JP5357647B2 - Ball manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a ball manufacturing method in which an electronic identification medium is embedded inside and a coating layer is formed on an outer surface.

  An electronic identification ball (hereinafter simply referred to as “ball”) in which an electronic identification medium having a unique identification code is embedded is implemented as a game medium such as a game device. For example, the game device includes a stirring container that houses a plurality of the balls, stirring means (floor, rotary conveyor, stirring spring, etc.) for stirring the balls in the stirring container, and stirring in the stirring container. Receiving means for receiving at least one of the balls, and identification means for identifying the identification code. Therefore, the game device randomly receives at least one of the balls being stirred in the stirring vessel by the receiving means, and identifies the received ball identification code by the identifying means to execute a predetermined game. . A game device using such a ball is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

  Next, a conventional manufacturing method for manufacturing the ball will be schematically described with reference to FIG. First, a urethane block 10 obtained by cutting a polyurethane (PU) slab product into a required size is prepared, and a spherical member 12 is manufactured from the urethane block 10 according to the diameter of the ball B1 by cutting or the like. The spherical member 12 is divided in half and divided into two hemispherical members (first hemispherical member 14 and second hemispherical member 16).

  Next, a cut 18 is formed at the center of the flat cut surface 14A of the first hemispherical member 14, and a separately prepared electronic identification medium (IC chip or the like) IC is inserted into the cut 18. When embedding of the electronic identification medium IC is completed, the first hemispherical member 14 and the second hemispherical member 16 are bonded to each other at the cut surfaces 14A and 16A to form a single spherical member 12 again. .

Next, the spherical member 12 is dipped in a coating agent (urethane-based or acrylic-based) 24 stored in the water tank-shaped container 22 and then taken out and adhered to the entire outer surface of the spherical member 12. The coating agent 24 is cured by heat crosslinking treatment to form the coating layer 20. Furthermore, when it is necessary to increase the surface hardness, the ball B1 is manufactured by recoating the entire outer surface of the spherical member 12 with a powder slush of vinyl chloride.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-80515

  In the conventional ball manufacturing method described above, if the first hemispherical member 14 and the second hemispherical member 16 are not sufficiently bonded at the cut surfaces 14A, 16A, the cut surfaces 14A, 14A, Peeling occurs at 16A, and the inconvenience that the electronic identification medium IC embedded inside jumps out from the peeled portion occurs. That is, there is a problem that the highly durable ball B1 cannot be formed. Further, the outer surface of the spherical member 12 may be caused by poor molding accuracy of the spherical member 12 from the urethane block 10, poor adhesion positioning between the first hemispherical member 14 and the second hemispherical member 16, or a dripping phenomenon of the coating agent 24. There are also problems in that unevenness and steps are formed on the surface, and variations in shape and size are likely to occur, and the high-quality ball B1 cannot be manufactured stably. Furthermore, since the spherical member 12 is immersed in the coating agent 24 and the coating agent 24 is adhered to the outer surface of the spherical member 12, the adhesion thickness of the coating agent 24 tends to be non-uniform. Since it is not formed to have a constant thickness, there is a disadvantage that the spherical member 12 is exposed to the outside due to rapid wear, particularly in a thin portion of the coating layer 20. When the first hemispherical member 14 and the second hemispherical member 16 are not sufficiently bonded at the cut surfaces 14A and 16A, the coating agent 24 penetrates between the hemispherical members 14 and 16, and in some cases, the coating. The agent 24 may reach the electronic identification medium IC and the electronic identification medium IC may fail.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a ball with improved durability and quality.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the intended purpose, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application provides:
A method of manufacturing a ball in which an electronic identification medium is embedded in a foam layer and a coating layer is formed on an outer surface of the foam layer,
When the mold is closed, the first mold and the second mold that form a cavity that matches the ball are opened to form the concave molding surface that forms the cavity of the first mold or the cavity of the second mold. The electronic identification medium is detachably attached to a support attached to any one of the concave molding surfaces in a posture protruding in the direction of the center of the cavity,
Before or after attachment of the electronic identification medium to the support, an in-mold coating agent is applied to each concave molding surface of the first molding die and the second molding die;
Injecting the foaming raw material into a concave molding surface opening above the first molding die or the second molding die,
The first molding die and the second molding die are closed in the vertical direction, and the molding die is displaced in posture so that the gas discharge portion formed at the boundary between both molding dies is located at the uppermost part of the cavity. ,
In the cavity in the first mold and the second mold closed, the foam layer is formed by foaming and curing of a foam raw material, and the coating layer is molded by curing the in-mold coating agent,
The support is removed from the molded ball.

Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the foam layer formed by the first mold and the second mold is molded as a single body and does not have an adhesive surface. The foamed layer does not peel off, and a ball with improved durability can be formed. Then, it is possible to prevent the electronic identification medium embedded inside from jumping out and to mold a ball that can prevent the electronic identification medium from being broken or damaged. In addition, since the outer shape is defined by the cavity, variations in shape and size do not occur in the formed ball, and a high-quality ball can be manufactured stably. Furthermore, since the in-mold coating agent is applied in advance to the concave molding surfaces of the first molding die and the second molding die, it becomes difficult to form a thin portion of the coating layer, and a ball B with improved durability is manufactured. obtain. Furthermore, since the foam layer alone has no adhesive surface, the in-mold coating agent does not penetrate into the foam layer, and failure of the electronic identification medium due to contact with the in-mold coating agent can be prevented.
When the foam layer is molded while expanding upward in the cavity, the air and gas in the cavity can be discharged out of the mold from the degassing portion at the boundary between both molds. Further, it is possible to prevent the formation of voids in the foamed layer due to the confinement of gas or the formation of dents on the outer surface of the foamed layer.

The invention described in claim 2
A core material capable of accommodating the electronic identification medium is pre-formed, and the electronic identification medium is accommodated in the core material,
The gist is to support the core material on the support before or after the electronic identification medium is accommodated in the core material, and attach the electronic identification medium to the support material via the core material.
Therefore, according to the invention which concerns on Claim 2 , an electronic identification medium can be reliably and stably attached with respect to a support part. It is possible to prevent the foaming raw material from coming into direct contact with the electronic identification medium, and to prevent a failure of the electronic identification medium due to the contact of the foaming raw material. Further, even when the concave molding surface is heated and the temperature in the cavity is increased, the electronic identification medium is not exposed to a high temperature by being insulated by the core material, and failure of the electronic identification medium due to heat can be prevented.

  According to the ball manufacturing method of the present invention, a ball with improved durability and quality can be manufactured.

It is explanatory drawing which partially fractures and shows the internal structure of the ball | bowl manufactured by the manufacturing method of an Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the ball | bowl of an Example, Comprising: While attaching a support pin to the 1st shaping | molding die opened, the in-mold coating agent is apply | coated to each concave shaping | molding surface of a 1st shaping | molding die and a 2nd shaping | molding die It shows the state to do. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which accommodates an electronic identification medium in a core material, and attaches this core material to the support pin attached to the 1st shaping | molding die. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which inject | pours a urethane raw material into a 1st shaping | molding die. It is explanatory drawing which rotates after making a 1st shaping | molding die and a 2nd shaping | molding die close, and shows that the contact surface of both shaping | molding die is located in the uppermost part of a cavity. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which foam-molds a foaming layer within a cavity, Comprising: It has shown that the air and gas in a cavity are discharged | emitted out of a type | mold. It is explanatory drawing which shows rotating a shaping | molding die to the original state after completion | finish of shaping | molding of a foamed layer. It is explanatory drawing which shows removing the support pin from this ball | bowl while removing the shape | molded ball | bowl by opening the 1st shaping | molding die and the 2nd shaping | molding die. It is explanatory drawing which shows the manufacturing method of the conventional ball | bowl schematically.

  Next, the ball manufacturing method according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of preferred embodiments.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a partially broken internal structure of a ball B (ball embedded with an electronic identification medium) B manufactured by the manufacturing method of the embodiment. The ball B of the embodiment includes a core material 30 in which the electronic identification medium IC is embedded at the center of the ball B, a foam layer 40 formed on the outside of the core material 30, and the entire outer surface of the foam layer 40. And a coating layer 50 covering the surface. The foam layer 40 has moderate elasticity, and the ball B can be deformed by an external force.

  The core material 30 is a spherical member that is foam-molded from polystyrene (PS) with a molding die (not shown) and has an appropriate heat insulating property. In the core member 30, an accommodating portion 32 opened on the outer peripheral surface of the core member 30 is formed so that the electronic identification medium IC can be inserted and accommodated therein. Further, a support pin 90 to be described later is inserted into the outer peripheral surface of the core member 30 and can be screwed together. In addition, since the core material 30 has moderate rigidity, the electronic identification medium IC accommodated in the accommodating part 32 can be protected from external force.

  The foam layer 40 is a semi-rigid urethane foam foam-molded from a two-component mixed type urethane raw material (foam raw material) U by a foam molding die 60 shown in FIG. 2 and the like, and is softer than the core material 30. . In Examples, polyether polyol 70 parts by weight, polymer polyol 30 parts by weight, ethylene glycol 5.0 parts by weight, 33 LV (triethylenediamine 33%, dipropylene glycol solution) 0.8 part by weight, water 0.1 part by weight The foam layer 40 is formed using a urethane raw material U in which A liquid composed of 8.0 parts by weight of HFC-245fa and B liquid composed of urethane-modified MDI (diphenylmethane diisocyanate) are mixed at a ratio of 100: 35. did.

  The coating layer 50 is formed from the in-mold coating agent MC applied to the concave molding surfaces 72 and 82 of the foaming mold 60 shown in FIG. 2 and is cured in a state where the entire outer surface of the foaming layer 40 is covered. As this in-mold coating agent MC, an acrylic resin-based paint, a urethane resin-based paint, an acrylic-modified urethane paint, or the like can be used. The coating layer 50 formed from the in-mold coating agent MC is glossy and flexible, and deforms following the elastic deformation of the foam layer 40. The coating layer 50 is also excellent in wear resistance.

(Production method)
Next, a method for manufacturing the ball B will be described with reference to FIGS. In the manufacturing method of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, an open injection type foaming mold 60 comprising a lower mold (first molding mold) 70 and an upper mold (second molding mold) 80 that can be mutually closed is used. To do. The lower mold 70 and the upper mold 80 are respectively formed with hemispherical concave molding surfaces 72 and 82 on the sides facing each other when the mold is closed, and the both molds 70 and 80 are closed to form a biconcave molding surface. 72 and 82 are aligned to form a spherical cavity 62 in the mold. A support hole 74 for fixing a pin-like support pin (support) 90 is formed in the concave molding surface 72 of the lower mold 70. A degassing portion 66 that communicates between the cavity 62 and the outside of the die is formed at a boundary portion 64 where the lower die 70 and the upper die 80 are in contact with each other when the die is closed.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the support pin 90 is a member having a diameter of about 1 mm, a base end (one end portion) 92 is inserted into the support hole 74, and a tip end (the other end portion) 94 is A male screw 96 that can be screwed into the core member 30 is formed. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the support pin 90 is erected toward the center of the cavity 62 by inserting the base end 92 into the support hole 74, and the tip 94 is provided on the outer surface of the core member 30. The core member 30 can be held at the center of the cavity 62 by screwing.

  In the manufacturing method of the embodiment using the foam mold 60 and the support pins 90, first, as shown in FIG. 2, the support pins 90 are inserted into the support holes 74 of the lower mold 70 with the foam mold 60 opened. Plug in. When the setting of the support pins 90 to the lower mold 70 is completed, a release agent is applied to the concave molding surface 72 of the lower mold 70, the outer periphery of the support pins 90, and the concave molding surface 82 of the upper mold 80 (not shown). ). Then, after the release agent is dried, the in-mold coating agent MC is sprayed and applied to the concave molding surfaces 72 and 82 of the lower die 70 and the upper die 80 by an injection nozzle (coating device) N. The spraying thickness is about 0.01 to 0.2 mm.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the electronic identification medium IC is inserted into the accommodating portion 32 of the core material 30 that is formed in a spherical shape in advance, and the electronic identification medium IC is accommodated in the core material 30. Then, the core 30 containing the electronic identification medium IC is detachably attached to the tip 94 of the support pin 90 erected on the lower mold 70. As a result, the core member 30 is supported at the center of the cavity 62, and the electronic identification medium IC is attached to the tip 94 of the support pin 90 via the core member 30.

  When the attachment of the core material 30 to the lower mold 70 is completed via the support pins 90, a predetermined amount of the urethane raw material U is injected into the concave molding surface 72 of the lower mold 70 as shown in FIG. When the injection of the urethane raw material U is completed, the lower mold 70 and the upper mold 80 are closed to define the cavity 62 in the mold. Note that the concave molding surfaces 72 and 82 of the lower mold 70 and the upper mold 80 are not illustrated and are heated to 50 to 60 ° C. by heating means.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the foam molding die 60 that has been closed is displaced in posture so as to rotate about 90 degrees. As a result, the gas vent 66 provided at the boundary 64 between the lower mold 70 and the upper mold 80 is positioned at the top of the cavity 62. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 6, when the urethane raw material U expands upward in the cavity 62 while foaming, the air remaining in the cavity 62 and the foaming reaction of the urethane raw material U cause a reaction in the cavity 62. The generated gas is pushed out of the mold through the gas vent 66. As a result, it is possible to prevent voids (voids) from being formed in the foamed layer 40 molded in the cavity 62 and to form recesses in the outer surface of the foamed layer 40, and the foamed layer 40 that is homogeneous throughout. Molded.

  When the curing time of the urethane raw material U elapses, the foam molding die 60 is rotated to the original state (FIG. 7), and the lower die 70 and the upper die 80 are opened (FIG. 8). Then, the molded ball B is rotated around the axis of the support pin 90 to release the engagement between the support pin 90 and the core member 30, and then the support pin 90 is pulled out from the foam layer 40. Then, the ball B is removed from the foaming mold 60 (lower mold 70). Thereby, the molding process of the ball B in which the electronic identification medium IC is embedded is completed.

  Since the support pin 90 is thin, the hole through which the support pin 90 is inserted is hardly visible on the outer surface of the ball B after the support pin 90 is pulled out. Further, when burrs are formed on the outer surface of the ball B because the in-mold coating agent MC slightly flows into the boundary portion 64 between the lower mold 70 and the upper mold 80, the burrs are removed in a later step. Remove it.

It was confirmed that the ball B manufactured by the manufacturing method of the example using the urethane raw material U described above has the following physical properties.
-Apparent overall density (JIS K7222: 2005) 30.0 kg / m ³ (30.0-70.0 kg / m ³ )
・ Hardness (JIS K7312: 1996 Type C) HsC41 (HsC30-70)
・ Tensile strength (JIS K6400-5: 2004 Dumbbell No. 2 type) 110.0 kPa (700.0 kPa or more)
・ Elongation (JIS K6400-5: 2004 Dumbbell Type 2) 210% (150% or more)
・ Tear strength (JIS K6400-5: 2004 No. 4 type) 48.0 N / cm (33.0 N / cm or more)
The numbers in parentheses for each item are the physical properties of the ball B that can be molded in the manufacturing method of the example by changing the molding conditions (the blending ratio and the injection amount of the composition of the urethane raw material U). is there.

According to the method for manufacturing a ball in which the electronic identification medium of the embodiment is embedded, the following operational effects can be obtained.
(1) Since the foamed layer 40 molded in the cavity 62 formed by closing the lower mold 70 and the upper mold 80 is cured as a single body and does not have an adhesive surface, collision, compression deformation, etc. during implementation Thus, the foamed layer 40 is not peeled off, and the ball B with improved durability can be formed.
(2) Since the foamed layer 40 does not peel, the electronic identification medium IC embedded in the foamed layer 40 is prevented from jumping out, and the ball B that can prevent failure and breakage of the electronic identification medium IC. Can be molded.
(3) Since the outer shape is defined by the cavity 62, there is no variation in the shape and size of the molded ball B, and a high-quality ball B can be manufactured stably.
(4) Since the in-mold coating agent MC is cured in close contact with the concave molding surfaces 72 and 82 of the lower mold 70 and the upper mold 80, the entire outer surface of the molded coating layer 50 is glossy and smooth. Thus, a high-quality ball B can be manufactured.
(5) Since the in-mold coating agent MC is previously applied to the concave molding surfaces 72 and 82 of the lower mold 70 and the upper mold 80 by the injection nozzle N at a predetermined thickness, the liquid of the in-mold coating agent MC Occurrence of sagging is suppressed, and it is difficult to form a thin portion of the coating layer 50, so that a ball B with improved durability can be manufactured.
(6) When the foam layer 40 is molded in the cavity 62, the foam molding die 60 is rotated so that the gas vent 66 at the boundary portion 64 between the lower die 70 and the upper die 80 is positioned at the uppermost portion of the cavity 62. As a result, air and gas are discharged from the boundary 64 to the outside of the mold and are not confined in the cavity 62. Accordingly, the urethane raw material U can be expanded over the entire cavity 62, and it is possible to prevent a void from being formed in the molded foam layer 40, or to form a dent on the outer surface of the foam layer 40. A ball B that is uniform as a whole can be formed.
(7) Since the core member 30 containing the electronic identification medium IC is fixed to the tip 94 of the support pin 90, the electronic identification medium IC can be securely and stably attached to the center of the cavity 62.
(8) Since the urethane raw material U is foamed while the electronic identification medium IC is accommodated in the core material 30 to form the foamed layer 40, the urethane raw material U can be prevented from coming into direct contact with the electronic identification medium IC. The failure of the electronic identification medium IC due to U contact can be prevented. Further, even if the concave molding surfaces 72 and 82 of the lower mold 70 and the upper mold 80 are heated and the temperature in the cavity 62 is increased, the electronic identification medium IC is not exposed to a high temperature by being insulated by the core material 30. In addition, failure of the electronic identification medium IC due to heat can be prevented.
(9) Since the foam layer 40 is molded as a single body and does not have an adhesive surface, the in-mold coating agent MC penetrates into the foam layer 40 and reaches the electronic identification medium IC embedded in the foam layer 40. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the electronic identification medium IC from being damaged due to the contact with the in-mold coating agent MC.

(Example of change)
(1) In the above embodiment, the support pin 90 is fixedly erected on the concave molding surface 72 of the lower mold 70. However, the support pin 90 may be detachably erected. When the support pin 90 is detachable, the core pin 30 is screwed onto the tip 94 of the support pin 90 after the support pin 90 is erected on the concave molding surface 72 of the lower mold 70. The support pin 90 may be attached to the core member 30 first, and the support pin 90 attached with the core member 30 may be attached to the concave molding surface 72 of the lower mold 70.
(2) A support hole 74 may be provided in the concave molding surface 82 of the upper mold 80 so that the support pin 90 is detachably attached to the upper mold 80.
(3) In the embodiment, after the electronic recognition medium IC is accommodated in the core material 30, the support pins 90 are attached to the core material 30, but after the support pins 90 are attached to the core material 30, the core material 30 The electronic recognition medium IC may be accommodated in 30.
(4) When the hole capable of screwing the tip 94 of the support pin 90 can be formed in the electronic identification medium IC, the support pin 90 may be directly engaged with the electronic identification medium IC. In this case, the core material 30 can be dispensed with.
(5) A flexible joint portion may be fixed to the tip of the support pin 90 with an adhesive or the like, and the joint portion and the electronic identification medium IC may be bonded. Also in this case, the core material 30 may be unnecessary.
(6) The tip of the support pin 90 and the electronic identification medium IC may be bonded with a flexible adhesive. Also in this case, the core material 30 may be unnecessary.
(7) The tip of the support pin 90 may have a pointed shape, and the support pin 90 may be inserted into the core member 30.
(8) The opening of the foam mold 60 after the foam layer 40 is molded may be performed without rotating the foam mold 60 to its original state .

30 core material, 40 foam layer, 50 coating layer, 62 cavity, 64 boundary 66 degassing part, 70 lower mold (first molding mold), 72 concave molding surface, 80 upper mold (second molding mold)
82 concave molding surface, 90 support pins (support), B ball, IC electronic identification medium MC in-mold coating agent, N spray nozzle (coating device), U urethane raw material (foaming raw material)

Claims (2)

A method of manufacturing a ball in which an electronic identification medium is embedded in a foam layer and a coating layer is formed on an outer surface of the foam layer,
When the mold is closed, the first mold and the second mold that form a cavity that matches the ball are opened to form the concave molding surface that forms the cavity of the first mold or the cavity of the second mold. The electronic identification medium is detachably attached to a support attached to any one of the concave molding surfaces in a posture protruding in the direction of the center of the cavity,
Before or after attachment of the electronic identification medium to the support, an in-mold coating agent is applied to each concave molding surface of the first molding die and the second molding die;
Injecting the foaming raw material into a concave molding surface opening above the first molding die or the second molding die,
The first molding die and the second molding die are closed in the vertical direction, and the molding die is displaced in posture so that the gas discharge portion formed at the boundary between the two molding dies is positioned at the uppermost part of the cavity. ,
In the cavity in the first mold and the second mold closed, the foam layer is formed by foaming and curing of a foam raw material, and the coating layer is molded by curing the in-mold coating agent,
A method for producing a ball, comprising removing the support from the molded ball. A core material capable of accommodating the electronic identification medium is pre-formed, and the electronic identification medium is accommodated in the core material,
Wherein the core material after accommodating before or accommodated into the core material of an electronic identification medium is supported by the supporting member, through the core of the ball according to claim 1 Symbol mounting mounting the electronic identification medium to the support Production method.

Images