Mold Actuating and Cooling Assembly for Glassware Molding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mold cooling systems for glassware molding machines are inefficient, complex, and costly due to the need for airtight sealing and bulky constructions, which complicates adjustments and increases production expenses.

Innovation Solution

A compact mold actuating and cooling assembly featuring hollow supporting and actuating arms with intermediate lateral chambers and hollow inserts, allowing for efficient airflow and reduced pressure requirements, with a simple and sturdy design that minimizes adjustments and maintenance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If air is fed into an intermediate lateral chamber of the half-molds using a telescopic feed device, then cooling of the molds is achieved, but the construction becomes extremely complicated, bulky, and expensive with painstaking adjustments required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemold cooling efficiencyVSAvoidconstruction complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the cooling function from the complex telescopic feed device and integrates it directly into the mold structure through cooling channels formed in the half-molds themselves. The cooling air is fed directly to the mold cavities through simplified openings in the bed, eliminating the need for intermediate chambers and telescopic mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The half-molds serve multiple functions: they form the product cavities and simultaneously contain integrated cooling channels. The bed structure also serves dual purposes as both support and air distribution medium, with openings that facilitate cooling air flow to multiple molds simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Temperature

If air is fed upwards through an opening underneath the molds, then cooling is provided, but the cooling is not thorough or continuous

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemold cooling effectivenessVSAvoidcooling continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling air is directed locally and precisely to specific regions of the molds through openings in the bed that align with the mold cavities. The cooling channels within the half-molds ensure that air reaches all critical cooling zones uniformly, providing thorough and continuous cooling throughout the mold structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Temperature

If complex airtight sealing is implemented for telescopic feed devices, then cooling function is achieved, but production cost and adjustment complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling functionVSAvoidproduction cost
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates the need for complex airtight sealing mechanisms by removing the telescopic feed device entirely. Instead, cooling air is fed through fixed openings in the bed directly to the mold cavities, with cooling channels integrated into the half-molds, thereby eliminating sealing requirements and associated costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 solution provides thorough, continuous mold cooling with reduced pressure requirements, ensuring efficient and reliable operation while being cost-effective and easy to produce and maintain.

Implementation Method 1

air is fed into the intermediate chamber of the relative half-mold... flows over the half-molds in the closed position

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Implementation Method 2

a mold cooling device, which draws cooling air from a pressurized air chamber... and feeds it to the molds

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectForced Convection: Forced Convection

Data Source

PatentEP2011768B1Mold actuating and cooling assembly for a glassware molding machine
Publication Date: 2014.10.29 BOTTERO SPA
  • EP2011768B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2011768B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2011768B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In a glassware molding machine (1), the half-molds (5) of a mold (3) are moved between an open position and a closed position and cooled by an actuating and cooling assembly (12) having a fixed supporting structure (13) and, for each half-mold (5), a respective supporting and actuating arm (15) fitted to the relative half-mold (5) and hinged to the fixed supporting structure (13) to rotate about a fixed hinge axis (25a); each supporting arm (15) internally defining a chamber (25) communicating with a ring of cooling conduits (10) formed through the half-molds (5), and the chamber having an inlet (30) formed through an outer lateral wall (31) of the supporting arm (15) to receive cooling air from a compressed-air tank (39) of the machine (1).