Die, method for assembling die, and method for manufacturing vehicle body structural member

Abstract

A movable die (50) comprises: a plurality of die segments (41A to 41F); a base member (45) for fixing the plurality of die segments (41A to 41F), the plurality of die segments (41A to 41F) being assembled and fixed on the base member (45); and a main die (30) having a recess (32) into which the plurality of die segments (41A to 41F) and the base member (45) are fitted.

Description

Mold, mold assembly method, and method for manufacturing vehicle body structural member

[0001] The present invention relates to a mold structure for manufacturing a vehicle body structural member, a mold assembly method, and a method for manufacturing a vehicle body structural member using the mold.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a mold in which the divided bodies are separated into a plurality of parts via dividing surfaces formed approximately parallel to the mold clamping direction, and the divided bodies are inserted inside the outer periphery of the mold (main mold) in a state where they are in contact with each other via the dividing surfaces.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a device that allows efficient replacement of a dedicated part by pulling out the dedicated part from the general-purpose part and attaching a new dedicated part.

[0004] Patent Document 3 discloses a mold structure having a nest and a main mold, in which a plate is inserted between the nest and the main mold to reduce damage to the main mold.

[0005] JP 2018-202442 A JP 2003-191065 A JP 2023-69218 A

[0006] However, in the conventional mold described in Patent Document 1, when replacing the mold, the entire mold consisting of a master mold and multiple segments must be removed from the die-casting machine, the segments must be disassembled, the new segments must be inserted into the master mold, and then the new mold must be attached to the die-casting machine. In this case, since the new segments must be assembled inside the master mold, assembly precision cannot be ensured and unnecessary gaps may occur between the segments.

[0007] On the other hand, in recent years, there has been a demand for molding large die-cast products, and molds have become larger. As the mold size increases, the weight of the entire mold increases, and this may require an increase in the lifting capacity of the crane. In addition, mold replacement work may be complicated and take a long time.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a mold that is easy to replace.

[0009] The mold of the present disclosure is characterized by comprising a plurality of mold segments, a base member for fixing the plurality of mold segments, the base member on which the plurality of mold segments are assembled and fixed, and a main mold having recesses into which the plurality of mold segments and the base member are fitted.

[0010] Since multiple mold segments can be combined on a base member and fitted into recesses in the main mold, the assembly time for the mold can be reduced.

[0011] In the mold of the present disclosure, the multiple mold segments and the base member may be combined to form a split mold assembly fixed on the base member, and the main mold may have the split mold assembly fitted into the recess.

[0012] The mold segments can be fitted together into the recess, eliminating the need to adjust the relative positions of the mold segments when attaching them to the main mold. This reduces the assembly time for the mold.

[0013] In the mold of the present disclosure, the base member may be a flat plate-like member.

[0014] Since the base member is a flat plate-like member, it is easy to assemble and fix the mold halves on the base member. In addition, it is easy to align the planes of the mold halves and manage the gaps between them.

[0015] The mold of the present disclosure may include a cooling block fixed to the base member together with the plurality of mold halves.

[0016] Since the mold segments and the cooling block are fixed onto the base member and assembled as a unit to the main mold, the assembly time for the mold including the cooling block can be reduced.

[0017] In the mold of the present disclosure, the cooling block may be sandwiched between the plurality of mold segments and the base member.

[0018] This allows the mold to be cooled efficiently.

[0019] The mold of the present disclosure may include at least one pretension bolt that interconnects adjacent mold halves and applies a pretension between the adjacent mold halves.

[0020] By tightening the pretensioning bolts, the gap between adjacent mold halves can be eliminated, which prevents burrs from forming along the parting line in the die-cast product. Furthermore, by preventing adjacent mold halves from separating during casting, the formation of burrs along the parting line can be prevented.

[0021] In the mold of the present disclosure, the base member may be a flat member, each mold segment may have a segment surface perpendicular to the upper surface of the base member, and the pretension bolt may extend parallel to the upper surface of the base member.

[0022] This makes it possible to eliminate gaps between adjacent mold segments while maintaining the parallelism of each mold segment relative to the base member.

[0023] The mold of the present disclosure may include a plurality of knock pins that define the positions of the plurality of mold segments relative to the base member.

[0024] This makes it easy to position each mold segment relative to the base member when assembling multiple mold segments onto the base member.

[0025] In the mold of the present disclosure, each of the mold segments may have at least one pin hole that receives the knock pin.

[0026] This allows the base member and the mold segments to be positioned by the knock pins and pin holes.

[0027] The mold of the present disclosure comprises at least one pretensioning bolt that connects adjacent mold segments to each other and applies pretensioning between the adjacent mold segments, and a plurality of knock pins that determine the positions of the plurality of mold segments relative to the base member, each of the mold segments having at least one pin hole that receives the knock pin, and the gap between the pin hole and the knock pin in the direction in which the mold segments are connected may be larger than the gap between the adjacent mold segments before pretensioning is applied.

[0028] This allows adjacent mold halves to be fixed together without any gaps when the pretension bolts are tightened.

[0029] The mold of the present disclosure may include a cooling block sandwiched between the plurality of mold segments and the base member and fixed to the base member together with the plurality of mold segments, and at least one of the plurality of knock pins may be arranged to penetrate the cooling block.

[0030] This makes it easier to assemble the mold segments and the cooling block as a single unit to the main mold.

[0031] In the mold of the present disclosure, at least one side surface of the recess may include an inclined portion that slopes toward the outer periphery of the main mold as it approaches the open surface of the recess.

[0032] This allows the split mold assembly to be easily fitted into the recess.

[0033] In the mold of the present disclosure, the recess may be rectangular in shape and include four side surfaces and one bottom surface, three of the side surfaces may include the inclined portion, and the other side surface may be perpendicular to the open surface.

[0034] This allows the split mold assembly to be easily fitted into the recess when the main mold is in an upright position and the split mold assembly is assembled horizontally using the other side surface as a horizontal reference plane. This means that the split mold assembly can be removed and installed while the main mold is set in the die casting machine, shortening the time required for mold replacement.

[0035] The mold assembly method disclosed herein is characterized by comprising a first step of assembling and fixing multiple mold segments onto a base member to form a split mold assembly, and a second step of fitting the split mold assembly into a recess in a main mold.

[0036] In this way, a plurality of mold segments can be combined on the base member and fitted together into the recesses of the main mold, thereby reducing the assembly time of the mold.

[0037] In the mold assembly method of the present disclosure, the second step may involve inserting the split mold assembly horizontally into the recess of the main mold while the main mold is upright so that the mold clamping direction is approximately horizontal.

[0038] The split die assembly can be removed and installed while the main die is set in the die casting machine, thereby shortening the time required to change dies.

[0039] The manufacturing method of the vehicle body structural member disclosed herein is characterized in that the vehicle body structural member is molded using a mold including a plurality of mold segments, a base member for fixing the plurality of mold segments, on which the plurality of mold segments are assembled and fixed, and a main mold having recesses into which the plurality of mold segments and the base member are fitted.

[0040] The present disclosure can provide a mold that is easy to replace.

[0041] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a die-casting apparatus in which a mold according to an embodiment is set; FIG. 3 is a split perspective view of a movable mold according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main mold of a movable mold according to an embodiment, showing the cross section of the main mold at elevation A indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 2 as viewed from the right side; FIG. 5 is an exploded cross-sectional view of a nest (split mold assembly) of a movable mold according to an embodiment, showing the cross sections of each part at elevation A indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 2 as viewed from the right side; FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the assembly process of a movable mold according to an embodiment, showing the process of assembling a cooling block onto a base member; FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the assembly process of a movable mold according to an embodiment, showing the process of assembling multiple mold segments onto a cooling block; FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing the assembly process of a movable mold according to an embodiment, showing the process of tightening pretension bolts to apply pretension between adjacent mold segments; FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing the assembly process of a movable mold according to an embodiment, showing the process of erecting the assembled nest (split mold assembly). 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the assembly process of a movable mold of an embodiment, showing a process of fitting a nest (split mold assembly) from a horizontal direction into a recess of a main mold set in a die-casting apparatus. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the assembly process of a movable mold of an embodiment, showing a cross-sectional view showing the movable mold after assembly. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing another assembly process of a movable mold of another embodiment, showing a process of placing the main mold removed from the die-casting apparatus horizontally and fitting a nest (split mold assembly) into the recess of the main mold from above. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a process of standing the movable mold of another embodiment assembled in FIG. 11 and setting it in a die-casting apparatus. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a movable mold of another embodiment. FIG. 16 is an exploded cross-sectional view of a movable mold of another embodiment.

[0042] The die 10 of the embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, the die casting machine 100 in which the die 10 of the embodiment is set will be described with reference to Fig. 1. In each drawing, the symbols FR, LH, and UP respectively indicate the front, left, and top of the die casting machine 100. The opposite directions of FR, LH, and UP are the rear, right, and bottom, respectively.

[0043] As shown in Figure 1, the die-casting apparatus 100 includes a mold clamping unit 120, an injection unit 116, an extrusion unit 110, and an exhaust pipe 117. A mold 10 is set in the die-casting apparatus 100. The mold clamping unit 120 includes a fixed platen 121, a movable platen 122, tie bars 123, and a drive unit (not shown). The fixed platen 121 is fixed to the tip of the tie bar 123, which is a rod member. The movable platen 122 is disposed opposite the fixed platen 121, and is moved forward along the tie bar 123 by the drive unit.

[0044] The mold 10 is attached to the mold clamping unit 120. The mold 10 includes a fixed mold 20 and a movable mold 50. The fixed mold 20 is attached to the fixed platen 121, and the movable mold 50 is attached to the movable platen 122. The mold clamping unit 120 opens and closes the mold 10 by moving the movable mold 50 in the forward and backward directions together with the movable platen 122. The movable mold 50 is then moved forward and pressed against the fixed mold 20, thereby clamping the mold 10. FIG. 1 shows the mold 10 in a state closed by the mold clamping unit 120. Therefore, the forward and backward direction corresponds to the clamping direction of the die-casting apparatus 100. When the mold 10 is closed, a cavity 12 is formed between the fixed mold 20 and the movable mold 50. The cavity 12 is a portion of the internal space of the mold 10 that has a shape corresponding to the shape of the die-cast product. Here, the die-cast product may be, for example, a vehicle body structural member.

[0045] The injection device 116 pressure-feeds molten metal, which is the material for the die-cast product, into the cavity 12 of the mold 10, as shown by the hollow arrow in Figure 1. Air in the cavity 12 is exhausted from an exhaust pipe 117 by a vacuum device (not shown) (see the arrow in Figure 1). The push-out device 110 includes an ejector pin 111, an ejector plate 112, and a drive device 115. When the mold 10 is opened, the push-out device 110 ejects the ejector pin 111, thereby releasing the die-cast product from the movable mold 50.

[0046] The fixed mold 20 is composed of a main mold 21 and a insert 25. The movable mold 50 is composed of a main mold 30 and an insert 40. The inserts 25 and 40 are parts of the fixed mold 20 and the movable mold 50 that are replaced depending on the die-cast product to be molded. The main molds 21 and 30 are parts that are fixed to the fixed platen 121 and the movable platen 122 of the die-casting device 100, and are parts that are commonly used for the die-cast products to be molded.

[0047] The movable mold 50 of the embodiment will be described below. As shown in FIG. 2, the movable mold 50 is composed of a main mold 30 and a insert 40 that is fitted into a recess 32 of the main mold 30.

[0048] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the master mold 30 is composed of a main body 31 and a recess 32. The main body 31 is a rectangular frame made of metal. The recess 32 is provided in the front of the main body 31. The recess 32 is a rectangular depression composed of an upper side surface 33, a lower side surface 34, a left side surface 36, a right side surface 35, and a bottom surface 37, and has an open surface 38 at the front end surface. Figure 3 shows the master mold 30 removed from the die-casting device 100 and placed with the open surface 38 facing upward.

[0049] The left side surface 36 includes a vertical portion 36S on the bottom surface 37 side and an inclined portion 36T on the open surface 38 side. The inclined portion 36T slopes toward the outer periphery of the main mold 30 as it approaches the open surface 38 of the recess 32. The vertical portion 36S is perpendicular to the bottom surface 37 and parallel to the mold clamping direction (front-to-back direction). A cooling circuit connection port 39 is provided in the vertical portion 36S. Like the left side surface 36, the right side surface 35 includes a vertical portion (not shown) and an inclined portion (not shown), and the vertical portion is provided with a cooling circuit connection port (not shown). As shown in FIG. 3 , the upper side surface 33, like the left and right side surfaces 36 and 35, includes a vertical portion 33S and an inclined portion 33T. Like the inclined portion 36T, the inclined portion 33T slopes toward the outer periphery of the main mold 30 as it approaches the open surface 38 of the recess 32. The lower side surface 34 does not include an inclined portion and is composed of a vertical surface perpendicular to the bottom surface 37.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 2 , the nest 40 is composed of six mold segments 41A to 41F, a cooling block 43, and a base member 45. The mold segments 41A to 41F are separated by parting lines, indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 2 . The six mold segments 41A to 41F, the cooling block 43, and the base member 45 are combined together. At this time, the cooling block 43 is sandwiched between the six mold segments 41A to 41F and the base member 45. Thus, the nest 40 is a combination of the multiple mold segments 41A to 41F and the cooling block 43, which are integrated onto the base member 45, constituting a split mold assembly. In the following description, this will be referred to as the nest (split mold assembly) 40. The nest (split mold assembly) 40 is fitted into the recess 32 of the main mold 30.

[0051] Next, with reference to Figure 4, the details of each component constituting the nest (split mold assembly) 40 will be described. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of each component constituting the nest (split mold assembly) 40, taken from the right side of the elevation A indicated by the dashed line in Figure 2. Figure 4 shows mold segments 41A, 41C, and 41E, a cooling block 43, a base member 45, a pretension bolt 42, a long knock pin 46, and a short knock pin 47. Note that mold segments 41B, 41D, and 41F are bilaterally symmetrical to mold segments 41A, 41C, and 41E, and therefore will not be described here.

[0052] 4, the base member 45 is a flat plate-like member, and the front surface 45F and the rear surface 45R are flat. The upper end surface 45U, the lower end surface 45B, and the left and right side surfaces (not shown) are vertical surfaces perpendicular to the rear surface 45R. A long knock pin 46 is attached to the front surface 45F.

[0053] The cooling block 43 is a flat plate-shaped member, and the front surface 43F and the rear surface 43R are flat. The upper end surface 43U, the lower end surface 43B, and the left and right side surfaces (not shown) are vertical surfaces perpendicular to the rear surface 43R. A cooling circuit 44 through which cooling water flows is provided inside the cooling block 43. A short knock pin 47 is attached to the front surface 43F. A through hole 48 is provided that penetrates the front surface 43F and the rear surface 43R.

[0054] The mold split 41A includes an upper end surface 41AT, a split surface 41AS, a rear surface 41AR, a bolt hole 42A, and a pin hole 46A. The upper end surface 41AT is an inclined surface that is inclined to correspond to the inclined portion 33T of the upper side surface 33 of the recess 32. The upper end surface 41AT is inclined relative to the rear surface 41AR so that it slopes upward as it moves forward. The split surface 41AS is a surface that extends in the front-to-rear direction (mold clamping direction) and is a vertical surface perpendicular to the rear surface 41AR. The bolt hole 42A is a hole that extends vertically through the upper end surface 41AT and the split surface 41AS. The bolt hole 42A extends parallel to the rear surface 41AR. A pin hole 46A is provided in the rear surface 41AR. Although not shown, the dividing surface of mold segment 41A with mold segment 41B is perpendicular to rear surface 41AR. Similarly to upper end surface 41AT, the right side surface of mold segment 41A is an inclined surface that is inclined to correspond to the inclined portion (not shown) of the right side surface of recess 32.

[0055] The mold segment 41C includes upper and lower parting surfaces 41CS, a rear surface 41CR, a screw hole 42C, and a pin hole 47C. The parting surface 41CS extends in the front-to-rear direction (mold clamping direction) and is perpendicular to the rear surface 46CR. Screw holes 42C are provided on each of the upper and lower parting surfaces 41CS. The inner surfaces of the screw holes 42C are threaded to receive the pretensioning bolts 42. The screw holes 42C extend parallel to the rear surface 41CR. The rear surface 41CR is provided with a pin hole 47C. Although not shown, the parting surface between the mold segment 41C and the mold segment 41D is perpendicular to the rear surface 41AR. Similar to the right side surface of the mold segment 41A, the right side surface of the mold segment 41C is inclined to correspond to the inclined portion (not shown) on the right side of the recess 32.

[0056] The mold segment 41E has a dividing surface 41ES, a lower end surface 41EB, a rear surface 41ER, a bolt hole 42E, and a pin hole 46E. The dividing surface 41ES and the lower end surface 41EB are surfaces that extend in the front-to-rear direction (mold clamping direction) and are vertical surfaces perpendicular to the rear surface 41ER. Like the bolt holes 42A of the mold segment 41A, the bolt holes 42E are holes that extend vertically through the dividing surface 41ES and the lower end surface 41EB. The bolt holes 42E extend parallel to the rear surface 41ER. The rear surface 41ER is provided with a pin hole 46E.

[0057] Next, a description will be given of a method for assembling the movable mold 50. First, a description will be given of the assembly process (first process) of the insert (split mold assembly) 40 with reference to FIGS.

[0058] First, as shown in FIG. 5 , the base member 45 is placed on the upper surface of an assembly table (not shown) with the rear surface 45R facing downward. At this time, the front surface 45F of the base member 45 faces upward. Then, as shown by arrow 81 in FIG. 5 , the position of the through hole 48 formed in the cooling block 43 is aligned with the position of the long knock pin 46, and the rear surface 43R of the cooling block 43 is placed on the front surface 45F of the base member 45. Then, as shown by arrow 82 in FIG. 5 , the long knock pin 46 passes through the through hole 48 and protrudes forward from the front surface 43F of the cooling block 43. This defines the position of the cooling block 43 relative to the base member 45.

[0059] Next, as shown in Figure 6, the position of the pin hole 47C of the central mold segment 41C is aligned with the position of the short knock pin 47 of the cooling block 43. Then, as shown by arrows 84 and 85 in Figure 6, the short knock pin 47 is fitted into the pin hole 47C of the mold segment 41C, and the rear surface 41CR of the mold segment 41C is placed on the front surface 43F of the cooling block 43. This defines the position of the mold segment 41C relative to the base member 45.

[0060] Next, the pin hole 46A of the mold segment 41A is aligned with the position of the long knock pin 46. Then, as shown by arrow 83 in FIG. 6 , the long knock pin 46 is fitted into the pin hole 46A of the mold segment 41A, and the rear surface 41AR of the mold segment 41A is superimposed on the front surface 43F of the cooling block 43. This defines the position of the mold segment 41A relative to the base member 45. Similarly, the pin hole 46E of the mold segment 41E is aligned with the position of the long knock pin 46. Then, as shown by arrow 86 in FIG. 6 , the long knock pin 46 is fitted into the pin hole 46E of the mold segment 41E, and the rear surface 41ER of the mold segment 41E is superimposed on the front surface 43F of the cooling block 43. This defines the position of the mold segment 41E relative to the base member 45.

[0061] When the mold segments 41A, 41C, and 41E are stacked on the front surface 43F of the cooling block 43 in this manner, a small gap is formed between the dividing surface 41AS of the mold segment 41A and the dividing surface 41CS of the mold segment 41C. Similarly, a small gap is formed between the dividing surface 41ES of the mold segment 41E and the dividing surface 41CS of the mold segment 41C. This gap exists before pretensioning.

[0062] Next, as shown in FIG. 7 , the pretension bolt 42 is inserted into the bolt hole 42A of the mold segment 41A, and then screwed into the threaded hole 42C of the mold segment 41C. The diameter of the pin hole 46A is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the long knock pin 46. Therefore, the gap between the pin hole 46A and the long knock pin 46 in the connecting direction of the mold segments 41A and 41C is larger than the gap before the pretensioning. Therefore, when the pretensioning bolt 42 is tightened, the dividing surface 41AS of the mold segment 41A and the dividing surface 41CS of the mold segment 41C are brought into close contact with each other, eliminating the gap in the connecting direction between the mold segments 41A and 41C. Furthermore, pretensioning is applied between the mold segments 41A and 41C. Similarly, when the pretension bolt 42 is inserted into the bolt hole 42E of the mold segment 41E and screwed into the threaded hole 42C of the mold segment 41C, the dividing surface 41ES of the mold segment 41E and the dividing surface 41CS of the mold segment 41C come into tight contact with each other, eliminating any gap in the connecting direction between the mold segments 41E and 41C. In addition, a pretension is applied between the mold segments 41E and 41C.

[0063] After the pretension bolts 42 have been tightened, the nest (split mold assembly) 40 is fastened in the front-to-rear direction with fastening bolts or the like to integrate the nest (split mold assembly) 40 into one piece.

[0064] Next, the step (second step) of fitting the insert (split mold assembly) 40 into the recess 32 of the main mold 30 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0065] 8, the integrally assembled nest (split mold assembly) 40 is raised so that the bottom end surface 41EB of the mold segment 41E faces downward in the direction of gravity. As a result, the bottom end surface 43B of the cooling block 43, which is a vertical surface, and the lower surface 34 of the recess 32 become horizontal surfaces parallel to the mold clamping direction.

[0066] As shown in Figure 9, the main mold 30 is set in the die-casting apparatus 100 so that the upper surface 33 faces upward in the direction of gravity, the lower surface 34 faces downward in the direction of gravity, and the mold clamping direction is approximately horizontal. The bottom surface 37 and the left and right side surfaces 36, 35 extend in the direction of gravity. Next, the insert (split mold assembly) 40 is lifted using a crane or the like, and the lower end surface 45B of the base member 45 and the lower end surface 43B of the cooling block 43 are placed on the lower surface 34 of the recess 32. At this time, gaps are left between the inclined portion 33T of the upper surface 33 of the recess 32 and the upper end surface 45U of the base member 45 and the upper end surface 43U of the cooling block 43.

[0067] Because the lower end surface 45B of the base member 45, the lower end surface 43B of the cooling block 43, and the lower surface 34 of the recess 32 form horizontal surfaces parallel to the mold clamping direction, the base member 45 and the cooling block 43 can be slid rearward on the lower surface 34 as indicated by arrow 90 in Fig. 9 . In this manner, the insert (split mold assembly) 40 is slid rearward and inserted into the recess 32. Then, as shown in Fig. 10 , the upper end surface 45U of the base member 45 and the upper end surface 43U of the cooling block 43 fit into the vertical portion 33S of the upper surface 33 of the recess 32, and the upper end surface 41AT of the mold segment 41A comes into close contact with the inclined portion 33T of the upper surface 33 of the recess 32, completing the insert (split mold assembly) 40 fitting process. When the fitting process of the nest (split mold assembly) 40 is completed, the left and right side surfaces (not shown) of the base member 45 and the left and right side surfaces (not shown) of the cooling block 43 fit into the vertical portion 36S of the left side surface 36 and the vertical portion (not shown) of the right side surface of the recess 32, and the inclined left and right side surfaces (not shown) of the mold segments 41A to 41F come into close contact with the inclined portions of the left side surface 36 and the inclined portions (not shown) of the right side surface of the recess 32. In addition, the cooling circuit connection port 39 provided in the recess 32 is connected to the cooling circuit 44 of the cooling block 43. Thereafter, the nest (split mold assembly) 40 and the main mold 30 are fastened together with fastening members (not shown).

[0068] As described above, the movable mold 50 of the embodiment is assembled by combining and fixing multiple mold segments 41A to 41F together with a cooling block 43 onto a flat base member 45 to form a nest (split mold assembly) 40, and then fitting the integrally assembled nest (split mold assembly) 40 into the recess 32 of the main mold 30.

[0069] This allows the multiple mold segments 41A to 41F to be fitted together into the recess 32, thereby shortening the assembly time of the movable mold 50. Furthermore, there is no need to adjust the positions of the multiple mold segments 41A to 41F when attaching the multiple mold segments 41A to 41F to the main mold 30, thereby shortening the assembly time of the movable mold 50.

[0070] Furthermore, since the base member 45 is a flat plate-like member, it is easy to assemble and fix the mold segments 41A to 41F onto the base member 45. Furthermore, it is easy to align the planes of the mold segments 41A to 41F and manage the gaps between them.

[0071] In addition, in the embodiment, the movable mold 50 has multiple mold segments 41A to 41F and the cooling block 43 fixed onto the base member 45 and assembled together into the main mold 30, thereby shortening the assembly time of the movable mold 50 including the cooling block 43.

[0072] Furthermore, in the movable mold 50, the cooling block 43 is sandwiched between the multiple mold segments 41A to 41F and the base member 45, so that the cooling block 43 can efficiently cool the multiple mold segments 41A to 41F.

[0073] Furthermore, the movable mold 50 is provided with pretensioning bolts 42 that connect adjacent mold segments 41A to 41F to each other and apply pretension between the adjacent mold segments 41A to 41F. By tightening the pretensioning bolts 42, gaps between the adjacent mold segments 41A to 41F in the connecting direction can be eliminated, suppressing the formation of burrs along the parting lines in the die-cast product. Furthermore, the adjacent mold segments 41A to 41F are prevented from separating during casting, suppressing the formation of burrs along the parting lines.

[0074] The movable mold 50 of the embodiment includes a plurality of long knock pins 46 and short knock pins 47, and a plurality of pin holes 46A, 46E, and 47C, which determine the positions of the mold segments 41A to 41F relative to the base member 45. This makes it easy to position each of the mold segments 41A to 41F relative to the base member 45 when assembling the mold segments 41A to 41F onto the base member 45.

[0075] Furthermore, in the movable mold 50 of this embodiment, the diameter of the pin hole 46A is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the long knock pin 46. Therefore, when the pretensioning bolt 42 is tightened, the parting surface 41CS of the mold segment 41A and the parting surface 41CS of the mold segment 41C are brought into close contact with each other, thereby eliminating any gap in the joining direction between the mold segments 41A and 41C. This effectively prevents burrs from forming along the parting line on the die-cast product.

[0076] Furthermore, in the movable mold 50 of this embodiment, the long knock pins 46 provided on the front surface 45F of the base member 45 pass through the cooling block 43 and fit into the pin holes 46A and 46E of the mold segments 41A and 41E. Also, the short knock pins 47 provided on the front surface 43F of the cooling block 43 fit into the pin hole 47C of the mold segment 41C. This makes it easy to align the base member 45, the cooling block 43, and the mold segments 41A to 41F with each other.

[0077] Furthermore, in the movable mold 50 of this embodiment, the upper side surface 33, left side surface 36, and right side surface 35 of the recess 32 include inclined portions 33T, 36T that slope toward the outer periphery of the main mold 30 as they approach the open surface 38 of the recess 32. In addition, the upper end surfaces and left and right side surfaces of the mold segments 41A to 41F are inclined surfaces that correspond to the inclined portions 33T, 36T. This allows the insert (split mold assembly) 40 to be easily fitted into the recess 32.

[0078] Furthermore, in the movable mold 50 of this embodiment, the lower surface 34 of the recess 32 and the lower end surface 41EB of the mold segment 41E are vertical. Therefore, when the nest (split mold assembly) 40 is raised so that the lower end surface 41EB of the mold segment 41E is downward in the direction of gravity, the lower end surface 43B of the cooling block 43 and the lower surface 34 of the recess 32 become horizontal reference surfaces parallel to the mold clamping direction. Meanwhile, the main mold 30 is set in the die-casting apparatus 100 in an upright state so that the lower surface 34 is parallel to the mold clamping direction. Therefore, the nest (split mold assembly) 40 can be assembled horizontally into the recess 32 while the main mold 30 is set in the die-casting apparatus 100. This shortens the time required to replace the movable mold 50.

[0079] The movable mold 50 of the embodiment has been described above, but the fixed mold 20 that constitutes the mold 10 is composed of a main mold 21 and a nest 25. Like the main mold 30 of the movable mold 50, the main mold 21 has a recess (not shown) into which the nest 25 is fitted. Like the nest (split mold assembly) 40 of the movable mold 50, the nest 25 is a split mold assembly that is assembled by combining and fixing multiple mold segments together with a cooling block 43 on a flat base member. The assembled nest (split mold assembly) 25 is fitted into the recess of the main mold 21. Like the movable mold 50, the fixed mold 20 has the advantage of being able to be replaced in a short time.

[0080] Next, a movable mold 150 according to another embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 11 and 12. The same parts as those of the movable mold 50 previously described with reference to Figures 1 to 10 will be designated by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0081] 11 , the main mold 130 of the movable mold 150 has a lower surface 34A including an inclined portion 34T and a vertical portion 34S as the lower surface 34 of the recess 32 of the main mold 30 of the movable mold 50. The mold segment 141E of the movable mold 150 has a lower end surface 41ET that is an inclined surface as the lower end surface 41EB of the mold segment 41E of the movable mold 50. The mold segment 141F adjacent to the left of the mold segment 141E is bilaterally symmetrical to the mold segment 141E, and its lower end surface 41FT is also an inclined surface like the lower end surface 41ET of the mold segment 141E.

[0082] The nest 140 of the movable mold 150, like the nest (split mold assembly) 40 of the movable mold 50, is a split mold assembly in which a cooling block 43 and mold segments 41A to 41D, 141E, and 141F are combined and fixed together on a base member 45.

[0083] To fit the movable mold 150 into the recess 132, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the main mold 130 is placed on a bed (not shown) with the recess 132 facing upward in the direction of gravity, and the nest (split mold assembly) 140 is fitted into the recess 132 from above in the direction of gravity, as indicated by arrow 91 in Fig. 11. Then, the upper end surface 45U of the base member 45 and the upper end surface 43U of the cooling block 43 fit into the vertical portion 33S of the upper side 33 of the recess 132, the upper end surface 41AT of the mold segment 41A comes into close contact with the inclined portion 33T of the upper side 33 of the recess 132, and the lower end surfaces 41ET and 41FT of the mold segments 141E and 141F come into close contact with the inclined portion 34T of the lower side 34 of the recess 132, completing the fitting process of the nest (split mold assembly) 140. Then, the movable mold 150 with the nest (split mold assembly) 140 fitted into the main mold 130 is lifted up in an upright position with the upper surface 33 facing upward in the direction of gravity, as shown in Figure 12, and set in a predetermined position in the die-casting device 100.

[0084] Like the movable mold 50, the movable mold 150 can fit multiple mold segments 41A to 41D, 141E, and 141F together into the recess 132, thereby reducing the assembly time of the movable mold 50. Furthermore, there is no need to adjust the positions of the multiple mold segments 41A to 41D, 141E, and 141F when attaching the multiple mold segments 41A to 41D, 141E, and 141F to the main mold 130, which reduces the assembly time of the movable mold 150 in a short time.

[0085] In the movable mold 50 described above, the cooling block 43 is integrally assembled with the base member 45 and mold segments 41A to 41F, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0086] For example, as shown in Figure 13, a movable mold 250 may not have a cooling block 43, and the nest 240 may be a split mold assembly in which six mold segments 41A to 41F are combined and fixed on a base member 45.

[0087] In addition, while the movable mold 50 has been described as having the long knock pins 46 attached to the base member 45, the short knock pins 47 attached to the cooling block 43, the pin holes 46A and 46E provided in the mold segments 41A and 41E, and the pin hole 47C provided in the mold segment 41C, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, as in the movable mold 350 shown in FIG. 14 , the long knock pins 46 may be attached to the mold segments 341A and 341E, the short knock pin 47 attached to the mold segment 341C, the pin holes 46A and 46E provided in the base member 345, and the pin hole 47C provided in the cooling block 343.

[0088] As with the movable mold 50, the movable mold 350 can shorten the assembly time of the movable mold 350.

[0089] The movable mold 50 has been described above, but the movable mold 50 may be set in the die-casting device 100 together with the fixed mold 20, and molten metal may be pumped into the cavity 12 of the mold 10 to form a structural member for a vehicle body.

[0090] In the above explanation, it has been explained that the upper surface 33 and left side surface 36 of the main mold 30 of the movable mold 50 include inclined portions 33T and 36T, and that the right side surface also includes an inclined surface (not shown), and that the upper end surface 41AT of the mold segment 41A, the upper end surface (not shown) of the mold segment 41B, and the left and right side surfaces of the mold segments 41A to 41F are composed of inclined surfaces corresponding to each inclined portion of the recess 32, but this is not limited to this.

[0091] FIG. 15 shows a movable mold 450 according to another embodiment. The movable mold 450 is composed of a main mold 430 and a nest 440, which is a split mold assembly. The upper surface 433, left side surface 436, right side surface (not shown), and lower surface 434 of the recess 432 in the main mold 430 are all vertical. In addition, the upper end surface 441AS of the mold segment 441A, the lower end surface 441EB of the mold segment 441E, and the left and right side surfaces (not shown) of the mold segments 441A, 441C, and 441E are all vertical. Like the movable mold 50, the movable mold 450 has the advantage of being able to be replaced in a short time.

[0092] 10 Mold, 12 Cavity, 20 Fixed mold, 21, 30, 130, 430 Main mold, 25, 40, 140, 240, 440 Nest (split mold assembly), 31 Main body, 32, 132, 432 Recess, 33, 433 Upper surface, 33S, 34S, 36S Vertical portion, 33T, 34T, 36T Inclined portion, 34, 34A, 434 Lower surface, 35 Right side surface, 36, 436 Left side surface, 37 Bottom surface, 38 Open surface, 39 Cooling circuit connection port, 41A to 41F, 141E, 141F, 341A, 341C, 341E, 441A, 441C, 441E Mold split body, 41AR, 41CR, 41ER, 43R, 45R Rear surface, 41AS, 41CS, 41ES Parting surface, 41AT, 43U, 45U, 441AS Upper end surface, 41EB, 41ET, 41FT, 43B, 45B, 441EB Lower end surface, 42 Pretension bolt, 42A, 42E Bolt hole, 42C Screw hole, 43, 343 Cooling block, 43F, 45F Front surface, 44 Cooling circuit, 45, 345 Base member, 46 Long knock pin, 46A, 46E, 47C Pin hole, 47 Short knock pin, 48 Through hole, 50, 150, 250, 350, 450 Movable mold, 100 Die-casting device, 110 Extrusion device, 111 Ejector pin, 112 Ejector plate, 115 Drive device, 120 Mold clamping device, 121 fixed plate, 122 movable plate, 123 tie bar.

Claims

1. A mold comprising: a plurality of mold segments; a base member for fixing the plurality of mold segments, the base member being configured to assemble and fix the plurality of mold segments onto the base member; and a main mold having recesses into which the plurality of mold segments and the base member are fitted.

2. A mold according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of mold segments and the base member are combined to form a split mold assembly fixed on the base member, and the main mold has the split mold assembly fitted into the recess.

3. A mold according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the base member is a flat plate-like member.

4. A mold according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a cooling block fixed to the base member together with the plurality of mold segments.

5. A mold according to claim 4, characterized in that the cooling block is sandwiched between the plurality of mold segments and the base member.

6. A mold according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises at least one pretension bolt which interconnects adjacent mold halves and applies pretension between the adjacent mold halves.

7. A mold according to claim 6, wherein the base member is a flat plate-like member, each of the mold segments has a parting surface perpendicular to the upper surface of the base member, and the pretension bolts extend parallel to the upper surface of the base member.

8. A mold according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of knock pins that define the positions of the plurality of mold segments relative to the base member.

9. A mold according to claim 8, wherein each of said mold segments has at least one pin hole for receiving said knock pin.

10. A mold according to claim 2, comprising at least one pretension bolt that connects adjacent mold segments together and applies pretension between the adjacent mold segments, and a plurality of knock pins that determine the positions of the plurality of mold segments relative to the base member, each of the mold segments having at least one pin hole that receives the knock pin, and the gap between the pin hole and the knock pin in the direction in which the mold segments are connected is larger than the gap between adjacent mold segments before pretension is applied.

11. A mold according to claim 9, comprising a cooling block sandwiched between the mold segments and the base member and fixed to the base member together with the mold segments, and at least one of the knock pins is arranged to pass through the cooling block.

12. A mold according to claim 2, wherein at least one side surface of the recess includes an inclined portion that slopes toward the outer periphery of the main mold as it approaches the open surface of the recess.

13. A mold according to claim 12, wherein the recess has a rectangular shape including four side surfaces and one bottom surface, three of the side surfaces include the inclined portion, and the remaining side surface is perpendicular to the open surface.

14. A method for assembling a mold, comprising: a first step of assembling and fixing a plurality of mold segments onto a base member to form a split mold assembly; and a second step of fitting the split mold assembly into a recess in a main mold.

15. A mold assembly method according to claim 14, characterized in that the second step comprises: holding the main mold upright so that the mold clamping direction is approximately horizontal, and fitting the split mold assembly horizontally into the recess of the main mold.

16. A method for manufacturing a vehicle body structural member, which comprises molding the vehicle body structural member using the mold according to claim 1.

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