Injection Molded Perforated Plate With Mold Elevations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing perforated plates used in liquid dispensers are costly to produce and complex to manufacture, limiting their widespread adoption for applications requiring continuous liquid flow.
Innovation Solution
A perforated plate produced via injection molding using a mold with two halves, where elevations on one half prevent plastic from filling discharge openings, resulting in a cost-effective and efficient method for creating plates with numerous discharge openings, suitable for use in dispensers with continuous liquid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If laser machining or etching is used to produce perforated plates, then the discharge openings can be created, but the production process becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical/thermal processing methods (laser machining, etching) with an injection molding process. A mold with elevations is used where the plastic material is injected and automatically forms the discharge openings through the elevation structures, eliminating the need for complex post-processing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold is pre-configured with elevations that define the discharge opening geometry before the plastic is injected. This preliminary structuring of the mold allows the discharge openings to be formed directly during the injection process rather than requiring subsequent machining or etching operations.
2Manufacturing precision
If laser machining or etching is used to produce perforated plates, then the discharge openings can be created, but production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive post-processing operations (laser machining, etching) with a cost-effective injection molding process. The mold with elevations is designed to form discharge openings directly during the molding process, eliminating the need for additional machining operations and reducing overall production costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the formation of discharge openings with the main molding process. The elevations in the mold are integrated into the molding operation itself, so that creating the perforated plate structure and forming the discharge openings happen simultaneously in a single injection molding cycle, rather than requiring separate operations.
3Productivity
If a large number of discharge openings are created, then liquid distribution is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mold is pre-configured with multiple elevations arranged to form the desired pattern of discharge openings. This preliminary arrangement of elevations in the mold allows a large number of openings to be formed systematically during the injection process, maintaining manufacturing simplicity even as the number of openings increases.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold is divided into multiple elevations that are distributed across the mold surface. Each elevation corresponds to a discharge opening, and this segmentation of the mold structure into multiple identical or varied elevation elements allows for the systematic formation of many openings through a single injection molding operation.
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
The method allows for the production of perforated plates with a large number of discharge openings at a lower cost, enabling efficient and continuous liquid dispensing, suitable for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food applications, with improved discharge characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
the perforated plate is produced as a plastic component by means of injection molding
Implementation Method 2
distal contact areas rest against the distal ends of the elevations on the contact surface, so that they keep the discharge openings free of plastic when the plastic is injected
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 2c~2d
AI summary
The method involves manufacturing the perforated plate as plastic component by injection molding. A molding tool (10) with two mold halves is provided for manufacturing the perforated plate. The mold halves together define a cavity which is filled with plastic during injection molding. The former tool half has a plane contact surface (20) facing the cavity. The latter tool half has multiple elevations (40) raised over a base surface (32). The distal contact areas at the distal end of the elevations lie at the contact surface in the closed state of the molding tool, so that the contact areas freely hold the discharge openings during injection of the plastic. Independent claims are included for the following: (1) a nozzle unit for a dispenser for discharging liquids; (2) a dispenser with a pump device; (3) an injection molding-molding tool for use in perforated plate manufacturing method; and (4) a method for manufacturing a mold half for an injection molding-molding tool.