Elastic Mold Housing for Paste Molding Stability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for producing objects from paste-like materials, such as lipsticks, face challenges in maintaining dimensional stability while ensuring easy removability from molds, as silicone molds deform during the production process, leading to increased production tolerances and potential overstretching during removal.
Innovation Solution
A device featuring a dimensionally stable housing element with an elastic mold part, where the mold part is fixed within the housing element, either directly or with a thin fluid layer, maintaining shape during filling, and a movable part enlarges the housing space to define the mold's deformation for easy object removal, preventing overstretching and maintaining stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the silicone mold is freely suspended during filling, then the mold can easily deform to enable object removal, but the dimensional stability of the mold deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mold system is segmented into two independent parts: a dimensionally stable housing element and an elastic mold part. The housing element provides structural stability and maintains precise dimensions, while the mold part is responsible for forming the object and can deform locally during removal. This segmentation allows each part to fulfill its specific function optimally without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold part is designed with dynamic characteristics, being elastic and capable of deformation when necessary. The housing element remains static and stable, while the mold part can dynamically adapt its shape during the removal process. This dynamic design enables the mold to stretch and release the hardened object without permanently deforming the overall structure.
2Ease of operation
If the mold part deforms during removal, then the object can be easily released, but production tolerances increase
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the housing element from the mold part, the deformation is localized to the mold part only, while the housing element maintains its precise dimensions. This ensures that production tolerances are preserved in the critical housing structure, while the mold part's deformation is confined to temporary shape changes that do not affect overall precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic properties are applied locally only to the mold part where deformation is needed for removal, while the housing element maintains rigid dimensional stability. This local differentiation of material properties allows the system to achieve both easy removal and high manufacturing precision in different locations.
3Ease of operation
If the mold part is stretched during removal, then the object can be released, but the mold part may be overstretched and lose stability
Solution Approach 1:
The housing element acts as a protective structure that prevents the mold part from being overstretched during removal. By providing a stable framework and defined deformation limits, the housing element cushions the mold part against excessive stress, ensuring the mold part returns to its original shape without permanent deformation or loss of stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold part is designed as a flexible elastic shell that can stretch and deform during removal but returns to its original shape afterward. This flexible membrane structure allows temporary deformation for easy removal while maintaining overall structural integrity and stability through its elastic properties.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution significantly reduces production tolerances and maintains mold stability, allowing for precise and easy removal of hardened objects without excessive deformation, ensuring consistent product quality and ease of use in conventional production machines.
Implementation Method 1
a thin fluid layer, such as for example air or water, respectively an oil layer, may be provided between the mold part and the housing element
Implementation Method 2
it is essential that the existing fluid volume is closed so that a vacuum acts upon the walls of the mold part if the movable part is moved away from the mold part
Implementation Method 3
an elastic mold part, for example made of silicone, is used not freely suspended, but the mold part is arranged in a dimensionally stable housing element
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a device and a method for producing objects, for example lipsticks, that are molded from paste-like materials, while using an elastic mold part (28), into which the paste-like material is introduced by means of a filling device, is hardened, and from which the at least largely hardened object is removed by a removing device while said mold part is elastically stretched. It is provided a dimensionally stable housing element (12) for housing said mold part, wherein said housing element is held inside a stationary or moveable support of said device, wherein said mold part (28) is placed in a housing space of said housing element at least during the filling and removal process, andwherein said housing space can be enlarged for removing the object and/or a thin fluid layer is placed between said mold part and said housing element, which is removable from said housing element for the removal process. Such a production mold prevents/limits the stretching of said mold part during filling and consequently the production tolerances of the end product. The invention also relates to a production mold for such a device.