Lateral Movable Injection Mold Plate for Dual-Part Assembly
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of injection molded parts often requires multiple machines and involves irregular cooling, leading to dimension discrepancies between parts, making assembly challenging, especially when parts have small dimensions and require precise orientation.
Innovation Solution
An injection molding and assembly apparatus with a first and second mold plate, where the second mold plate is laterally movable, allowing for the formation of two different types of molded parts with distinct structures, and a transferring mechanism to position and couple these parts for assembly, using a removing and coupling device to ensure precise alignment and assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate machines are used for molding different parts, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple injection molding cavities (type A and type B) into a single mold plate that can be laterally moved, integrating functions of multiple separate molding machines into one apparatus. This allows different types of molded parts to be produced simultaneously in one device, reducing the number of machines required while maintaining manufacturing flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The mold plate is designed to serve multiple functions by incorporating both type A and type B cavities, enabling it to produce different types of molded parts. The lateral movement capability allows the same mold plate to be positioned for different injection operations, making the device universal rather than dedicated to a single function.
2Productivity
If irregular cooling is used during injection molding, then manufacturing speed is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to dimension discrepancies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different cooling strategies to different regions of the mold plate. Type A and type B cavities can have independent cooling channels and temperature control, allowing each cavity type to be cooled according to its specific requirements. This localized cooling approach maintains fast manufacturing cycles while ensuring dimensional consistency for each part type.
3Manufacturing precision
If molded parts require precise orientation for assembly, then assembly precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to handling difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The mold plate is designed with preliminary positioning features such as registration marks, guide pins, or oriented ejection mechanisms that automatically orient the molded parts in the correct position during ejection. This preliminary action ensures that parts are already oriented correctly before handling, making assembly easier while maintaining precision without requiring manual orientation by operators.
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 enables efficient and precise assembly of injection molded parts with different structures, reducing the need for multiple machines and improving the consistency of dimensions, facilitating easier handling and assembly by ensuring parts are correctly aligned and coupled.
Implementation Method 1
a first injection unit (8) to provide a first molten material; a first injection molding station (40) defined between the first machine platen (12) and the second machine platen (13)
Implementation Method 2
the second mold plate (23) being aligned with the first mold plate (22), the second mold plate (23) being laterally movable relative to the first mold plate (22) and outside the injection molding station (40)
Implementation Method 3
a transferring mechanism to carry the second mold plate (23) including the molded parts of type A′ and of type B′ outside the injection molding station (40)
Implementation Method 4
a removing and coupling device to separate the molded parts of type B′ from the second mold plate (23) and to couple the molded parts of type A′ and type B′ to create an assembly of molded parts of type A′ and type B′
Data Source
AI summary
An injection molding apparatus may include a first mold plate and a second mold plate. The second mold plate may be movable outside an injection molding station defined by these mold plates. The second mold plate may carry parts of type A′ and parts of type B′ molded at the same time within the injection molding station. A transferring mechanism may carry the second mold plate to removing and assembling stations where molded parts A′ are first removed from the second mold plate and next parts A′ are positioned relative molded parts B′, where the molded parts B′ and A′ are finally assembled. Simultaneously other parts A′ and B′ may be molded at the injection molding station using an additional and identical second mold plate. Depending on the application, molded parts A′ and B′ may be made of the same or different materials.