Overmolded HCA Trap Media Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing hydrocarbon adsorption traps and filtration devices require secondary steps such as gluing media into frames and assembling separate components, which are inefficient and costly, and do not reliably position air permeable media during the encapsulation process.
Innovation Solution
An innovative injection molding process that positions and holds air permeable media sheets within a mold tool using retractable locating components, allowing for the automatic formation of a peripheral support frame around the media, eliminating the need for secondary assembly steps and ensuring accurate positioning during the encapsulation with plastic resin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If air permeable media is positioned within a mold tool using conventional methods, then the media can be placed in the mold, but the media cannot be reliably held in position during encapsulation, requiring secondary assembly steps
Solution Approach 1:
The mold tool includes positioning features that are prepared in advance to receive and hold the air permeable media in the correct position before encapsulation begins. This preliminary positioning action eliminates the need for secondary assembly steps after encapsulation, as the media is already securely held in place during the molding process.
Solution Approach 2:
Positioning features within the mold tool act as an intermediary mechanism between the media and the encapsulation process. These features temporarily hold the media in the desired position during molding, ensuring reliable positioning without requiring complex secondary assembly operations afterward.
2Productivity
If separate components (frame and media) are produced and assembled, then flexibility in manufacturing is maintained, but production efficiency decreases and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mold tool is designed to encapsulate the air permeable media directly within a single molding operation, merging the frame formation and media positioning steps into one integrated process. This combining of operations eliminates secondary assembly steps, significantly improving production efficiency while maintaining ease of manufacture through the unified mold design.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional encapsulation methods are used, then the process is simple, but the media cannot be accurately positioned during the encapsulation process
Solution Approach 1:
The mold tool incorporates localized positioning features at specific locations where the air permeable media needs to be held. These localized features provide precise positioning only where needed, rather than requiring complex overall tool design, thus achieving high manufacturing precision with controlled device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method of locating and holding one or more sheets of air permeable media within an injection mold tool and holding the location until the mold tool engaged and holds media sheets, as well as molding a support frames encapsulating the media sheets to form a unitary encapsulated filtration product.