Tank cooling apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling apparatuses for hollow thermoplastic synthetic resin tanks face challenges in reliably cooling specific parts while maintaining desired dimensions, as they either fail to maintain close contact between the tank and mold, leading to potential deformation and dimensional errors.
Innovation Solution
A cooling apparatus with movable frames, contact members having grooved contact surfaces, and a receiving member that allows for adjustable positioning and angle adjustment of contact members to ensure even cooling and prevent deformation, combined with a pressure applying device to maintain internal pressure and contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the tank is accommodated in the mold cavity in the mold closed state for cooling, then the tank can be generally cooled, but a part of the tank cannot be reliably cooled and dimensional errors occur
Solution Approach 1:
The contact members are provided with cooling liquid supply ports that open directly onto their contact surfaces, creating localized cooling zones at specific parts of the tank outer surface. The grooves on the contact surfaces guide the cooling liquid to specific areas, enabling selective cooling of critical regions while maintaining dimensional accuracy through targeted thermal management.
Solution Approach 2:
Contact members serve as intermediary elements between the cooling liquid supply system and the tank outer surface. These intermediaries transmit both mechanical contact force for shape holding and cooling liquid directly to the tank surface, resolving the conflict between maintaining contact for dimensional accuracy and enabling effective cooling.
2Manufacturing precision
If shape holding members contact the outer surface of the tank to maintain dimensions, then the shape is maintained, but the contacted parts cannot be cooled
Solution Approach 1:
The contact members integrate multiple functions into a single component: they provide mechanical contact for shape holding, supply cooling liquid through integrated ports, and guide the cooling liquid via grooves on their surfaces. This merging eliminates the need for separate shape holding members and cooling apparatus, allowing simultaneous dimensional maintenance and effective cooling at the contact points.
3Temperature
If the cooling liquid flows between the tank outer surface and mold surface, then cooling occurs, but close contact may not be maintained causing deformation
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying on the cooling liquid flow between tank and mold to maintain contact, the invention inverts the approach by using contact members that actively press against the tank outer surface. The cooling liquid is supplied through these contact members, ensuring that mechanical contact is maintained independently of the cooling liquid flow, thereby preventing deformation while enabling effective cooling.
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 apparatus effectively cools desired parts of the tank while reducing dimensional errors and maintaining the desired shape, with improved cooling efficiency and ease of machining, ensuring the tank is cooled uniformly and efficiently.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling liquid supply passage (26) provided with multiple cooling liquid supply ports (26a) that respectively open in the contact surfaces of the contact members to supply a cooling liquid toward the outer surface of the tank
Implementation Method 2
each of the contact surfaces is provided with grooves (50) extending from a corresponding one of the cooling liquid supply ports to an outer edge of the contact surface
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling apparatus includes: a pair of movable frames provided to be movable relative to each other so as to clamp a tank; multiple contact members provided on each of the pair of movable frames and each having a contact surface configured to contact an outer surface of the tank; a cooling liquid supply passage provided with multiple cooling liquid supply ports that respectively open in the contact surfaces of the contact members to supply a cooling liquid toward the outer surface of the tank; and a cooling liquid supply device that supplies the cooling liquid to the cooling liquid supply passage. Each of the contact surfaces is provided with grooves extending from a corresponding one of the cooling liquid supply ports to an outer edge of the contact surface.