provided on the upper surface, The first mold-side joint is detachably coupled to it. The base Base side first joint A preheating device comprising the above, which raises the temperature of the mold by circulating a heated fluid through the base-side first joint and the first mold-side joint in the preheating circulation path, The mold is, The aforementioned The mating surface of the first mold part and The aforementioned The mating surfaces of the second mold segment are aligned. length Length in the direction, Applicable length direction and vertical direction orthogonal to Width direction The first mold division has a width and The aforementioned longitudinal direction The length is The aforementioned Second mold segment Length in the longitudinal directionformed with dimensions larger than those of the first mold split body and The aforementioned at a position of an end portion on the bottom surface of the second mold split body, which is opposite to the mating surface in the longitudinal direction Each there is a leg portion that separates the bottom surface upward from the upper surface and, on the upper surface Established, the second mold abuts against the leg portion of the split body hand a positioning portion that performs positioning in the longitudinal direction And, previously the leg portion of the first mold split body The aforementioned is pressed toward the second mold split body, and a hydraulic cylinder that holds the mating surface of the first mold split body and The portion located in the area where the top surface and the bottom surface are separated. the mating surface of the second mold split body in a mated state The aforementioned is provided and characterized by this. El

Advantages of the Invention

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, on the upper surface of the base, it is possible to maintain a posture in which the mating surface of the first mold split body and the mating surface of the second mold split body are properly mated, enabling smooth and reliable connection between the joints, which is advantageous for efficiently heating the mold, and is also advantageous for ensuring the quality of the molded product while reducing costs.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] [Figure 1] It is a front view of the preheating device of the embodiment, showing a state where the leg portion of the second mold split body is pressed by a hydraulic cylinder. [Figure 2] It is a plan view of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a plan view showing the arrangement of the pressing block and the hydraulic cylinder of the preheating device of the embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a front view showing the arrangement of the pressing block, the hydraulic cylinder, and the pneumatic cylinder of the preheating device of the embodiment. [Figure 5] [[ID=S1]]It is a view taken in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4. [Figure 6]It is a front view of the preheating device of the embodiment, showing a state where the leg portion of the second mold split body is placed on the upper surface of the moving block side.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the base 10 extends linearly. Hereinafter, the extending direction of the base 10 is referred to as the length direction of the base 10, and the direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the base 10 is referred to as the width direction of the base 10. On both sides in the width direction of the upper surface 1002 of the base 10, a plurality of rollers (not shown) for moving the mold 12A in the extending direction of the base 10 are incorporated. In FIG. 2, the portion of the base 10 below the mold 12A is the location where the mold 12A is conveyed to the base 10, the portion of the base 10 where the mold 12A is located is the preheating location for preheating the mold 12A, the portion of the base 10 above the mold 12A is the location where an injection molding device (not shown) is arranged, and the movement of the mold 12A along the length direction of the base 10 is performed by a mold conveying device (not shown).

[0009] As shown in FIG. 1, the mold 12A is for molding a molded product made of a resin material, and the mold 12A includes a first mold split body 14 and a second mold split body 16. The mold 12A is configured by combining the mating surface 1402 of the first mold split body 14 and the mating surface 1602 of the second mold split body 16 in the horizontal direction in the width direction of the base 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the mold 12A, the first mold split body 14, and the second mold split body 16 have a length in the direction in which the mating surface 1402 of the first mold split body 14 and the mating surface 1602 of the second mold split body 16 are combined, and a width orthogonal to this length. The length of the first mold split body 14 is formed with a dimension larger than that of the second mold split body 16. At the ends of the bottom surfaces of the first mold segment 14 and the second mold segment 16, which are located opposite the mating surfaces 1402 and 1602 in the longitudinal direction, legs 1410 and 1610 are provided to separate the bottom surface upward from the upper surface 1002 of the base 10. The legs 1410 and 1610 of the first mold segment 14 and the second mold segment 16 are each placed on the aforementioned plurality of rollers arranged at intervals along the length of the base 10, and the first mold segment 14 and the second mold segment 16 are positioned on the upper surface 1002 of the base 10 in a cantilevered state.

[0010] The first mold segment 14 and the second mold segment 16 each have a preheating circulation path (not shown) through which heated fluid is circulated. The bottom surfaces of the first mold segment 14 and the second mold segment 16 are provided with a first mold-side joint 18 and a second mold-side joint 20, respectively, which are connected to the preheating circulation paths. The first mold-side joint 18 and the second mold-side joint 20 are detachably connected to the base-side first joint 22 and the base-side second joint 24. The base-side first joint 22 and the base-side second joint 24 are connected to a fluid supply device (not shown) via a fluid circulation path 25, and are configured to receive heated fluid supplied from the fluid supply device. Furthermore, the connection of the first mold-side joint 18 and the second mold-side joint 20 with the base-side first joint 22 and the base-side second joint 24 is performed automatically using a conventionally known auto-jointing device in which the joints 22 and 24 on the base 10 side extend and retract.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the preheating area of ​​the base 10 for preheating the mold 12A is equipped with a positioning unit 26, a moving block 28, a hydraulic cylinder 30, and an air cylinder 32 (Figure 4). Note that the air cylinder 32 is not shown in Figures 1-3. The positioning unit 26 is provided on one side in the width direction of the upper surface 1002 on which the second mold segment 16 is positioned. The positioning unit 26 positions the second mold segment 16 in the width direction of the base 10 by contacting both sides of the leg portion 1610 of the second mold segment 16. Below the positioning unit 26, a plurality of rollers (not shown) are arranged.

[0012] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the movable block 28, hydraulic cylinder 30, and air cylinder 32 are provided in pairs on the other side of the width direction of the upper surface 1002 on which the first mold segment 14 is placed, spaced apart in the length direction of the base 10. As shown in Figures 2-5, the movable block 28 is mounted on the base 10 via a base portion 34 and a pair of guide rails 36. Specifically, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, a base portion 34 is provided on the upper surface 1002, and a pair of guide rails 36 extending along the length direction of the mold 12A are provided on the base portion 34, and the movable block 28 is provided so as to be movable along the length direction of the mold 12A by these guide rails 36. The base portion 34 is positioned between the rollers (not shown) mentioned above. The movable block 28 is supported so as to be able to reciprocate between a retracted position away from the legs 1410 of the first mold segment 14 and a contact position where it can contact the legs 1410 of the first mold segment 14.

[0013] The movable block 28 has a block-side upper surface 2802 that extends in the longitudinal direction of the mold 12A, and contact protrusions 2804 and hydraulic cylinder protrusions 2806 that rise from both ends of the block-side upper surface 2802 in the direction of extension. The upper surface 2802 on the block side is provided at the same height as the upper surface 1002 of the base 10. The contact projection 2804 is provided so as to be able to contact the leg portion 1410 of the first mold segment 14. As shown in Figure 3, the contact projection 2804 of the movable block 28 contacts the leg portion 1410 of the first mold segment 14, and the portion 2804A of the first mold segment 14 exhibits a convex curved surface 2804A on the leg portion 1410 side.

[0014] The hydraulic cylinder 30 presses the legs 1410 of the first mold segment 14 toward the second mold segment 16, holding the mating surface 1402 of the first mold segment 14 and the mating surface 1602 of the second mold segment 16 in a aligned state. In this embodiment, the hydraulic cylinder 30 is a single-acting hydraulic cylinder 30 that moves the movable block 28 from the retracted position to the contact position. The hydraulic cylinder 30 is attached to the base portion 34. The hydraulic cylinder 30 is supplied with hydraulic pressure from a hydraulic source (not shown), causing the piston rod 3002 to protrude from the cylinder tube and press the leg portion 1410 of the first mold segment 14 toward the second mold segment 16. The tip of the piston rod 3002 is in contact with the hydraulic cylinder projection 2806. In other words, the tip of the piston rod 3002 is in contact with the upper surface 2802 on the block side, opposite to the contact projection 2804. The hydraulic cylinder 30 presses the legs 1410 of the first mold segment 14 toward the second mold segment 16 by moving the movable block 28 from the retracted position to the contact position.

[0015] As shown in Figure 4, the air cylinder 32 comprises a cylinder tube 3202 and a piston rod 3204 that extends and retracts from the cylinder tube 3202, and is mounted on the base portion 34 above the hydraulic cylinder 30. The piston rod 3204 of the air cylinder 32 is connected to the hydraulic cylinder projection 2806 via a connecting member 38. The air cylinder 32 is supplied with compressed air from a compressor (not shown) which is switched and supplied to multiple ports of the air cylinder 32, causing the piston rod 3204 to protrude from or retract from the cylinder tube 3202. In this embodiment, the air cylinder 32 moves the movable block 28 from the contact position to the retracted position by retracting the piston rod 3204. Furthermore, when the hydraulic cylinder 30 is extended, the air cylinder 32 is free, and when the air cylinder 32 is retracted, the hydraulic cylinder 30 is free.

[0016] Next, we will explain how to preheat the mold 12A at the preheating position. It is assumed that the movable block 28 has already been moved to the retracted position by the air cylinder 32. With the mating surface 1402 of the first mold segment 14 of the first mold 12A and the mating surface 1602 of the second mold segment 16 overlapping, the mold 12A is transported to the preheating area by a mold transport device (not shown). In this state, the first mold segment 14 and the second mold segment 16 are cantilevered by their legs 1410 and 1610, respectively. Because the length of the first mold segment 14 is greater than that of the second mold segment 16, the first mold segment 14 tilts with its legs 1410 as the pivot point, forming a gap between the mating surface 1402 of the first mold segment 14 and the mating surface 1602 of the second mold segment 16, which gradually increases as it goes downwards.

[0017] Once the mold 12A is transported to the preheating area, the hydraulic cylinder 30 moves the moving block 28 from the retracted position to the contact position, and the hydraulic cylinder 30 presses the legs 1410 of the first mold segment 14 toward the second mold segment 16. As a result, the mating surface 1402 of the first mold segment 14 of the first mold 12A and the mating surface 1602 of the second mold segment 16 are superimposed without any gaps, the bottom surface of the first mold segment 14 and the bottom surface of the second mold segment 16 are located on the same plane parallel to the top surface 1002, and the base-side first joint 22 and the base-side second joint 24 are smoothly connected to the first mold-side joint 18 and the second mold-side joint 20. The heated fluid then circulates through the fluid circulation path 25 and its joints to the preheating circulation path, causing the mold 12A to heat up. Therefore, the preheating section of the base 10 has a base-side first joint 22, a base-side second joint 24, and a fluid circulation path 25, and constitutes part of the preheating device for preheating the mold 12A. Once the mold 12A has been heated to a predetermined temperature, the base-side first joint 22 and base-side second joint 24 are detached from the first mold-side joint 18 and the second mold-side joint 20, the air cylinder 32 is retracted, and the moving block 28 is separated from the leg portion 1410 of the first mold segment 14. Next, a mold transport device (not shown) transports the mold 12A to the location where the injection molding machine is installed, and a resin molded product is formed.

[0018] Furthermore, multiple types of molds of different lengths are transported on the base 10. As shown in Figures 4 and 6, when transporting a mold 12B having a first mold segment 14 that is longer than the first mold segment 14 described above, the legs 1410 of the first mold segment 14 can be placed on the block-side upper surface 2802 of the moving block 28 to preheat it. Therefore, the shape of the moving block 28 can be used for molds 12A and 12B of multiple sizes, making it highly versatile. Unlike the first mold 12A, the second mold 12B is not equipped with a preheating circulation path, a first mold side joint 18, or a second mold side joint 20, and therefore does not undergo heating by fluid. The heating of the second mold 12B is achieved using heaters (not shown) built into the first mold segment 14 and the second mold segment 16.

[0019] According to this embodiment, with the mating surface 1402 of the first mold segment 14 and the mating surface 1602 of the second mold segment 16 aligned horizontally on the upper surface 1002 of the base 10, the legs 1410 of the first mold segment 14 are pressed toward the second mold segment 16 by the hydraulic cylinder 30, thereby holding the mating surface 1402 of the first mold segment 14 and the mating surface 1602 of the second mold segment 16 aligned. Therefore, on the upper surface 1002 of the base 10, the mating surface 1402 of the first mold segment 14 and the mating surface 1602 of the second mold segment 16 can be properly aligned, enabling smooth and reliable joining of the joints, which is advantageous for efficiently raising the temperature of the mold 12A, and is advantageous for ensuring the quality of the molded product while reducing costs.

[0020] In this embodiment, a movable block 28 is provided on the upper surface 1002 of the base 10, which can reciprocate between a retracted position away from the legs 1410 of the first mold segment 14 and a contact position where it can contact the legs 1410 of the first mold segment 14. The movable block 28 is provided with a block-side upper surface 2802 at the same height as the upper surface 1002 and a contact projection 2804 that can contact the legs 1410 of the first mold segment 14. The movable block 28 is moved from the retracted position to the contact position by a hydraulic cylinder 30, thereby pressing the legs 1410 of the first mold segment 14 toward the second mold segment 16. Therefore, in the case of a long mold 12B, the mold 12B can be heated by placing the legs 1410 of the first mold segment 14 on the block-side upper surface 2802 of the movable block 28, which allows it to be used for molds 12B of multiple sizes and is advantageous in increasing the versatility of the preheating device.

[0021] Furthermore, a double-acting hydraulic cylinder 30 may be used as the hydraulic cylinder 30, which moves the movable block 28 from the retracted position to the contact position and then from the contact position back to the retracted position. However, in this embodiment, a single-acting hydraulic cylinder 30 is used as the hydraulic cylinder 30 to move the movable block 28 from the retracted position to the contact position, and an air cylinder 32 is used to move the movable block 28 from the contact position to the retracted position. This is because, when moving the movable block 28 to the contact position, a large output corresponding to the weight of the mold 12A is required, thus necessitating the use of a hydraulic cylinder 30. On the other hand, when moving the movable block 28 to the retracted position, only the movable block 28 needs to be moved without moving the mold 12A, so a low-output air cylinder 32 is sufficient. Using a single-acting hydraulic cylinder 30 in this way allows for a more compact design compared to a double-acting hydraulic cylinder 30, which is advantageous for saving space in the preheating device.

[0022] Furthermore, instead of forming a convex curved surface 2804A on the leg portion 1410 side of the first mold segment 14 at the point where the movable block 28 abuts the leg portion 1410 of the first mold segment 14, it may be formed as a flat surface. However, if formed on a flat surface, when the orientation of the legs 1410 of the first mold segment 14 changes for some reason, the load is concentrated on the movable block 28 from the legs 1410 of the first mold segment 14, which may cause deterioration or damage to the movable block 28 or the guide rail 36 that guides the movable block 28. As in this embodiment, if the portion of the movable block 28 that contacts the leg portion 1410 of the first mold segment 14 is formed with a convex curved surface 2804A on the leg portion 1410 side of the first mold segment 14, the load applied from the leg portion 1410 of the first mold segment 14 to the movable block 28 can be distributed, which is advantageous in protecting the movable block 28 or the guide rail 36 that guides the movable block 28 and increasing their durability.

[0023] In this embodiment, we have described the case in which molds 12A and 12B are used to mold articles made of resin material, but the present invention is applicable to various conventionally known molds, such as die-casting molds. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0024] 10 bases 1002 Top surface 12A, 12B molds 14. First mold segment 1402 mating surface 1410 Legs 16. Second mold split 1602 mating surface 1610 Legs 18. First mold side joint 20. Second mold side joint 22. Base side first joint 24. Base side second joint 25 Fluid circulation path 26 Positioning section 28 Moving Blocks 2802 Block side top surface 2804 Contact protrusion 2804A Curved surface 2806 Projection for hydraulic cylinder 30 Hydraulic Cylinders 3002 Piston Rod 32 Air Cylinders 3202 Cylinder tube 3204 Piston Rod 34 Base section 36 Guide Rails 38 Connecting member

Claims

1. Base and, A mold comprising a first mold segment and a second mold segment, wherein the mating surface of the first mold segment and the mating surface of the second mold segment are joined on the upper surface of the base, A preheating circulation path provided in the first mold segment, A first mold-side joint is provided on the bottom surface of the first mold segment and connected to the preheating circulation path, A preheating device comprising a base-side first joint provided on the upper surface and detachably coupled to the first mold-side joint, which raises the temperature of the mold by circulating a heated fluid through the base-side first joint and the first mold-side joint in the preheating circulation path, The mold has a length in the longitudinal direction where the mating surface of the first mold segment and the mating surface of the second mold segment are joined, and a width in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction, wherein the length of the first mold segment is formed to be larger than the length of the second mold segment. The first mold segment and the second mold segment are each provided at the ends of the bottom surfaces that are located opposite the mating surface in the longitudinal direction, and the legs are provided to separate the bottom surface upward from the top surface, A positioning portion provided on the upper surface, which contacts the leg portion of the second mold segment to perform positioning in the longitudinal direction, The device includes a hydraulic cylinder that presses the portion of the leg of the first mold segment that is located where the top surface and bottom surface are separated toward the second mold segment, and holds the mating surface of the first mold segment and the mating surface of the second mold segment in a joined state. A preheating device characterized by the following features.

2. A movable block is provided on the upper surface of the first mold segment where the legs are arranged, so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction. The moving block has a block-side upper surface that is at the same height as the upper surface, and a contact projection that protrudes upward from the block-side upper surface on the first mold segment and can abut against the leg portion of the first mold segment. The hydraulic cylinder is provided at a location on the upper surface of the movable block that is opposite to the contact projection. The moving block is capable of reciprocating between a retracted position away from the legs of the first mold segment and a contact position where it can contact the legs of the first mold segment. The pressing of the legs of the first mold segment by the hydraulic cylinder toward the second mold segment is performed by moving the moving block from the retracted position to the contact position. The preheating device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is a preheating device.

3. An air cylinder is provided to move the movable block from the contact position to the retracted position. The preheating device according to claim 2, characterized in that it is a preheating device.

4. The portion of the movable block that contacts the leg portion of the first mold segment has a convex curved surface on the leg portion side of the first mold segment. The preheating device according to claim 2, characterized in that it is a preheating device.

5. The hydraulic cylinder is a single-acting hydraulic cylinder. The preheating device according to claim 3, characterized in that it is a preheating device.

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