US 10,207,428 B2Granted

System for molding plastic materials

AssigneeSignature Systems Group, LLC

InventorArnon Rosan

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Abstract

A material handling and mold filling system is provided which directs the flow of molten plastic material from an extruder and allocates the molten material to a plurality of nozzles through the use of independently operated, variable valves. The system therefore provides independent streams of molten plastic material having variable temperatures and flow rates or volumes to particular sections or regions of the mold. This independent temperature or flow of molten plastic material facilitates the complete, rapid and accurate filling of the molds, reducing turbulence and other temperature or flow-related imperfections in the finished components. A multiphase material handling system is also disclosed for expeditious sequential and simultaneous filling and pressing of the mold and extracting the completed component from the system.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A system for forming a molded component from molten plastic material, the system comprising:

a source of molten plastic material;
a mold having at least one open cavity at ambient pressure, each of said at least one open cavity having surface features defined therein, and each of said surface features defining areas of various cavity depths;
a manifold in fluid communication with said source of molten plastic material, said manifold having:
a manifold face that is at least the size of said mold, said manifold face disposed toward said mold;
and
a plurality of delivery ports mounted in said manifold face, said plurality of delivery ports arranged to collectively span the size of said mold when said mold is statically positioned beneath said manifold face, each of said delivery ports being aligned with at least one of said cavity areas when said mold is statically positioned beneath said manifold;
and
a controller in electrical communication with said delivery ports, said controller configured to direct each of said delivery ports independently, selectively, and variably relative to one another to deliver an amount of said molten plastic material to said at least one of said cavity areas when said mold is statically positioned beneath said manifold according to a flow profile specific to each of said delivery ports and said at least one of said cavity areas to dispense said molten plastic material at flow rates among said delivery ports sufficient to fill said at least one open cavity, and said controller configured to coordinate operation of said delivery ports to collectively deliver said molten plastic material to the entirety of said mold by various flow rates across each of said at least one open cavity so as to minimize lateral flow of said molten plastic material between said cavity areas.

5 more elements

A system for the sequential forming of a plurality of products from molten plastic material, the system comprising:

a source of molten plastic material;
a manifold in fluid communication with said source of molten plastic material, said manifold configured to deliver a selected flow of said molten plastic material therefrom;
at least one mold, each of said at least one mold defined by a first mold component forming a bottom of said mold and a corresponding second mold component forming a top of said mold, said first mold component of each of said at least one mold configured to receive said molten plastic material;
at least one receiving table, each of said at least one receiving table affixed to and spaced apart a preselected distance from a corresponding one of said first mold component of each of said at least one mold;
a press having said second mold component of said at least one mold;
and
a material handling system configured to simultaneously translate one of said first mold component of said at least one mold with a corresponding one of said affixed and spaced apart receiving table between:
(i) a first position for filling one of said first mold component of said at least one mold with molten plastic material from said manifold while depositing a separate first finished molded product onto said corresponding receiving table from one of said second mold component of said at least one mold, and (ii) a second position for forming a second finished molded product between said one first and second mold components while removing said first finished molded product from said corresponding receiving table.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/605,524Filed 6 Sep 2012
Published: US 2014/0061960 A16 Mar 2014
Granted: 19 Feb 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

B29C 43/04
Of articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles: using movable moulds
B29C 31/042
Feeding of the material to be moulded, e.g. into a mould cavity: using dispensing heads, e.g. extruders, placed over or apart from the moulds
B29C 31/047
Using dispensing heads, e.g. extruders, placed over or apart from the moulds: combined with moving moulds
B29C 31/06
Feeding of the material to be moulded, e.g. into a mould cavity: in measured doses , e.g. by weighting