Interdental Cleaning Tool Mold Gate Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing manufacturing methods for interdental cleaning devices result in variations in the quality of the cleaning soft portion and non-slip portion, leading to poor molding, reduced cleaning ability, and increased complexity in mold structure, which affects the handleability and design flexibility of the device.
Innovation Solution
A method where the elastomeric material is supplied through a gate positioned equally distant from the communicating openings of the non-slip and connecting portion molding spaces, ensuring simultaneous supply to the cleaning portion molding space, allowing for a larger core diameter and improved handleability while preventing deformation and peeling of the non-slip portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the elastomeric material is charged from the front end side to base end side of the core portion, then poor molding at the front end of the cleaning soft portion is prevented, but the opening area of the gate portion cannot be made large, making it impossible to charge a sufficient amount of elastomeric material and bond it properly to the core portion
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the single gate into multiple gates (first gate and second gate) positioned at different locations. The first gate is positioned at the front end side to prevent poor molding, while the second gate is positioned at the base end side to enable sufficient material charging. This segmentation allows each gate to fulfill its specific function without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the mold are provided with different gate characteristics. The first gate region is optimized for preventing poor molding at the front end, while the second gate region is optimized for charging sufficient material quantity. This local differentiation allows each gate to address specific local requirements of the molding process.
2Device complexity
If the elastomeric material is charged from the front end side to base end side of the core portion, then the mold structure can be made simple, but it forces the core portion to have a large diameter, making it impossible to insert the cleaning portion between teeth effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the gating system into multiple gates with different functions. The first gate maintains simplicity in the overall mold structure by being positioned at the front end, while the second gate enables sufficient material flow without requiring an increased core diameter. This segmentation allows the core portion to maintain its required slender dimensions.
3Quantity of substance
If the elastomeric material is charged from the base end side to front end side of the core portion, then a sufficient amount of material can be charged, but poor charging occurs at the front end of the cleaning soft portion
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses two gates positioned at opposite ends of the core portion. The first gate at the front end ensures proper charging quality at the front end, while the second gate at the base end ensures sufficient material quantity is charged. This segmentation eliminates the trade-off between quantity and quality.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of charging material from a single direction, the invention charges material from both directions simultaneously (front end and base end). This bidirectional charging approach allows each end to be properly filled without the poor charging issues that occur with unidirectional charging.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3(a)~3(b)
AI summary
Provided is a method for manufacturing an interdental cleaning device (1) including a base portion (10) having a handle portion (11) and a core portion (12); and a soft portion (20) having a cleaning soft portion (21), a non-slip portion (22), and connecting portions (23) extending from two sites of the non-slip portion (22) and being connected to the cleaning soft portion (21). The method includes causing a second gate (49) of second molds (40) and (41) for molding the soft portion (20) to open at a position substantially equally distant from positions of two communicating openings (48a) of a non-slip molding space (47) for molding the non-slip portion (22), the two communicating openings (48a) communicating with connecting portion molding spaces (48) for molding the connecting portions (23); and charging the elastomeric material from the second gate (49) into a second molding space (42) for molding the soft portion (20) to fill the molding space (42).