Sporting Helmet Mold With Intermediate Support Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing molding process for sporting helmets, particularly cycling helmets, is inefficient due to lengthy production times and imperfections in the final product, with the removal of a support template causing potential displacements of components and risk of mold damage.
Innovation Solution
A mold design that incorporates intermediate support elements with grip handles and locking protuberances, allowing for precise positioning and locking of components within the mold, eliminating the need for removing a traditional support template and enhancing the stability of the molding process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the support template is removed from the female half-mold before closing the mold, then the molding cycle can proceed, but component displacements occur and mold damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support template is divided into multiple removable support elements that can be individually extracted from the mold cavity. Each support element has a corresponding removal hole in the female half-mold, allowing selective removal without affecting other components. This segmentation enables the mold closing process to proceed while maintaining component positioning precision through the remaining support structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The support elements act as intermediary structures between the components and the mold cavity. During the molding cycle, these intermediaries are progressively removed through designated removal holes, allowing the mold to close while components remain properly positioned. The intermediaries facilitate the transition from a state requiring support to a state where components are securely held in position.
2Manufacturing precision
If the support template remains in the female half-mold during molding, then component positioning is maintained, but production time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support elements are pre-positioned in the female half-mold with designated removal holes aligned for progressive extraction. This preliminary arrangement allows the molding cycle to begin immediately with components properly supported, while the removal process occurs concurrently or immediately afterward through the pre-positioned holes, minimizing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The support elements remain in place during the critical molding phase to maintain component positioning, then are continuously removed through the removal holes as the cycle progresses. This continuous action ensures that positioning precision is maintained during the essential molding operation while eliminating support elements afterward without interrupting the overall process flow.
3Loss of time
If traditional molding process is used without intermediate support elements, then production time is reduced, but component positioning accuracy and mold protection are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The support elements are designed with dynamic removal capabilities through the removal holes in the female half-mold. Rather than being permanently fixed or requiring complete removal before molding, these elements can be progressively extracted during or immediately after the molding cycle. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt between needing support during molding and requiring minimal obstruction for efficient production.
Solution Approach 2:
The support elements are designed to be self-removed through the removal holes in the female half-mold without requiring complex external mechanisms. The gravity-assisted or simple extraction through pre-positioned holes allows the support structure to serve its positioning function during molding, then automatically or easily remove itself afterward, protecting the mold and maintaining accuracy without adding significant time to the process.
Data Source
AI summary
A mold and a relative molding process for the manufacture of sporting helmets, in particular cycling helmets. The mold includes a frame provided with at least one molding concavity; a counter frame engageable to the frame to hermetically close the respective molding concavity and allow the execution of at least one molding cycle. The mold further includes at least one intermediate support element for supporting and positioning one or more components of the sporting helmet to be manufactured inside the respective molding concavity of the frame. The intermediate support element is kept inside the respective molding concavity during the entire molding cycle in order to keep the components of the sporting helmet to be manufactured in their assigned positions.