US 11,224,996 B2Granted

Mold assembly

AssigneeThe Boeing Company

InventorsAdriana Willempje Blom-Schieber, Jack Schieber

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Abstract

An assembly includes a first mold component defining a first portion of a mold cavity and a first slot. The first slot corresponds to a first portion of a retention channel. The assembly also includes a second mold component defining a second portion of the mold cavity and a second slot. The second slot corresponds to a second portion of the retention channel. The assembly also includes a connector having a cross-sectional shape corresponding to a cross-sectional shape of the retention channel. The connector has thermal expansion characteristics that are different from thermal expansion characteristics of the first and second mold components such that when the first and second mold components are in contact and the connector is inserted into the retention channel, heating the assembly causes differential thermal expansion of the connector and the mold components resulting in a clamping force between the mold components.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An assembly comprising:

a first mold component defining a first portion of a mold cavity, wherein the first mold component includes a first slot in a first surface of the first mold component, and wherein the first slot in the first surface of the first mold component corresponds to a first portion of a first retention channel;
a second mold component defining a second portion of the mold cavity, wherein the second mold component includes a second slot in a first surface of the second mold component, and wherein the second slot in the first surface of the second mold component corresponding to a second portion of the first retention channel;
and
a first connector configured to be positioned in the first retention channel, wherein the first retention channel is formed when the first slot is aligned with the second slot, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the first connector in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first connector corresponds to a cross-sectional shape of the first retention channel in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first retention channel, wherein a first portion of the cross-sectional shape of the first connector at a particular position along a length of the first connector positioned in the first retention channel is positioned in the first slot and not in the second slot, wherein a second portion of the cross-sectional shape of the first connector at the particular position is positioned in the second slot and not in the first slot, wherein the first connector comprises a first material having first thermal expansion characteristics, and wherein the first thermal expansion characteristics differ from thermal expansion characteristics of materials of the first mold component and the second mold component such that when the first connector is inserted into the first retention channel, application of heat to the first mold component, the second mold component, and the first connector causes thermal expansion resulting in a clamping force between the first mold component and the second mold component.

1 more element

An assembly comprising:

a plurality of mold components including:
a first mold component defining a first portion of a mold cavity and a first set of slots;
a second mold component defining a second portion of the mold cavity and a second set of slots;
and
a third mold component defining a third portion of the mold cavity and a third set of slots;
and
a plurality of connectors including:
a first connector comprising a first material, wherein a first retention channel is formed when a first slot of the first set of slots is aligned with a first slot of the second set of slots, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the first connector in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first connector corresponds to a cross-sectional shape of the first retention channel in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first retention channel, wherein a first portion of the cross-sectional shape of the first connector at a particular position along a length of the first connector positioned in the first retention channel is positioned in the first slot of the first set of slots and not in the first slot of the second set of slots, and wherein a second portion of the cross-sectional shape of the first connector at the particular position is positioned in the first slot of the second set of slots and not in the first slot of the first set of slots;
a second connector comprising the first material and having a second cross-sectional shape corresponding to a combined cross-sectional shape of a second slot of the first set of slots and a second slot of the second set of slots;
a third connector comprising the first material and having a third cross-sectional shape corresponding to a combined cross-sectional shape of a third slot of the first set of slots and a first slot of the third set of slots;
and
a fourth connector comprising the first material and having a fourth cross-sectional shape corresponding to a combined cross-sectional shape of a third slot of the second set of slots and a second slot of the third set of slots,
wherein thermal expansion characteristics of the plurality of connectors are different from thermal expansion characteristics of materials of the plurality of mold components such that when the plurality of connectors are inserted into respective retention channels and heat is applied to the plurality of mold components, resulting thermal expansion generates clamping forces between surfaces of the plurality of mold components.

10 more elements

A method comprising:

forming an assembly of a plurality of mold components and a plurality of connectors by:
aligning a first mold component and a second mold component, wherein the first mold component defines a first portion of a mold cavity and a first set of slots and the second mold component defines a second portion of the mold cavity and a second set of slots;
sliding a first connector into a first retention channel, wherein the first retention channel is formed when a first slot of the first set of slots is aligned with a first slot of the second set of slots, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the first connector in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first connector corresponds to a cross-sectional shape of the first retention channel in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first retention channel, wherein a first portion of the cross-sectional shape of the first connector at a particular position along a length of the first connector positioned in the first retention channel is positioned in the first slot of the first set of slots and not in the first slot of the second set of slots, and wherein a second portion of the cross-sectional shape of the first connector at the particular position is positioned in the first slot of the second set of slots and not in the first slot of the first set of slots;
sliding a second connector into a second retention channel corresponding to a second slot of the first set of slots and a second slot of the second set of slots;
aligning a third mold component with the first and second mold components, wherein the third mold component defines a third portion of the mold cavity and a third set of slots;
sliding a third connector into a third retention channel corresponding to a third slot of the first set of slots and a first slot of the third set of slots;
and
sliding a fourth connector into a fourth retention channel corresponding to a third slot of the second set of slots and a second slot of the second set of slots;
and
subjecting the assembly to heating to generate clamping forces between surfaces of the assembly due to thermal expansion of the assembly.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/290,323Filed 1 Mar 2019
Published: US 2020/0276734 A13 Sep 2020
Granted: 18 Jan 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

B29C 33/202
Opening, closing or clamping: clamping means operating on closed or nearly closed mould parts, the clamping means being independently movable of…
B29C 45/641
Mould opening, closing or clamping devices: clamping devices using means for straddling or interconnecting the mould halves, e.g. jaws, straps,…
B22C 9/062
Permanent moulds for shaped castings: mechanisms for locking or opening moulds
B22C 11/00
Moulding machines characterised by the relative arrangement of the parts of same