WO2010026607A1

WO2010026607A1 - Press for the production of panels

Info

Publication number: WO2010026607A1
Application number: PCT/IT2008/000574
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rogerio Borsato; Alberto Borsato
Original assignee: Robor Srl
Priority date: 2008-09-08
Filing date: 2008-09-08
Publication date: 2010-03-11
Also published as: EP2334479A1

Abstract

A press is described (10) for the production of panels, comprising an upper half-form (16) and a lower half-mould (18) made to receive a mould by which the panels are made, the half-moulds having a deformable structure for obtaining non-plane panels. To be able to obtain panels of any shape, said structure consists of flat segments (22a-22h) hinged between each other two by two and each equipped with motor means (30, 31 ) for rotating the respective segment with respect to, and independently from, the adjacent segment.

Description

PRESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PANELS

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a press for producing panels.

Many common insulating panels that are used in civil or industrial buildings are produced through injection molding. The moulds are associated to vertical presses that clamp two half-moulds one on the other. Once closed, an injector-unit injects into the mould some foam, usually polyurethane, which forms the insulating part of the panel.

Structural and commercial needs have led to the production of curved panels, and therefore special presses have been made capable of forming panels with a radius of curvature programmable by an operator.

An example of such a press is described in WO 02/34493. There are two half-moulds, supported by rigid support beams, formed by two rows, upper and lower, of modular pyramidal lattice-like frames hinged between each other accomplishing a kinematic chain operable by motors placed on their vertexes. The rows of modular frames, by lengthening or shortening the distance between the vertexes, can be controlled to arrange on a variable radius curve, and by properly controlling the radius of each row the radius of curvature of the closed mould can be modified.

The basic drawback of this and other presses is allowing only the manufacturing of flat panels or with constant curvature radius.

Instead, a press would be needed which could produce variously shaped panels, for example with flat portions alternated to curved portions with different curvature radii as well.

The main object of the invention is to produce a similar press.

This object is achieved with a press for the production of panels, comprising an upper half-form and a lower half-mould made to receive a mould by which the panels are made, the half-moulds having a deformable structure for obtaining non-plane panels, characterized in that said structure consists of flat segments hinged between each other two by two and each equipped with motor means adapted to rotate the respective segment with respect to, and independently from, the adjacent segment.

The independent control and the indefinite number of segments allows therefore a shaping with more degrees of freedom than the prior art.

Advantageously, a simple configuration is achieved if the motor means have only two hinging points, one on a segment and the other on an adjacent segment or on a fixed structure.

Preferably, said segments have substantially the shape of a rectangle parallelepiped, whose side walls form a hollow box inside, the parallelepiped lacking the two base walls. This lightens the structure thereof and allows housing in their inside components of the press.

To reinforce them, it may be arranged that the side walls facing each other of a segment consist of, respectively, two reinforcing hollow tubular bodies.

To fine-control the mould curvature, it is advantageous to use one or more shaping members (e.g. blocks or templates), mounted on a bearing surface of a segment, having the free surface (or the profile), i.e. that opposite to the supporting one on the flat segment, which is concave or convex so as to accomplish with such a shape a curved portion in the half-mould.

Preferably, to favor a rapid assemblage the press adopts means for releasably fixing the shaping members on a flat segment.

The deformation of the two half-moulds may be achieved by configuring them like a rolling-gate surface (i.e. a rigid structure but composed of articulated parts) which is connected to the whole of the segments through actuating means adapted to vary the distance between the rolling-gate surface and the segments themselves. Each actuator controls the curvature of a point of the surface.

Preferably, the actuating means comprise a plurality of hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders hinged at one end to a segment and at the other end to the rolling-gate surface.

Advantageously, the actuating means may be placed, with least bulk, inside the inner cavity of a segment, projecting therefrom toward the rolling- gate surface. In a simple manner, each hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder may be hinged on two opposite sides of a plate. Advantageously, the rolling-gate surface is formed by a plurality of flat plates articulated with each other and having a longitudinal cavity, in which a heating member is placed. Such a member improves the injection result by maintaining the mould hot.

At each end of the longitudinal cavity it is preferable to arrange a mounting bracket for the heating member, the bracket being made of heat- insulating material and forming a wall of the longitudinal cavity. A simple but effective construction is achieved, without thermal leakage.

To assure a correct positioning of the mould even during the injection phase, the press may be provided with:

- a plurality of base-blocks to be fixed on the edge of the rolling-gate surface which are provided with containment barriers in order to occupy the space outside the mould between the two rolling-gate surfaces when they are brought near each other. To favor the assemblage of the mould, there may be arranged that at least one barrier comprises a block rotatably coupled with the base-block, so that the block can move between a first position, in which it forms, or acts as an abutment for, a wall of the mould, and a second position in which it leaves an opening corresponding to the same wall open.

In practice, the mould containment structure is made overturnable on the half-moulds, with obvious simplification of the working maneuvers. Advantageously, each containment barrier comprises a plate, fixed cantilevered to the base-block, which extends and overlaps on the adjacent base-block. Thus a screen of plates relatively movable between each other but not physically articulated is created;

- means for blocking the mould placed on the short side of the rolling- gate surface, said means comprising at least one part movable relatively to said surface for contacting the mould and opposing to a displacement thereof. An advantageous embodiment considers that said part, with respect to said surface, is mounted adjustably sliding and tilting in an adjustable manner.

The invention and its advantages will be clearer by the following description of a preferred embodiment of a press according to the invention, together with the attached drawings in which

Fig. 1 shows a front view of the press;

Fig. 2 shows a front view of part of the press of fig. 1 ; Fig. 3 shows a bottom view of a half-arm of the press of fig. 1 ;

Fig. 4 shows a side view of the half-arm of fig. 3;

Fig. 5 shows a top view of the half-arm of fig. 1 ;

Fig. 6 shows a partial cross-section view according to plane Vl-Vl in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 shows a cross-section view according to plane VII-VII in Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 shows a partial vertical cross-sectioned view of the mould present in the press of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 9 shows a component of the mould of fig. 8;

Fig. 10 shows a second component of the mould of fig. 8;

Fig. 11 shows a top view of a plugging device for the mould;

Fig. 12 shows a cross-section view according to the plane XII-XII in Fig. 11 ;

Fig. 13shows a cross-section view according to the plane XIII-XIII in Fig. 11.

A press (Fig. 1 ) is indicated altogether with 10, and is formed by a frame 12 which supports a vertical arm 14 to which there is connected an upper half-mould 16. Against to the arm 14 there is set a lower half-mould 18, which can be moved horizontally in a well-known way on a carriage 20.

To the vertical arm 14 and the carriage 20 there are hinged two flat segments, respectively 22b, 22c and 22f, 22g, each in turn hinged to another equal outer segment, respectively 22a, 22d and 22e, 22h. The total number of segments in this example is eight, four upper 22a-22d and four lower 22e- 22h, but it may vary on more complex presses that accomplish moulds with more elaborate shapes. Note the essentially symmetrical construction of the press 10 with respect to a vertical axis X, hence in the following certain parts will be described for simplicity with reference only to one side. In addition, also the closing parts in the half-moulds 16, 18 are equal.

Between the arm 14 and the closest segments 22b, 22c there is pivotally mounted a respective motor 31 which is used to vary the inclination of each segment 22b, 22c with respect to the arm 14 itself. On the segments 22a, 22d there is pivotally mounted a second motor 30, used to vary the inclination of the segments 22a, 22d with respect to the segments 22b, 22c. The same provision, with obvious replacement of parts, is provided at the bottom on the segments of the carriage 20.

The motors 30 are hinged on, and astride between, a segment and a fixed part (the arm 14 or the carriage 10), while the motors 31 are hinged on, and astride between, two adjacent segments. Proper brackets 33 protrude from every segment 22a-22h to ease the rotatable mating with the motors 30, 31. The horizontal, pivoting axes of the segments 22a-22h are marked with Y.

It is apparent that the independent control of the motors 30, 31 allows different inclination angles between each of the segments 22a-22h and the adjacent segment or the fixed part to be obtained, angles that can then have mutually independent amplitudes. In fig. 1 a position of the segments 22a-22h is shown, as an example, with dash-line wherein they are not coplanar.

Fig. 2 shows in detail a half of the semi-moulds 16, 18, for each of which a row of articulated T-plates 28 can be appreciated that are equipped with mutual articulation means 32. The plates 28 of a row are juxtaposed but slightly separated, and each row, thanks to repeated modular structure, forms a rolling-gate surface S.

Between the segments 22a-22h and the articulation means 32 are mounted shims or shaped blocks 24, which are flat in contact with the segments 22a-22h and may be flat, concave or convex in contact with the articulation means 32.

The plates 28 (see fig. 4) are movably connected to the segments 22a- 22h through a plurality of hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders 40. Each cylinder 40 is rotatably pivoted on one side to a bracket 42 integral with the relative segment 22a-22h, and on the other side to the articulation means 32. By operating in a coordinated manner the series of cylinders 40, the surfaces S can be arranged to assume a profile of preferred shaping.

As can be seen from Fig. 4 and 7_. each segment 22a-22h has the shape of a rectangle parallelepiped, is hollow and has two hollow, parallel horizontal columns 23 as reinforcement.

To produce a mould of a certain curved form, the processing steps are substantially:

- prearrangement of the position of the segments 22a-22h through control of the motors 30, 31 ; - moving away the articulation means 32 from the segments 22a-22h by driving the cylinders 40;

- insertion of blocks 24 between the segments 22a-22h and the articulation means 32. The concave or convex or flat surface of the blocks 24 facing the articulation means 32 outlines precisely the curvature of the corresponding panel section to be formed,

- controlled withdrawal of the articulation means 32 toward the segments 32a-32h, so that they lie on the blocks 24 and so that the surface S of the two half-moulds 16, 18 reproduces the pattern thereof, curved or flat (see fig. 2 );

- closure of the half-moulds 16, 18;

- injection (injected flow in direction I₁ see fig. 8).

With the press 10 panels having flat or different radius of curvature sections can be obtained, even with inflections. It is enough, once the curvature of the panel is designed, to recreate the envelope thereof with the layout of the segments 22a-22h and then to finely set the slope point by point through the corresponding modeling of the blocks 24. It is clear that theoretically there are no limits to the obtainable form of the panel.

Each plate 28 (Fig. 6) on the side opposite to the surface S has an integral longitudinal block 50. Inside the block 50 is hollow and houses a heating member 52, for example an electrical resistor powered and temperature-controlled in known manner. The cavity of the block 50 is nearly cylindrical, and is closed at the ends by two brackets 53, which support the member 52. The brackets 53 are made of heat-insulating material.

This will solve the problem of adhesion of the injected material into the mould. In fact, on the two surfaces S is drawn a sheet or matrix 66 (see fig. 8) to be part of the mould cavity.

Such a sheet or matrix must be uniformly heated to ensure good adhesion of the material injected on it, and thus a good final product of molding. The heating members 52 so placed are very close to the plane resting part of the plate 28, and can effectively both transfer heat thereto and do it in a controlled manner.

Fig. 8 shows a detail of the inner part of the injection chamber. Between the surfaces S (in known manner) sheets 66 are placed that form the walls of the mould. Sometimes also fillers 64 are inserted in the empty zones of the sheets 66 to support them and oppose the injection pressure. The open sides of the plates 28 must be filled to stabilize the mould between the plates 28. To this aim, plugs or containment blocks 60, 62, of various forms, are used.

The plugs 60, 62 are fixed with screws on the plates 28, one by plate. To solve the problem of speeding up the extraction operation of the finished panel from the open mould, the known caps have been modified. On at least one side of the plates 28, there is a plug 62 formed by a base-block 70 and a movable block 68, which is rotatably superimposed and coupled to the first, preferably about a horizontal axis W, and lockable in a fixed position. During the injection the block 68 is brought in abutment on (see arrow K), and fixed in contact with, the sheet 66, for opposing to a movement thereof. Or the surface of the block 68 may actually constitute a wall of the injection chamber.

As the injection is concluded, the block 68 is released and rotated backwards, to end up next to the base-block 70 and to free an opening toward the sheet 66 through which it is easier to grasp it with the moulds 16, 18 open.

The plugs 60, 62 should be maximally adapted to the profile of the surface S, to improve the seal of the plugs 60, 62 against the sheets 66 regardless of the bending of the surface S. The block 68 and the plug 60 each have a lamina or plate 74 (e.g. made of sheet). The plate 74 is fixed cantilevered on the block 68 or the plug 60 with screws, so that a portion thereof extends and laterally protrudes from the face of the latter. A block 68 or a plug 60 are mounted on the respective plate 28 so that their plate 74 overlaps to that of a near block or plug. The result is a band made up of all the plates 74 placed side by side. This band is continuous, something good for the adherence to the plate 66, but may deform to follow the layout of the plates 28 through the relative sliding of the plates 74 one over the other. Note that the base-block 70 and the base of the plug 60 can be removably fixed on a plate 28, for example with screws and corresponding holes (see also fig. 3), thereby adapting to the width of the plates 66.

In fig. 11 it is shown a device 80 to plug the two short sides of the surface S, in order to stabilize and block the moulding sheets 66. It consists of a plate 82, fixable to a plate 28, on which there is tiltably hinged (see hinging axes J) a support 84. The support 84 has a tab 86 perpendicular to it in which two stems 88a, 88b are selectively slidable and fixable. About from the middle of the plate 82 there extends orthogonally a wall 85 with a small block 87 screwed therein in a seat of which there is arranged a spring 89 which abuts on the support 84. Near the small block 87 there is another small block 94 in which a screw 93 is screwed which may engage in a threaded hole in the support 84. On the whole, the device 80 allows the stems 88a, 88b to protrude by an adjustable length and tilt with respect to the plate 82. On the stems 88a, 88b a support plate is fixed for the contact with the sheets 66. The length of the stems 88a, 88b is adjusted with two stop members 96, their inclination is adjusted (see adjustable angle ANG in fig. 12) by screwing more or less the screw 93. The spring 89 allows to keep at maximum distance the support 84 from the small block 94. For the screw 93 a certain play in the block 94 should be allowed to make it tilt thereinto.

The device 80 allows to ease the moulding of panels with one or two chamfered (oblique cut) short sides or blunted, a very favorable feature in case one needs to pave a wide surface and to juxtapose many panels without interruption (e.g. a roof). The chamfered side in fact presents an inclination that varies with the type of panel, but the contact point on the oblique side of the support plate can be easily adjusted by adjusting the extension stems 88a, 88b. Being able to adjust their inclination allows the device 80 to adapt to every plate 28, independently from the curvature of the surface S (that is, after all, independently of the position of the adjacent plate 28 against which the stems 88a, 88b could bump if they were parallel to the plate 82).

Claims

1. Press (10) for the production of panels, comprising an upper half-form (16) and a lower half-mould (18) made to receive a mould by which the panels are made, the half-moulds having a deformable structure for obtaining non-plane panels, characterized in that said structure consists of flat segments (22a-22h) hinged between each other two by two and each equipped with motor means (30, 31 ) for rotating the respective segment with respect to, and independently from, the adjacent segment.

2. Press according to claim 1 , wherein the motor means have only two hinging points, one on a segment and the other on an adjacent segment or on a fixed structure (12, 20).

3. Press according to the claim 1 or 2, wherein said segments have substantially the shape of a rectangle parallelepiped, whose side walls form a hollow box inside, the parallelepiped lacking the two base walls.

4. Press according to claim 3, wherein the side walls facing each other of a segment consist of, respectively, two reinforcing hollow tubular bodies (23).

5. Press according to any of the preceding claims, comprising one or more shaping members (24), mounted on a bearing surface of a segment, having the free surface or profile, i.e. that opposite to the supporting one on the flat segment, which is concave or convex so as to achieve with such a shape a curved portion in the half-mould.

6. Press according to claim 5, comprising means for releasably fixing the shaping members on a flat segment.

7. Press according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the two half- moulds have a rolling-gate surface (S) which is connected to the whole of the segments through actuating means (40) adapted to vary the distance between the rolling-gate surface (S) and the segments themselves (22a-22h).

8. Press according to claim 7, wherein the actuating means comprise a plurality of hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders (40) hinged at one end to a segment (22a-22h) and at the other end to the rolling-gate surface (S).

9. Press according to claim 8, wherein the rolling-gate surface is formed by a plurality of flat plates (28) articulated with each other and having a longitudinal cavity, in which a heating member is placed (52), and wherein each hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder is hinged on two opposite sides of a plate.

10. Press according to claim 9, wherein at each end of the longitudinal cavity a mounting bracket (53) for said heating member is arranged, the bracket being made of heat-insulating material and forming a wall of the longitudinal cavity.

11. Press according to any of the claims 7 to 10, wherein the actuating means (40) are placed inside the inner cavity of a segment (22a-22h) and project therefrom toward the rolling-gate surface (S).

12. Press according to any of the claims 7 to 11 , comprising a plurality of base-blocks (70) to be fixed on the edge of the rolling-gate surface (S) which are provided with containment barriers (74) in order to occupy the space outside the mould between the two rolling-gate surfaces (S) when they are brought near each other.

13. Press according to claim 12, wherein at least one barrier comprises a block (68) rotatably coupled with the base-block (70), so that the block can move between a first position, in which it forms, or acts as an abutment for, a wall of the mould, and a second position in which it leaves an opening corresponding to the same wall open.

14. Press according to claim 13, wherein each containment barrier comprises a plate (74), fixed cantilevered to the base-block, which extends and overlaps on the adjacent base-block.

15. Press according to any of the previous claims 7 to 14, comprising means (80) for blocking the mould placed on the short side of the rolling-gate surface (S), said means for blocking comprising at least one part (88a, 88b) movable relatively to said surface for contacting the mould and opposing to a displacement thereof.

16. Press according to claim 15, wherein said part, with respect to said surface, is mounted adjustably sliding and tilting in an adjustable manner.