TW201332739A - Moulding methods and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Valves (110) and other apparatus, methods of moulding and moulds (112) are provided for the moulding of materials such as injection or injection-compression moulding of molten thermoplastic materials. The valve includes a valve element/piston (126) that is orientated at 60 degrees relative to the mould's bounding wall (116) and that can reciprocate in a barrel (122) and that can rotate. The piston (126) has a leading face (128) that is also orientated at 60 degrees, so that the flow passage/melt channel (118) extends past the leading face (128) when the valve (110) is open and the leading face (128) forms part of the bounding wall of the mould cavity (114) when the valve is closed. The piston (126) is advanced or retracted a very short distance and is rotated through 180 degrees, to open and close the valve (110).; The other apparatus include multiple flow passage and valve elements that feed single or multiple mould cavities to allow improved moulding of articles in conventional injection moulding machines through multiple flow passages.

Description

Casting method and equipment

The present invention relates to casting methods for materials, such as injection molding or compression injection molding of molten thermoplastic materials. In particular, the invention relates to valves, casting methods and molds for closing a cavity.

Prior art injection molding techniques involve supplying moldable material along a pipe and die into a cavity, however due to design limitations in the die, the size of the flow path to the cavity is impeded. Recent technological developments have included the use of larger bored flow passages and pistons for closing the flow passages such that at the forward end position of the forward stroke, the pilot face of the piston forms part of the peripheral wall of the cavity. These pistons are also internally cooled and have many advantages, in particular the increased size of the flow path, which prevents excessive shear and fiber breakage in the flowing moldable material, and the internal cooling of the piston allows for short periods of time. Cool down time and prevent unsightly stains on the formed parts.

The patent publication of WIPO Patent No. WO 2007/049146 provides an example of the above-described casting technique, and WO 2007/049146 describes a process for the final part of the process in which a molten thermoplastic material is filled into a cavity in a filler. At the end of the forward stroke of the piston, which pushes the molten thermoplastic into the mold, the surface of the packing piston becomes part of the outer wall of the mold to ensure that the formed material in the cavity contacts the surface of the piston and the rest of the model The material solidifies together and the piston surface is internally cooled. In addition, in order to ensure that the molten material filled into the mold does not solidify until it reaches the cavity, the periphery of the entire flow path in the mold is heated. WO 2007/049146 also discloses a plurality of packing pistons, each of which fills a molten material into a cavity.

Pistons of the above type, which simply move linearly and internally cool, have many disadvantages and challenges to be overcome. In the last part of the stroke before the piston, the piston closes the flow path of the supply material into the cylinder, which is the position in which the piston operates, and the material in the cylinder in front of the piston is pushed into the cavity. In the case of WO 2007/049146, this step is considered to be "packing". It is possible to determine the body of material that enters the cavity before the filler The volume of material that enters the cavity during the filling process maintains the desired volumetric mould filling, pressure and flow rate. However, there are many risks associated with the filling process, such as an increase or decrease in pressure or flow rate that does not meet the requirements during the packing stroke of the piston.

In some configurations, the piston should preferably be operated by a mechanism in the mold (ie, between the platens during the extrusion of the molding machine), for example, if multiple pistons are used and/or the pistons are not The pores in the platen of the molding machine are aligned. In order to provide the required force to push the moldable material into the cavity, the piston needs to be hydraulically driven, but the hydraulic mechanism is cumbersome and prone to leakage.

Today's injection molding technology is suitable for use in molds containing two (or sometimes multiple) sections, which are located between two platens of a compression device, during the forming and cooling stages, and at the end of the molding cycle. The mold holds a plurality of mold portions together and presents a close contact. The pressure plates generally include a fixed platen and a moving platen attached to a hydraulic piston or the like to open and close the mold. When the mold is closed, the molten material is filled into the cavity in the mold via a nozzle and from the outside of the mold to the cavity, the nozzle system extending through the aperture of the compression plate in the compression device.

When the technique developed in WO 2007/049146 is implemented, the molten material must enter the cavity through the cavity of the fixed die platen, and the packing piston must push the end of the molten material along the passage. Therefore, the stroke of the packing piston must be long enough so that the piston surface is outside the pore of the fixed platen at the end of the return stroke to retain the space for the molten material to flow through the pore - the distance of the hole It is quite far from the position of the peripheral wall outside the cavity at the end of the forward stroke.

The long stroke of the packing piston means that the piston and the equipment that drives the piston extend beyond the fixed platen and away, making the volume of the casting machine quite large.

Furthermore, the embodiment described in the case of WO 2007/049146 uses a plurality of packing pistons which cannot be used in prior art compression devices because the packing pistons must pass through a fixed platen, The space is only enough to carry a piston through.

A single mold often contains a plurality of mold cavities that can simultaneously form a plurality of products. However, in the case of injection molding of the prior art, the mold is supplied in a single pressure environment. Materials, and it is quite difficult to manufacture different products in a single prior art injection molding mold, and moldable materials for manufacturing different products in the cavity, the required volume difference is quite large (ie, its shot size) ). This process is optimally controlled by physically changing the size of the channel or die.

In general, for prior art injection molding, the manufacture of the formed product is limited to the case where a single product is produced at a time if one mold has only a single cavity; or, if one mold contains more than one hole at a time , can produce multiple identical products. If a product requires the production of a plurality of injection molded components of different shapes or sizes and their combined devices, these components must be cast in more than one injection molding die, and the pressure environment and die of the injection molding die. The dimensions conform to the specific component production requirements and control the requirements of the particular components produced through the mold. These components must then be sorted, assembled and separately delivered to the combined device prior to use. The above process leads to additional cost and process complexity in the production process of the product to be assembled.

To produce a product with multiple parts of its structure and consisting of one material and another material surrounding the material, such requirements often exist. In general, the first material described in the former is selected for its mechanical properties and/or cost, for example, it may be a strong composition having fibers embedded in the polymer, or it may comprise a low cost and large effect. Cellulosic waste, such as fillers. External materials can be selected to match aesthetic appeals, such as giving a so-called "A-class" finish or providing a soft touch. When manufacturing such products using existing injection molding techniques, the first (inner) portion is cast and then placed in a second mold that defines the holes for filling the second material, or The second material is applied by a different technique, such as high pressure steam treatment or the like. If such a product containing two parts can be cast by injection molding by a single mold, this method can significantly demonstrate its cost advantage.

Other bottlenecks inherent in injection molding equipment include the following: existing casting techniques typically require channels or other construction formed outside of the formed part to remove the formed part and the material consumed or recovered; The port size must be increased to reduce shear (which results in loss of reinforcing fiber length), and the larger die size limits where it is positioned in the mold, as the die size is larger than the product thickness and often increases Cycle time a sprue that requires a secondary removal step after demolding of the product; the configuration of the flow channel and the molding cycle that causes excessive shear during casting of the flowing material, which destroys the fibers embedded in the material; The need to offset the thermal expansion and contraction of the part between molding cycles; the formation of fragile points and/or weld lines in the molded part; and the piston marks formed by the formed portion.

The present invention is intended to provide a solution to the above problems, and relates to a process of filling a material into a mold using one or more packing pistons, and the present invention is not limited only to solving the problems caused by the technical contents described in WO 2007/049146. Further, it is intended to solve other bottlenecks inherent in injection molding technology, including the problems of the prior art mentioned above.

The present invention is intended to provide a means of closing the cavity while providing the same advantages as the aforementioned packing piston, but without the disadvantages of the prior art described above.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a method of closing a flow path to a cavity is provided, the method comprising: providing a piston that moves back and forth in a cylinder, and the piston rotates on a longitudinal axis of the cylinder Surroundingly, a portion of the barrel forms a portion of the flow path adjacent to the hole, the barrel system is opposite to the outer peripheral wall of the hole at an angle of about 60 degrees, and the piston has a guiding surface, the guiding The face is angled from the longitudinal axis of the barrel to an angle of about 60 degrees; in the forward stroke, the piston is longitudinally placed until the center of the guide face of the piston is generally aligned with the outer peripheral wall of the cavity And in the forward stroke of the piston, the piston is rotated about the longitudinal axis of the cylinder until the guiding surface of the piston is generally aligned with the outer peripheral wall of the bore.

The term "about 60 degrees" as used herein refers to an acute angle which is preferably 60 degrees, but may also deviate from 60 degrees. The acute angle may be between 40 and 80 degrees, but is preferably between 50 and 70 degrees, and more preferably as close as possible to 60 degrees. A reference value of "60 degrees" (removing the "about" described above) does not limit the acute angle to exactly 60 degrees, but does not significantly deviate from 60 degrees.

The aperture may be a cavity, i.e., the method may be closed with respect to the flow path for filling the material into the mold. Embodiments of this aspect of the invention are described below, and the invention is also related to the cavity. However, this aspect of the invention can be used in many fields of application, not just for casting techniques.

The method may be performed before and/or after the flow path is opened by the following steps; in the return stroke, until the center of the guiding surface of the piston is retracted from the outer peripheral wall of the hole, and the piston is longitudinally placed Preferably, the cylinder is longitudinally placed in the barrel at a distance of about half the diameter of the barrel; and the piston is in a longitudinal axis of the barrel until the piston is in a retracted position The rotation of the surroundings is preferably rotated through an angle of approximately 180 degrees.

The step of longitudinally placing the piston and rotating the piston about the longitudinal axis of the barrel during the opening and/or closing of the valve may be performed sequentially or simultaneously.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of casting an article, the method comprising: opening a valve as previously described; conveying a moldable material along the flow path to the aperture, the flow path comprising a supply passage and a portion of the barrel, the portion of the barrel being located between the aperture and the guide surface of the piston; closing the valve as previously described; and curing the moldable material.

The method can include a subsequent step of cooling the guide surface of the piston.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a valve for closing a flow passage leading to a cavity, the valve comprising: a piston that reciprocates in a cylinder and rotates around a longitudinal axis of the cylinder a portion of the barrel forming a portion of the flow path adjacent the aperture, the portion of the barrel forming a portion of the flow path adjacent the aperture, the barrel system being oriented relative to the direction at an angle of approximately 60 degrees a peripheral wall of one of the cavities, and the piston has a guiding surface that is oriented at an angle of about 60 degrees from a longitudinal axis of the barrel; and a supply passage that is in fluid communication with the barrel and Adjacent to the peripheral wall of the aperture, the supply channel and the barrel form part of the flow channel.

The hole system can be a cavity.

Preferably, the supply passage is coupled to the barrel at an angle of about 60 degrees and relative to the outer peripheral wall of the aperture, the direction reflecting the direction of the barrel, and the mirror axis relative to a mirror axis It extends generally perpendicularly to the peripheral wall of the cavity.

The piston defines an inner flow passage that is coupled to a source of cooling and in thermal contact with the guide surface of the piston.

The flow channel is in communication with the cavity by an opening defined in the peripheral wall, and the opening has an elliptical shape and a cross-sectional area that is about 8% larger than a cross-sectional area of the flow channel.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of casting an article, the method comprising: opening at least one first flow path leading to a primary cavity by pulling back at least one first valve element; a second valve element is advanced to close a second flow path leading to the main cavity, the first and second flow paths being defined in a fixed portion of a mold, the fixed portion of the mold defining the a main cavity; under pressure, filling the flowable material to the main cavity along the first flow path; closing the first flow path by moving the first valve element; and closing the main cavity The material in the curing and forming a first portion of an article; wherein the second valve member is advanced to extend to the cavity when the second valve member is advanced and proximate to the second flow path; and the method Further comprising: pulling back the second valve member to form a void in the first portion of the article and opening the second flow passage; forming an auxiliary cavity adjacent the first portion of the article, at least the auxiliary mold Part of the hole is at the first of the item Points and lines in a side opposite to the fixed portion of the mold, the cavity of the auxiliary system through the pores of the first part of the article, are connected through the second flow passage; Filling the flowable material along the second flow path to the auxiliary cavity under pressure; closing the second flow path; and curing the material in the auxiliary cavity.

When the second valve element is advanced, the second valve element is advanced to abut against the outer peripheral wall of one of the main cavities, the outer peripheral wall being located at the main cavity and opposite to the mold The side of the fixed part.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a mold comprising a plurality of portions, the mold comprising: a first mold portion configured to be movable during use, the first model portion being defined when in use a first portion extending around an outer peripheral wall of a cavity; a second mold portion configured to maintain a fixed state during use, the second mold portion defining the outer peripheral wall when in use a second portion, the second mold portion further defining at least one first flow path to the cavity and at least one second flow path to the cavity; at least one first valve element, selectively Provided near each of the first flow passages; and at least one second valve member selectively disposed adjacent to each of the second flow passages; when the second flow passage is closed, the second valve member is configured to be The second outer peripheral wall abuts against each other.

Each of the first and second valve members can be completely disposed in the fixed portion of the mold.

Each flow channel has an aperture of at least 10 mm and includes a smooth, circular bend. Preferably, the flowable material has a flow rate in the flow channels of less than 1 meter per second.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of casting a plurality of sections to combine to form a product, the method comprising: providing a moldable material as a feed; filling the moldable by a plurality of flow passages Material to a plurality of cavities, the runners and modes The system is defined in a single mold and at least some of the cavities having different shapes and substantially different volumes; the moldable material is pushed from the flow path into the cavities, and the flow is closed by a valve element a passage, when the flow passage is closed, a surface of each valve member becomes a portion of an outer peripheral wall of one of the cavities of the cavities; wherein the flow passages and the valve members closing the flow passages have different sizes, And the flow rate of the moldable material in the flow channels and cavities is less than 1 meter per second.

The method can include opening and closing the flow passages in a predetermined sequence using the valve elements to urge the moldable material into the mold cavities in a predetermined sequence.

Each of the valve elements can be a piston, and the step of pushing the moldable material into the cavities can include: moving the pistons forward, each piston system being disposed in the flow path of the flow channels, and Upon reaching the limit of the stroke before the piston, the guiding faces of the pistons become part of the outer peripheral wall of one of the cavities of the cavities.

The valve elements are electrically driven and controlled.

The method can include closing the mold before pushing the moldable material to the mold cavity, or closing the mold after pushing the moldable material to the mold cavities.

In another aspect of the invention, a mold is provided that includes a plurality of portions that, when closely disposed together, define an inner cavity, at least a portion of which defines a first pass, the flow The trajectory is in communication with the exterior of the mold and a transition passage, the transition passage being in communication with the mold cavity at a position of a discharge port; wherein a valve element is disposed in the mold portion and along the conversion The channel moves back and forth between a retracted position and a forward position in which the flow path is in communication with the transition channel and the discharge port assumes an open state in which the valve element blocks the The flow passage and the transition passage are connected and the discharge port is closed such that in the advanced position, a guiding surface of the valve member forms a portion of the peripheral wall of the cavity in the discharge opening.

"Inside" the mold portion means that the valve member physically engages the interior of a portion of the mold, and also includes a configuration in which a portion of the valve member can protrude from the mold Partially external, as long as a portion of the valve element still fits the same side of the platen of the injection molding compressor, as is the cavity.

The same mold portion may define a back surface on the outside of the mold and a feed end in the back surface, and the outside of the mold is generally a position where the mold is pressed against the fixed platen, the feed end The discharge end that is in communication with the flow path and disposed on one side of the mold portion is opposite to the feed end.

The mold can include a drive mechanism for actuating the valve member to reciprocate between its advanced and retracted positions, and the drive mechanism can include at least one hydraulic cylinder - preferably configurable to the mold Part of the internal multiple actuating cylinders.

The valve element can be cooled internally, for example by means of an internal water jacket, in particular the inner water jacket extends behind the guiding surface of the valve element. Furthermore, the wall of the conversion channel can be heated.

The end of the flow path connected to the conversion channel may extend generally parallel to the conversion channel, and may be disposed on one side of the conversion channel to prevent the material from flowing through the flow path at intervals, thereby preventing the weld line from being welded. produce.

The mold may include a plurality of the valve elements, each valve element being coupled to a first-class track and a conversion channel as described above, and each valve element may be configured to be interposed between its retracted position and the advanced position. Its connected conversion channel moves back and forth as previously described.

The flow channels may be in communication, i.e., interconnected, and may be in communication with a single feed end of the mold portion.

The invention extends to provide a casting machine comprising a mold as previously described.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of casting an article, the method comprising: filling the flowable material to a feed end of a mold under pressure; from the feed end via a first pass, a conversion channel and a discharge end, filling the flowable material to a cavity, the flow channel, the conversion channel and the discharge end are defined in the mold; Closing the communication between the flow channel and the conversion channel, and using a valve element along the forward stroke of the conversion channel, filling the flowable material into the cavity from the conversion channel; and utilizing the valve element The guiding surface closes the discharge end at the end of its forward stroke so that the guiding surface of the valve element becomes part of the peripheral wall of the cavity; wherein the valve element is disposed in the mold.

The valve element can initiate its forward stroke as the flowable material continues to flow from the flow path to the transition passage such that the flowable material can continue uninterrupted during the flow.

Alternatively, the cavity is filled with a feed of the flowable material before the valve body begins its forward stroke. Preferably, under pressure, the flowable material is retained in the flow passage and the transition passage until the valve body terminates its forward stroke to compensate for shrinkage of the material in the mold.

The method can include filling the flowable material into the cavity through a plurality of the flow channels, the transfer channels, and the discharge end, and pushing the flowable material from the conversion channels to the cavity using a valve element In, as mentioned earlier.

The method can include filling the flowable material into the flow channels from a common feed end located on the mold, and the forward stroke of the valve element can be performed sequentially.

At least when the remainder of the peripheral wall of the mold has been cooled, the valve element can be cooled, at least partially cooled, and the cooling process of the valve element can be regulated.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of injection molding an article using a flowable material comprising long glass fibers, wherein fiber breakage is inhibited, the method comprising: filling the flowable material under pressure a feed end to a mold; filling the flowable material from a feed end to a mold hole through the first-stage passage, a conversion passage and a discharge end, the flow passage, the conversion passage and the discharge End systems are each defined in the mold; Closing communication between the flow channel and the transition channel, and utilizing a valve element along the forward stroke of the transition channel, filling the flowable material from the transition channel into the cavity; and ending at its forward stroke And closing the discharge end with the guiding surface of the valve element, so that the guiding surface of the valve element becomes a part of the outer peripheral wall of the cavity; wherein the valve element is disposed in the mold; each flow channel, Both the conversion channel and the feed end have an aperture greater than 10 mm, and the bends at the flow path and the conversion channel are both smooth and circular.

The flow rate of the flowable material in the flow channel and the conversion channel does not exceed 1 meter/second.

As the flowable material continues to flow from the flow path to the transfer passage, the valve member initiates its forward stroke to enable the flowable material to continue uninterrupted during the flow.

Alternatively, the cavity is filled with a feed of the flowable material before the valve body begins its forward stroke. Preferably, the flowable material is held in the flow path and the transfer passage under pressure to compensate for shrinkage of the material in the mold until the valve body stops its forward stroke.

The method can include filling the flowable material into the cavity through a plurality of the flow channels, the transfer channels, and the discharge end, and pushing the flowable material from the conversion channels to the cavity using a valve element In, as mentioned earlier.

The method can include filling the flowable material into the flow channels from a common feed end located on the mold, and the forward strokes of the valve elements are sequentially performed.

At least when the remainder of the peripheral wall of the mold has been cooled, the valve element can be cooled, at least partially cooled, and the cooling process of the valve element can be regulated.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a mold according to a first embodiment of the present invention is generally identified by reference numeral 10. Only a part of the mold 10 is shown in the drawing. When the mold is in a closed state, a part of the mold has a back wall surface 12 on one side thereof, And a surface on the opposite side that forms an outer peripheral wall 14 of the cavity 16. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mold 10 generally includes at least one portion that can be compressed together such that the mold cavity 16 is formed therein. In the conventional injection molding compressor, a fixed pressure plate (not shown) can be abutted against the back wall surface 12 (shown on the right side of FIG. 1), and a part of the model not shown in the figure can be A moving platen of the compressor is connected.

For the sake of brevity, reference numeral 10 and the term "mold" are used herein to mean a portion of the mold shown in the figures.

The outer peripheral wall 14 of the cavity 16 is formed by a die plate 18 in the form of a thick metal disk and located on the opposite side of the mold 10; the back wall surface 12 is also formed by a thick metal plate. A backing plate 20 is formed. The mold plate 18 and the back plate 20 are exceptionally strong; to ensure the dimensional stability of the mold 10, in particular the mold may need to withstand an environment under extremely high pressure. The die plate 18 and the back plate 20 are separated by an equally solid internal structure comprising a plurality of concentrators 24 and a support plate 26, and the support plate 26 and the concentrators Defined holes.

At the center of the backing plate 12, a certain center ring 22 is disposed in the backing plate 12 and protrudes from the back wall surface. The centering ring 22 is intended to be received in a recess complementary thereto and located in a fixed platen of the injection molding compressor and to assist in ensuring proper mold 10 placement.

An injection sleeve 28 is provided at the center between the concentrators 24 and aligned with the centering ring 22. The injection sleeve 28 defines a feed end 29 and an inner central flow passage 30, the feed end being generally located at the center of the back wall surface 12, and the feed end leading to the central flow passage and the feed end The central flow channel is in communication with a plurality of branch channels 32 (i.e., consecutively connected). Only two branch runners 32 are shown in Figure 1, however the mold 10 can include one or any other number of branch runners. Each branch flow channel 32 is continuously in contact with the injection sleeve 28 along a distributor arm 34 that cooperates with the interior of the recess of the support plate 26.

A valve body 36 is provided at the end of each of the distributor arms 34, and the branch flow passage 32 is continuous with the distributor arm 34 (i.e., in communication) to the inside of the valve body. In the adjacent position, the branch flow path extends to a discharge at the end of the conversion channel The end 40 is parallel to the same plane as the peripheral wall 14 of the cavity 16.

An elongated valve piston or member 42 is provided that is located in each of the transfer passages 38 and that moves back and forth along the conversion flow path between the retracted positions shown in FIG. 1 in the following cases: when the branch flow path 32 is in communication with the conversion passage and the discharge end is in an open state, and in the forward stroke as shown in FIG. 2, when the valve member fills the conversion passage so as not to communicate with the branch flow passage and the discharge end 40 When the valve element is brought into the closed state by the guide surface 43, the guide surface and the outer peripheral wall 14 are parallel to the same plane and form part of the outer peripheral wall 14.

At the end of the branch flow path 32 that is in contact with the conversion channel 38, the branch flow path extends generally parallel to the conversion channel, but is offset or centrifugally disposed on one side of the conversion channel. The branch flow channel 32 also extends a point that is relatively close to the discharge end 40.

At the bottom of the valve member 42, a drive mechanism is coupled. The drive mechanism includes two (although it may be one or any other number) of double-actuated hydraulic pistons 44. Each of the double-actuated hydraulic pistons is disposed in a hydraulic cylinder 46. The valve member is actuated to reciprocate between its retracted and advanced positions. The bottom of each valve element 42 also has the function of supplying a receiving or discharging cooling substance, such as water, which flows in the valve element along the internal cooling passage 48. The cooling passage 48 is configured to flow cooling material along the center of the valve member 42 to its surface, radially adjacent to the surface, and back to the original along an annular flow path. Therefore, when the cooling substance flows in the flow channels, the cooling passage 48 is configured to cool the tip end of the valve element, and in particular, the guiding surface of the valve element 43.

The mold plate 18 defines an internal cooling passage (not shown) through which a cooling substance can flow to cool the mold plate, particularly the peripheral wall 14.

The injection sleeve 28 having an external heating band 50 and the valve body 36 are separately provided, and these portions are in mechanical close contact with the distributor arm 34, and when the material is along the branch flow path 32. When flowing, heat is transferred between these parts. The mechanical engagement between the injection sleeve 28, the support plate 26 and the backing plate 20 is minimized to reduce heat transfer from the injection sleeve to the remainder of the mold 10, and as such, the dispenser The mechanical connection between the arms 34, the support plate 26 and the die plate 28 is minimized to reduce heat transfer from the dispenser arm to the remainder of the mold.

In summary, it is apparent that the mold 10 includes a plurality of branch flow passages 32, each of which is connected to its corresponding valve body 36 and valve member 42, and only a single valve body and valve are shown in each of the drawings. element. Moreover, there is only a single cavity 16 shown in the figures, however, in other embodiments of the invention, the mold may define a plurality of mold cavities, with at least one discharge end of the discharge ends 40 feeding To each cavity.

Referring to FIG. 3, in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, although the die plate 18 shown in FIG. 3 includes a plurality of profiled inserts that assist in defining the cavity 16, the figure The mold 10 is substantially the same as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 . In addition, each of the dispenser arms 34 as shown in FIG. 3 is fixedly coupled to the corresponding valve body 36, and is coupled to the injection sleeve 28 by an expansion sleeve 35, which is defined by The dispenser arm and the recess of the injection sleeve are respectively tightly fitted. When the dispenser arm 34 is exposed to varying temperatures, the dispenser arm expands and contracts longitudinally, however the extension sleeve 35 slides in a sealed manner relative to the dispenser arm and thus does not come from the dispenser arm The significant external force transmitted to the injection sleeve 28 tends to produce an expansion/contraction phenomenon as a function of heat. Although the apertures of the runners are relatively large, such a configuration as described above can compensate for the seal along the length of the branch runners 32.

In order to minimize internal shear when flowing material through the central flow passage 30, the branch flow passage 32, and the conversion passage 38, the flow passages have relatively large apertures and do not contain any right angles or sharp turns. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3, the flow channels 30, 32, 38 are each converted at a 45 degree angle, but in the embodiment shown in Figure 4, the flow channels are Curved/round shape and smoothly change direction. The reduction in internal shear stress reduces the breakage of fibers embedded in the flowable material flowing in the channels 30, 32, 38.

In use, a flowable material, such as a molten thermoplastic material having fibers embedded therein, is supplied to the mold 10 under pressure from an existing extruder, metering piston, or the like, and It is supplied to a supply end in a conventional manner, the supply end being located at the center of the fixed platen of the injection molding compressor mated with the mold. The feed end 29 is generally aligned with the supply end, and the molten material flows through the feed end 29 and along the central flow passage 30 in the mold 10 and is separated along each of the branch flow passages 32. Flows to the corresponding valve body 36. As noted above, the injection sleeve 28, the distributor arm 43 and the valve body 36 are heated directly or indirectly such that the molten material is maintained at a sufficient rise temperature along the entire flow path (typically at 250 degrees Celsius). Within range) to prevent solidification.

At the beginning of the firing cycle, the valve element 42 is retracted (as shown in Figure 1) and the mold 10 is closed. The molten material thus flows along the flow channels 30, 32 as previously described and flows through the conversion channels 38 and the discharge end 40 into the cavity 16. During this time, the supply of cooling material to the valve member 42 is in a closed state, thereby causing the guide surface 43 and portions of its adjacent valve member 42 to be adjacent to the valve body 36 and the flow material having heat. Heating rapidly, and the increased temperature of portions of the valve elements prevents unwanted solidification of the material located on the guide surface 43.

When sufficient molten material is filled into the cavity 16, the valve elements 42 can begin their forward stroke and the closing material flows from the runners 32 until the valve members reach their advanced positions (see Figure 2). The transition channel 38 pushes the remaining material into the cavity and its guiding surface 43 becomes part of the peripheral wall 14. While the molten material still flows from the runners 32 to the shift passage 38, the valve members 42 can begin their forward stroke so that the flow of molten material during the process is not interrupted.

In some embodiments, the valve elements 42 are configured to sequentially fill the molten material, for example, they can be contiguous with one another on the sides to fill the cavity 16 while maintaining a continuous flow. The molten surface is filled or filled in any other way that minimizes or limits the weld-line, visible to the naked eye, and the like. Basically, the plurality of valve elements 42 allow for the filling of the cavity 14 to be resilient and regulated, and has numerous advantages.

Once the valve elements 42 have reached their advanced position, the die plate 18 and valve elements are internally cooled to solidify the material in the cavity 16 and produce a shaped article. Once the molten material solidifies, the cooling of the die plate 18 and the valve member 42 will be aborted, and the mold 10 is opened to deliver the molded article. The mold 10 is closed again and the valve member 42 is retracted to prepare the mold 10 for the next injection cycle.

However, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the material flows continuously in the cavity 16 under pressure applied from the mold 10 (i.e., from the metering piston) until the cavity is completely filled. The pressure at which the full, and flowable, material is supplied is maintained for a period of "dwell" for a few seconds (depending on the width of the cavity, which is equivalent to the wall thickness of the formed article). During stagnation, the outer peripheral wall 14 of the mold is cooled and the material in the cavity 16 begins to solidify and shrink into smaller portions, whereas the flowable material from the conversion passage 38 It is still possible to flow into the cavity 16 under pressure and to compensate for the resulting shrinkage. At the end of the stagnation period, the valve element 42 begins its forward stroke until the leading face 43 of the valve element reaches the end of its advanced position, pushing most of the material in the transition passage 38 back into the branch flow passage 32. As soon as the valve element 42 reaches the end of its forward stroke, the beginning of its guiding surface 43 is internally cooled, however this cooling process takes place relatively quickly, so that it is adjacent to the guiding surface 43. The material in the cavity 16 and the material in the remaining cavity are simultaneously solidified. With this configuration, only a very small volume of flowable material is filled into the cavity 16 by the forward stroke of the valve member 42, so that very little material that may solidify in the conversion passage 38 is filled into the cavity (which may The feature of the cast product is shown, and the valve element can be more easily predicted than when the valve element is used to "pack" the cavity by filling a large volume of material into the cavity 16. 42 is at the final position at the end of its forward stroke.

The flow of the cooling material at the valve elements 42 is controlled by the valve (not shown) to be separated from the flow of the cooling material in the remaining molds 10 to allow the guide surface 43 to be properly and effectively cooled, as well as compared to the peripheral wall. The cooling allows the switching of the cooling timing of the guiding surface 43.

The injection molding technique of the present invention with respect to molten thermoplastic materials is described herein and relates to the heating and cooling of materials. However, the invention is also applicable to casting techniques for a wide variety of other materials, such as thermoset materials, ceramics, or any other flowable material that needs to be filled into a mold.

The present invention provides features of the valve member 42 located in the mold 10, rather than outside the platen of the injection molding compressor, meaning that the valve members can maintain a short stroke and the hydraulic cylinders 46 of the drive valve members can The interior of the mold is matched. In addition, since only a short length of each valve element is repeatedly exposed to the heat of the valve body 36 and the flowing material - and then must be cooled during the solidification phase of each cycle, the short stroke of the valve elements 42 is excellently assisted in regulating The temperature of the guiding surface 43.

The present invention provides the features of the valve member 42 located in the mold 10, with the further advantage that a plurality of valve members can be used with existing injection molding compressors and can have only a single supply end in its platen. There is no need to make a special pressure plate with pores for a plurality of valve elements to fill the cavity 14 with material.

The centrifugal connection of the branch flow passage 32 to the conversion passage 38 ensures that the flow of material through the flow passages remains uninterrupted and undivided (eg, around the valve member 42) - which may result in no The ideal weld line. The elimination of weld lines is extremely important for fiber reinforced materials because the distribution of such fibers and fibers does not extend continuously over the weld line, thereby making the formed fiber reinforced article significantly weaker along the weld line.

When injection-molding a fiber-reinforced material, most of the breakage of the reinforcing fiber is due to the small size (generally less than 8 mm) of the flow path (channel, die, etc.) through which the molding material flows, and the high flow rate, pressure, and occurrence. The shearing phenomenon that occurs when the molding material flows. These effects are exacerbated as they contain sharp bends - generally in the form of right angled flow paths.

However, in the present invention, each flow channel (30, 32, 38) has an aperture of at least 10 mm (generally larger) which requires the molding material to flow in the flow channels at a lower flow rate - in general Less than 1 meter per second, and requires a lower injection pressure. In addition, a smooth curve in the flow path minimizes fiber breakage.

The present invention allows components of significantly different sizes to be cast in a single mold because a plurality of branch runners 32 and a plurality of valves (which together include the valve body 36 and the packing piston 42) can be of different sizes to allow for different volumes. The flow rate flows to different cavities, and/or the valves can be closed in any order, so the size of these components and the sequence of operation of the valves can be selected to fill the cavities at the desired flow rate, and The flow rate of the molding material was kept below 1 m/sec, and excessive cracking of the reinforcing fibers in the molding material was avoided.

The sequential operation of the valves includes the operation of one valve after the other valve and the operation of some or all of the valves.

Referring to Figures 5-8, a valve system in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention is generally designated by reference numeral 110.

The valve 110 is used in a mold 112, such as a mold suitable for injection molding, in which a cavity 114 is defined and bonded to at least one side of a peripheral wall 116. The mold includes a supply passage to supply moldable material to the mold cavity 114, and a portion of the supply passage is routed to the exterior of the mold 112 in a pattern of melt channels 118, and is performed by the spiral heating element 120. heating. The melting channel 118 can have any orientation and should preferably comprise only a gentle curve, and its lower end preferably extends at an angle of about 60 degrees relative to the peripheral wall 116 to the melting channel 118 via an opening or die 117 enters the point of the cavity 114.

The flow path further includes a cylindrical barrel 122 defined by a valve body 121 (the valve The body also defines the melting channel 118), and the barrel extends at an angle of about 60 degrees relative to the peripheral wall 116, preferably to reflect a single direction of the low end direction of the melting channel 118, relative to A mirror axis 124 extends generally perpendicular to the peripheral wall 116. Outside the peripheral wall 116, the melting channel 118 is in direct communication with the barrel 122.

A cylindrical piston 126 is moved longitudinally along the barrel 122 and is rotatable within the barrel for rotation about the longitudinal axis 129 of the barrel. The piston 126 has a guide surface 128 that has an angle of about 60 degrees and a direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the barrel. The piston 126 is tightly fitted to the interior of the barrel 122 in a sealed form, and the piston and barrel are cylindrical and have a common longitudinal axis 129.

The piston 126 defines an inner flow passage or cooling passage 130 that can be coupled to a source of cooling, such as very cold water or air. The cooling passage 130 preferably receives cooling material along the axis of the piston, directing the cooling material to abutting (and thus also in close thermal contact) at the guiding surface 128 to cool the guiding surface, and the trailing edge The annular portion of the cooling passage discharges the cooling material, and the remaining pistons can also be cooled. The cooling material is supplied to the piston 126 by a rotary joint 132 that is continuously attached to the roller bearing and that seals the cooling material with a mechanical seal during rotational movement of the piston.

Outside of the barrel 122, the piston 126 is coupled to an actuating mechanism to open and close the valve 110. The actuation mechanism includes a housing 133 that is gripped and fixed relative to the mold. The piston 126 extends to the exterior of the barrel 122 into the housing 133 and is located within the housing. The piston includes a threaded section 135 and a longitudinal splined section 137.

The actuation mechanism includes a spindle nut 134 that is in continuous engagement with the tapered bearing 136 and intermeshes with the threads of the threaded section 135 of the piston 126. The spindle nut 134 is driven from an electric motor 142 by a pulley 138 and a timing belt 140. When the electric motor 142 drives the spindle nut 134, it causes the piston 126 to move longitudinally relative to the housing 133 and the barrel 122.

The actuation mechanism also includes a spline bush 144 that rotates relative to the housing 133 on a deep groove ball bearing 146 and engages the spline section 137 of the piston. . By a pulley 148 and a timing belt 150 from a stepper motor 152 drives the spline sleeve 144. When the stepper motor 152 drives the spline sleeve 144, it causes the piston 126 to rotate relative to the housing 133 and the barrel 122 at its longitudinal axis.

It is important that the operation of the electric motor 142 causes longitudinal (axial) movement of the piston 126, however during movement, the splined section 137 of the piston slides longitudinally relative to the splined sleeve 144, and The spline sleeve 144 does not move longitudinally.

It has been described that the actuation mechanism operates the valve 110 in an electrically driven manner, and that this electrical mode of operation does have some advantages, but in the ideal case, the valve can be operated by other means, such as hydraulic, Pneumatic, mechanical, or a combination of these drive mechanisms.

In a preferred embodiment, the actuation mechanism does not use hydraulics because hydraulic pressure is prone to errors, such as leakage or hydraulic cylinder failure, requiring removal of the mold from the injection molding machine and removal of the mold to repair The hydraulic pressure in the mold. The electrical actuation mechanism is not only more compact and reliable, but can also be placed external to the mold 112 (with the mechanical element being simply mechanically transferred to the piston) and can be easily used externally to the mold.

The servo motors 142, 152 are used to control the movement of the piston 126 to ensure a high degree of operational reliability, and the positioning mode is substantially more accurate and consistent than prior art piston operations.

Moreover, preferably, if the two motors 142, 152 can be stepper motors, they are more cost effective - especially more cost effective than servo motors. However, the motors 142, 152 may be exposed to torque and must maintain their correct position, and thus it may be preferred to use a servo motor that is more resistant to torque than a stepper motor.

In use, when the moldable material has to be filled in the cavity 114, the valve 110 is in an open state and the piston 126 is in a retracted position as shown in FIG. In this position, the piston 126 is retracted from the cavity 114 and its guide surface 128 is oriented at an angle of approximately 60 degrees relative to the peripheral wall 116 and is aligned with the lower end of the melt channel 118. . The portion of the barrel 122 between the guide surface 128 and the cavity 114 thus forms an open flow path that is aligned with the lower end of the melting channel 118.

The guiding surface 128 of the piston 126 forms a portion of the peripheral wall of the flow channel that is smoothly connected from the melting channel 18 to the cavity and leads to the cavity 114 without protruding edges Or separate channels are located in the moldable material before entering the cavity 114 The location of the flow location, or the location at which the moldable material is retained in front of the piston 126 when the cavity is filled. (In the prior art, such retained material can generally be cured and placed as the last small portion of the material pushed into the cavity 114).

In the present invention, the moldable material can be held for a longer period of time than prior art before the valve 110 must be closed. This is because the shape of the junction of the barrel 122 and the melting channel 118 creates a cavity that increases in size without contacting the cavity 114 and leads to the melting channel 118. For such prior pistons, this in turn causes the moldable material that is actually in front of the piston 126 to move back into the melt channel 118 without moving forward into the cavity 114.

In addition, the cross-section of the flow path generally remains the same until it enters the cavity 114. The flow of the moldable material from the melting channel 18 to the cavity 114 is absolutely smooth and consistent, and as the piston 126 blocks in it - reduces the breakage of long reinforcing fibers in the moldable material. Therefore, there is no restriction or deviation in the flow of the moldable material.

Once the cavity 114 is filled with the moldable material, until the central portion of its guide surface 128 is generally aligned with the peripheral wall 116, the valve 10 is moved longitudinally during the forward stroke as described above. The piston 126 assumes a closed state, and during the forward stroke of the piston, the piston is rotated at an angle of approximately 180 degrees as described above until its guiding surface guiding surface is generally aligned with the peripheral wall 116 of the cavity. ,As shown in Figure 6.

The longitudinal movement and rotation of the piston 126 can preferably be performed in any order. If the longitudinal movement is performed first, until the piston also begins to rotate, the leading edge end of the piston 126 temporarily protrudes into the cavity 114. Therefore, if this is not acceptable, the rotation of the piston 126 must begin early. The distance required for the longitudinal movement of the piston 126 is only slightly greater than half the diameter of the piston or barrel 122, so that during this longitudinal movement, the volumetric compression of the moldable material is relatively small, and thus the external force involved Relatively small. Moreover, the area of the combination of the barrel 122 and the cavity 144 does not change when the piston is rotated purely, and therefore, there is virtually no need to apply any pressure to the moldable material to achieve rotation of the piston 126.

The longitudinal movement of the piston 126 is relatively low (only about a quarter of the piston required as described in WO 2007/049146). The less moldable material that is present in the mold can be disturbed, and at the end of the cavity filling, less moldable material needs to be pushed into the cavity 114.

Only when the piston reaches its advanced position, the flow between the melting channel 118 and the barrel 122 is closed.

Therefore, until the closing movement of the piston 126 is finished, the melting channel 118 is circulated by the cylinder 122 and the mold 114, and the external cavity can be controlled from the cavity 112 (by the melting channel 118) in the cavity and the flow path. The pressure of the molded material does not need to be affected by the movement of the piston 126. In a preferred embodiment, the valve 110 is closed by simultaneous rotation and longitudinal movement of the piston 126 until the end of the closing action, the piston 126 is not significantly (or preferably not completely) protruding. The cavity 114 is extended and the flow between the melt channel 118 and the barrel 122 is maintained. When the valve 110 is closed by the small movement of the piston 126 and the longitudinal movement of the small motion - it does not result in substantial compression of the moldable material, and therefore does not require a large external force (in many instances, the piston 126 This minimum final compression compensates for the shrinkage of the moldable material during the remainder of the molding cycle as it reaches its forward stroke.

Once the valve 110 is closed, the moldable material in the cavity can be solidified and achieved by the cooling process of the peripheral wall 116 and the guide surface 128, which is aligned/formed when the guide surface reaches its advanced position. The portion of the peripheral wall. Once the moldable material has cured, the mold appears to open, expelling the shaped article, and the cavity is closed again for another molding cycle.

Before the next molding cycle can begin, until the piston 126 returns to its retracted position, the valve needs to be opened and is opened by the piston 126 retracting longitudinally and rotating into the barrel, as previously described.

Compared to the casting method of the prior art (for example, the method described in WO 2007/049146), in the present invention, the external force required to longitudinally move the piston 126 and rotate it in the cylinder is less, thus using relative Simple and tight electrical actuation for actuation of the piston 126. The compact size of the actuation mechanism used by the piston 126 indicates that the overall mold 112 can be substantially smaller in size, reducing the cost of the mold - particularly where large molds are required, such as injection molding for pallets.

The melting channel 118 and the cylinder 122 are oriented at an angle of 60 degrees with respect to the outer peripheral wall 116, resulting in an opening slightly between the cylinder 122 and the cavity 114 and larger than the cylindrical melting channel and the cylinder ( It preferably has approximately the same pore size). If the barrel 122 is perpendicular to the outer peripheral wall 116, the elliptical opening between the barrel 122 and the cavity 114 is 8% more. The opening It is preferred to have a larger size because it improves the flow 114 of the moldable material into the cavity, reduces shearing and damage to the fibers, and the like.

The angle between the melting channel 118 and the barrel 122 at an angle of 60 degrees results in relatively less bending in the flow path, improves the flow of the moldable material, and simplifies the manufacturing design of the flow channel 112 in the mold.

At the end of the melting channel 118 of the adjacent peripheral wall in the valve body 121, only a small portion of the piston 126 is heated, causing a decrease in the probability of the piston staying in the valve body. Compared to the prior art (for example, the piston as described and illustrated in WO 2007/049146), the cooling process of the piston of the present invention is more efficient and more concentrated in the vicinity of the guide surface 128 for cooling, The cooling required on the sides of the piston is less. Therefore, the piston trace remaining on the molded product is preferred (less significant), and the cycle time of the molding process is shorter than in the prior art.

Referring to Figures 9 and 10, a casting method includes various components having the characteristics described above, and which can be ejected by using a material coated with other materials in a single mold of a conventional injection molding machine. Molding technology is manufactured into products or articles.

A mold is provided that includes a first mold portion 60 and a second mold portion 62, and when the mold is closed, as shown in Figure 9, a cavity 64 is formed between the two mold portions. A plurality of runners direct the feed of flowable molding material to the cavity 64, however, to clearly illustrate the invention, an external pair of runners 66, and a central runner 68 are shown. The outlets of the various flow passages are selectively closed by a valve, and in order to clearly illustrate the present invention, a plurality of pistons 70 indicate valves that close the outer pair of flow passages, and the other pistons 72 indicate closure. The valve of the central flow passage 68.

Referring to Figures 1 through 4, the valve, represented by piston 72, preferably includes a valve body and a packing piston as previously described, although the stroke of the piston is sufficiently long to extend to the periphery of the opposite side of the cavity 64. The wall, i.e., abuts against the first mold portion 60, as shown in FIG. The valve represented by piston 70 may also be of the type described with reference to Figures 1-4, however, preferably of the type described with reference to Figures 5-8, and the pistons 70 need not extend beyond adjacent The outer peripheral wall of the cavity 64, that is, does not need to extend beyond the peripheral wall formed by the second mold portion 62.

In use, the mold is closed by compressing the portions 60, 62 together, and by pulling back The piston 70 opens the outer flow passages 66 as shown in FIG. For clarity of illustration, the pistons 70 are omitted from Figure 9, but are generally only retractable to extend into the desired valve type, thereby opening the flow passage 66 to the cavity 64. The piston 72 is moved forward to close the central flow passage 68, and is advanced to extend to the cavity 64, and abuts against the peripheral wall on the opposite side of the cavity (against the first mold portion 60), As shown in Figure 9.

A first molding material flows along the flow path 66 into the cavity 64, the pistons/valves 70 are in a closed state, and the material in the cavity is solidified (ie, the thermoplastic material solidifies during casting), thus A first element 74 of the product is formed. The first member 74 has an aperture 78 extending through the first portion at a position where the central piston 72 extends to the cavity 64. The number, size, and sequence of operations of the runners 66 and the valves/pistons 70 can be selected as previously described and with reference to Figures 1-4.

Once the first element 74 of the product is cast, the first and second portions 60, 62 of the mold move away from each other to form an auxiliary cavity 76 adjacent to the first member 74, as shown in FIG. Pulling back the central piston 72 causes the central flow passage 68 to assume an open state of the auxiliary cavity 76 by the aperture 78, and the molding material fills the auxiliary cavity along the central flow passage 68. Prior to demolding of the product, the piston 72 is again advanced to close the central flow passage 68 and the material located in the auxiliary cavity 76 can be solidified.

Depending on the extent that the auxiliary cavity 76 should extend around the first forming element 74, the first portion of the mold 60 can be relatively complex, for example, more components can be included, and the components move in more directions with each other, and can include multiple An element (eg, an insert), and once the first element 74 is cast or otherwise, the plurality of elements can be removed, but for clarity of illustration, such a situation is pulled back in a single direction in the figure. A single component representation.

The first mold portion 60 can be used adjacent to the position of the moving platen of the existing injection molding compressor, and the second mold portion 62 can be used adjacent to the fixed platen of such a compressor, formed of a molding material. The feed is supplied to the runners 66, 68 and flows through the central aperture in the stationary platen, and utilizes the second mold portion 62 provided by reference to Figures 1 through 4 and as previously described. The pistons 70, 72 represent the valves of the pistons. Therefore, this method can be performed on an existing injection molding machine.

The method illustrated in Figures 9 and 10 allows the outer surface of the first injection molding element 74 of the product Covering by a second molding material, and without any marks or marks on the outer surface, is caused by the ejection process of the second material. The first member 74 can be composed of a material having characteristics such as strength and/or low cost, and the material on the outer surface can be a material having a desired appearance, such as "A grade" processing ("A grade"). Finish) to achieve a tactile appeal or other similar situation.

The features described above allow a plurality of components to be shaped to form a product. The components used to form the product can have very different shapes and sizes, and the cavities used to cast the components can all be defined in a single mold so that the components can be cast together. Preferably, the mold, the flow path and the valve element are as described above with reference to the drawings, and a plurality of flow passages for reciprocating a plurality of mold cavities, and a valve member for closing each flow passage.

The filling process of the various cavities can be carried out in any order (continuously, simultaneously, completely or partially overlapping, etc.), and the flow channels and valve elements can be sized to ensure pressure, flow rate, and Jiadi, the filling time of each cavity is about the same. The technique is used as previously described to allow for large flow paths (with a pore size of 10 mm or more) and thus can be quickly filled at relatively low pressures, as well as moldable materials. The flow rate is relatively low - preferably less than 1 meter per second.

In order to control the flow rate, filling speed, pressure, etc. of molds of different shapes and sizes, in general, the operation of the valve element must be accurately controlled and recorded, and can be utilized in a simple and cost-effective manner and with reference to Figures 5 to 8 and achieved by the electrical operation of the valve as described above. However, some or all of the valve elements are pistons that are reciprocally movable with reference to Figures 1 through 4 and as previously described.

The mold can be closed before or after the moldable material is filled into the cavity.

The desirable features of the present invention are achieved by designing the cavities of the mold to produce different components of the product to be assembled in a single mold and in the same production cycle. The moldable material with or without a filler is melted in a compounder/extruder and dispersed in a heated container, and the moldable material is maintained in a molten state in the container. . The measured feed from the moldable material is filled into respective holding cavities between the pistons and their corresponding cavities. When all of the piston systems move forward or sequentially, moldable The material is filled to fill the various cavities to form the individual components of the product to be assembled.

When the production cycle is completed and the mold is opened, the different components of the product to be assembled can be taken out. Preferably, these elements will then be sorted and combined directly into the assembled product by hand or mechanical means. It enables timely production in a single cavity and the products to be assembled can be assembled on site and synchronized with other actions. For example, the components of the liquid dispenser for liquid soap can be assembled on site in the place where the container is filled, rather than being assembled elsewhere after production, or requiring many molds to produce dispensers of different components on site. In the case where the dispenser is assembled elsewhere after production, the assembled dispensers need to be separately transported to the packing operating procedure and kept in stock to ensure continuous production of the filled containers.

10‧‧‧Mold

110‧‧‧ valve

112‧‧‧Mold

114‧‧‧ cavity

116‧‧‧ peripheral wall

117‧‧‧ openings/die

118‧‧‧melting channels

12‧‧‧Back wall

120‧‧‧Spiral heating element

121‧‧‧ valve body

122‧‧‧Cylinder

124‧‧‧Mirror axis

126‧‧‧Piston

128‧‧‧ Guide surface

129‧‧‧ longitudinal axis

130‧‧‧Cooling channel

132‧‧‧Rotary joint

133‧‧‧Shell

134‧‧‧ spindle nut

135‧‧ ‧ thread section

136‧‧‧Conical bearing

137‧‧‧ spline section

138‧‧‧ pulley

14‧‧‧ peripheral wall

140‧‧‧ timing belt

142‧‧‧Electric motor

144‧‧‧ splined sleeve

146‧‧‧Deep groove ball bearing

148‧‧‧ pulley

150‧‧‧ timing belt

152‧‧‧stepper motor

16‧‧‧ cavity

18‧‧‧Modular plate

20‧‧‧ Backplane

22‧‧‧ Centering ring

24‧‧‧ Concentrator

26‧‧‧Support plate

28‧‧‧Injection sleeve

29‧‧‧ Feeding end

30‧‧‧Central runner

32‧‧‧ branch runner

34‧‧‧Distributor arm

35‧‧‧Expansion sleeve

36‧‧‧ valve body

38‧‧‧Transition channel

40‧‧‧Drawing end

42‧‧‧Valve piston/valve components

43‧‧‧ Guide surface

44‧‧‧Multiple hydraulic piston

46‧‧‧Hydraulic cylinder

48‧‧‧Cooling channel

50‧‧‧ heating belt

60‧‧‧ first mold part

62‧‧‧Second mold part

64‧‧‧ cavity

66‧‧‧External paired runners

68‧‧‧Central runner

70‧‧‧Piston

72‧‧‧Piston

74‧‧‧ first component

76‧‧‧Auxiliary cavity

78‧‧‧ holes

In order to make the present invention easier to understand, and to illustrate how the present invention can achieve its efficacy, the present invention will be described in detail by way of non-limiting example of the scope of the invention. In the embodiment, a cross-sectional view of a mold portion and a valve member of the mold in a retracted position; and FIG. 2 is a detailed cross-sectional view of a mold portion of the mold portion shown in FIG. 1 and a valve member at an advanced position; A cross-sectional view of a mold portion in a second embodiment of the invention; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a mold portion in a third embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 5 is another embodiment of the valve of the present invention, located in a mold Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the valve shown in Figure 5 in a closed state; Figure 7 is a 3D perspective view of the valve shown in Figure 5 and its actuation mechanism; Figure 8 is a view of Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of the valve through a partial actuation mechanism; Figure 9 is a schematic illustration of the first stage of the injection molding process of the present invention; and Figure 10 is a schematic illustration of the implementation of one of the subsequent steps of the method illustrated in Figure 9.

110‧‧‧ valve

130‧‧‧Cooling channel

112‧‧‧Mold

114‧‧‧ cavity

116‧‧‧ peripheral wall

118‧‧‧melting channels

120‧‧‧Spiral heating element

121‧‧‧ valve body

122‧‧‧Cylinder

124‧‧‧Mirror axis

126‧‧‧Piston

128‧‧‧ Guide surface

129‧‧‧ longitudinal axis

130‧‧‧Cooling channel

132‧‧‧Rotary joint

133‧‧‧Shell

134‧‧‧ spindle nut

135‧‧ ‧ thread section

136‧‧‧Conical bearing

138‧‧‧ pulley

140‧‧‧ timing belt

144‧‧‧ splined sleeve

146‧‧‧Deep groove ball bearing

148‧‧‧ pulley

150‧‧‧ timing belt

Claims (44)

A method of closing a flow passage (118) to a cavity (114), the method comprising: providing a piston (126) that moves back and forth in a cylinder (122) and the piston rotates in one of the cylinders A portion of the longitudinal axis (129), the portion of the barrel forming a portion adjacent the flow passage of the aperture; wherein the barrel system is opposite the peripheral wall of the aperture at an angle between 40 and 80 degrees (116) And the piston has a guiding surface (128) that produces an angle from the longitudinal axis of the barrel of between 40 degrees and 80 degrees; wherein in the forward stroke, until the piston is guided The center of the face is generally aligned with the outer peripheral wall of the cavity in the direction of advancement of the piston, the piston is placed longitudinally within the barrel; and wherein during the forward stroke of the piston, the guiding surface of the piston is generally aligned with the The peripheral wall of the cavity rotates the piston about the circumference of the longitudinal axis of the barrel. The method of claim 1, wherein the cylinder (122) is oriented relative to the outer peripheral wall (116) at an angle between 50 degrees and 70 degrees, and the piston (126) is guided. The face (129) is oriented relative to the longitudinal axis of the barrel at an angle between 50 degrees and 70 degrees. The method of claim 1, wherein the cylinder (122) is oriented at an angle of 60 degrees with respect to the outer peripheral wall (116), and the guiding surface (129) of the piston (126) is angled. The direction between 50 degrees and 70 degrees is relative to the longitudinal axis of the barrel. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the cavity is a cavity. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the opening of the flow path (118) is performed by the following steps: in the return stroke, until the center of the guiding surface (128) is from the hole (114) The outer peripheral wall (116) is retracted, the piston (126) is longitudinally placed within the barrel (122); and the piston is rotated about the longitudinal axis (129) of the barrel until the piston is at Retract position. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the piston (126) is longitudinally placed in the barrel (122) at a distance of about half the diameter of the barrel. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the piston (126) is rotated about the longitudinal axis (129) of the barrel at an angle of about 180 degrees. A method of casting an article, the method comprising: opening a valve (110) according to the method of any one of claims 5 to 7; and molding the moldable material along the flow path ( 118) transferred to the hole (114), the flow path comprising a supply passage and a portion of the cylinder (122), the portion of the cylinder being interposed between the hole and the guiding surface of the piston; The method of any of clauses 1, 4, and 6, closing the valve (110); and curing the moldable material. The method of claim 8, wherein the method includes a subsequent step of cooling the guiding surface (128) of the piston (128). A valve (110) for closing a flow passage (118) to a cavity (114), the valve comprising: a piston (128) reciprocatingly moving in a cylinder (122) and rotating in the cylinder a portion of the longitudinal axis (129), the portion of the barrel forming a portion adjacent the flow passage of the aperture, the portion of the barrel forming a portion adjacent to the flow passage of the aperture, the barrel system having an angle of between 40 degrees And a direction of 80 degrees with respect to one of the outer peripheral walls (116) of the aperture, and the piston has a guiding surface (128) that produces an angle of between 40 and 80 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the barrel And a supply passage (118) connected to the cylinder and in close proximity to the outer peripheral wall of the bore, the supply passage and the portion of the cylinder forming the flow passage. The valve (110) of claim 10, wherein the cylinder (122) is opposite to the outer peripheral wall (116) in an angle between 50 degrees and 70 degrees, and the piston (126) The guide surface (128) is oriented relative to the longitudinal axis (129) of the barrel at an angle between 50 degrees and 70 degrees. The valve (110) of claim 10, wherein the cylinder (122) is oriented at an angle of 60 degrees with respect to the outer peripheral wall (116), and the guiding surface (128) of the piston The direction is 60 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis (129) of the barrel. The valve (110) of any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the hole is a cavity. The valve (110) according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the supply passage (118) is connected to the cylinder (122) in a direction reflecting the direction of the cylinder. And relative to a mirror axis (124), the mirror axis generally extends perpendicularly to the peripheral wall of the aperture. The valve (110) of claim 14, wherein the supply passage (118) is connected to the cylinder at an angle of about 60 degrees and in a direction relative to the outer wall of the hole (114). 122). The valve (110) of any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the piston (126) defines an inner flow passage (130) connected to a cooling source and is Thermal contact is made with the guiding surface (128) of the piston. The valve (110) of any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the flow passage (118) is in communication with the cavity (114) by an opening (117) defined by the periphery In the wall (116), the opening has an elliptical shape and a cross-sectional area greater than about 8% of the cross-sectional area of the flow channel. A method of casting an article, the method comprising: opening at least one first flow path to a primary cavity by pulling back at least one first valve element; moving the primary cavity forward to close a second flow path of the main cavity, the first and second flow paths are defined in a fixed portion of a mold, the fixed portion of the mold defines the main cavity; under pressure, along the first First flowing into the main cavity; moving the first valve element forward to close the first flow path; and solidifying the material in the main cavity and forming a first item a portion; wherein, when the first valve member is advanced and adjacent to the second flow passage, the first valve member is advanced to extend to the cavity; and the method further comprises: pulling back the second valve member Forming a void in the first portion of the article and opening the second runner; forming an auxiliary cavity adjacent to the first portion of the article, at least a portion of the auxiliary cavity being located above the first portion of the article The first part of the item is opposite to the a fixed portion of the pocket, the auxiliary cavity being in communication with the second flow passage through the aperture of the first portion of the article; under pressure, filling the flowable material along the second flow passage to the Auxiliary cavity; closing the second flow channel; and curing the material in the auxiliary cavity. The method of claim 18, wherein when the second valve element is advanced, By advancing the second valve member to abut against an outer peripheral wall of one of the main cavities, the peripheral wall is located on one side of the main cavity, the main cavity being opposite to the fixed portion of the mold . The method of claim 18, wherein each of the first and second valve members is integrally disposed in the fixed portion of the mold. The method of any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein each flow channel has a pore size of at least 10 mm. The method of any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein each flow channel comprises a smooth, rounded bend. The method of any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein the flowable material has a flow rate in the flow channels of less than 1 meter per second. A mold having a plurality of portions, the mold comprising: a first mold portion configured to be movable during use, the first mold portion defining a portion extending around a peripheral wall of a cavity a first portion; a second mold portion configured to maintain a fixed state during use, the second mold portion defining a second portion of the peripheral wall, the second mold portion further defining a passage At least one first flow path of the cavity and at least one second flow path leading to the cavity; at least one first valve element selectively disposed adjacent to each of the first flow paths; and at least one second valve element And being selectively disposed adjacent to each of the second flow passages; wherein when the second flow passage is closed, the second valve element is configured to advance across the mold cavity. The mold of claim 24, wherein the second valve element is configured to abut against the second outer peripheral wall when the second flow path is closed. The mold of claim 24, wherein each of the first and second valve members is completely disposed in the second mold portion. The mold of any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein each flow channel has a pore size of at least 10 mm. A mold according to any one of claims 24 to 27, wherein each flow path comprises a smooth, rounded bend. A method of casting a plurality of sections to assemble a product, the method comprising: providing a moldable material as a feed; filling the moldable material through a plurality of flow passages to a plurality of mold cavities, the streams Road and cavity Determining in a single model and at least some of the cavities having different shapes and substantially different volumes; pushing the moldable material into the cavities from the flow path and closing the flow channels with a valve element When the flow path is closed, a surface of each valve element becomes part of a peripheral wall of one of the cavities of the cavities; wherein the flow channels and the valve elements closing the flow paths have different sizes, And the flow rate of the moldable material in the flow channels and cavities is less than 1 meter per second. The method of claim 29, wherein the flow passages are opened and closed in a predetermined sequence by the valve members to urge the moldable material into the cavities in a predetermined sequence. The method of claim 29, wherein each valve element is a piston, and the step of pushing the moldable material into the cavities comprises: moving the pistons forward, each piston The guiding surfaces of the pistons are part of the outer peripheral wall of one of the cavities of the cavities when they are disposed in the first-class lanes of the runners and the limit of the stroke before reaching the piston. The method of any one of claims 29 to 31, wherein the valve elements are electrically driven and controlled. The method of any one of claims 29 to 32, wherein the mold is closed prior to pushing the moldable material to the cavity. The method of any one of claims 29 to 32, wherein the mold is closed after the moldable material is pushed to the cavities. A method for injection molding an article using a flowable material comprising long glass fibers, wherein fiber breakage is inhibited, the method comprising: filling the flowable material to a feed end of a mold under pressure; The input end fills the flowable material to a cavity through a first-class channel, a conversion channel and a discharge end, the flow channel, the conversion channel and the discharge end are defined in the mold; closing the flow channel And communication between the conversion passages, and using a valve element along the forward stroke of the conversion passage, filling the flowable material into the cavity from the conversion passage; and using the guide surface of the valve member Located at the end of its forward stroke, closing the discharge end such that the guiding surface of the valve element becomes part of the peripheral wall of the cavity; wherein the valve element is disposed in the mold; Each of the flow passages, the conversion passages and the feed end has an aperture of more than 10 mm, and the curved portions located in the flow passage and the conversion passage are both smooth and circular. The method of claim 35, wherein the flowable material has a flow rate in the flow channel and the conversion channel of no more than 1 meter per second. The method of claim 35, wherein the flowable material continues to flow from the flow path to the transfer passage, the valve member activating its forward stroke to cause the flowable material to flow The process can be continuous without interruption. The method of claim 35, wherein the cavity is filled with a feed of the flowable material before the valve body begins its forward stroke. The method of claim 38, wherein the flowable material is maintained in the flow path and the transfer passage under pressure until the valve body terminates its forward stroke. The method of any one of claims 35 to 39, wherein the flowable material is filled into the cavity via a plurality of the flow channels, the transfer channels, and the discharge end, and the The valve body knows that one of the valve bodies pushes the flowable material from the respective conversion passages into the cavity. The method of claim 40, wherein the flowable material is filled into the flow channels from a common feed end located on the mold. The method of claim 40, wherein the forward stroke of the valve elements is performed sequentially. The method of any one of claims 35 to 42 wherein the valve element is at least partially cooled at least when the remaining portion of the peripheral wall of the mold has been cooled. The method of claim 43, wherein the cooling process of the valve element is controlled.