CA2079441A1 - Method of manufacturing components of plastics enclosures and apparatus for use in the method - Google Patents
Method of manufacturing components of plastics enclosures and apparatus for use in the methodInfo
- Publication number
- CA2079441A1 CA2079441A1 CA 2079441 CA2079441A CA2079441A1 CA 2079441 A1 CA2079441 A1 CA 2079441A1 CA 2079441 CA2079441 CA 2079441 CA 2079441 A CA2079441 A CA 2079441A CA 2079441 A1 CA2079441 A1 CA 2079441A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- grooves
- inserts
- blanks
- tool
- blank
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C53/00—Shaping by bending, folding, twisting, straightening or flattening; Apparatus therefor
- B29C53/02—Bending or folding
- B29C53/04—Bending or folding of plates or sheets
- B29C53/06—Forming folding lines by pressing or scoring
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C33/00—Moulds or cores; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B29C33/30—Mounting, exchanging or centering
- B29C33/306—Exchangeable mould parts, e.g. cassette moulds, mould inserts
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C33/00—Moulds or cores; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B29C33/42—Moulds or cores; Details thereof or accessories therefor characterised by the shape of the moulding surface, e.g. ribs or grooves
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C37/00—Component parts, details, accessories or auxiliary operations, not covered by group B29C33/00 or B29C35/00
- B29C37/0053—Moulding articles characterised by the shape of the surface, e.g. ribs, high polish
- B29C37/0057—Moulding single grooves or ribs, e.g. tear lines
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
- B29C45/00—Injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould; Apparatus therefor
- B29C45/17—Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations
- B29C45/26—Moulds
- B29C45/2673—Moulds with exchangeable mould parts, e.g. cassette moulds
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Moulds For Moulding Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
- Injection Moulding Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
- Shaping Of Tube Ends By Bending Or Straightening (AREA)
Abstract
The method comprises the step of: forming a substantially flat blank (1) of plastics material with grooves (4) formed in selected positions therein by means of a moulding process. A plastics enclosure can be formed from such blanks (1) by folding one or more such blanks (1) along the lines of the grooves (3) to form components of a desired shape and assembling selected blanks (1) and/or components together to form an enclosure.
Description
W O 91/15353 PC~r/GB91/00460 ~ - 1- 2379~
.ET'~OD OF MANUFACTURING COMPONENTS OF PLASTICS ENCLOSURES AND APPARATU5 FOR USE IN THE METHOD
TEC~i~ICAL FIELD
This invention relates-to a method of manufacturing componenti of plastlcs enclosures and to apparatus for use in the method.
BACXGROU~D A2T
In the past, plastics enclosures nave ~een manu~actured by two different routes. ~n the f'irst route, which due to high toolin~ costs is limlted to large production runs (ti.g. in excess of 5,000~, three-dimensional components are for~ed by injection moulding. ~uite complex shapes can be formed in this way and the method is rellable and fast. The major disadvanta~es of this methoa are the very high cost of the in~ection mouldln~ tool and the iac~ o~ 1ie~iDi,ity for altering the design of the components without re-designlng the inJection moulding tool and so incurring further major expense.
.
The -second route, which i6 more suitable for shorter productlon runs, lnvolves the cutting and machining of l~rge, textured plastics sheets to form substantially flat plastlcs..blanks of the appropriate shape and slze with grooves machined therein~ in a:~lven pattern. :--The ~blanks are then folded along, the lines of' the grooves using a strip heater to forn .~components .of.the deslred shape. The folded components' can -then be assembled together to form an enclosur.e. Grooves may be provide~d':in the blanks for holding face panels and slots may be provided for receiving . components~such as printed circult boards, etc.i -This method is'~ùse~`~for ; manufacturing plastlcs enclosures for a wide range'-of'electrica} "units''such.;;as,~dlsc;drlve enclosures, prlntedicircuit board containers,-modem enclbsures, J uetc~ c~ i 3 ~ .,, .J ; ¦ t ~ t~
.Thls~6econdiroute~ has many advantages over theiinjectlon~'mouldin~ mèthod since it .lncludes noJtooling costs -~nd ~can;;be 'used for'`shortirproduct`ion runs especially when short lead times ara required. However, the machlning operations,~par.ticularly~the.~6awing of ~grD w es in' the shèets,~'~s'~subje;ct''to'' inaccuracy and~as lt,is labour intensive add6 'conslderebleSexpense`'to'-"the W 0 91/153~3 PCr/GB91/00460 2079~4~ - 2 ~
operation. Any additonal features such as holes or slots reguire further machining operations.
The present invention aims to avold the dlsadvantflges of these known methods and to,provide ~dditlonal flexlbility in the manufActuring process without major expense and without loss of accuracy.
;~ SCLOSURE O`r THE I;`;Vr1';TION
Accordin~ to g first aspect of the lnv~ntlor., there ls provlded ~ method of manufacturing a component of a plasti s.:enclosure comprising the step of:
formirlg a substantiaily flat bian~ of plastics material with grooves formed in selected positlons therein by means of a moulding process.
According lo a second aspect of the inventlon, there-ls provlded a method of manufacturins a plastics enclosure comprising thb 6teps of:
.. . .
torming substantially flat blsnks of plastics materlal with grooves , . formed in selected positlons ,therein by means of a moulding process;
.. : . . , folding one or more of the blanks along.the lines of the grooves to form one or~.more components.of a desired.shape; ~nd a6sembllng selected bl~nks and~or the components together to 'form'~an ,,~ enclosure~ .-.. , ., -,-, , . , ... .~ ~,;. ~., , -~ , -r . According to,,.a.,.thlrd aspect of~the. inventlon,~ there is provided-apparatus fors.forming~a~.componentj1of aL-plastlcs enclo6ure by -means'~of;~ia' moulding ~,.pr,ocess~-,compr~ising;-,a,: moulding tool~Land a pluralityL:of 'interch~ngeable inserts for the tools, the lnserts belng 6hsped to form a substantlally''`flat bl~nk wlth grooves formed in selected posltlons therein snd being srranged ~ '1~"such thst~!the~f,~sy be assembled:.together,.,in different crrange~ents-to':form ~ blsnks,of;different slzes,sndjwith;:grooves-nln~different posltions.~i' *'-'ir2 0 j,.Preferred,.festures of, the ,inv,ent~on~ wlll:fbe ?app~trentm from~lthe~''followlng ~,~idescrlptlon,and,from ,the~tbsldiary,claims of.,the specificatlon. ~ ~3`-~:"n:, WO 91/15353 PCI`/GB91/00460 ` -~- 20`7~9L4`~`
~2Er DESC2IPTION OF DRAWINGS
The invention will now be further descrlbed, merely by way of ex~mple, wlth reference to the accompanying drawin~s, in which:
Fi~ures 1 ~nd 2 e~ch show fl perspective vlew ;of an insert for an injection moulding tool snd part of a flat blAnlc formed thereby in accordance wlth an'embodiment of the lnventlon;
rigure ,3 is a perspective view of an injection moulding tool in accordance with an e~bodiment of the third aspect of the inventlon and shows a fiat blank fort~ed thereby; `
rigure 4 is a plan view of the iower.half of an injectlon ~oulding tool such es that shown in Figure ~;
Figures 5A to 5J each snow plan, slde and end views of lnserts making up the lower hslf of the ir.~ectlon mouldln~ tool shown in Flugure 4; and Fi~ure ~ is an exploded perspectlve vlew of ~ typical plastics enclosure comprising components for~ed using a tool such 8S thst shown in Figures 3 to 5 ' : ' `' " '' . :, ., ., , ; : , BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION .
Fi~ure 1 shows part of a flst blsr,k I formed by~an insert~2 used'~ln ~n inJection mouldlng tool ~descrlbed further below), The insert 2 ls provided with, raised, -V-shaped ridges 3.which are -designed'to mould correspondingly shaped;,V~sh~ped grooves 4-nin the blank i.l~ In this''case,: two''grooves 4 whlch~intersectjgt3rl~ht ~ngles~are~formed;~
Flsure ~ shows part of the blank 1 formed by an insert 5 having a rid~e 3 for,;forming A~.stralght,portion:of a 6roove 4~1nithe blsnk~
3 ,~ ,a~ 3 t ,j~ rvu;; ''.~`i i ,'-?~ r j; ~ ?,~ q~j The,-.lnserts. 2 rand ~5 ~for~.) par.t ~ of :the i~lower half 6r~o'f ~ anJin~ectlon-~oulding tool as shown in Fi~ures 3 and 4, Flgure 3 ~i6 -~at për6'pe'c'tlvë'v'iew'~s'ho'~n~
the pattern of rid~es 3 made ~p by An assembly of inserts in the lower hai~ 6 of the tool and shows A blank 1 with a -corresponding pattern'of W O 91/15353 PC~r/GB9l/00460 2`0 q'~ 4 ~ ~ 4 ~
- grooves formed thereby. The upper h~lf 7 of the tool may be provided with,~ further ~ssembly of inserts lf desired for forming grooves on the other side of the blank 1 or may be flat.
Fl~ure 4 show6 a plan view.of the lower helf 6 of the inJectlon mouldlng tool and the-inserts assembled to form the required pattern'of rld~es 3.
Figures 5A to 5J show plan, front and end views of each of the different type6 of insert laid out. in an arr~ngement simil~r to thc top ri~ht h,and side of the arrangement shown in Figure 4. ~N.B. the inserts sre''not all shown to the same scale.) '.' I
The arrangement shown in F~gures'`4 ana 5 comprises:
I
a central packing insert 8 `(Figure 5A) a side V-~roove insert 9 (Fi~ure 53) a c~rner V-groove insert 10 (Figure 5C) an end V-groove insert 11 CFigure 5D) a slde strip insert 12 (Figure 5E) ,a corner strip insert 13 (Figure 5F) a small end packing insert 14 (Flgure 5G) a large end packing insert l5 (Flgure 5H) a side packin~ insert 16 (Figure 5I)~ ~':... ... ' . - -~ ; an end packing insert,17.(Figure 5J) : - - ' -., The,centrsl packing ~nsert.,8, and the side and end:packlng inserts 16 and:l7, are secured tojthe lower,-, half 6..of the tool and the other~inserts~''are clamped therebetween. Alternatlvelyj,the inserts mAy be held togetherJlby' a combination of clamps, lnterlockin~ parts and screws.
Slots and holes, etc.,-,jcan!~be reasilyL,formed ~in.~the.~blanks lmby- adding ~ppropriate cores (not shown) to the inJection mouldin~ tool. Bosses and lu~s5jcsn~ ~lso,~ be; formed;~by, approprlate ,modiflcution~of~,.the` mould~ngj,to'ol inser,ts~orJ by,r.using.hollow cores.~j f~ a.: ri'.?O;'2 2.^/. ~'~GJ .
~S~r~OL ~ jl~ S ~ ''i~'. '-LI ~O '~ L ' ~ 0 .-~OL';'~ ~L_ _3,~ 7~ 3 ti3~ s W O 91/15353 PC~r/GB91/00460 _ 2`~
As the inserts of the lnJection mould~ng tool are 3~nterchangeable, they can be qulckly and easily replaced or re-Arranged to form a dlfferent size blank with e different psttern of ~rooves.
rl~ure 6 shows an exploded, perspectlve vlew of sn enclo~ure formed from plastics blsnks made by usln~ an inJection moulding tool-of the type descrlbed above. Top and bottom blsnks lA and lB Hre flr~t folded ~lon~
the lines of grooves 18 using a strlp heater ~not sholwn) ln a conventlonal manner to form ch~nnel 6h~ped top and botto~ components 19 and 20 of the container. End blanks or face panels 1~ ~nd lD are then positloned in slot6 formed by grooves 21 an~ 22 in the top and bottom components i9 anci 20 and the top and bottom components 19 and 20 assembled together by slidlng or snapping together mu~ualiy engageable edges formed by grooves 23 and 24 running ~long the edges thereof.
The metnod of manufacturin~ plastics enclosures using in~ection moulding equipment of' the type descrlbec above involves settlng up the injection moulding tool with the requiredjarr~ngement of insert6 to form the-deslred pattern of grooves. Blanks of the approprlate shape and slze and with the required pattern of grooveP are then formed usin~ the tool. Following thls, the blsnks are heated along the lines of the grooves using a strlp heAter and once the correct temperature .is reached, folded to -~form channel sectlons.~,. They are then as6embled together to form enclosures in the ssme manner as conventlonally formed blanks.
Forming ~the.. blanks in.~ this manner .~has - ~everal advantages overi-the conventional m~chlning techniques referred to above: -~,. 7 ~; The;manufflcture of blanks by.inJection moulding lnvolves;a~to`oli séttin~
~! , operatlon followed,by a~mschln~-intenslve lnJectlon~moulding process so .~ "~vold *glthej~setting ~error6,0r vsriations wlthin b~tches whlch'~-tend to occur.;~jin; conventlonal -~achinlng operatlons. -Blanks'~c~n ~therefore be m~de to a ~re~ter accurscy and wlth less vorlatlon.
~ 3t~.'t ~ , J~ , a ~ .t -j~ ;"~ 3., ~ t'3 ',~'`i. ~`ij ' G, ~L~ B~ uslng!ilapproprlnte~ cores~prj~modifylng~!the~toolings-in6erts;~ plllars~
bosses end lugs can be easlly formed durlng the mouldlng operstlon. In .... : ' `~'' " ., , ~ ' : ' :: , :
W O 91/15353 PC~r/GB91/00460 2 ~ 7 9 ~ 6 ~
conventlonal machining technlques, such features would have to be formed separately and then becured so the machined blanks ln 9 separate operation.
Slots, recesses and under-cuts can al60 be easlly formed durin~ the moulding operation by adding cores to the inJection moulding tool so avolding the need for additional machinin~ operat$ons.
- -5ignificant cost savings can be made by purchasing the plastics materialin lts raw-(granular) state-rather than '~n sheet'form snd by cvolding ~-iabour in~ensive operations such as sawing ana machinin~. rurther cost savings are made by a reduction in waste material such as machine off-cuts and the swarf ~enerated by sawing and machining operations.
..... .
The use of plastlcs material in its raw state allows greater flexlbility in the choice of material type and co our than when ready-made plastlcs sneets are used, as granular plastlcs material is usually avallable ln a wider range of types and colours and also in smaller quantities then ready-made sheets.
..
The- process is flexible and ls cost-effective for both lar~e . ~.,(l,OOO-iO,OOO) and short .(50 or-less)'production runs due to the use of an injection moulding technique whllst avoiding'high~tooling costs~
.. : . - ; :- -. . ...
The use of the inJection moulding technique described above for forming -i~plastlcs blanks also h~s ~dvantages over the conventional injection mouldlng methods: -, ~ . , : . :. -.-~ :................... --~
. t lInJectlon mouldlng flat:blanks and then folding not~only~pro'!vldes lower ,~ .. plece part ~;cDsts,.:but~ also,~igreater. flexlblllty'''1n' tXe ~formatlon of bosses,~slots and reces6es.!.^.1n msny cases,-the need~for`~cDmpléx'cores ln "~ ~thejmould-tool, which add cost and wear:to the:mould,` can` be avoidè^d.
Using Bn inJectlon mouldln~ tool made up of a plurality of lnsert6 provldes~xKreate~:flexlbillty:y'lnicthe:ldesign~ of-`'t~e'i~~lanks,~:avolds the W O 91/15353 PC~r/GB91/00460 ~ ~ _7 - ''"'' 2 07~ 4 ~ ~
expense of havln~ special moulding tools made and allows alteratlons ~o be made to the design of the blank quickly and inexpensively.
A wide range of dlfferent blanks can be made from a relatlvely small number of machine tool inserts by deslgning the inserts so each relates to ~ slmple component of the blank, e.~. a s~n~le straight ~roove, an intersectlon of grooves, ~ flat area, etc., and having a rsn~e of slzes so complex patterns can be easily and quickly flssembled using the appropriate arrange~ent of inserts.
Due to this method of assembly, an injection moulding tool can be qulckiy constructed ai~owing very short lead times and the ability to carry out short ~e.g. 50 plus) manufacturing runs economically.
. . .
Tne grooves for~ed in the blanks may have different proflles depending on their purpos~. Grooves for forming fold lines may, for instance, have :V-shaped or saw tooth-shaped profiles where~s grooves for recelving other 3~ components or Joining components to~ether may have a square or rectangular profile as shown ln the accompanyin~ drawings.
The method of manufacturlng plastlcs blanks de6cribed above forms the blank and the requlred ~rooves, etc., in one moulding operatlon wlthout the need for ~ny macplnlng operatlons. The ln~ectlon mouidlng tool ls made up of a number of interchangeable.parts -so the hlgh' cost''of 'customlsed tooling is ~ aiso avolded. :The~:manufacture of-enclosures-3usin~ blanks---for~ed in this~ay thus makes use of the ~dvanta~es of the known method;of ~anufactùrin~
enclosures from machined blanks and the advantages of known inJectlon :.mouldingJtechnlque6 whilst:;.at -the sa~e~time-!avolding 'the~ disadvantages of both these prlor~Art proceg6e6.'~ -.,r!~e~ r.. ..' " I ' I .' :;~INDUSTRlAL AppLIcAalLITy~o~ '/ ?f~ `r' The methods and opparstus descrlbed herein can be used for'thè'manufacture of plastlcs blanks of the type described wh~ch can then be as6embled to ~n~.form.~erlclosures~ultable~foria~'wlde ra'ng`e of appiications.
i~ ;D I ~f !3'7S~3 ~,3'~i~5~ B~iq 3~ ~: r,~3 ~ J~5~ P-r~!~O~' ?.~ ~30~ilQ
~ L ~n~ r!~ ~ ~3~ ?~ .d~ J ~ a.~ x-~ '.J ~
'
.ET'~OD OF MANUFACTURING COMPONENTS OF PLASTICS ENCLOSURES AND APPARATU5 FOR USE IN THE METHOD
TEC~i~ICAL FIELD
This invention relates-to a method of manufacturing componenti of plastlcs enclosures and to apparatus for use in the method.
BACXGROU~D A2T
In the past, plastics enclosures nave ~een manu~actured by two different routes. ~n the f'irst route, which due to high toolin~ costs is limlted to large production runs (ti.g. in excess of 5,000~, three-dimensional components are for~ed by injection moulding. ~uite complex shapes can be formed in this way and the method is rellable and fast. The major disadvanta~es of this methoa are the very high cost of the in~ection mouldln~ tool and the iac~ o~ 1ie~iDi,ity for altering the design of the components without re-designlng the inJection moulding tool and so incurring further major expense.
.
The -second route, which i6 more suitable for shorter productlon runs, lnvolves the cutting and machining of l~rge, textured plastics sheets to form substantially flat plastlcs..blanks of the appropriate shape and slze with grooves machined therein~ in a:~lven pattern. :--The ~blanks are then folded along, the lines of' the grooves using a strip heater to forn .~components .of.the deslred shape. The folded components' can -then be assembled together to form an enclosur.e. Grooves may be provide~d':in the blanks for holding face panels and slots may be provided for receiving . components~such as printed circult boards, etc.i -This method is'~ùse~`~for ; manufacturing plastlcs enclosures for a wide range'-of'electrica} "units''such.;;as,~dlsc;drlve enclosures, prlntedicircuit board containers,-modem enclbsures, J uetc~ c~ i 3 ~ .,, .J ; ¦ t ~ t~
.Thls~6econdiroute~ has many advantages over theiinjectlon~'mouldin~ mèthod since it .lncludes noJtooling costs -~nd ~can;;be 'used for'`shortirproduct`ion runs especially when short lead times ara required. However, the machlning operations,~par.ticularly~the.~6awing of ~grD w es in' the shèets,~'~s'~subje;ct''to'' inaccuracy and~as lt,is labour intensive add6 'conslderebleSexpense`'to'-"the W 0 91/153~3 PCr/GB91/00460 2079~4~ - 2 ~
operation. Any additonal features such as holes or slots reguire further machining operations.
The present invention aims to avold the dlsadvantflges of these known methods and to,provide ~dditlonal flexlbility in the manufActuring process without major expense and without loss of accuracy.
;~ SCLOSURE O`r THE I;`;Vr1';TION
Accordin~ to g first aspect of the lnv~ntlor., there ls provlded ~ method of manufacturing a component of a plasti s.:enclosure comprising the step of:
formirlg a substantiaily flat bian~ of plastics material with grooves formed in selected positlons therein by means of a moulding process.
According lo a second aspect of the inventlon, there-ls provlded a method of manufacturins a plastics enclosure comprising thb 6teps of:
.. . .
torming substantially flat blsnks of plastics materlal with grooves , . formed in selected positlons ,therein by means of a moulding process;
.. : . . , folding one or more of the blanks along.the lines of the grooves to form one or~.more components.of a desired.shape; ~nd a6sembllng selected bl~nks and~or the components together to 'form'~an ,,~ enclosure~ .-.. , ., -,-, , . , ... .~ ~,;. ~., , -~ , -r . According to,,.a.,.thlrd aspect of~the. inventlon,~ there is provided-apparatus fors.forming~a~.componentj1of aL-plastlcs enclo6ure by -means'~of;~ia' moulding ~,.pr,ocess~-,compr~ising;-,a,: moulding tool~Land a pluralityL:of 'interch~ngeable inserts for the tools, the lnserts belng 6hsped to form a substantlally''`flat bl~nk wlth grooves formed in selected posltlons therein snd being srranged ~ '1~"such thst~!the~f,~sy be assembled:.together,.,in different crrange~ents-to':form ~ blsnks,of;different slzes,sndjwith;:grooves-nln~different posltions.~i' *'-'ir2 0 j,.Preferred,.festures of, the ,inv,ent~on~ wlll:fbe ?app~trentm from~lthe~''followlng ~,~idescrlptlon,and,from ,the~tbsldiary,claims of.,the specificatlon. ~ ~3`-~:"n:, WO 91/15353 PCI`/GB91/00460 ` -~- 20`7~9L4`~`
~2Er DESC2IPTION OF DRAWINGS
The invention will now be further descrlbed, merely by way of ex~mple, wlth reference to the accompanying drawin~s, in which:
Fi~ures 1 ~nd 2 e~ch show fl perspective vlew ;of an insert for an injection moulding tool snd part of a flat blAnlc formed thereby in accordance wlth an'embodiment of the lnventlon;
rigure ,3 is a perspective view of an injection moulding tool in accordance with an e~bodiment of the third aspect of the inventlon and shows a fiat blank fort~ed thereby; `
rigure 4 is a plan view of the iower.half of an injectlon ~oulding tool such es that shown in Figure ~;
Figures 5A to 5J each snow plan, slde and end views of lnserts making up the lower hslf of the ir.~ectlon mouldln~ tool shown in Flugure 4; and Fi~ure ~ is an exploded perspectlve vlew of ~ typical plastics enclosure comprising components for~ed using a tool such 8S thst shown in Figures 3 to 5 ' : ' `' " '' . :, ., ., , ; : , BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION .
Fi~ure 1 shows part of a flst blsr,k I formed by~an insert~2 used'~ln ~n inJection mouldlng tool ~descrlbed further below), The insert 2 ls provided with, raised, -V-shaped ridges 3.which are -designed'to mould correspondingly shaped;,V~sh~ped grooves 4-nin the blank i.l~ In this''case,: two''grooves 4 whlch~intersectjgt3rl~ht ~ngles~are~formed;~
Flsure ~ shows part of the blank 1 formed by an insert 5 having a rid~e 3 for,;forming A~.stralght,portion:of a 6roove 4~1nithe blsnk~
3 ,~ ,a~ 3 t ,j~ rvu;; ''.~`i i ,'-?~ r j; ~ ?,~ q~j The,-.lnserts. 2 rand ~5 ~for~.) par.t ~ of :the i~lower half 6r~o'f ~ anJin~ectlon-~oulding tool as shown in Fi~ures 3 and 4, Flgure 3 ~i6 -~at për6'pe'c'tlvë'v'iew'~s'ho'~n~
the pattern of rid~es 3 made ~p by An assembly of inserts in the lower hai~ 6 of the tool and shows A blank 1 with a -corresponding pattern'of W O 91/15353 PC~r/GB9l/00460 2`0 q'~ 4 ~ ~ 4 ~
- grooves formed thereby. The upper h~lf 7 of the tool may be provided with,~ further ~ssembly of inserts lf desired for forming grooves on the other side of the blank 1 or may be flat.
Fl~ure 4 show6 a plan view.of the lower helf 6 of the inJectlon mouldlng tool and the-inserts assembled to form the required pattern'of rld~es 3.
Figures 5A to 5J show plan, front and end views of each of the different type6 of insert laid out. in an arr~ngement simil~r to thc top ri~ht h,and side of the arrangement shown in Figure 4. ~N.B. the inserts sre''not all shown to the same scale.) '.' I
The arrangement shown in F~gures'`4 ana 5 comprises:
I
a central packing insert 8 `(Figure 5A) a side V-~roove insert 9 (Fi~ure 53) a c~rner V-groove insert 10 (Figure 5C) an end V-groove insert 11 CFigure 5D) a slde strip insert 12 (Figure 5E) ,a corner strip insert 13 (Figure 5F) a small end packing insert 14 (Flgure 5G) a large end packing insert l5 (Flgure 5H) a side packin~ insert 16 (Figure 5I)~ ~':... ... ' . - -~ ; an end packing insert,17.(Figure 5J) : - - ' -., The,centrsl packing ~nsert.,8, and the side and end:packlng inserts 16 and:l7, are secured tojthe lower,-, half 6..of the tool and the other~inserts~''are clamped therebetween. Alternatlvelyj,the inserts mAy be held togetherJlby' a combination of clamps, lnterlockin~ parts and screws.
Slots and holes, etc.,-,jcan!~be reasilyL,formed ~in.~the.~blanks lmby- adding ~ppropriate cores (not shown) to the inJection mouldin~ tool. Bosses and lu~s5jcsn~ ~lso,~ be; formed;~by, approprlate ,modiflcution~of~,.the` mould~ngj,to'ol inser,ts~orJ by,r.using.hollow cores.~j f~ a.: ri'.?O;'2 2.^/. ~'~GJ .
~S~r~OL ~ jl~ S ~ ''i~'. '-LI ~O '~ L ' ~ 0 .-~OL';'~ ~L_ _3,~ 7~ 3 ti3~ s W O 91/15353 PC~r/GB91/00460 _ 2`~
As the inserts of the lnJection mould~ng tool are 3~nterchangeable, they can be qulckly and easily replaced or re-Arranged to form a dlfferent size blank with e different psttern of ~rooves.
rl~ure 6 shows an exploded, perspectlve vlew of sn enclo~ure formed from plastics blsnks made by usln~ an inJection moulding tool-of the type descrlbed above. Top and bottom blsnks lA and lB Hre flr~t folded ~lon~
the lines of grooves 18 using a strlp heater ~not sholwn) ln a conventlonal manner to form ch~nnel 6h~ped top and botto~ components 19 and 20 of the container. End blanks or face panels 1~ ~nd lD are then positloned in slot6 formed by grooves 21 an~ 22 in the top and bottom components i9 anci 20 and the top and bottom components 19 and 20 assembled together by slidlng or snapping together mu~ualiy engageable edges formed by grooves 23 and 24 running ~long the edges thereof.
The metnod of manufacturin~ plastics enclosures using in~ection moulding equipment of' the type descrlbec above involves settlng up the injection moulding tool with the requiredjarr~ngement of insert6 to form the-deslred pattern of grooves. Blanks of the approprlate shape and slze and with the required pattern of grooveP are then formed usin~ the tool. Following thls, the blsnks are heated along the lines of the grooves using a strlp heAter and once the correct temperature .is reached, folded to -~form channel sectlons.~,. They are then as6embled together to form enclosures in the ssme manner as conventlonally formed blanks.
Forming ~the.. blanks in.~ this manner .~has - ~everal advantages overi-the conventional m~chlning techniques referred to above: -~,. 7 ~; The;manufflcture of blanks by.inJection moulding lnvolves;a~to`oli séttin~
~! , operatlon followed,by a~mschln~-intenslve lnJectlon~moulding process so .~ "~vold *glthej~setting ~error6,0r vsriations wlthin b~tches whlch'~-tend to occur.;~jin; conventlonal -~achinlng operatlons. -Blanks'~c~n ~therefore be m~de to a ~re~ter accurscy and wlth less vorlatlon.
~ 3t~.'t ~ , J~ , a ~ .t -j~ ;"~ 3., ~ t'3 ',~'`i. ~`ij ' G, ~L~ B~ uslng!ilapproprlnte~ cores~prj~modifylng~!the~toolings-in6erts;~ plllars~
bosses end lugs can be easlly formed durlng the mouldlng operstlon. In .... : ' `~'' " ., , ~ ' : ' :: , :
W O 91/15353 PC~r/GB91/00460 2 ~ 7 9 ~ 6 ~
conventlonal machining technlques, such features would have to be formed separately and then becured so the machined blanks ln 9 separate operation.
Slots, recesses and under-cuts can al60 be easlly formed durin~ the moulding operation by adding cores to the inJection moulding tool so avolding the need for additional machinin~ operat$ons.
- -5ignificant cost savings can be made by purchasing the plastics materialin lts raw-(granular) state-rather than '~n sheet'form snd by cvolding ~-iabour in~ensive operations such as sawing ana machinin~. rurther cost savings are made by a reduction in waste material such as machine off-cuts and the swarf ~enerated by sawing and machining operations.
..... .
The use of plastlcs material in its raw state allows greater flexlbility in the choice of material type and co our than when ready-made plastlcs sneets are used, as granular plastlcs material is usually avallable ln a wider range of types and colours and also in smaller quantities then ready-made sheets.
..
The- process is flexible and ls cost-effective for both lar~e . ~.,(l,OOO-iO,OOO) and short .(50 or-less)'production runs due to the use of an injection moulding technique whllst avoiding'high~tooling costs~
.. : . - ; :- -. . ...
The use of the inJection moulding technique described above for forming -i~plastlcs blanks also h~s ~dvantages over the conventional injection mouldlng methods: -, ~ . , : . :. -.-~ :................... --~
. t lInJectlon mouldlng flat:blanks and then folding not~only~pro'!vldes lower ,~ .. plece part ~;cDsts,.:but~ also,~igreater. flexlblllty'''1n' tXe ~formatlon of bosses,~slots and reces6es.!.^.1n msny cases,-the need~for`~cDmpléx'cores ln "~ ~thejmould-tool, which add cost and wear:to the:mould,` can` be avoidè^d.
Using Bn inJectlon mouldln~ tool made up of a plurality of lnsert6 provldes~xKreate~:flexlbillty:y'lnicthe:ldesign~ of-`'t~e'i~~lanks,~:avolds the W O 91/15353 PC~r/GB91/00460 ~ ~ _7 - ''"'' 2 07~ 4 ~ ~
expense of havln~ special moulding tools made and allows alteratlons ~o be made to the design of the blank quickly and inexpensively.
A wide range of dlfferent blanks can be made from a relatlvely small number of machine tool inserts by deslgning the inserts so each relates to ~ slmple component of the blank, e.~. a s~n~le straight ~roove, an intersectlon of grooves, ~ flat area, etc., and having a rsn~e of slzes so complex patterns can be easily and quickly flssembled using the appropriate arrange~ent of inserts.
Due to this method of assembly, an injection moulding tool can be qulckiy constructed ai~owing very short lead times and the ability to carry out short ~e.g. 50 plus) manufacturing runs economically.
. . .
Tne grooves for~ed in the blanks may have different proflles depending on their purpos~. Grooves for forming fold lines may, for instance, have :V-shaped or saw tooth-shaped profiles where~s grooves for recelving other 3~ components or Joining components to~ether may have a square or rectangular profile as shown ln the accompanyin~ drawings.
The method of manufacturlng plastlcs blanks de6cribed above forms the blank and the requlred ~rooves, etc., in one moulding operatlon wlthout the need for ~ny macplnlng operatlons. The ln~ectlon mouidlng tool ls made up of a number of interchangeable.parts -so the hlgh' cost''of 'customlsed tooling is ~ aiso avolded. :The~:manufacture of-enclosures-3usin~ blanks---for~ed in this~ay thus makes use of the ~dvanta~es of the known method;of ~anufactùrin~
enclosures from machined blanks and the advantages of known inJectlon :.mouldingJtechnlque6 whilst:;.at -the sa~e~time-!avolding 'the~ disadvantages of both these prlor~Art proceg6e6.'~ -.,r!~e~ r.. ..' " I ' I .' :;~INDUSTRlAL AppLIcAalLITy~o~ '/ ?f~ `r' The methods and opparstus descrlbed herein can be used for'thè'manufacture of plastlcs blanks of the type described wh~ch can then be as6embled to ~n~.form.~erlclosures~ultable~foria~'wlde ra'ng`e of appiications.
i~ ;D I ~f !3'7S~3 ~,3'~i~5~ B~iq 3~ ~: r,~3 ~ J~5~ P-r~!~O~' ?.~ ~30~ilQ
~ L ~n~ r!~ ~ ~3~ ?~ .d~ J ~ a.~ x-~ '.J ~
'
Claims (15)
1. A method of manufacturing a component of a plastics enclosure comprising the step of:
forming a substantially flat blank of plastics material with grooves, formed in selected positions therein by means of a moulding process.
forming a substantially flat blank of plastics material with grooves, formed in selected positions therein by means of a moulding process.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the blank is folded along the lines of the grooves to form a component of a desired shape.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which a core is used in the moulding process to form a hole, slot or recess in the flat blank.
4. A method as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3 in which a hollow core is used in the moulding process to form a boss, lug or pillar on the flat blank.
5. A method of manufacturing a plastics enclosure comprising the steps of:
forming substantially flat blanks of plastics material with grooves formed in selected positions therein by means of a moulding process;
folding one or more of the blanks along the lines of the grooves to form one or more components of a desired shape; and assembling selected blanks and/or components together to form an enclosure.
forming substantially flat blanks of plastics material with grooves formed in selected positions therein by means of a moulding process;
folding one or more of the blanks along the lines of the grooves to form one or more components of a desired shape; and assembling selected blanks and/or components together to form an enclosure.
6. A method as claimed in claim 5 in which at least one rectangular blank is formed with a pair of parallel grooves therein and a further groove extending across the parallel grooves, the blank is then folded along the parallel grooves to form a channel-shaped component and a further component is assembled into the slot thus formed by the said further groove.
7. A method as claimed in claims 5 or 6 in which two rectangular blanks are formed each with a pair of parallel grooves in one side thereof and at least one with grooves adjacent opposite edges in the other side thereof, the blanks are each folded along the parallel grooves to form two channel-shaped components and these are then assembled together to form a tubular enclosure by engagement of the edges of one component with the grooves adjacent the edges of the other component.
8. A method as claimed in any preceding claim in which the blanks are formed by an injection moulding process.
9. Apparatus for forming a component of a plastics enclosure by means of a moulding process comprising a moulding tool and a plurality of interchangeable inserts for the tool, the inserts being shaped to form a substantially flat blank with grooves formed in selected positions therein and being arranged such that they may be assembled together in different arrangements to form blanks of different sizes and with grooves in different positions.
10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9 in which at least some of the inserts are provided with a ridge, e.g. having a V-shaped profile, facing into the mould for forming the said grooves.
11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 in which the plurality of interchangeable inserts comprises inserts for forming straight sections of a groove, inserts for forming an intersection between two grooves and inserts for forming a flat area of the blank without grooves, whereby the inserts may be assembled in the moulding tool in different arrangements to form blanks having different patterns of grooves formed therein.
12. Apparatus as claimed in claims 9, 10 or 11 in which the inserts may be positioned around a central packing insert secured to the moulding tool so as to be clamped between the central packing insert and further packing inserts secured to the periphery of the tool.
13. Apparatus claimed in any of claims 9 to 12 comprising cores for positioning in the mould to form holes, slots or recesses in the flat blank.
14. Apparatus as claimed in any of claims 9 to 13 comprising hollow cores for positioning in the mould to form bosses, lugs or pillars in the flat blank.
15. A method of manufacturing a component of a plastics enclosure using apparatus as claimed in any of claims 10 to 16 comprising the steps of:
assembling selected inserts into the moulding tool to form a flat blank of the desired shape and with the desired pattern of grooves formed therein; and forming a flat blank by means of a moulding process using the said tool.
assembling selected inserts into the moulding tool to form a flat blank of the desired shape and with the desired pattern of grooves formed therein; and forming a flat blank by means of a moulding process using the said tool.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9007126.7 | 1990-03-30 | ||
| GB9007126A GB2242387B (en) | 1990-03-30 | 1990-03-30 | Method of manufacturing components of plastics enclosures |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2079441A1 true CA2079441A1 (en) | 1991-10-01 |
Family
ID=10673532
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2079441 Abandoned CA2079441A1 (en) | 1990-03-30 | 1991-03-27 | Method of manufacturing components of plastics enclosures and apparatus for use in the method |
Country Status (5)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0522020A1 (en) |
| AU (1) | AU7577691A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2079441A1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2242387B (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1991015353A2 (en) |
Families Citing this family (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5486324A (en) * | 1994-06-06 | 1996-01-23 | Klein, Jr.; Frederick H. | Method of making tight radius plastic corner components for static structures |
| US5972259A (en) * | 1995-09-27 | 1999-10-26 | Hettinga; Siebolt | Method for forming an angled plastic article of varying density |
| NL1023185C2 (en) * | 2003-04-15 | 2004-10-18 | Fountain Tech Bv | Mold and method for forming packaging and packaging made with it. |
| GB0505004D0 (en) | 2005-03-11 | 2005-04-20 | Dubois Ltd | Injection moulded container |
| US7757848B2 (en) | 2005-10-20 | 2010-07-20 | Meadwestvaco Corporation | Package with security features |
| USD557546S1 (en) | 2006-01-12 | 2007-12-18 | Meadwestvaco Corporation | Disc package |
| EP2090710A1 (en) * | 2008-02-13 | 2009-08-19 | Lyngsoe Carpot A/S | Integrally formed wall panel |
| USD616240S1 (en) | 2008-07-29 | 2010-05-25 | Meadwestvaco Corporation | Media holder |
Family Cites Families (16)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB173351A (en) * | 1920-10-09 | 1922-01-05 | William George Shipwright | Improvements in and relating to reinforced concrete floors for buildings |
| GB841371A (en) * | 1957-08-13 | 1960-07-13 | Aeroplastics Ltd | Improvements relating to methods of manufacturing hollow bodies of synthetic-resin-impregnated glass fibre |
| GB1003033A (en) * | 1961-04-29 | 1965-09-02 | Dunlop Rubber Co | Improvements in and relating to moulds |
| US3222437A (en) * | 1962-06-18 | 1965-12-07 | Hercules Powder Co Ltd | Process for simultaneously molding and expanding stereoregular polypropylene to form a hinge |
| GB1088286A (en) * | 1963-08-22 | 1967-10-25 | Distillers Co Yeast Ltd | Plastics containers |
| GB1091574A (en) * | 1964-10-13 | 1967-11-22 | Uniroyal Ltd | Improvements in and relating to the moulding of plastics materials |
| GB1146974A (en) * | 1965-03-12 | 1969-03-26 | William Arthur Roffey | Improvements in the moulding of hinged articles from sheet material |
| GB1133655A (en) * | 1966-04-06 | 1968-11-13 | Distrene Ltd | Process for the production of a hull and slide container |
| FR2034163A1 (en) * | 1969-02-11 | 1970-12-11 | Koenig Rene | Collapsible fruit boxes - of expanded polystyrene panels with hinge zones reinforced with polypropylene tape |
| DE2059628B1 (en) * | 1970-12-03 | 1972-05-31 | Lissmann Alkor Werk | Method and device for the production of a one-piece injection-molded body made of thermoplastic with a surface coating |
| US4151976A (en) * | 1977-11-07 | 1979-05-01 | The Plastic Forming Company, Inc. | Modular die set for blow molding containers |
| IN149917B (en) * | 1978-04-10 | 1982-05-29 | Akerlund & Rausing Ab | |
| US4397705A (en) * | 1980-08-21 | 1983-08-09 | Thomas A. Schutz Co., Inc. | Method of making multiplanar devices of sheet plastic |
| FR2541932A1 (en) * | 1983-03-04 | 1984-09-07 | Rambaud Jean Michel | Method for folding a sheet of rigid plastic and for coating a panel by means of such a sheet, and decorative panels obtained thereby |
| US4540152A (en) * | 1984-08-02 | 1985-09-10 | Calspan Corporation | Multiple part mold insert |
| CN1035462A (en) * | 1988-02-25 | 1989-09-13 | 三菱树脂株式会社 | The method of folding plastic sheet |
-
1990
- 1990-03-30 GB GB9007126A patent/GB2242387B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
1991
- 1991-03-27 EP EP19910907204 patent/EP0522020A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1991-03-27 AU AU75776/91A patent/AU7577691A/en not_active Abandoned
- 1991-03-27 WO PCT/GB1991/000460 patent/WO1991015353A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1991-03-27 CA CA 2079441 patent/CA2079441A1/en not_active Abandoned
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| AU7577691A (en) | 1991-10-30 |
| GB9007126D0 (en) | 1990-05-30 |
| GB2242387A (en) | 1991-10-02 |
| WO1991015353A2 (en) | 1991-10-17 |
| GB2242387B (en) | 1993-06-02 |
| EP0522020A1 (en) | 1993-01-13 |
| WO1991015353A3 (en) | 1991-11-14 |
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