JP2010110989A - Heating/cooling changeover device and mold heating/cooling system equipped with this device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heating/cooling changeover device which can shorten a molding cycle by shortening a time for switching a temperature regulating medium, and thereby can enhance production efficiency, and a mold heating/cooling system equipped with the device. <P>SOLUTION: The heating/cooling changeover device 1 heats and cools a mold by feeding a temperature regulating medium to a mold flow channel 40 formed in the mold 4. In addition, a device body 2 has a device-side medium feeding port 2a and a device-side medium returning port 2b with which inter-device body hoses (10 and 11) for connecting the device body with a manifold part 3 are connected. The manifold part has a manifold-side medium feeding port 3a and a manifold-side medium returning port 3b with which the inter-device body hoses are connected, and a medium feeding connection port 32 and a medium returning connection port 33 with which inter-mold hoses (12 and 13) for connecting the manifold part with the mold are connected. Furthermore, the manifold part is a separate component so that it can be constituted to be freely attachable to and detachable from the device body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention switches the temperature control medium having different temperatures of high temperature or low temperature, sends the temperature control medium to a mold flow passage formed in a mold for molding a synthetic resin product, and the like. The present invention relates to a heating / cooling switching device for heating and cooling and a mold heating / cooling system including the same.

As the above-described heating / cooling switching device and a mold heating / cooling system including the same, there are those described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document).
The following patent document discloses a medium using water vapor as a high-temperature temperature control medium. Here, the medium of two different temperatures for heating and cooling is switched to the medium path of the mold and sent, It describes what repeats the heating, molding, and cooling steps of the mold.

In the following patent document, when moving from the cooling process to the heating process, the cooling water is returned to the cooling water circulation path that returns to the cooling unit without passing through the mold medium path, and steam generated by the heating unit. Describes that after the mold is heated through the medium path of the mold, it flows into the cooling water circulation path through a valve having a venturi valve.
According to this, the suction action of the venturi mechanism increases the flow rate of the cooling water at the nozzle part of the valve, the pressure of the steam suction part decreases, and the valve sucks the steam and discharges it smoothly into the circulation path. The heating time of the mold in the heating process can be shortened.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-1555099 Noto 3093920 gazette

In such a mold heating / cooling system, a system capable of performing rapid heating and rapid cooling of the mold by switching from the heating process to the cooling process or from the cooling process to the heating process as quickly as possible is desired. This is because, particularly when a large-sized resin molded product is manufactured, if the mold is not rapidly heated to a predetermined temperature, it becomes a cause of generation of welds, flow marks, and the like.
Therefore, when switching the temperature control medium, the amount of the temperature control medium before switching remains in the hose that connects the mold and the main body of the device or in the medium path of the mold is reduced as much as possible, and the switching time is shortened for rapid heating. It is also conceivable to cool rapidly.
That is, at the time of switching the temperature control medium, the temperature control medium that is different in temperature is switched to follow the temperature control medium while discharging the temperature control medium remaining in the hose or the like. The greater the number, the longer the switching time.
However, the switching valve unit described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 described above is used when the temperature control medium to be fed to the mold is switched from a low temperature to a high temperature (that is, when shifting from the cooling process to the heating process). It does not suppress the remaining amount of the temperature control medium before switching.

In order to reduce the amount of the temperature control medium remaining in the hose as much as possible and shorten the switching time, it is conceivable to install the apparatus main body close to the mold and to make the hose short.
However, in many cases, it is often difficult to place the main body of the switching valve unit close to the mold in terms of the layout at the manufacturing site. Since the switching control of the switching valve is complicated, the apparatus itself tends to increase in size, and it is difficult to think of placing it closer to the mold because it obstructs the work.

  The present invention has been proposed in view of such circumstances, and its purpose is to reduce the cycle time of the temperature control medium, thereby shortening the molding cycle and improving the production efficiency. An object of the present invention is to provide a cooling switching device and a mold heating / cooling system including the same.

  In order to achieve the above object, a heating / cooling switching device according to claim 1 includes a device main body, a manifold, and a switching unit that switches between temperature-controlling media having different high or low temperatures. A heating / cooling switching device that heats and cools the mold by feeding the temperature adjusting medium to a mold flow passage formed in the mold, wherein the apparatus main body includes the apparatus main body and the device A device-side medium feeding port and a device-side return port to which a hose between the apparatus main bodies connecting between the manifold sections is connected, and the manifold section includes a manifold-side medium feeding port to which the hose between the apparatus main bodies is connected and A manifold-side return port, and a medium connection port and a return medium connection port to which an inter-mold hose connecting the manifold unit and the mold is connected, and the manifold unit is connected to the apparatus main body unit. For detachable configuration Characterized in that it is the body.

In the present invention, the manifold portion may be provided with a mounting plate, and may be detachable from the apparatus main body via the mounting plate.
According to this, a manifold part can be easily attached or detached from the said apparatus main body part.

The manifold portion may include a three-way switching valve as the switching portion.
According to this, the flow path of the temperature control medium can be switched without changing the hose for supplying the temperature control medium.

Further, in the apparatus main body, a medium feeding path through which the low-temperature temperature regulating medium flows, a medium feeding path through which the temperature regulating medium returned from the mold flow path circulates, and the medium feeding path, A bypass passage connecting to the return medium passage is provided, and the bypass passage includes a flow rate adjusting orifice for restricting a flow rate of the temperature control medium flowing through the bypass passage, and the high temperature control medium In the case where high-pressure steam is used, a small amount of the steam supplied to the return path is supplied to the return path from the feed path through the orifice through the orifice. The returned water vapor may be condensed by mixing the low-temperature temperature control medium.
According to this, by using high-temperature and high-pressure steam, the mold can be efficiently heated, and a molded product with less generation of welds, flow marks, etc. can be manufactured. In addition, since the amount of the temperature control medium remaining in the mold flow passage or the like at the time of switching the temperature control medium is extremely small as compared with the case where water or oil is used as the temperature control medium, the switching time of the temperature control medium can be further shortened. Furthermore, there is no fear that the returned water vapor will flow backward, and the water can be quickly condensed with a simple configuration. The condensate can be circulated and used as a low-temperature temperature control medium, and the amount of water used for cooling can be suppressed.

Then, in the apparatus main body, a pump that discharges the low-temperature temperature control medium to the switching unit, and the temperature control medium that is discharged from the discharge port of the pump from the middle of the medium feeding path that reaches the switching unit. A circulation path that branches off and returns to the supply port side of the pump may be provided.
According to this, the temperature control medium that has flowed from the medium transmission path to the circulation path can be returned to the supply port side through the circulation path. Therefore, even if the pump is always in an operating state and the internal pressure in the medium transmission path increases, the internal pressure can be adjusted by flowing the temperature adjusting medium through the circulation path. In addition, since the supply of the low-temperature temperature control medium to the switching unit can be kept in the standby state, the low-temperature temperature control medium can be quickly sent from the switching unit to the mold flow passage at the time of switching. Furthermore, even if the temperature of the temperature control medium staying in the medium transmission path changes due to the heat generated by the pump operating at this time, the temperature control medium flowing from the medium transmission path to the circulation path returns to the supply port side through the circulation path. Since the circulation is repeated by mixing with the low-temperature temperature control medium, the temperature control medium always maintained at a low temperature can be supplied to the switching unit.

The heating / cooling switching device according to any one of the above, a mold to be heated or cooled, a high-temperature medium supply device for supplying a high-temperature temperature control medium to the mold flow path, and a low-temperature temperature control medium It is good also as a metal mold | die heating / cooling system provided with the low-temperature medium supply apparatus which supplies this to the said metal flow path.
According to this, it is possible to shorten the switching time of the temperature control medium having different temperatures by adopting the heating / cooling switching device that can remove the manifold portion from the apparatus main body and place the manifold portion close to the mold. The molding cycle can be shortened and the production efficiency can be improved.

According to the heating / cooling switching device according to the present invention, the manifold portion is separate so as to be detachable from the device main body portion, and therefore the heating / cooling switching device cannot be arranged near the mold. In such a case, it is possible to remove the manifold part from the apparatus main body part and place the manifold part close to the mold.
Since the mold and the manifold can be brought close to each other, the length of the hose connecting the mold can be shortened, and the amount of the temperature control medium remaining in the hose when switching to the temperature control medium having a different temperature. Can be reduced.
Therefore, the temperature control medium remaining in the hose can be quickly switched to a temperature control medium having a different temperature, and the switching time of the temperature control medium can be shortened.
In addition, since rapid heating and rapid cooling can be realized, it is possible to form a good molded product free from welds and flow marks. Furthermore, by realizing rapid heating and rapid cooling in this way, the molding cycle can be shortened and the production efficiency can be improved.
And since the manifold part removed from the apparatus main-body part is not bulky, there is no possibility that the layout of a manufacturing site will be disturbed.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a flow diagram schematically showing a mold heating / cooling system provided with a heating / cooling switching device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the heating / cooling switching device, and FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the state of FIG. 3, and FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b) are the heating / cooling switching device when the manifold portion of the heating / cooling switching device is removed and placed close to the mold. Fig. 6 is a schematic side view showing another example of the mounting state of the manifold portion, and Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing a modification of Fig. 1. In the figure, white arrows in the flowchart indicate the direction in which the temperature control medium flows.

A mold heating / cooling system S1 shown in the figure includes a heating / cooling switching device 1, a mold 4 for molding a synthetic resin product, and the like, and a mold flow passage 40 in which a high-temperature temperature control medium is formed in the mold 4. And a low-temperature medium supply device 6 for supplying a low-temperature temperature control medium to the mold flow passage 40.
The mold heating / cooling system S1 is a system in which each of these is connected by a hose or piping, etc., and a temperature control medium having different high or low temperature is appropriately switched and circulated, and the mold 4 is repeatedly heated and cooled. .

  The heating / cooling switching device 1 includes a device main body portion 2, a manifold portion 3, and a switching portion 30 that switches between temperature-controlling media having different high-temperature or low-temperature temperatures. The heating / cooling switching device 1 includes an operation panel (not shown), a pressure gauge, and the like. The operation panel is provided with operation buttons for performing various settings such as a set temperature and a heating / cooling time, and a display screen on which an operation status is displayed. It has been.

The apparatus main body 2 includes a pump 20 that sends the temperature control medium to the mold flow passage 40, and a hose between the apparatus main bodies that connects between the apparatus main body 2 and the manifold 3 (the medium supply hose 10 and the return hose 11). ) Connected to the apparatus-side medium feeding port 2a and the apparatus-side medium return port 2b, the water supply port 2c for supplying the low-temperature temperature control medium from the low-temperature medium supply device 6, and the temperature returned through the mold flow passage 40 And a drain outlet 2d for draining the conditioning medium. The water supply port 2c and the drainage port 2d are connected to the low-temperature medium supply device 6 via a hose (a medium transmission hose 16 and a medium return hose 17).
In the apparatus main body 2, the water supply port 2c and the medium transmission port 2a are connected to each other, a medium transmission path 21 for conveying a low-temperature temperature control medium supplied from the low-temperature medium supply device 6, and a medium return port A return medium path 22 is provided that connects between 2b and the drainage port 2d and through which the temperature control medium returned from the mold flow path 40 flows.

A pump 20 that supplies a low-temperature temperature control medium to the switching unit 30 and a control sensor 24 are provided in the medium transmission path 21. A supply port that supplies a low-temperature temperature control medium from the low-temperature medium device 6 to the pump 20. 20a (IN) and a discharge port 20b (OUT) for discharging a low-temperature temperature control medium.
The temperature control medium discharged from the discharge port 20b of the pump 20 is branched from the middle of the medium transfer route 21 leading to the switching unit 30 between the medium transmission path 21 and the return medium path 22, and again the supply port 20a side of the pump 20 A circulation path 23 that returns to the center and a bypass path 26 that connects the medium transmission path 21 and the medium return path 22 are provided.
A bypass solenoid valve 25 is provided in the circulation path 23, and the bypass solenoid valve 25 is closed when the switching unit 30 is switched to send a low-temperature temperature control medium. When the high-temperature temperature control medium is switched to send, the low-temperature temperature control medium is opened to circulate through the circulation path 23.

By providing the circulation path 23 in this way, the temperature control medium that has flowed from the medium transmission path 21 to the circulation path 23 can be returned again to the supply port 20 a side through the circulation path 23. Further, by providing the bypass path 26, the temperature control medium flowing into the bypass path 26 from the medium transmission path 21 and the temperature control medium returned from the mold flow path 40 can be returned to the low temperature medium supply device 6. .
Therefore, even when the low temperature inlet port 30b of the switching unit 30 is closed, the pump 20 can be always operated. That is, regardless of the switching state of the switching unit 30, the low temperature inlet port 30b of the switching unit 30 is closed because the pump 20 is always in an operating state and a low temperature temperature control medium of about several hundred L / min can flow. Even if the internal pressure in the medium transmission path 21 is increased, the internal pressure can be adjusted by flowing the temperature adjusting medium through the circulation path 23 and the bypass path 26.
Moreover, even if the low temperature inlet port 30b is closed, the pump 20 can be always in an operating state, so that a low temperature temperature adjusting medium can be immediately supplied from the low temperature inlet port 30b (standby state). Therefore, when the supply of the temperature control medium is switched to a low temperature, the low temperature control medium can be quickly sent to the mold flow passage 40 through the low temperature inlet port 30b.
Furthermore, even if a temperature change occurs in the temperature control medium staying in the medium transmission path 21 due to heat generated by the pump 20 operating at this time, the temperature control medium flowing from the medium transmission path 21 to the bypass path 26 is It can be returned to the low temperature medium supply device 6 through the return medium path 22, the drain port 2 d, and the return medium hose 17. The returned temperature control medium is cooled by the low temperature medium supply device 6 and supplied again to the water supply port 2 c through the medium feeding hose 16. Since this circulation can be repeated even when the low temperature inlet port 30b is closed, the low temperature temperature control medium in the standby state can be maintained at a low temperature without being heated by the heat generated by the pump. Therefore, the temperature control medium that is always at a low temperature can be supplied to the switching unit 40.

The temperature control medium returned from the mold flow passage 40 returns from the return port 2b, is guided to the drain port 2d through the return channel 22, and is supplied from the drain port 2d to the low temperature medium supply device 6 through the return hose 17. The medium is returned and the temperature control medium is configured to circulate.
Further, a bypass path 26 that connects the medium transmission path 21 and the medium return path 22 is provided in the apparatus main body 2. The bypass passage 26 is provided with a flow rate adjusting orifice 27 for reducing the flow rate of the temperature control medium flowing through the bypass passage.
When high-temperature and high-pressure steam is supplied from the high-temperature medium supply device 5 as a high-temperature temperature control medium, the steam 27 returned to the return path 22 through the mold flow path 40 is converted into the orifice 27 through the bypass path 26. The returned water vapor is condensed by mixing a small amount (approximately 9 L / min to 11 L / min) of a low-temperature temperature control medium supplied from the medium transmission path 21 to the return path 22 via Can do.
Here, the orifice 27 may be a manual valve as long as the flow rate of the low-temperature temperature adjusting medium supplied to the return passage 22 through the orifice 27 can be adjusted to approximately 9 L / min to 11 L / min.
Further, the low-temperature temperature control medium supplied through the bypass path 26 is supplied from the low-temperature medium supply device 6.

As will be described later, the high-temperature temperature control medium supplied from the high-temperature medium supply device 5 may be water or oil, but by using high-temperature and high-pressure steam, the mold 4 can be efficiently and rapidly heated. In addition, it is possible to manufacture a molded product with less generation of welds, flow marks and the like.
In addition, since the amount of the temperature control medium remaining in the mold flow passage 40, the medium sending hose 12, and the medium return hose 13 is extremely small when the temperature control medium is switched as compared with the case where water or oil is used as the temperature control medium, it is even more Switching time of the temperature control medium can be shortened. According to various attempts by the inventor, although depending on the heating temperature of the mold 4 and the like, there is a case where the work of discharging the remaining temperature control medium is almost unnecessary.
Further, by supplying a low-temperature temperature control medium from the bypass passage 23 without providing a safety mechanism for preventing the reverse flow of the returned water vapor, the water can be quickly condensed with a simple configuration. Therefore, the condensate can be circulated as a low-temperature temperature control medium, the amount of water used for cooling can be suppressed, and environmental issues can be taken into consideration.

The manifold section 3 is divided into a pipe section 31 divided into a side through which a temperature control medium to be fed and a side through which a temperature control medium to be returned is communicated, and a manifold side to which the medium feeding hose 10 and the medium return hose 11 are connected. The medium feeding port 3a and the manifold side medium returning port 3b, and the inter-mold hose (the medium feeding hose 12 and the medium returning hose 13) connecting the manifold part 3 and the mold 4 are connected, and the medium for feeding the temperature control medium. And a medium connection port 32 and a medium connection port 33 for returning the medium. The medium connection port 32 and the return medium connection port 33 in the illustrated example are configured by valves, but are not limited thereto.
The manifold unit 3 includes a three-way switching valve as the switching unit 30. The switching unit 30 includes a high-temperature inlet port 30a for supplying a high-temperature temperature control medium from the high-temperature medium supply device 5, and a low-temperature temperature. A low-temperature inlet port 30b for supplying the medium from the low-temperature medium supply device 6 and a discharge port 30c for supplying the temperature-controlled medium to the medium feeding connection port 32 via the piping part 31 are configured.
As the three-way switching valve, one that can automatically change the flow path is preferably used, and the driving source such as an air type, a motor type, or a solenoid type is not limited.
A switching valve (not shown) is incorporated in the three-way switching valve, and there are two flow paths: a flow path that can supply a high-temperature temperature control medium and a flow path that can supply a low-temperature temperature control medium. It is configured to establish a path. In this way, if the switching unit 30 is a three-way switching valve, there is no need to change the hose for supplying the temperature adjustment medium every time the temperature adjustment medium is switched from low temperature to high temperature or from high temperature to low temperature. Switching can be easily performed.
In addition, in FIGS. 1-4, although the example which used 2 each of the medium transmission connection port 32 and the return medium connection port 33 is shown, these numbers etc. are not limited to a figure example, A metal mold | die is shown. 4 is configured to be changeable according to the configuration of 4.

  The mold 4 is incorporated in an injection molding machine (not shown), and is composed of a movable mold and a fixed mold, and a mold flow passage 40 through which a temperature control medium flows is formed in the mold 4. Has been. The mold 4 is provided with a temperature sensor (not shown), and the temperature control medium to be fed is switched and controlled based on the measured temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

The high-temperature medium supply device 5 is not particularly limited as long as it is connected by the heating / cooling switching device 1 and the supply hose 15 and can supply a high-temperature temperature control medium to the mold flow passage 40. A steam boiler that can supply high-temperature and high-pressure steam, or water or oil stored in a medium tank may be heated by a heater and supplied as a temperature control medium.
The low-temperature medium supply device 6 is not particularly limited as long as it can supply a low-temperature temperature control medium to the mold flow passage 40. For example, a cooling tower or a chiller can be used.

As described above, the heating / cooling switching device 1 includes the device main body 2 and the manifold 3, and the manifold 3 is separate so as to be detachable from the device main body 2.
1 and 2 show a state in which the manifold portion 3 is attached to the apparatus main body portion 2, and FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the heating / cooling switching device 1 as seen from the back side. 3 and 4 show a state in which the manifold portion 3 is removed from the apparatus main body portion 2. Therefore, the flowcharts of FIGS. 1 and 3 are the same except for the lengths of the hose between the apparatus main bodies (the medium transmission hose 10 and the medium return hose 11).
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the manifold portion 3 is provided with a mounting plate 7, which is detachable from the apparatus main body portion 2 through the mounting plate 7. In the mounted state, the mounting plate 7 is fixed by screwing a screw 7a into a screw hole formed in the device main body 2 (see FIG. 2). By removing the screw 7a, the device main body 2 The manifold portion 3 is removed from the mold 4 and can be placed close to the mold 4 (see FIG. 4).

As is clear from FIG. 4, if the manifold 3 is removed from the apparatus main body 2 and the medium transmission hose 10, the medium return hose 11, and the supply hose 15 are long hoses, the apparatus is separated from the apparatus main body 2. The manifold part 3 can be arranged. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, if the medium feeding hose 12 and the medium returning hose 13 that connect between the mold 4 and the manifold part 3 are short hoses, the medium feeding is performed when switching to a temperature control medium having a different temperature. The amount of the temperature control medium remaining in the hose 12 and the return hose 13 can be reduced.
As a result of various trials by the inventors, it has been found that the amount of the remaining temperature control medium can be reduced to 1/3 to 1/5 of the conventional one.
If the heating / cooling switching device 1 cannot be placed near the mold 4 due to the layout of the manufacturing plant, etc., the manifold section 3 is removed from the apparatus main body section 2 and brought close to the mold 4 so that the manifold section 3 is Can be installed. Therefore, the remaining temperature control medium can be discharged quickly, and the switching time of the temperature control medium can be shortened. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the manifold part 3 that can be removed and installed near the mold 4 is compact and is not bulky, so it does not get in the way.
The configuration and shape of the manifold portion 3 are not limited to the illustrated example, and the numbers of the medium transmission connection ports 32 and the return medium connection ports 33 are not limited to the illustrated example.

The structure which makes the manifold part 3 detachable is not limited to the example of a figure, It is good also as what is shown in FIG. 5A and 5B are schematic side views showing another example of the attachment state of the manifold portion 3 of the heating / cooling switching device 1.
FIG. 5A shows a state in which the manifold portion 3 is attached to the apparatus main body 2, and FIG. 5B shows a state in which the manifold portion 3 is removed from the apparatus main body 2.
The mounting plate 7 shown here has a hook shape (hook type) and is provided in the manifold portion 3. The apparatus main body 2 is provided with a bowl-shaped receiving plate 8 corresponding to the bowl-shaped mounting plate 7. By hooking the mounting plate 7 on the receiving plate 8, the manifold portion 3 can be attached to the apparatus main body 2 (see FIG. 5A), and can be easily removed from the apparatus main body 2 by lifting the manifold portion 3 upward. It can be removed (see FIG. 5B).
In addition, it is good also as what formed the recess which can hook the hook-shaped attachment plate 7 in the back surface of the apparatus main body part 2. FIG.

Next, an example of the circulation state of the temperature control medium in the mold heating / cooling system S1 that heats or cools the mold 4 will be described separately with reference to FIG. 1 when the mold 4 is heated and cooled.
(During mold heating)
When the mold 4 is heated, the temperature control medium heated to a high temperature in the high temperature medium supply device 5 is supplied to the heating / cooling switching device 1 through the supply hose 15. The temperature control medium reaches the piping section 31 on the medium sending side via the high temperature inlet port 30a and the discharge port 30c of the switching section 30. When the mold 4 is heated in this way, that is, when the high-temperature temperature control medium is supplied, the switching unit 30 establishes the flow path from the high temperature inlet port 30a to the discharge port 30c and switches the low temperature inlet port 30b to the closed state. .
The high-temperature temperature control medium that has reached the piping portion 31 is sent to the mold flow passage 40 of the mold 4 through the medium sending connection port 32 and the medium sending hose 12. Then, the mold 4 is heated by the high-temperature temperature control medium passing through the mold flow passage 40.
The high-temperature temperature control medium through the mold flow passage 40 is returned to the return path 22 of the apparatus main body 2 via the return hose 13, the return connection port 33, and the return hose 11.
At this time, when steam is used as the high-temperature temperature control medium, the water is mixed with the low-temperature temperature control medium supplied from the bypass 23 to condense the water vapor.
Then, the temperature control medium is returned from the return path 22 to the low temperature medium supply device 6 through the return port 2d and the return hose 17.
The above process is repeated to heat the mold 4 to a predetermined temperature.

(During mold cooling)
When cooling the mold 4, first, the temperature control medium cooled to a low temperature in the low temperature medium supply device 6 is supplied to the heating / cooling switching device 1 through the medium feeding hose 16. A low-temperature temperature control medium medium is discharged from the pump 20 provided in the medium transmission path 21 at a predetermined discharge pressure, and the low temperature inlet port 30b and the discharge port 30c of the switching unit 30 are passed through the medium transmission port 2a and the medium transmission hose 10. The temperature adjusting medium reaches the piping section 31 on the medium transmission side. As described above, when the mold 4 is cooled, that is, when the low-temperature temperature control medium is supplied, the switching unit 30 is switched to close the high-temperature inlet port 30a and establish the flow path of the low-temperature inlet port 30b to the discharge port 30c. .
The low-temperature temperature control medium that has reached the piping section 31 is sent to the mold flow passage 40 of the mold 4 through the medium sending port 32 and the medium sending hose 12. The mold 4 is cooled by the low-temperature temperature control medium passing through the mold flow passage 40.
The high temperature and low temperature medium through the mold flow passage 40 is returned to the medium return path 22 of the apparatus main body 2 through the medium return hose 13, the medium return connection port 33, and the medium return hose 11.
Then, the temperature control medium is returned to the low temperature medium supply device 6 from the return path 22 through the discharge port 2d and the return hose 17.
The above process is repeated to cool the mold 4 to a predetermined temperature.

Next, the procedure for switching the temperature control medium to be sent to the mold 4 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, a case where water vapor is used as a high-temperature temperature control medium will be described.
(When switching temperature control medium, from heating to cooling)
When switching from heating of the mold 4 to heating of the mold 4, the flow path of the switching unit 30 is switched so that the flow paths of the low temperature inlet port 30 b to the discharge port 30 c are established. At this time, the pump 20 is in a driving state, and a low temperature control medium is in a standby state at the low temperature inlet port 30a. Therefore, if the switching unit 30 is switched, the low temperature control medium is promptly changed. Can be supplied to the mold flow passage 40. At this time, the low-temperature temperature control medium is supplied while being mixed with the high-temperature water vapor remaining in the medium transmission hose 12, the mold flow path 40, the medium return hose 13, and the medium return path 22. 3 is installed close to the mold 4 and the medium hose 12 can be configured short, so that there is little residual water vapor, and the mold flow passage 40 can be quickly filled with a low-temperature temperature control medium, The mold 4 can be cooled rapidly.

(When switching temperature control medium, from cooling to heating)
When switching from cooling of the mold 4 to heating of the mold 4, the flow path of the switching unit 30 is switched so that the flow paths of the high temperature inlet port 30 a to the discharge port 30 c are established. Also at this time, the pump 20 is in a driving state, and is in a standby state so that a low-temperature temperature control medium can be supplied at any time, and the bypass solenoid valve 25 is opened as described above. At this time, a low-temperature temperature control medium remains in the medium feeding hose 12, the mold flow path 40, the medium return hose 13, and the medium return path 22, but the manifold 3 is installed in the vicinity of the mold 4 to feed the medium. Since the medium hose 12 can be configured to be short, there is little remaining low-temperature temperature control medium, the mold flow passage 40 can be quickly filled with the high-temperature and high-pressure temperature control medium, and the mold 4 is rapidly heated. be able to.

The configuration of the mold heating / cooling system S1 is not limited to the above example.
FIG. 6 is a modification of the mold heating / cooling system S2 shown in FIG.
Components common to the mold heating / cooling system S1 in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. The heating / cooling switching device 1 includes the device main body 2 and the manifold 3, which are configured separately and are detachable as described above.
The mold heating / cooling system S2 shown in FIG. 6 is such that the second switching unit 34 is provided in the manifold unit 3, and the returned high-temperature temperature control medium is returned to the low-temperature medium supply device 6. Instead, the difference is that the medium is returned to the high-temperature medium supply apparatus 5 by the return hose 18 that communicates with the high-temperature medium supply apparatus 5.
The second switching unit 34 includes the same three-way switching valve as the switching unit 30, and the second switching unit 34 includes an inlet port 34 c to which the returned temperature control medium is supplied, and the apparatus main body unit 2. The low-temperature medium supply device 6 includes a low-temperature discharge port 34b for returning the temperature control medium, and the high-temperature medium supply device 5 includes a high-temperature discharge port 34a for returning the temperature control medium.
As a result, the high-temperature temperature control medium returned through the mold flow path 40 is transferred to the high-temperature medium supply device 5 via the switching unit 34, and the low-temperature temperature control medium returned is transferred to the low-temperature medium via the switching unit 34. The temperature control medium returned to the supply device 6 and returned to the supply device 6 can be circulated as a temperature control medium that is heated or cooled again and sent.
The return medium to the low-temperature medium supply device 6 may be directly returned to the low-temperature medium supply device 6 without going through the device main body 2 of the heating / cooling switching device 1.

It is the flowchart which showed typically the metal mold | die heating / cooling system provided with the heating / cooling switching apparatus of this invention. It is an external appearance perspective view of the heating-cooling switching device. It is the same figure as FIG. 1, and is a flowchart when the manifold part of the heating / cooling switching device is removed and placed close to the mold. It is a perspective view which shows the state of FIG. (A) (b) is a typical side view which shows the other example of the attachment state of the manifold part of the heating / cooling switching device. It is a flowchart which shows the modification of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heating / cooling switching device 10, 12, 16 Medium hose 11, 13, 17, 18 Return hose 2 Main part 20 Pump 20a Supply port 20b Discharge port 21 Medium path 22 Return medium path 23 Circulation path 26 Bypass path 3 Manifold part 30 Switching part (3-way switching valve)
30a High temperature inlet port 30b Low temperature inlet port 30c Discharge port 32 Medium connection port 33 Return medium connection port 4 Mold 40 Mold flow passage 5 High temperature medium supply device 6 Low temperature medium supply device 7 Mounting plates S1, S2 Mold heating and cooling system

Claims (6)

An apparatus main body, a manifold, and a switching unit for switching and feeding a temperature control medium having different high and low temperatures, and feeding the temperature control medium to a mold flow passage formed in the mold A heating / cooling switching device for heating and cooling the mold,
The device main body includes a device-side medium feeding port and a device-side return port to which a hose between the device main bodies connecting the device main body and the manifold is connected.
The manifold portion is connected to the manifold side medium feeding port and the manifold side return port to which the hose between the apparatus main bodies is connected, and the medium feeding connection to which the hose between the molds connecting the manifold portion and the mold is connected. A mouth and a return connection port,
The heating / cooling switching device according to claim 1, wherein the manifold portion is a separate body configured to be detachable from the device main body. In claim 1,
A heating / cooling switching device, wherein the manifold portion is provided with a mounting plate, and is detachable from the device main body through the mounting plate. In claim 1 or claim 2,
The heating / cooling switching device, wherein the manifold unit includes a three-way switching valve as the switching unit. In any one of Claims 1-3,
In the apparatus main body, a medium feeding path through which the low-temperature temperature adjusting medium flows, a medium returning path through which the temperature adjusting medium returned from the mold flow path flows, the medium feeding path, and the A bypass path is provided to connect the return path, and the bypass path includes a flow rate adjusting orifice for reducing the flow rate of the temperature control medium flowing through the bypass path,
When high-pressure steam is used as the temperature control medium at the high temperature, the return medium is transferred from the medium supply path to the water vapor returned to the return path through the bypass path and the orifice. A heating / cooling switching device, wherein the returned water vapor is condensed by mixing a small amount of the low-temperature temperature control medium supplied to the passage. In any one of Claims 1-4,
In the apparatus main body, a pump for discharging the low-temperature temperature control medium to the switching unit, and the temperature control medium discharged from the discharge port of the pump are branched from the middle of the medium feeding path to the switching unit. The heating / cooling switching device is provided with a circulation path that returns the pump to the supply port side again.   The heating / cooling switching device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, a mold to be heated and cooled, a high-temperature medium supply device that supplies a high-temperature temperature control medium to the mold flow path, A mold heating / cooling system, comprising: a low-temperature medium supply device that supplies a low-temperature temperature control medium to the mold flow passage.

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