JPH10156880A - Device for concurrent in-mold decorating with injection molding - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for concurrent in-mold decorating with injection molding which is capable of thermally softening a decorated film using a heating platen after sending the film to a position opposite to the face of a female die, and at the same time, automatically cutting the decorated film in the upstream in close proximity to a molding device. SOLUTION: A decorated film X is sent from a roll and is registered in a fitting groove on the parting face of a female die 2. Next, the heating face of a heating platen 9 is transferred to a position opposite to the decorated film X, and the film X is pressed against the female die 2 to be softened. In this case, a heating strip 62 attached to the heating platen 9 comes into contact with the decorated film X in the upstream in close proximity to the female die 2 to cut the film X. Further, the decorated film X is brought into contact tightly with the inner face of a cavity 2a by an evacuation from an exhaust hole. Then the heating platen 9 is retreated to the outside and the female die 2 is transferred with a male mold to close the mold tool. In addition, a molten resin is injected into the cavity 2a through an injection gate resulting in the sticking of the decorated film X to the surface of a molded product.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for painting on the surface of a molded article simultaneously with injection molding.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a laminating method and a transferring method have been known as a decorating method for a three-dimensional molded article. In the laminating method, a film on which a pattern is printed in advance is deformed or bonded to a substrate at the same time as the deformation, or resin is applied to the film in the molding cavity between the male and female molds during or after the deformation of the film. Fill. On the other hand, in the transfer printing method, only a pattern ink of a film on which a pattern is printed in advance is transferred to a molded article.

A transfer printing apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-19 / 1987.
The device described in US Pat. In this apparatus, as described later, a hot plate on which a picture film is adsorbed is moved into a space between a male mold and a female mold which are separated from each other at a predetermined interval. Next, the painting film is heated by a hot plate and is vacuum-sucked to the inner surface of the female mold. Thereafter, the hotplate is retracted outward from the space between the male and female molds. Next, the male mold and the female mold are fastened to each other. Then, the molten resin is injected into the cavity defined by these halves to form a molded product, and the painted film is adhered to the surface of the molded resin molded product.

However, in this apparatus, when the painted film is adsorbed on the hot platen, air is trapped between the hot platen and the painted film, and this air remains as air bubbles. Therefore, the painted film is not heated uniformly. In addition, the unevenness or indentation of the vacuum hole of the hot plate remains on the surface of the final molded product to which the painting film is adhered, so that the appearance of the molded product becomes poor.

In order to solve this problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-3 is disclosed.
An apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application No. 01250 (Japanese Patent Application No. 4-108271) has been proposed. In this apparatus, a rectangular holding frame that comes into contact with the surface of the painting film is protruded from a peripheral portion of the surface of the hot plate, and a concave portion is formed inside the holding frame. Then, when the hot platen holds the painting film for heating the painting film, the presence of the concave portion prevents the main part of the painting film from coming into contact with the surface of the heating plate. Indentations remain on the film,
Deterioration of the appearance of the molded article is avoided.

[0006]

In the above-described simultaneous injection molding painting apparatus, the portion of the painting film used for molding between the male mold and the female mold and the unmolded painting film on the upstream side must be cut. However, in the conventional injection molding simultaneous painting apparatus, a dedicated apparatus for cutting must be provided, which complicates the apparatus and increases the price of the apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an injection molding simultaneous painting apparatus which can cut a painting film by simple and inexpensive means.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the apparatus of the present invention sends a picture film between a male mold, a female mold, and both male and female molds to form a cavity in a female parting surface. Transport means for covering the female film, a hot plate displaceable to a position along the female parting surface so as to heat and soften the painted film when in close contact with the inner surface of the female mold cavity, and the fastened male and female molds Means for injecting molten resin into the cavity of the injection molding simultaneous painting apparatus, wherein when the hot platen is at a position where it is pressed against the female parting surface, the painting film is supplied from the female parting surface. And a heating line that cuts the painting film following the section at a position on the female painting film supply side.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows an overall schematic configuration of an embodiment of an apparatus for simultaneously painting a molded article to be injection-molded. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a male mold of a molding apparatus, and the male mold 1 is fixed to a fixed platen 3. The male mold 1 is arranged to face the female mold 2. An injection nozzle 5 is provided in the male mold 1 so as to communicate with the injection gate 4. The female mold 2 is provided with a ram 7
It is fixed to. The female mold 2 is moved by the forward / backward movement of the ram 7.
Is moved forward and backward with respect to the male mold 1. In addition, female mold 2
Is provided with an exhaust hole 8, through which air in the female mold 2 is discharged to the outside by a vacuum pump (not shown). The parting surface of the male mold 1 has a rectangular fitting groove 1a.
However, a rectangular fitting groove 2b is formed on the parting surface of the female mold 2 so as to face the fitting groove 1a.

A hot platen 9 is arranged at a position separated by a predetermined distance from the outer surface of the male mold 1 and the female mold 2 (a space area between both molds). The position where the hot platen 9 is arranged is hereinafter referred to as a standby position. On the other hand, the position where the male mold 1 and the female mold 2 are arranged to face each other and the hot platen 9 is moved between them is hereinafter referred to as a forward position. Hot platen 9
Can be moved between the standby position and the forward position by driving means (not shown).

X is a painting film. The painting film X is pulled out from the roll R in the direction of the arrow by the chuck device 34 and sent to a position facing the female die 2 as described later.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the details of the hot platen 9. Hot platen 9
Has a laminated structure in which a heating plate 10, a liner plate 11, a heater panel 12, and an insulating plate 13 are arranged in this order. The heating plate 10 heats the painted film X as described later. A rectangular holding frame 14 is fixed to the periphery of the front side surface of the heating plate 10. The hot platen 9 includes a solenoid 16
Is attached to the support member 15 so as to be moved. By the operation of the solenoid 16, the hot platen 9 is moved in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the film X. The solenoid 16 moves the hot platen 9 forward and backward to the female mold 2 as described later.

The heating plate 10 of the hot platen 9 is made of a metal having excellent heat conductivity. The heating plate 10 is attached to the peripheral wall 14a of the holding frame 14.
A large number of small air blowing holes 17 are arranged at a predetermined pitch interval in a region surrounded by. These air blowing holes 17 penetrate from the front side to the rear side of the heating plate 10. As shown in FIG. 5, a concave portion 14b is formed by the heating plate 10 and the peripheral wall 14a of the holding frame 14. When a ceramic layer is formed on the front side surface of the heating plate 10, the radiation heat efficiency is improved. The liner plate 11 disposed behind the heating plate 10 is made of a metal plate having high heat transfer characteristics. The liner plate 11 has a surface that contacts the rear side of the heating plate 10. The surface is provided with a groove 18 through which compressed air is sent to the air outlet 17. A vent hole 19 is provided at the center of the liner plate 11. The ventilation holes 19 pass through the liner plate 11. The ventilation hole 19 passes through the center of the heater panel 12 and the center of the insulating plate 13. The ventilation hole 19 is opened to the rear side surface of the insulating plate 13, and the opening of the ventilation hole 19 is connected to the air hose 20. The air hose 20 can be connected to a low-pressure compressor 22 or a high-pressure compressor 23 through a three-way switching valve 21.

The heater panel 12 has a plurality of heating wires 24. These heating wires are connected to a power supply line (not shown). The insulating plate 13 has a function of effectively transmitting the heat generated by the heating wire 24 toward the heating plate 10.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 (enlarged view of a portion indicated by reference numeral 4 in FIG. 2), a sealing ring fitting groove 25 is formed along the peripheral wall 14a of the holding frame 14. When the sealing ring 26 is fitted into the groove 25, air leakage is prevented. Further, during the vacuum forming operation, deviation of the painted film from a predetermined position is prevented.

As shown in FIG. 1, at a standby position of the hot platen 9, a film pressing means 31 is provided. The film holding means 31 has a rectangular film holding frame 32 (shown in FIG. 6). Holding frame 32
Operates to hold the painting film X in a completely non-contact state, as described later. A cutter device 35 (FIG. 10) is provided immediately upstream of the forming device with respect to the feeding direction of the painting film X. Cutter device 35
Cuts the picture film X pulled to a predetermined position immediately upstream of the molding apparatus. The cutter device 35 is driven by an air cylinder 35a. As will be described later, the painted film X can be easily and inexpensively cut by the heating wire which characterizes the present invention.

The picture-attached film X is initially in the form of a strip on which a specific symbol Y (see FIG. 3) is printed at predetermined intervals. This painting film X is wound in a roll R shape and held in the supply holding device S (FIG. 1). In one embodiment of the “laminate film” for the painted film X, a product in which a pattern is printed on a thermoplastic resin such as acrylic resin, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), or polyvinyl chloride can be used. .

As an example of the transfer printing film,
A laminate in which a transfer printing layer composed of a transfer protection layer, a design layer and an adhesive layer is formed on a release substrate such as biaxially stretched polyethylene terephthalate resin or propylene can be used.

From the viewpoint of the three-dimensional contour following characteristics (molding characteristics) required in the simultaneous injection molding simultaneous painting method, and from the viewpoint of the durability of the design surface (abrasion resistance, etc.), the "dilution" is applied to the painted film substrate or the transfer layer. A resin which becomes a non-tacky thermoplastic solid even in a non-crosslinked state after drying of the medium "can be used. Such resins are described in JP-A-61-69487 and JP-A-60-161121. Examples of the base material of the laminate film or the transparent protective layer of the transfer film include a glass transition temperature of 0 ° C to 250 ° C.
A material obtained by adding a polymerizable cross-linking radical such as an acryl group and a methacryl group to a non-adhesive thermoplastic copolymer such as an acrylic resin at ℃.

The material before the polymerization or before the crosslinking reaction is transferred or laminated on the surface of the injection molded resin article. Thereafter, the resulting laminate is cured by a crosslinking reaction using ultraviolet light or an electron beam.

Next, the operation of the simultaneous injection molding and painting apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. First, from the state of FIG. 1, the chuck device 34 grasps the end of the painting film X and pulls it between the male mold 1 and the female mold 2 as shown in FIG. Let them cover the whole. Also, the film holding frame 32
Is moved from the standby position shown in FIG. 1 outside the area of the male mold 1 and the female mold 2 to the position shown in FIG. Thereafter, the position of the holding frame 32 is adjusted so as to coincide with the fitting groove 2b on the facing surface of the female die 2. The fitting groove 2b is arranged so as to surround the surface of the cavity 2a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the film holding frame 32 is pushed into the fitting groove 2b while the picture film X is interposed therebetween. Thus, the painting film X is brought into contact with the parting surface of the female mold 2.
At this point, it is preferable that the outer surface of the film holding frame 32 be at the same level as the outer surface of the female mold 2 after the fitting. However, as shown in the figure, when the fitting groove 1a is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the male mold 1 and this fitting groove is opposed to the fitting groove 2b of the female mold 2, the outer surface of the film holding frame 32 is female mold. It need not be at the same level as the outer surface of the second.
Rather, it is preferable that the film holding frame 32 protrudes and the peripheral wall 14a of the holding frame 14 is easily pressed as described later. FIG. 9 shows the front surface of the female mold 2 as viewed from the left side of FIG. As shown in the figure, a film holding frame 32 has a connecting portion 32 connected to its driving source on its side.
a.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10, by operating the air cylinder 35a, the picture film X is cut by the cutter device 35 immediately upstream of the forming device. Then, the hot platen 9 at the standby position is moved to the front surface of the female die 2. Next, the painting film X is pushed into the fitting groove 2b via the film holding frame 32 by the peripheral wall 14a of the holding frame 14 on the hot platen 9. At this stage, the painting film X is brought into contact with the peripheral wall 14 a on the hot platen 9. In this way, a closed heating space is formed, and the painted film X is heated in a non-contact state with the hot platen. After being sufficiently softened, the painted film X is subjected to vacuum suction through the exhaust holes 8 as shown in FIG. At this time, blowing air from the air blowing holes 17 may be used together, if necessary. Thereby, the painted film X is made to conform to the shape of the cavity surface 2a.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 12, the hot platen 9 is retracted to the standby position. Next, the female mold 2 and the male mold 1 are fastened to each other. Then, the molten resin is injected from the injection gate 4, and the cavity is filled with the resin.

After the molten resin is cooled and solidified as shown in FIG. 13, the male mold 1 and the female mold 2 are opened, and then the film holding frame 32 is pulled out from the fitting groove 2b of the female mold 2. In this way, the resin molded product fixed to the painting film X is taken out. When the painting film X is a transfer printing film, only the base film is peeled off, and the design is left on the molded product.

In another method of opening the mold, as shown in FIG. 14, after the molten resin is cooled and solidified, the film holding frame 32 is moved from the fitting groove 2b of the female mold 2 to the fitting groove 1a of the male mold 1. Moved into. After the painting film X is released, the mold opening operation shown in FIG. 13 is performed. According to this method, molding of the molded product from the male mold 1 and the female mold 2 becomes easy.

The effect of the above-mentioned device is that the cutter device 3 can be used in a state where the picture film X is directly fixed on the opposite surface of the female die.
5, the upstream side is separated and heated and softened, so that the deformation and movement of the painting film X hardly occur, and the influence of the softening of the painting film X does not reach the upstream painting film. is there. And, when the pattern is aligned with the mold, a high degree of positional accuracy is easily obtained. When positioning the pattern and the mold irregularities with high precision, a positioning mark such as a cross is printed on the painting film X, and this is detected by a position sensor such as a photoelectric tube fixed to a molding machine, and the painting film is detected. Stop feeding X.

Although the transfer printing method has been described above, the present invention can also be applied to a laminating method.

In the above embodiment, a panel heater that emits near-infrared rays can be used. In addition to this heater, an electric heater (using a nichrome coil and directly drawing Joule radiation heat such as surface resistance) can be used. A heater that radiates the film X), a ceramic panel that radiates far infrared rays,
Alternatively, dielectric heating can be used. In addition, as an example of the thermal transfer method for the painted film X, infrared radiation, electromagnetic waves, or the like can be directly used. Furthermore, the air can be heated in the closed space to perform the thermal transfer to the picture film X. Of course, both can be used together.

FIGS. 15 and 16 show a simple picture film cutting apparatus according to the present invention. In this cutting device, a pair of L-shaped supports 60, 60 are provided on both sides of the upper surface of the hot platen 9 so as to protrude in the direction toward the female mold 2, and a heating wire is provided between the tips of the supports. 62, a heating wire such as a nichrome wire is stretched. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 16, when the hot platen 9 comes close to and is pressed against the picture film X fixed to the parting surface of the female mold 2, the heating wire 62 comes into contact with the picture film X, and the heating wire 62 contacts the picture film X for one shot. Is cut off by fusing. This fusing method is much simpler and cheaper than separating the picture film with a mechanically driven blade as described above.

[0031]

As described above, according to the present invention, the painting film can be automatically separated from the downstream side by utilizing the movement of the hot platen pressed against the female mold, and the structure is simple and inexpensive. The effect that there is is obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a cross section of a part of a simultaneous painting apparatus for injection molding.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view of a hot plate of the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a hot plate.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing a hot plate and a holding frame.

FIG. 5 is a view showing a hot platen and a film pressing means.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a film holding frame.

FIG. 7 shows one stage of operation of the device of FIG.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the next operation state.

FIG. 9 is a left side view of the female mold shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the next operation state of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of an operation state next to FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an operation state next to FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the next operation state of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of the next operation state of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is an essential part perspective view showing heating filaments provided on a hot platen according to the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a side view showing a state in which the painted film is cut off by the heating wire shown in FIG. 15;

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 male mold 1a fitting groove 2 female mold 2a cavity inner surface 2b fitting groove 7 ram 8 exhaust hole 9 heating plate 10 heating plate 14 holding frame 14a holding frame peripheral wall 14b recess 16 solenoid 17 air blowing hole 18 groove 19 air passage 21 , 29 Three-way switching valve 22 Low-pressure air source 23 High-pressure air source 24 Heater wire 32 Film holding frame 34 Chuck 35 Cutter 60 Support 62 Heating line X Painting film

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takashi Tarutani 1-1-1, Ichigaya-Kagacho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Inside Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takeshi Matano 1-chome, Ichigaya-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo No. 1-1 Inside Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kazuhisa Kobayashi 1-1-1, Ichigaya Kagacho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Inside Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Atake Shinjuku, Tokyo 1-1-1, Ichigaya-Kaga-cho, Ward Inside Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A conveying means for feeding a painting film between a male mold, a female mold and both sexes and positioning the painting film on a parting surface of the female mold so as to cover the cavity, and transferring the painting film to an inner surface of the female mold cavity. A hot plate displaceable to a position along the female parting surface so as to be heated and softened when in close contact with the mold, and a means for injecting molten resin into the fastened male and female cavities with simultaneous injection molding In the apparatus, when the hot platen is at a position where the hot platen is pressed against the female parting surface, the painted film continuing from the female parting surface to the painted film supply portion is placed at a position on the female painted film supply portion side. An apparatus comprising a heating wire for cutting.