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

Abstract

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

Description

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

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

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

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

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

[0005] JP 2010-253849 A

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

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

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

[0009] FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a resin molding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view schematically showing a molding die, a first movable body, a second movable body, and their peripheral structure according to the embodiment, as viewed from the X direction. FIG. 3 is a view schematically showing a cable bear connected to each movable body according to the embodiment, and their peripheral structure, as viewed from the X direction. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a detailed configuration of the spray mechanism according to the embodiment (a state in which mist release agent is being sprayed onto the lower mold). FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a detailed configuration of the spray mechanism according to the embodiment (a state in which mist release agent is being sprayed onto the upper mold). FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a detailed configuration of the spray mechanism according to the embodiment (a state in which release agent is being replenished). FIG. 7 is a view showing (a) a nozzle unit and a nozzle unit moving part in the spray mechanism according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a view showing a release agent detection part and a determination part according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a view showing a spraying operation on a molding die according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing (a) irradiation of ultraviolet light and (b) spraying of a release agent in a method for manufacturing a resin molded product according to the embodiment. 1C is a schematic diagram showing the loading of a molding object / resin material, and (d) resin molding (mold clamping) in the manufacturing method of a resin molded product of the embodiment, and (e) the unloading of a resin molded product, and (f) cleaning with a brush in the manufacturing method of a resin molded product of the embodiment.

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

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

[0012] This spraying mechanism sprays the release agent onto both or one of the upper and lower dies, improving the releasability of the resin molded product and suppressing contamination of the mold due to resin molding. As a result, the quality of the resin molded product can be improved. Furthermore, by spraying gas onto the atomized release agent sprayed from the release agent spraying unit, the spray direction of the atomized release agent is changed, making it possible to easily and reliably spray the release agent onto both or one of the upper and lower dies. Here, spraying gas onto the atomized release agent makes it easier for the atomized release agent to penetrate into depressions caused by surface roughness on the surface of the upper or lower die, thereby improving the releasability of the surface of the upper or lower die. Specifically, the release agent entering the depressions caused by the surface roughness reduces the anchoring effect of the depressions, reducing adhesion and improving the releasability. Furthermore, there is no need to provide a release agent spraying unit for spraying onto the upper die and a release agent spraying unit for spraying onto the lower die. A common release agent spraying unit can be used, preventing the spraying mechanism from becoming too large.

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

[0014] In addition to the configuration of the above-described technology 2, the spraying mechanism of technology 3 according to the present invention has the following characteristics: the spray direction changing mechanism independently moves the first gas nozzle and the second gas nozzle relative to the release agent spraying section; the nozzle that injects gas is moved forward of the spraying side of the release agent spraying section, and the nozzle that does not inject gas is moved to a retracted position away from the front of the spraying side of the release agent spraying section. With this configuration, when one gas nozzle is injecting gas, the other gas nozzle does not interfere with the spraying direction of the other gas nozzle. This ensures that the atomized release agent can be reliably sprayed onto the surface of the mold. For example, when injecting gas using the first gas nozzle, the first gas nozzle is located forward of the spraying side of the release agent spraying section, and the second gas nozzle is located at a retracted position away from the front of the spraying side of the release agent spraying section. Furthermore, when injecting gas using the second gas nozzle, the second gas nozzle is located forward of the spraying side of the release agent spraying section, and the first gas nozzle is located at a retracted position away from the front of the spraying side of the release agent spraying section.

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

[0016] The spraying mechanism of Technology 5 according to the present invention has the same configuration as any one of Technology 1 to Technology 4, but in addition to the configuration described above, the release agent spraying unit has a spray nozzle that sprays the release agent and a release agent supply unit that supplies the release agent to the spray nozzle. The release agent supply unit preferably has a supply pipe connected to the spray nozzle and a syringe connected to the supply pipe and containing the release agent. With this configuration, the release agent supply unit uses a syringe, which enables a continuous supply of the release agent without pulsation, and a stable spray of the atomized release agent. Here, if the release agent spraying unit has a single configuration (a configuration having a single spray nozzle), the number of supply pipes and syringes can be reduced, thereby reducing the cost of a release agent spraying unit that uses an expensive nozzle with an ultrasonic vibrator. Furthermore, only one system is required for adjusting the release agent spraying unit, which makes the adjustment process easier. On the other hand, when the release agent spraying section is configured with a plurality of parts (a configuration having a plurality of spray nozzles), the processing time for spraying the release agent can be shortened, and a drive shaft for moving the spray nozzle during the processing for spraying the release agent can be eliminated.

[0017] In addition to the configuration of the above-described technology 5, the spraying mechanism of technology 6 according to the present invention is configured such that the release agent supply unit has a supply pipe connected to the supply pipe via a switching valve and a storage container to which the supply pipe is connected and which stores the release agent, and the release agent is supplied from the storage container to the syringe unit through the supply pipe by the syringe unit performing a suction operation. With this configuration, the release agent can be supplied to the syringe unit, making it possible to continuously supply the release agent and stably spray the atomized release agent.

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

[0019] The spraying mechanism of Technology 8 according to the present invention has the same configuration as any one of Technologies 1 to 7, and further includes a release agent recovery section that is provided in front of the release agent spray section on the spraying side and recovers the atomized release agent sprayed from the release agent spray section. The release agent recovery section preferably has a recess for accommodating the liquefied release agent, and a suction port is formed at the bottom of the recess. With this configuration, the spray direction is not changed by the spray direction changing mechanism, and the atomized release agent sprayed in front of the spraying mechanism can be prevented from scattering and contaminating the surroundings. In particular, the atomized release agent sprayed in front of the spraying mechanism can be prevented from scattering and contaminating the surroundings from the time the spraying starts until the atomized release agent stabilizes. Furthermore, the liquefied release agent stored in the recess can be recovered from the suction port. Even if there is no liquefied release agent in the recess, the atomized release agent can be recovered from the suction port. The release agent receiving section may also function as a lid that covers the nozzle of the spray nozzle. In this case, the release agent receiving part is configured to be movable between a state in which it covers the nozzle part of the spray nozzle and a state in which it moves forward from the nozzle part of the spray nozzle on the spray side and is separated from the nozzle part of the spray nozzle. With this configuration, when the release agent is not being sprayed from the spray nozzle, the release agent receiving part covers the tip of the spray nozzle, thereby preventing the evaporation, drying, and deterioration of the components of the release agent. Note that when the release agent is being sprayed from the spray nozzle, the release agent receiving part moves forward from the tip of the nozzle on the spray side and is separated from the tip of the spray nozzle. Specifically, a sealing member, such as a rubber packing, is provided at the part of the release agent receiving part that serves as a lid and comes into contact with the spray nozzle. The sealing member is pressed against the spray nozzle to maintain airtightness, thereby preventing evaporation, drying, and deterioration.

[0020] A resin molding apparatus according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is a resin molding apparatus for molding a resin into a molding object using a molding die having an upper die and a lower die, and is characterized by including a spray mechanism having the configuration of any one of the above-described first to eighth aspects, which sprays a mold release agent onto both or one of the upper die and the lower die when the die is opened. With this resin molding apparatus, the mold release agent is sprayed onto the upper die and the lower die before the molding object is loaded, thereby improving the mold releasability of the resin molded product and suppressing contamination of the mold due to resin molding. As a result, the quality of the resin molded product can be improved.

[0021] In addition to the configuration of Technology 9, the resin molding apparatus of Technology 10 according to the present invention preferably further includes an irradiation unit that irradiates ultraviolet light onto both or one of the upper and lower molds when the molds are opened, and after the irradiation unit irradiates both or one of the upper and lower molds with ultraviolet light, the spraying mechanism sprays a release agent onto both or one of the upper and lower molds. When both or one of the upper and lower molds are irradiated with ultraviolet light to remove dirt adhering to the upper or lower mold, the releasability of the upper or lower mold is significantly reduced by the ultraviolet light irradiation. Therefore, the releasability of the upper or lower mold can be restored by spraying a release agent after ultraviolet light irradiation.

[0022] Furthermore, a manufacturing method of a resin molded product according to Technology 11 of the present invention is a manufacturing method of a resin molded product using the resin molding apparatus according to Technology 9 or 10, characterized in that a release agent is sprayed onto the open upper and lower dies before a pre-molding object is loaded, and the pre-molding object is loaded into the upper and lower dies sprayed with the release agent to perform resin molding. With this manufacturing method of a resin molded product, since the release agent is sprayed onto the upper and lower dies before the pre-molding object is loaded, the releasability of the resin molded product is improved and contamination of the molding dies due to resin molding is suppressed. As a result, the quality of the resin molded product can be improved.

[0023] <One embodiment of the present invention> Hereinafter, one embodiment of a resin molding apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in all of the drawings shown below, parts are appropriately omitted or exaggerated for clarity. Identical components are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0034] <Automatic Cleaning Function of Resin Molding Apparatus 100> The resin molding apparatus 100 of this embodiment has a function of automatically cleaning the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. The components that perform the automatic cleaning function described below may be modularized, and the cleaning modules may be configured to be detachable from each of the modules 100A to 100C. Note that when the cleaning modules are configured to be detachable, the control units of the cleaning modules may be provided inside or outside the cleaning modules.

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

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

[0037] Here, the release agent may be, for example, a fluorine coating liquid or an oil-based release agent that is liquid at room temperature. The fluorine coating liquid has, for example, a three-part structure: a fluorine-based polymer part that has releasability, a functional group part that adheres to the mold surface, and a junction part that connects them, and is obtained by dissolving a reactive fluorine-based compound in a fluorine-based volatile solvent. The oil-based release agent may be, for example, a silicone flow- and halogen-free agent that does not contain water and has a viscosity of 100 mPa·s (cP) or less.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0111] According to the present invention, the mold release agent can be sprayed onto both or one of the upper and lower dies simply and reliably while improving the releasability of a molding die having an upper and lower dies.

[0112] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100: Resin molding apparatus W: Molding object before molding P: Molding object after molding (resin molded product) 171: Upper mold 172: Lower mold 20: Spraying mechanism 20S: Release agent spraying section 20a: Spray nozzle 20b: Release agent supply section 20b1: Supply pipe 20b2: Syringe section 20b3: Switching valve 20b4: Supply pipe 20b5: Storage container 20T: Spray direction changing mechanism 20c: First gas nozzle 20d: Second gas nozzle 20i: Release agent detection section CTL: Control section (determination section) 21: Irradiation section

Claims

1. A spraying mechanism for spraying a release agent onto both or one of the upper and lower dies after the dies are opened, comprising: a release agent spraying unit that sprays the liquid release agent in the form of a mist; and a spray direction changing mechanism that blows gas onto the mist of release agent sprayed from the release agent spraying unit to change the spray direction of the mist of release agent.

2. The spraying mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the spraying direction changing mechanism has a first gas nozzle that sprays gas downward toward the atomized release agent, and a second gas nozzle that sprays gas upward toward the atomized release agent, and changes the spraying direction of the atomized release agent by switching between spraying and stopping spraying from the first gas nozzle and the second gas nozzle.

3. The spraying mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the spraying direction changing mechanism moves the first gas nozzle and the second gas nozzle individually relative to the release agent spraying section, moves the gas-injecting nozzles of each gas nozzle to the front of the spraying side of the release agent spraying section, and moves the non-gas-injecting nozzles of each gas nozzle to a retracted position away from the front of the spraying side of the release agent spraying section.

4. The spraying mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the release agent spraying section is a single section that sprays the release agent by ultrasonic atomization.

5. The spray mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the release agent spraying section has a spray nozzle that sprays the release agent, and a release agent supply section that supplies the release agent to the spray nozzle, and the release agent supply section has a supply pipe connected to the spray nozzle, and a syringe section that is connected to the supply pipe and contains the release agent.

6. The spray mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the release agent supply unit has a supply pipe connected to the supply pipe via a switching valve, and a storage container to which the supply pipe is connected and which stores the release agent, and wherein the release agent is supplied from the storage container to the syringe unit via the supply pipe when the syringe unit performs a suction operation.

7. The spraying mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: a release agent detection unit that detects the mist of release agent sprayed from the release agent spray unit; and a determination unit that determines the spray state of the mist of release agent based on a detection signal from the release agent detection unit.

8. A spraying mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a release agent recovery section provided in front of the release agent spray section on the spraying side thereof for recovering the atomized release agent sprayed from the release agent spray section, wherein the release agent recovery section has a recess for accommodating the liquefied release agent, and a suction port is formed in the bottom surface of the recess.

9. A resin molding device for molding a resin into a molding object using a molding die having an upper die and a lower die, the resin molding device comprising the spray mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8, which sprays a mold release agent onto both or one of the upper die and the lower die when the die is opened.

10. A resin molding device as described in claim 9, further comprising an irradiation unit that irradiates ultraviolet light onto both or one of the upper and lower molds that have been opened, and after the irradiation unit has irradiated both or one of the upper and lower molds with ultraviolet light, the spray mechanism sprays a mold release agent onto both or one of the upper and lower molds.

11. A method for manufacturing a resin molded product using the resin molding apparatus described in claim 9 or 10, comprising spraying a mold release agent onto the upper mold and the lower mold that have been opened before a molding object before molding is carried in, and carrying the molding object before molding into the upper mold and the lower mold that have been sprayed with the mold release agent, and molding the resin.

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