JP3344672B2 - Mold heating device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heating apparatus for heating a mold moving between a plurality of stations, such as a blow mold for a shell mold.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the molding of a shell mold by a blow method (see FIG. 5), a horizontally or vertically divided mold reciprocates between a blow station 1 and an eject station 2 and a blow tank 1 Sand is blown into the mold, the mold is separated at the eject station 2, the molded shell mold is taken out, and the mold is again matched and returned to the blow station 1. An electric heater is provided in the mold, and a flexible power supply line is connected to the electric heater so as to follow the movement of the mold, and the mold is constantly heated to 250 to 300 ° C. to thermally cure the shell mold. I have. The power supply line is connected to a current-carrying terminal of a mold via a current-carrying connector, and the connector and the current-carrying terminal of the mold are connected by a screw or the like.

[0005] A change station 3 is provided adjacent to the blow station 1, where the molds are exchanged as necessary. When replacing a mold, first remove the screw that connects the connector and the energizing terminal of the mold at the blow station, separate the connector and the energizing terminal, move the mold to the changeover station, and change the mold to another mold. And the mold is moved to the blow station, where the connector and the energizing terminal of the mold are connected again with screws.
It took time to attach and detach the terminals for energization of the connector and the mold, and this was a bottleneck in smoothly performing the step change (replacement) of the mold.

When the mold is preheated in injection molding of a synthetic resin or the like, a current-carrying connector is installed just above the positioned current-carrying terminal of the mold, and this connector is vertically movable by an elevating cylinder. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 3 (1993) -1991 discloses that a connector is moved down by an elevating cylinder and the connector is pressed against an energizing terminal to connect the two and energize and heat a mold.
-238143. According to this technique, the connection between the connector and the energizing terminal of the mold can be automatically performed.However, this technique is used to heat the stationary mold at a predetermined position of a specially provided preheating station. In this technique, the connector cannot follow the movement of the mold, and the connection and disconnection between the connector and the current-carrying terminal must be performed each time heating is performed.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and has a heating device for heating a mold moving between a plurality of stations.
It is an object of the present invention to automatically connect and disconnect a current-carrying connector and a current-carrying terminal on a mold side, and to smoothly perform a mold changing operation.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a mold heating apparatus which can be connected to a mold side terminal attached to a mold moving between a plurality of stations and a mold side terminal. A current-carrying connector to which a flexible power supply line is connected and which can be moved together with the mold-side terminal, and a connection or disconnection operation of the current-carrying connector to and from the mold-side terminal, and a current-carrying disconnection from the mold-side terminal It is characterized by having a connection operation means for holding the connector, more specifically, the connection operation means comprises a release means for releasing the connection between the energizing connector and the mold side terminal portion, this release means, It is characterized in that it moves back and forth in the connecting direction of the current-carrying connector together with the holding means of the current-carrying connector. In the above-described mold heating apparatus, it is preferable that the detaching operation means is provided at any station where the mold is positioned, particularly at a station adjacent to the mold changing station.

[0007]

In the above-described mold heating device, when the energizing connector is connected to the mold-side terminal portion, the energizing connector is movable following the movement of the mold, and the same mold is continuously moved. As long as the mold is used, the energizing connector and the mold-side terminal may remain connected, and the mold can be heated even during movement. For example, in the case of a step change operation, preferably, the mold is positioned at a station adjacent to the step change station, and the connection between the energizing connector and the mold side terminal portion is released by the connection operation means. Holds the current-carrying connector, moves the mold to the changeover station, replaces it with a new mold, and then moves from the changeover station to the mold side terminal section of the new mold positioned at the adjacent station. The power supply connector held by the connection operation means is connected.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. This embodiment reciprocates between the blow station 1 and the eject station 2 shown in FIG.
The present invention relates to a heating device for a shell mold molding die that is replaced at the step change station 3 as necessary.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the heating device includes a mold-side terminal 6 attached to a shell mold-forming mold 5, and a detachable and flexible mold-side terminal 6. Power supply line 7
Is connected and is movable with the mold-side terminal portion 6;
Connection or disconnection operation, and the mold side terminal 6
Connecting operation means 9 for holding the energizing connector 8 disconnected from
Is provided.

The connecting operation means 9 is provided for the blow station 1
Occupies a position immediately above the mold-side terminal portion 6 of the shell mold molding die 5 positioned at a fixed position, a fixed frame 10 installed in the blow station 1, a cylinder 11 standing on the fixed frame 10, and a piston of the cylinder 11 An elevating frame 13 attached to the tip of the rod 12, a pair of release plates 14 fixed downward to the elevating frame 13 and extending downward, and swingable by the elevating frame 13 inside the releasing plate 14 (see FIG. 4). A pair of connector gripping arms 16, 17 which are pivotally supported and have inward locking claws 15 at the lower ends.
Etc. Also, a pair of connector gripping arms 16, 1
7, a cylinder 18 is connected, and a spring 20 is provided to perform a tension action so as to connect the tips of rods 19 extending horizontally from the connector gripping arms 16, 17. The vertical movement of the lifting frame 13 is guided by guide rods 21, and the fixed frame 10 supports the flexible power supply line 7.

The energizing connector 8 has a locking portion 26 protruding from the upper end of the connector main body 25 for receiving the locking claw 15, and is pivotally supported on both sides of the connector main body 25 so as to be swingable and inward at the lower end. And a pair of mold side terminal portion gripping arms 28 and 29 each having a locking claw 27, and a terminal portion 30 for receiving one end of the power supply line 7. The upper end of each of the pair of mold-side terminal portion gripping arms 28 and 29 is bent inward, and the leading end of the roller 3 is in contact with the release plate 14.
1 is mounted, and a spring 32 that acts as a tension is provided in the middle of the pair of mold side terminal portion gripping arms 28 and 29.
Is provided. Reference numeral 33 denotes a bracket that supports the end of the power supply line 7.

The mold side terminal portion 6 is attached to a corner of the shell mold molding die 5 and includes a terminal portion main body 34 and a locking portion 35 for receiving the locking claw 27 on both sides of the upper end thereof. Note that the lower surface of the locking portion 35 is inclined inward and downward.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, an operation procedure for connecting the power supply connector 8 to the shell mold molding die 5 will be described. When the shell mold molding die 5 does not exist in either the blow station 1 or the eject station 2 due to a step change or the like, the energizing connector 8 is connected to the coupling operating means 9.
(See FIG. 1). At this time, in the connecting operation means 9, the connector gripping arms 16, 17 are urged inward by the spring 20, the locking claw 15 grips the locking portion 26 of the power supply connector 8, and the roller 31 is pressed downward by the release plate 14, and the mold side terminal portion gripping arms 28, 29 are open against the urging force of the spring 32.

When the shell mold forming die 5 is carried from the step changing station 1 to the blow station 2 and positioned, the die side terminal portion 6 is located just below the power supply connector 8. At this point, the cylinder 11 is operated to lower the lifting frame 13 so that
Of the cylinder 1 is brought into contact with the upper end of
8, the connector gripping arms 16, 17 are opened against the urging force of the spring 20, and the locking claw 15 and the locking portion 26 are opened.
Is disengaged (see FIG. 2).

Subsequently, when the cylinder 11 is actuated and the lifting frame 13 is raised, the energizing connector 8 remains on the mold-side terminal portion 6, and at the same time, the release plate 14, which has pushed the roller 31 downward, rises. As a result, the mold side terminal portion gripping arms 28 and 29 are closed by the urging force of the spring 32, and the locking claws 27 are engaged with the locking portions 35 of the mold side terminal portion. The terminal portions 6 are connected (see FIG. 3). Since the lower surface of the locking portion 35 is inclined inward and the locking claw 27 has a shape along the inclination, the urging force of the spring presses the energizing connector 8 toward the mold-side terminal portion 6. Acts in the direction.

The shell mold forming die 5 having the power supply connector 8 connected to the die side terminal portion 6 reciprocates between the blow station 1 and the eject station 2 (shown by phantom lines in FIG. 1). However, the energizing connector 8 is movable following the movement of the shell mold molding die 5, and as long as the same shell mold molding die 5 is used continuously, the energizing connector 8 and the mold side terminal portion 6 are connected. It may be left connected.

When the next step change is required, the shell mold forming die 5 is positioned at the blow station 1 and
By operating the cylinder 18, the connector gripping arms 16, 1
7, the cylinder 11 is operated in that state, and the lifting frame 13 is lowered. As a result, the roller 31 is pushed by the tip of the release plate 14 to open the mold side terminal portion holding arms 28 and 29, and the energizing connector 8 and the mold side terminal portion 6 are opened.
Is disconnected. Next, the cylinder 18 is released from operation, and the connector gripping arms 16 and 17 are biased by the biasing force of the spring 20.
Is closed, the cylinder 11 is actuated, and the elevating frame 13 is raised, so that the current-carrying connector 8 is lifted away from the mold-side terminal portion 6 while being held by the coupling operation means 9. The shell mold molding die 5 from which the connection of the current-carrying connector 8 has been released is carried to the changeover station 3.

In the above embodiment of the present invention, the connecting operation means 9
As the release plate 14 is moved up and down, the mold side terminal portion gripping arms 28 and 29 of the energizing connector 8 to which the release plate 14 is constantly urged in the connecting direction are automatically released or connected. A special operation mechanism or the like for connecting or disconnecting the connection between the mold 8 and the mold side terminal portion 6 is not required, and the configuration can be simplified. While the gripping arms 16 and 17 hold the energizing connector 8, the release plate 14 is used to release the mold side terminal portion gripping arm 2.
Since the mold terminals 8 and 29 are normally open, it is not necessary to open and close the mold side terminal portion gripping arms 28 and 29 every time the connecting connector 8 for energization and the mold side terminal portion 6 are connected. Can be simplified

[0019]

According to the present invention, the work for attaching and detaching the current-carrying connector and the mold-side terminal can be automatically performed, and the work for changing the mold can be smoothly performed. Further, by providing the connecting operation means at any of the stations where the mold is positioned, the positional accuracy between the energizing connector and the mold-side terminal is improved, and the connecting operation of the energizing connector can be performed accurately. . Furthermore, by providing the connecting operation means at a station adjacent to the changeover station, the mold whose connection for the power supply connector is released is carried to the changeover station, and then a new mold is connected from the changeover station to the power supply connector. The distance when transporting to the connecting position is the shortest, and the step change operation can be performed quickly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a mold heating device.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the heating device for explaining the operation of attaching and detaching the power supply connector.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the heating device for explaining an attaching / detaching operation of the power supply connector.

FIG. 4 is a right side view of FIG. 3 (supply line is omitted).

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of each station where a mold moves.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs Reference numeral 5 mold 6 mold side terminal portion 7 power supply line 8 power supply connector 9 connection operation means 13 elevating frame 14 release plate 15, 27 locking claw 16, 17 connector gripping arm 26, 35 locking portion 28, 29 mold side Terminal grip arm

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B22C 5/00-25/00 B29C 33/02

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A mold-side terminal attached to a mold that moves between a plurality of stations, and a flexible power supply line connectable to the mold-side terminal and connected to move with the mold-side terminal. The present invention is characterized in that it comprises a flexible current-carrying connector, and a connection operation means for performing connection / disconnection operation of the current-carrying connector with respect to the mold-side terminal portion and holding the current-carrying connector detached from the mold-side terminal portion. Mold heating device. 2. The connecting operation means includes a releasing means for releasing the connection between the energizing connector and the mold-side terminal portion, and the releasing means moves forward and backward in the connecting direction of the energizing connector together with the holding means of the energizing connector. The mold heating device according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The mold heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connecting operation means is provided at any of the stations where the mold is positioned. 4. The mold heating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the connecting operation means is provided at a station adjacent to the mold changing station.