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

Abstract

The present invention is a cleaning mechanism 22 that reduces bristle loss of a rotary brush and cleans one or both of an upper die 171 and a lower die 172 that are open. The cleaning mechanism comprises a moving body 24 that enters between open the upper die 171 and lower die 172, and rotary brushes 22c, 22d that are provided to the moving body 24 and come into contact one or both surfaces of the upper die 171 and the lower die 172 to remove deposits. The rotary brushes 22c, 22d each include a brush part 224 in which a plurality of bristle members are assembled in rows, and a rotary drive part 225 that rotates the brush part 224 about a rotary shaft L extending in the vertical direction.

Description

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

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

[0002] In a conventional resin sealing apparatus as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a rotating brush is used to clean the surface (parting surface) of a molding die having an upper die and a lower die.

[0003] This rotating brush has bristles arranged cylindrically around a rotation axis parallel to the surface of the mold. During rotation, the rotating brush repeatedly changes state: it contacts the surface of the mold, becomes bent, and then moves away from the surface of the mold, releasing the bent state and returning to its original state.

[0004] However, with the above-mentioned rotating brush, there is a risk of hair loss due to the recoil when the rotating brush returns from a bent state to its original state during rotation. Furthermore, if bristles fall out of the rotating brush, the recoil can cause the bristles to fly far away. The bristles that fly far away are difficult to recover. If the bristles remain on the surface of the mold, they can get mixed into the resin molded product, potentially reducing the quality of the resin molded product.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-34694

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its main object is to reduce hair loss from a rotary brush.

[0007] In other words, the cleaning mechanism of the present invention is a cleaning mechanism that cleans both or one of the upper and lower molds that have been opened, and is characterized in that it comprises a movable body that enters between the opened upper and lower molds, and a rotating brush that is provided on the movable body and comes into contact with the surface of both or one of the upper and lower molds to remove any deposits, and the rotating brush comprises a brush portion having a plurality of bristles gathered in a row, and a rotation drive portion that rotates the brush portion around a rotation axis that extends in the vertical direction.

[0008] According to the present invention configured in this way, hair loss from the rotary brush can be reduced.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a resin molding apparatus of an embodiment according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing a molding die, a first moving body, a second moving body, and their peripheral structure of the embodiment, as viewed from the X direction. FIG. 2 is a view schematically showing a cable bear connected to each moving body of the embodiment, and their peripheral structure, as viewed from the X direction. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the detailed configuration of a cleaning mechanism of the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically showing the detailed configuration of the cleaning mechanism of the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between a liquid absorbing member and a recess in a liquid absorbing unit of the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a side view schematically showing the configuration of a rotating brush of the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a rotation drive unit in the cleaning mechanism of the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a cleaning area of ​​the rotating brush in the cleaning mechanism of the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing (a) irradiation of ultraviolet light and (b) spraying of a mold release agent in a resin molding operation of the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing (c) loading of a molding object / resin material, and (d) resin molding (mold clamping) in a resin molding operation of the embodiment. 10(e) is a schematic diagram showing the removal of a resin molded product and cleaning by a liquid suction unit and a rotating brush in the resin molding operation of the embodiment; FIG.

[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 cleaning mechanism of Technology 1 according to the present invention is a cleaning mechanism for cleaning both or one of the upper and lower molds that have been opened, and is characterized by comprising a moving body that enters between the opened upper and lower molds, and a rotating brush that is provided on the moving body and comes into contact with the surface of both or one of the upper and lower molds to remove deposits, and the rotating brush is characterized by comprising a brush section in which a plurality of bristles are gathered in a row, and a rotation drive section that rotates the brush section around a rotation axis that extends in the vertical direction.

[0012] With this cleaning mechanism, the brush unit rotates around a vertical axis, and bristles that come into contact with the surface of the upper or lower mold remain bent during the rotation, reducing hair loss from the brush unit. Furthermore, even if bristles fall out of the brush unit, they can be easily collected. This improves the quality of resin molded products.

[0013] In addition to the configuration of the above-described technology 1, the cleaning mechanism of technology 2 according to the present invention preferably includes an upper mold rotating brush that contacts the surface of the upper mold to remove deposits, and a lower mold rotating brush that contacts the surface of the lower mold to remove deposits. With this configuration, both the surfaces of the upper mold and the lower mold can be cleaned simultaneously.

[0014] In addition to the configuration of the above-described technology 1 or 2, the cleaning mechanism of technology 3 according to the present invention preferably further includes an injection unit that injects gas toward the surface, and the rotating brush removes the deposits on the surface while the injection unit injects the gas onto the surface. With this configuration, the gas is injected onto the surface of the upper mold or the surface of the lower mold while the rotating brush removes the deposits on the surface, thereby enabling efficient removal of the deposits.

[0015] In addition to the configuration of any one of the above-described techniques 1 to 3, the cleaning mechanism of technique 4 according to the present invention preferably further includes a peripheral brush part that is provided on the movable body to surround the periphery of the brush part and contacts the surface. This configuration can prevent the deposits (dust) removed by the rotating brush from scattering to the outside. Furthermore, because the peripheral brush part surrounds the periphery of the brush part, it can avoid positioning pins and the like provided on the surface of the upper mold or the lower mold when the movable body moves between the upper mold and the lower mold in a direction different from the up-down direction.

[0016] In addition to the configuration of the above-described technology 4, the cleaning mechanism of technology 5 according to the present invention preferably further includes a suction port formed inside the outer peripheral brush part of the movable body for sucking air from inside the outer peripheral brush part. With this configuration, dust can be efficiently collected without scattering the deposits (dust) removed by the rotating brush to the outside.

[0017] In addition to the configuration of any one of the above-described technologies 1 to 5, the cleaning mechanism of technology 6 according to the present invention is preferably configured such that the rotation drive unit has support units for supporting the brush units disposed on both sides of the rotation shaft. With this configuration, the two brush units disposed on both sides of the rotation shaft can efficiently remove deposits adhering to the surface.

[0018] In addition to the configuration of any one of the above-described technologies 1 to 6, the cleaning mechanism of technology 7 according to the present invention preferably has a plurality of the rotating brushes arranged side by side, and the rotation directions of two adjacent rotating brushes are preferably different from each other. With this configuration, the distance between the central axes of the two adjacent rotating brushes can be narrowed, and the cleaning areas (rotation areas of the brush parts) of the rotating brushes can be partially overlapped. As a result, cleaning omissions between the adjacent rotating brushes can be eliminated.

[0019] In addition to the configuration of the above-described technology 7, the cleaning mechanism of technology 8 according to the present invention is configured such that the rotating brushes rotate at the same rotation speed. With this configuration, even when two adjacent rotating brushes rotate in different directions, the brush portions of the two adjacent rotating brushes can be prevented from contacting each other.

[0020] In addition to the configuration of any one of the above-described technologies 1 to 8, the cleaning mechanism of the present invention of technology 9 preferably has at least the tip of the brush part tilted backward in the direction of rotation when not in contact with the surface. With this configuration, the tip part tilted backward in the direction of rotation can reduce stress on the bristles, thereby reducing hair loss from the brush part.

[0021] During the cleaning operation by the cleaning mechanism, there is a risk that the temperature of the surface of the upper mold or the surface of the lower mold may drop due to the blowing of gas, etc. To suitably solve this problem, the cleaning mechanism of Technique 10 according to the present invention preferably includes, in addition to the configuration of any one of Techniques 1 to 9 above, a heating unit that is provided on the movable body and heats both or one of the upper mold and the lower mold. With this configuration, the surface of the upper mold or the lower mold whose temperature has dropped can be heated, thereby raising the temperature of the surface of the upper mold or the lower mold.

[0022] A resin molding apparatus according to Technology 11 of the present invention is a resin molding apparatus that uses a molding die having an upper die and a lower die to mold a resin into a molding object, and is characterized in that it includes a cleaning mechanism having the configuration of any one of Technology 1 to Technology 10 that cleans both or one of the upper die and the lower die after the die is opened. With this resin molding apparatus, hair loss from the brush part of the cleaning mechanism can be reduced, thereby improving the quality of the resin molded product.

[0023] Furthermore, a manufacturing method of a resin molded product according to Technology 12 of the present invention is a manufacturing method of a resin molded product using the resin molding apparatus of Technology 11 above, characterized in that the upper and lower molds that have been opened before the molding object before molding is carried in are cleaned by the cleaning mechanism, and the molding object before molding is carried in the upper and lower molds cleaned by the cleaning mechanism and resin molding is performed. With this manufacturing method of a resin molded product, hair loss from the brush part of the cleaning mechanism can be reduced, thereby improving the quality of the resin molded product.

[0024] <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.

[0025] <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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] The molding die 17 has an upper die 171 and a lower die 172 arranged opposite 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 and the cavity C is formed in the upper die 171 or the lower die 172. In addition, one or more air vents (not shown in FIG. 1 ) are formed in at least one of the upper die 171 or the lower die 172 on the opposite side of the pot 17a with respect to the cavity C when the die is clamped. Air within the cavity C is discharged through the one or more air vents during resin molding.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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).

[0034] 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.

[0035] <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.

[0036] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the resin molding apparatus 100 includes a spraying unit 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 mechanism 22 that cleans the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with liquid suction units 22a, 22b and rotating brushes 22c, 22d.

[0037] The spraying unit 20 sprays a release agent onto the surface of the upper mold 171 and the surface of the lower mold 172. This spraying unit 20 mainly reduces 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 unit 20 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.

[0038] Here, as the release agent, for example, a fluorine coating liquid or an oil-based release agent that is liquid at room temperature can be used. Note that the fluorine coating liquid has, for example, a three-part structure consisting of a fluorine-based polymer part that has release properties, a functional group part that adheres to the mold surface, and a junction part that connects them, and is obtained by dissolving a reactive fluorine-based compound in a fluorine-based volatile solvent. Furthermore, the oil-based release agent is, for example, a silicone-free, halogen-free, water-free agent with a viscosity of 100 mPa·s (cP) or less.

[0039] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the spraying unit 20 has a nozzle 20a that sprays the release agent and a supply unit 20b that supplies the release agent to the nozzle 20a. The spraying unit 20 in this embodiment is configured to spray the release agent onto the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 using a common nozzle 20a. In this case, the spraying unit 20 can switch the direction of the release agent sprayed from the nozzle 20a between the direction toward the surface of the upper mold 171 and the direction toward the surface of the lower mold 172. The spraying unit 20 may also have an upper mold nozzle that sprays the release agent onto the surface of the upper mold 171 and a lower mold nozzle that sprays the release agent onto the surface of the lower mold 172. When the spraying unit 20 enters the opened upper mold 171 and lower mold 172, it sprays the release agent onto the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. The spray unit 20 is provided on a first moving body 23 that is moved by a processing moving mechanism 25 described later.

[0040] 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.

[0041] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 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. The upper mold irradiation unit 21a has a plurality of ultraviolet LEDs arranged in a plane, and the lower mold irradiation unit 21b has a plurality of 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 spray unit 20 is provided. In other words, the spray unit 20 and the irradiation unit 21 are provided on the same first movable body 23.

[0042] The cleaning mechanism 22 cleans the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 using liquid suction parts 22a, 22b and rotating brushes 22c, 22d. This cleaning mechanism 22 mainly removes liquids such as wax and resins adhering to the surfaces and air vents of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. The liquids such as wax are those that bleed out from the resin material J during resin molding, those contained in the mold release agent, etc.

[0043] Here, wax bleeds out from the resin material J and remains in the resin passages, such as the cavity C and runners, and in the air vents. While wax remaining in the resin passages, such as the cavity C and runners, is pushed out by the resin material J during each resin molding process, wax remaining in the air vents remains there because the resin material J does not flow through the air vents. The wax remaining in the air vents is oxidized and deteriorated by the heat of the molding die 17. Because this deteriorated wax has poor releasability, when new molten resin material J comes into contact with the wax, the resin material J adheres to the deteriorated wax. The volume of the mass formed by a portion of the resin material J adhering to the deteriorated wax gradually increases, and repeated resin molding may clog the air vents. The cleaning mechanism 22 of this embodiment can prevent clogging of the air vents by removing wax and other materials remaining in the air vents.

[0044] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the cleaning mechanism 22 has an upper mold liquid suction unit 22a that contacts the surface of the upper mold 171 to absorb liquid, and a lower mold liquid suction unit 22b that contacts the surface of the lower mold 172 to absorb liquid. The cleaning mechanism 22 also has an upper mold rotating brush 22c that contacts the surface of the upper mold 171 to remove deposits, and a lower mold rotating brush 22d that contacts the surface of the lower mold 172 to remove deposits. When the cleaning mechanism 22 enters the opened upper and lower molds 171 and 172, it cleans the surfaces of the upper and lower molds 171 and 172 with the liquid suction units 22a, 22b and the rotating brushes 22c, 22d. The cleaning mechanism 22 is provided on a second moving body 24, separate from the first moving body 23 on which the spray unit 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. The specific configuration of the cleaning mechanism 22 will be described later.

[0045] 1 and 2, the above-mentioned spray unit 20, irradiation unit 21, and cleaning mechanism 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 spray unit 20 and irradiation unit 21, and the second moving body 24 provided with the cleaning mechanism 22 are configured to be able to move independently of each other.

[0046] 1 and 2, the resin molding apparatus 100 includes a processing moving mechanism 25 that moves the spray unit 20, the irradiation unit 21, and the cleaning mechanism 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).

[0047] 2, the moving processing mechanism 25 has a first moving processing part 25a that moves the first moving body 23, on which the spraying part 20 and the irradiating part 21 are provided, along the arrangement direction (X direction), and a second moving processing part 25b that moves the second moving body 24, on which the cleaning mechanism 22 is provided, along the arrangement direction (X direction). Here, the first moving processing part 25a is provided below the second moving processing part 25b.

[0048] 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 unit 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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 moves 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.

[0051] 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 mechanism 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] 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.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 1 , the processing moving mechanism 25 can move the spray unit 20, the irradiation unit 21, and the cleaning mechanism 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 to the front of the supply module 100A. The first processing moving unit 25a can move the spray unit 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 to the front 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 mechanism 22 to the retracted position EP.

[0055] In this embodiment, when the spray unit 20, the irradiation unit 21, and the cleaning mechanism 22 are moved to the retracted position EP by the moving processing mechanism 25, the opening / closing unit 31 provided corresponding to each molding die 17 can be opened. Here, the opening / closing unit 31 is provided on the front side of the apparatus, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 , is provided on the front side of a housing 33 that houses the moving processing mechanism 25, each moving body 23, 24, and cable bears 32 a, 32 b connected to each moving body 23, 24. The opening / closing unit 31 in this embodiment is configured using a shutter cover. This shutter cover may be configured to be opened and closed manually, or may be configured to be opened and closed automatically using an actuator such as a rodless cylinder.

[0056] 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.

[0057] 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.

[0058] <Specific Configuration of Cleaning Mechanism 22> Next, a specific configuration of the cleaning mechanism 22 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 9. Note that in Figures 4 to 9, the configuration of the second moving body 24 and the like is omitted.

[0059] 4 to 6, the cleaning mechanism 22 has an upper mold liquid suction part 22a that comes into contact with the surface of the upper mold 171 to absorb liquid, and a lower mold liquid suction part 22b that comes into contact with the surface of the lower mold 172 to absorb liquid. Note that Fig. 5 shows the configuration as seen from the upper mold 171, and Fig. 6 shows the configuration of the lower mold liquid suction part 22b and the lower mold 172.

[0060] The upper-die liquid suction section 22a is provided on the upper surface of the second moving body 24, facing the surface of the upper die 171. The lower-die liquid suction section 22b is provided on the lower surface of the second moving body 24, facing the surface of the lower die 172.

[0061] Each liquid suction unit 22a, 22b has a liquid suction member 221, which is a heat-resistant sponge with open cells. As shown in FIG. 5 , the liquid suction member 221 is provided along the left and right (X direction). The liquid suction member 221 is sized to contact a predetermined area on the surface of the upper mold 171 or the surface of the lower mold 172, and has a flat contact surface. The liquid suction member 221 extends from one end to the other end in the X direction of the cleaning area of ​​each of the plurality of rotating brushes 22c, 22d (described later). In other words, the liquid suction member 221 absorbs liquid from substantially the entire cleaning area of ​​the plurality of rotating brushes 22c, 22d in the X direction. Furthermore, each liquid suction unit 22a, 22b has the liquid suction member 221 positioned to avoid positioning pins (not shown) provided on the surface of the upper mold 171 or the surface of the lower mold 172.

[0062] Here, the sponge that serves as the liquid-absorbing member 221 can be made of, for example, silicone resin or melamine resin. This open-cell sponge can absorb liquid like a dropper by compressing and expanding. Alternatively, heat-resistant cloth can be used for the liquid-absorbing member 221, and this cloth can be made of, for example, meta-aramid fiber. In a sponge with open cells, adjacent cells are connected. On the other hand, in a sponge with closed cells, adjacent cells are not connected. For this reason, even if a sponge with closed cells is compressed and expanded, it cannot absorb liquid like a dropper.

[0063] 4 and 6, each of the liquid suction parts 22a, 22b is vibrated in the vertical direction by the driving part 222. By vibrating each of the liquid suction parts 22a, 22b in the vertical direction in this manner, the liquid suction member 221 is cooled during the vertical vibration, and thermal contraction of the liquid suction member 221 can be reduced.

[0064] 4, the drive unit 222 of each liquid suction unit 22a, 22b has a holding base 222a that holds the liquid suction member 221 and an actuator 222b for driving the holding base 222a. In this embodiment, a rotary motor is used as the actuator 222b, and the drive unit 222 has a crank mechanism 222c that converts the rotation of the rotary motor 222b into vertical movement and transmits it to the holding base 222a. The drive unit 222 may be provided corresponding to each of the upper-die liquid suction unit 22a and the lower-die liquid suction unit 22b, or the actuator 222b in the drive unit 222 may be shared by both the upper-die liquid suction unit 22a and the lower-die liquid suction unit 22b.

[0065] The driving unit 222 vibrates the upper-die liquid suction unit 22a and the lower-die liquid suction unit 22b up and down in opposite directions. That is, when the liquid suction member 221 of the upper-die liquid suction unit 22a moves toward the surface of the upper die 171, the liquid suction member 221 of the lower-die liquid suction unit 22b moves toward the surface of the lower die 172. The liquid suction members 221 of the upper-die liquid suction unit 22a and the lower-die liquid suction member 22b come into contact with the surfaces of the upper die 171 and the lower die 172 at substantially the same time. When the liquid suction member 221 of the upper-die liquid suction unit 22a moves in a direction away from the surface of the upper die 171, the liquid suction member 221 of the lower-die liquid suction unit 22b moves in a direction away from the surface of the lower die 172.

[0066] 6, the liquid suction members 221 of each liquid suction unit 22a, 22b contact the surfaces of the molds 171, 172 other than the recesses 17b that form the cavities C. Here, the surfaces other than the recesses 17b refer to the parting surfaces that contact the other mold, and include the air vents 17c if the air vents 17c are formed on the parting surfaces. Furthermore, the liquid suction members 221 of each liquid suction unit 22a, 22b do not contact the bottom surfaces 17b1 of the recesses 17b that form the cavities C. In this embodiment, the thickness of the liquid suction members 221 and the vertical stroke of the drive unit 222 are adjusted to prevent the liquid suction members 221 of each liquid suction unit 22a, 22b from contacting the bottom surfaces 17b1 of the recesses 17b.

[0067] In the cleaning mechanism 22 configured in this manner, while the second moving body 24 is moving in the Y direction (front-back direction) between the opened upper mold 171 and lower mold 172 by the moving mechanism (here, the Y-direction moving units 27, 30), the driving unit 222 vibrates the liquid suction members 221 of each liquid suction unit 22a, 22b in the vertical direction. As a result, the liquid suction members 221 of each liquid suction unit 22a, 22b come into contact with the surface of the upper mold 171 and the surface of the lower mold 172 multiple times as they move in the Y direction. This allows liquid such as wax to be absorbed from almost the entire surface of the upper mold 171 and the surface of the lower mold 172. Note that each liquid suction unit 22a, 22b may be configured to have a suction mechanism (not shown) on the back side of the liquid suction member 221, and the liquid suction member 221 may be vibrated in the vertical direction while being sucked by the suction mechanism, thereby improving the suction performance of liquid such as wax. The back surface of the liquid-absorbing member 221 of the liquid-absorbing unit 22a corresponds to the lower surface of the liquid-absorbing member 221 of the liquid-absorbing unit 22a in Fig. 4. The back surface of the liquid-absorbing member 221 of the liquid-absorbing unit 22b corresponds to the upper surface of the liquid-absorbing member 221 of the liquid-absorbing unit 22b in Fig. 4.

[0068] <Detailed configuration of rotating brushes 22c, 22d> As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the cleaning mechanism 22 has an upper mold rotating brush 22c that comes into contact with the surface of the upper mold 171 to remove any attached material, and a lower mold rotating brush 22d that comes into contact with the surface of the lower mold 172 to remove any attached material.

[0069] The upper-die rotating brush 22c is provided on the upper surface of the second moving body 24, and faces the surface of the upper die 171 when the second moving body 24 is positioned between the upper die 171 and the lower die 172. Specifically, a plurality of the upper-die rotating brushes 22c are arranged in a row on the left and right (X direction) on the upper surface of the second moving body 24. When the second moving body 24 is positioned in front of the forming die 17, the upper-die rotating brush 22c is provided on the upper surface of the second moving body 24 on the side opposite the forming die 17 from the upper-die liquid suction section 22a, i.e., in front of the upper-die liquid suction section 22a. The lower-die rotating brush 22d is provided on the lower surface of the second moving body 24, and faces the surface of the lower die 172 when the second moving body 24 is positioned between the upper die 171 and the lower die 172. Specifically, a plurality of lower-die rotating brushes 22d are arranged side by side on the left and right (in the X direction) on the underside of second moving body 24. Furthermore, when second moving body 24 is positioned in front of forming mold 17, lower-die rotating brush 22d is provided on the underside of second moving body 24 on the side opposite forming mold 17 from lower-die liquid suction section 22b, i.e., in front of lower-die liquid suction section 22b. Note that upper-die rotating brush 22c and lower-die rotating brush 22d in this embodiment have the same configuration.

[0070] 4, 5, 7, and 9, each of the rotating brushes 22c and 22d includes a brush portion 224 in which a plurality of bristles are gathered in a row, and a rotation drive portion 225 that rotates the brush portion 224 around a rotation axis L that extends in the vertical direction (Z direction). In this embodiment, the two brush portions 224, which are arranged on either side of the rotation axis L, are rotated by the rotation drive portion 225.

[0071] The brush portion 224 is a channel brush formed by gathering multiple bristles in a row and clamping the base ends of the bristles together. The brush portion 224 may also be a planted brush in which the base ends of multiple bristles are planted. The bristles are heat-resistant, and may be made of, for example, meta-aramid fiber, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), heat-resistant Tetron, or Teflon. The brush portion 224 may also be a mixture of two or more of the above-mentioned bristles. The brush portion 224 may also be a mixture of bristles with different diameters. Furthermore, conductive fibers may be mixed into the brush portion 224. In this case, the conductive fibers should be long enough not to come into contact with the surface of the mold 17 to prevent wear or thermal degradation.

[0072] 4, 5, and 7 to 9, the rotation drive unit 225 has support units 226 that support the brush units 224 arranged on both sides of a rotation axis L that extends in the vertical direction, and a rotation mechanism 227 that rotates the support units 226 around the rotation axis L. The rotation axis L is an axis that extends in the vertical direction and is perpendicular to the surface of the upper mold 171 or the surface of the lower mold 172.

[0073] 4 and 7, the support part 226 has a rotation shaft part 226a provided along the rotation axis L extending in the vertical direction, and support arm parts 226b extending on both sides of the rotation axis L from one end of the rotation shaft part 226a, and the brush part 224 is detachably attached to each support arm part 226b. Here, the tip of the brush part 224 attached to the support part 226 is inclined backward in the direction of rotation when not in contact with the surface of the molding die 17 (see FIG. 7). In this embodiment, the bristles of the brush part 224 are linear, and therefore the bristles of the brush part 224 are attached to the support part 226 so as to be inclined backward in the direction of rotation.

[0074] 5 and 9, in this embodiment, when viewed from the rotation axis L, the support arm portion 226b of the support portion 226 is symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis L. Here, with the brush portion 224 attached to one support arm portion 226b and the brush portion 224 attached to the other support arm portion 226b, the brush portions 224 are configured to be positioned on a straight line passing through the rotation axis L. Furthermore, the rotation shaft portion 226a and the support arm portion 226b of the support portion 226 are configured to be detachable, and the support arm portion 226b can be detached from the rotation shaft portion 226a with the brush portion 224 attached. This simplifies the replacement of the brush portion 224 in each of the rotating brushes 22c, 22d.

[0075] 5, 8, and 9, the rotation mechanism 227 rotates the plurality of rotating brushes 22c, 22d so that the rotation directions of two adjacent rotating brushes 22c, 22d are different from each other. The rotation mechanism 227 also rotates the plurality of rotating brushes 22c, 22d at the same rotation speed.

[0076] The rotation mechanism 227 of this embodiment has a power transmission mechanism for simultaneously rotating the plurality of rotating brushes 22c, 22d. Specifically, as shown in Figures 4, 7, and 8, the rotation mechanism 227 has a brush rotation gear 227a provided at the base end (the end opposite the brush portion 224) of the support portion 226, and a timing belt 227b that meshes with the brush rotation gear 227a and transmits power to the brush rotation gear 227a. The timing belt 227b is stretched around a drive gear 227d and a driven gear 227e that are driven by a drive motor 227c, and the timing belt 227b rotates when the drive motor 227c rotates.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 8 , the timing belt 227b is looped alternately around the brush rotation gears 227a arranged side by side (in the X direction). That is, the timing belt 227b is looped around the brush rotation gears 227a in a zigzag pattern. The timing belt 227b has tooth grooves formed on both sides. For adjacent brush rotation gears 227a, one brush rotation gear 227a meshes with a tooth groove on one side of the timing belt 227b, while the other brush rotation gear 227a meshes with a tooth groove on the other side of the timing belt 227b. This rotation mechanism 227 allows adjacent rotating brushes 22c, 22d to rotate in different directions and rotate at the same rotational speed. The rotation phases of adjacent rotating brushes 22c, 22d are offset by a predetermined angle, such as 90 degrees, to prevent contact between the brush portions 224 and the support arm portions 226b. This configuration reduces the distance between the rotation axes L of adjacent rotating brushes 22c, 22d, allowing the cleaning areas (rotation areas of the brush portions) of the rotating brushes 22c, 22d to partially overlap (see FIG. 9). As a result, cleaning omissions between adjacent rotating brushes 22c, 22d are eliminated.

[0078] 4, the cleaning mechanism 22 of this embodiment further includes an upper mold injection unit 22e that injects gas toward the surface of the upper mold 171, and a lower mold injection unit 22f that injects gas toward the surface of the lower mold 172. Here, the injected gas may be air or nitrogen gas.

[0079] As shown in Figures 4, 5, 7 and 9, each of the jetting sections 22e, 22f has a plurality of jetting ports H1 that jet gas onto the surface of the forming die 17. These plurality of jetting ports H1 are arranged along the row direction of the brush section 224. Specifically, the plurality of jetting ports H1 are arranged forward in the rotation direction of the brush section 224 and are configured to rotate together with the brush section 224. Furthermore, the plurality of jetting ports H1 of each of the jetting sections 22e, 22f may be configured to jet gas obliquely onto the surface of the forming die 17, making it easier for the gas that hits the surface to flow toward the suction port H2, which will be described later.

[0080] As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 7, and 9, each of the injection units 22e and 22f of this embodiment has a plurality of injection ports H1 provided in the support arm unit 226b. Specifically, the plurality of injection ports H1 in each injection unit 22e are provided on the surface of the support arm unit 226b facing the surface of the casting mold 17. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, an internal flow path R1 for supplying air or nitrogen gas to the injection ports H1 is formed inside the support arm unit 226b and the rotating shaft unit 226a. This internal flow path R1 opens to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft unit 226a. The opening of the internal flow path R1 formed in each rotating shaft unit 226a is connected to a gas supply pipe T1 provided in the second movable body 24 via a joint J1 attached to the rotating shaft unit 226a. The gas supply pipe T1 is connected to an external gas supply source (not shown).

[0081] <Outer peripheral brush portions 22g, 22h> Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the cleaning mechanism 22 of this embodiment has an upper mold outer peripheral brush portion 22g that is arranged on the second moving body 24 to surround the brush portions 224 of the multiple upper mold rotating brushes 22c and contacts the surface of the upper mold 171, and a lower mold outer peripheral brush portion 22h that is arranged on the second moving body 24 to surround the brush portions 224 of the multiple lower mold rotating brushes 22d and contacts the surface of the lower mold 172.

[0082] The upper-die outer peripheral brush part 22g is provided on the upper surface of the second moving body 24 so as to face the surface of the upper die 171. This upper-die outer peripheral brush part 22g, together with the upper-die rotating brush 22c, comes into contact with the surface of the upper die 171. On the upper surface of the second moving body 24, the upper-die liquid suction part 22a is located outside the upper-die outer peripheral brush part 22g.

[0083] The lower-die outer peripheral brush part 22h is provided on the underside of the second moving body 24 so as to face the surface of the lower die 172. This lower-die outer peripheral brush part 22h, together with the lower-die rotating brush 22d, comes into contact with the surface of the lower die 172. On the underside of the second moving body 24, the lower-die liquid suction part 22b is located outside the lower-die outer peripheral brush part 22h.

[0084] <Dust Collection Section 22i> As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cleaning mechanism 22 of this embodiment has a dust collection section 22i that sucks up the deposits (dust) removed by the rotating brushes 22c and 22d.

[0085] The dust collection unit 22i is formed inside each of the outer peripheral brush portions 22g and 22h in the second movable body 24 and has a suction port H2 that draws air from the interior of each of the outer peripheral brush portions 22g and 22h. The suction port H2 is provided inside the outer peripheral brush portions 22g and 22h, surrounding the brush portions 224 of the rotating brushes 22c and 22d. In this embodiment, a peripheral block 241 is provided around the brush portions 224 of the rotating brushes 22c and 22d. Therefore, the suction port H2 is formed between the outer peripheral brush portions 22g and 22h and the peripheral block 241. Because the suction port H2 is surrounded by the outer peripheral brush portions 22g and 22h, the pressure inside the outer peripheral brush portions 22g and 22h can be efficiently reduced, thereby improving dust collection efficiency. The suction port H2 also communicates with a dust collection channel 242 provided inside the second movable body 24. This dust collection passage 242 is connected to an external dust collection device (not shown).

[0086] <Heating sections 22j, 22k> Furthermore, the cleaning mechanism 22 of this embodiment is equipped with an upper mold heating section 22j that heats the surface of the upper mold 171 and a lower mold heating section 22k that heats the surface of the lower mold 172, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

[0087] Each of the heating units 22j, 22k is provided on the second moving body 24. Specifically, each of the heating units 22j, 22k is provided at the tip end (the end on the forming mold 17 side) of the second moving body 24. Each of the heating units 22j, 22k heats the surface of the forming mold 17 in a non-contact manner, and is, for example, a halogen heater. Each of the heating units 22j, 22k can adjust the irradiation intensity of the halogen heater, the irradiation timing of the halogen heater, the moving speed of the second moving body 24, or the distance between the halogen heater and the surface of the forming mold 17, depending on the amount of temperature drop, etc.

[0088] <Cleaning Operation of Casting Mold by Cleaning Mechanism 22> Next, a specific example of the cleaning operation of casting mold 17 by cleaning mechanism 22 will be described.

[0089] As the second moving body 24 moves in the Y direction between the opened upper and lower molds 171 and 172, the upper mold liquid suction unit 22a and the lower mold liquid suction unit 22b are vibrated in the up and down direction to suck up the liquid adhering to the surfaces of the upper and lower molds 171 and 172. This liquid suction operation by the liquid suction units 22a and 22b may be performed when the second moving body 24 moves back and forth in the front and back direction (Y direction) between the upper and lower molds 171 and 172, or may be performed when the second moving body 24 moves in only one direction, the front and back direction (Y direction), between the upper and lower molds 171 and 172. When the liquid suction operation is performed when the second moving body 24 moves in only one direction, the vibration of the liquid suction units 22a and 22b is stopped so that the liquid suction units 22a and 22b do not come into contact with the molding mold 17 when the second moving body 24 moves in the other direction.

[0090] After the liquid suction operation, the upper mold rotating brush 22c and the lower mold rotating brush 22d are rotated in synchronization with the movement of the second moving body 24 in the Y direction between the opened upper mold 171 and lower mold 172 to remove deposits adhering to the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. During the brushing operation by the rotating brushes 22c and 22d, suction is performed through the suction port H2 of the dust collection unit 22i. The brushing operation of the rotating brushes 22c and 22d may be performed when they reciprocate between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 in the front-rear direction (Y direction), or may be performed when they move between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 in only one direction, the front-rear direction (Y direction).

[0091] The liquid suction operation and the brush operation may be performed simultaneously. That is, by moving the second moving body 24 from front to back, the second moving body 24 may be inserted between the opened upper and lower molds 171 and 172, while the upper and lower mold liquid suction units 22a and 22b are vibrated in the up and down direction and the upper and lower mold rotating brushes 22c and 22d are rotated. In this case, the liquid suction operation of each liquid suction unit 22a, 22b is performed only when the second moving body 24 moves from front to back in the Y direction between the upper and lower molds 171 and 172. That is, when the second moving body 24 moves from back to front in the Y direction between the upper and lower molds 171 and 172, the vibration of each liquid suction unit 22a, 22b is stopped so that each liquid suction unit 22a, 22b does not come into contact with the molding mold 17. In addition, the brushing action of each rotating brush 22c, 22d may be performed only when moving from front to back along the Y direction between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, or may be performed when moving back and forth between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 in the front-to-back direction (Y direction).

[0092] <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.

[0093] After starting the resin molding apparatus 100, 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. 10A . 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 forward and backward 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.

[0094] 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 open upper and lower mold dies 171 and 172. Specifically, the first moving body 23 moves forward of the molding die 17 in the open state prior to resin molding. The first moving body 23 then enters between the upper and lower mold dies 171 and 172 from the front. While the first moving body 23 moves back and forth between the upper and lower mold dies 171 and 172, the spraying unit 20 sprays the release agent onto the surfaces of the upper and lower mold dies 171 and 172. The ceramic layers on the surfaces of the upper and lower mold 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 due to the recesses of the textured surface of the ceramic layer, reducing adhesion and improving releasability.

[0095] After the spraying unit 20 (first moving body 23) retreats 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 is 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.

[0096] 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.

[0097] 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).

[0098] 12(f), 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 moves in the Y direction (front-back direction) between the upper and lower dies 171 and 172, the cleaning mechanism 22 cleans the surfaces of the upper and lower dies 171 and 172 with the liquid suction units 22a, 22b and the rotating brushes 22c, 22d. In this embodiment, the process is the same as the above-described <Mold cleaning operation by the cleaning mechanism 22>, and after liquid such as wax on the surfaces of the upper and lower dies 171 and 172 is sucked up, any deposits such as residual resin adhering to the surfaces are removed.

[0099] After cleaning, the cleaning mechanism 22 can be moved to a predetermined standby position, where a cleaning mechanism (not shown) can clean the liquid suction member 221 and the brush portion 224. The cleaning mechanism includes an ejection unit that ejects gas (e.g., air) onto the liquid suction member 221 and the brush portion 224, and a dust collection unit that collects liquid or dust scattered by the ejection unit. This cleaning mechanism prevents the liquid suction member 221 or the brush portion 224 from reattaching to the surface of the mold 17. The cleaning mechanism may also clean the liquid suction member 221 by using a suction mechanism (not shown) provided on the back side of the liquid suction member 221 to suck the liquid absorbed by the liquid suction member 221 to the back side and collecting the dust on a filter. Furthermore, a static eliminator, such as an ionizer, may be provided to remove the charge on the brush portion 224 at the standby position. The static eliminator may be configured to move with the second movable body 24 or may be provided near the mold 17. The back surface of the liquid-absorbing member 221 of the liquid-absorbing unit 22a corresponds to the lower surface of the liquid-absorbing member 221 of the liquid-absorbing unit 22a in Fig. 4. The back surface of the liquid-absorbing member 221 of the liquid-absorbing unit 22b corresponds to the upper surface of the liquid-absorbing member 221 of the liquid-absorbing unit 22b in Fig. 4.

[0100] Thereafter, the next resin molding operation (loading of molding object / resin material → resin molding (mold clamping) → unloading of resin molded product → cleaning by the liquid suction unit and rotating 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 are performed, ultraviolet irradiation and spraying of a release agent are performed again continuously. As described above, in the resin molding apparatus 100 of this embodiment, cleaning by the liquid suction units 22a and 22b and the rotating brushes 22c and 22d of the cleaning mechanism 22 is performed for each resin molding. Furthermore, ultraviolet irradiation by the irradiation unit 21 and spraying of a release agent by the spray unit 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 unit 20 does not need to be performed for each resin molding.

[0101] <Effects of this embodiment> According to the resin molding apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the brush part 224 is rotated around the rotation axis L extending in the vertical direction, and the bristles that come into contact with the surface of the upper mold 171 or the surface of the lower mold 172 are not released from their bent state during the rotation, thereby reducing hair loss from the brush part 224. Furthermore, even if bristles fall out of the brush part 224, the fallen bristles can be easily collected. As a result, the quality of the resin molded product P can be improved.

[0102] Furthermore, the liquid suction sections 22a and 22b contact the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 to absorb high-temperature liquids such as wax, thereby preventing molding defects caused by liquids such as wax adhering to the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. Specifically, by suctioning the liquid adhering to the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, the liquid is less likely to enter the air vent 17c even when the surfaces are subsequently cleaned with the rotating brushes 22c and 22d, preventing clogging of the air vent 17c. This prevents molding defects such as voids and unfilled spaces caused by clogging of the air vent 17c. Furthermore, by suctioning and reducing the liquids such as wax on the contact area (parting line) between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 before cleaning with the rotating brushes 22c and 22d, the accumulation of dirt can be suppressed, preventing burrs, flash, resin leakage, and the like. As a result, the quality of the resin molded product P can be improved.

[0103] Furthermore, in this embodiment, because the rotation axes L of the rotating brushes 22c and 22d are perpendicular to the surfaces of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, deposits such as molding dirt removed by the rotating brushes 22c and 22d are scattered radially. The range over which the deposits are scattered is limited by the outer peripheral brush portions 22g and 22h. Furthermore, because the suction ports H2 are provided inside the outer peripheral brush portions 22g and 22h, deposits such as molding dirt removed by the rotating brushes 22c and 22d can be easily collected through the suction ports H2.

[0104] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the nozzles H1 of the sprayers 22e and 22f are provided on the rotating brushes 22c and 22d, and as they rotate, the pressure of the air blown onto the surface deposits can be changed, which promotes the removal of the deposits. It also promotes the movement of the removed deposits, improving dust collection efficiency.

[0105] In addition, when gas is sprayed onto the surface of the upper mold 171 and the surface of the lower mold 172 by each spray section 22e, 22f, the surface temperature of the molding die 17 tends to cool down, but in this embodiment, heating sections 22j, 22k are provided, so this effect can be reduced.

[0106] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cleaning mechanism cleans away dirt adhering to the rotating brushes 22c, 22d and the liquid suction parts 22a, 22b, thereby preventing the dirt adhering to the rotating brushes 22c, 22d and the liquid suction parts 22a, 22b from re-adhering to the surface of the forming mold 17.

[0107] In addition, this embodiment includes a spraying unit 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 mechanism 22 that cleans the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 using liquid suction units 22a, 22b and rotating brushes 22c, 22d, so it is no longer necessary to stop the device and manually clean the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 as in the conventional case. As a result, downtime can be reduced and the operating rate can be improved.

[0108] Furthermore, it is possible to reduce consumables such as cleaning resin used in the cleaning work of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, and it is also possible to reduce labor costs, thereby reducing running costs. Furthermore, since it is possible to reduce the amount of consumables such as cleaning resin used, it is also possible to reduce waste.

[0109] Furthermore, safety can be improved because the cleaning work is performed automatically without using, for example, a rubber sheet-based cleaning resin that is used in the cleaning work of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. Specifically, safety can be improved by automatically performing the cleaning work and spraying the mold release agent without opening the opening / closing unit 31 of the resin molding apparatus 100, and venting the air using the dust collection unit of the resin molding apparatus 100 after the work. Also, safety is maintained because the ultraviolet rays from the irradiation unit 21 are blocked by the opening / closing unit 31 or the housing 33 of the apparatus.

[0110] Furthermore, the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 are irradiated with ultraviolet rays, sprayed with a mold release agent, and cleaned with the liquid suction parts 22a, 22b and the rotating brushes 22c, 22d, thereby suppressing contamination of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 due to resin molding. As a result, the quality of the resin molded product P can be improved.

[0111] Other Modified Embodiments The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0112] For example, the cleaning mechanism 22 may have only one of the upper mold liquid suction section 22a or the lower mold liquid suction section 22b, and may be configured to suck up liquid from only one of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172. Similarly, the cleaning mechanism 22 may have only one of the upper mold rotating brush 22c or the lower mold rotating brush 22d, and may be configured to clean only one of the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 with the rotating brush.

[0113] The cleaning mechanism 22 may switch the mold from which the liquid is absorbed by the liquid suction units 22a and 22b between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, for example, after each predetermined number of resin moldings. Similarly, the cleaning mechanism 22 may switch the mold from which the liquid is absorbed by the rotating brushes 22c and 22d between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172, for example, after each predetermined number of resin moldings. When switching between the upper mold 171 and the lower mold 172 in this manner, it is possible to move the cleaning mechanism 22 up and down using a vertical drive mechanism (not shown) so that the cleaning mechanism 22 comes into contact only with the mold to be cleaned. Furthermore, the cleaning mechanism 22 may be configured to clean using the liquid suction units 22a and 22b and the rotating brushes 22c and 22d after each resin molding, or may be configured to clean using the liquid suction units 22a and 22b and the rotating brushes 22c and 22d after each predetermined number of resin moldings.

[0114] In the cleaning mechanism 22, the brush portions 224 of the rotating brushes 22c and 22d are provided one on each side of the rotation axis L, but multiple brush portions 224 may be provided on each side of the rotation axis L. Also, although one brush portion 224 is provided on each side of the rotation axis L, it may be a single brush portion extending from one side of the rotation axis L to the other side.

[0115] In the cleaning mechanism 22, the upper die rotating brush 22c or the lower die rotating brush 22d may be arranged in a row from side to side (X direction), or their rotation axes L may be shifted from side to side (Y direction) and arranged, for example, in a zigzag (staggered) pattern.

[0116] Furthermore, the power transmission mechanism of the rotation mechanism 227 of the above embodiment is not limited to a configuration using the timing belt 227 b, and may be a configuration in which the drive motor 227 c and each brush rotation gear 227 a are connected by gears. Alternatively, the rotation mechanism 227 may be configured to have a plurality of drive motors connected to each of the plurality of support parts 226.

[0117] The spraying unit 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 unit 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.

[0118] 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.

[0119] In the above embodiment, the spray unit 20 and the irradiation unit 21 are provided on the first moving body, but the spray unit 20 and the irradiation unit 21 may be provided on separate moving bodies. Also, the spray unit 20, the irradiation unit 21, and the cleaning mechanism 22 may be provided on a single moving body. Furthermore, the spray unit 20 and the cleaning mechanism 22 may be provided on a single moving body, or the irradiation unit 21 and the cleaning mechanism 22 may be provided on a single moving body. At least one of the liquid suction units 22a and 22b or the rotating brush units 22c and 22d of the cleaning mechanism 22 may be configured to move using the transport moving mechanism 16.

[0120] 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.

[0121] 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.

[0122] 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.

[0123] 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.

[0124] According to the present invention, hair loss from the rotary brush can be reduced.

[0125] 100: Resin molding device W: Molded object before molding P: Molded object after molding (resin molded product) J: Resin material 17: Molding mold 171: Upper mold 172: Lower mold 17b: Recess 22: Cleaning mechanism 24: Second moving body L: Rotation shaft 224: Brush section 225: Rotation drive section 22c: Upper mold rotating brush 22d: Lower mold rotating brush 22e: Upper mold jet section 22f: Lower mold jet section 22g: Upper mold outer peripheral brush section H2: Suction port 226: Support section 22j: Upper mold heating section 22k: Lower mold heating section

Claims

1. A cleaning mechanism for cleaning both or one of an upper and lower mold when the molds are open, comprising: a moving body that enters between the upper and lower molds when the molds are open; and a rotating brush that is attached to the moving body and comes into contact with the surface of both or one of the upper and lower molds to remove deposits, wherein the rotating brush comprises a brush section having a plurality of bristles gathered in a row, and a rotary drive section that rotates the brush section around a rotation axis that extends in the vertical direction.

2. The cleaning mechanism described in claim 1, wherein the rotating brush comprises an upper mold rotating brush that contacts the surface of the upper mold to remove any adhering matter, and a lower mold rotating brush that contacts the surface of the lower mold to remove any adhering matter.

3. A cleaning mechanism as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising an injection unit that injects gas toward the surface, and wherein the rotating brush removes the deposits on the surface while the injection unit injects gas onto the surface.

4. A cleaning mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a peripheral brush section provided on the movable body surrounding the periphery of the brush section and contacting the surface.

5. The cleaning mechanism according to claim 4, further comprising a suction port formed inside the outer peripheral brush portion of the movable body for sucking air from inside the outer peripheral brush portion.

6. A cleaning mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the rotary drive unit has support units that support the brush units arranged on both sides of the rotary shaft.

7. A cleaning mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a plurality of the rotating brushes are arranged side by side, and the rotation directions of two adjacent rotating brushes are different from each other.

8. The cleaning mechanism of claim 7, wherein the plurality of rotating brushes rotate at the same rotational speed.

9. A cleaning mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein at least the tip of the brush part is inclined backward in the direction of rotation when not in contact with the surface.

10. A cleaning mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a heating section provided on the moving body for heating either or both of the upper and lower dies.

11. A resin molding device that uses a molding die having an upper die and a lower die to mold a resin into a molding object, the resin molding device being equipped with a cleaning mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 10 that cleans both or one of the upper die and the lower die after the die is opened.

12. A method for manufacturing a resin molded product using the resin molding device described in claim 11, wherein the upper and lower molds that have been opened before a molding object before molding is carried in are cleaned by the cleaning mechanism, and the molding object before molding is carried in the upper and lower molds cleaned by the cleaning mechanism and resin molded.

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