Method and apparatus for manufacturing metallic parts by injection molding from the semi-solid state
AssigneeTakata Corporation
InventorKaname Kono
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An injection molding system includes a feeder in which a metal is melted and a first chamber into which a desired amount of melted metal is introduced. A piston in a second chamber first retracts to create suction, assisting in drawing in the melted metal into the second chamber from the first chamber and evacuating gas. A ram then pushes some melted metal remaining in the first chamber into the second chamber, forcing out gas present in the second chamber. The piston then injects the melted metal out of the second chamber into a mold. The melted metal is maintained in a semi-solid state prior to injection into the mold.
Claims66
A method of injecting melted material into a mold, comprising:
- introducing the melted material into a first chamber;
- allowing at least a portion of the melted material to pass through said first chamber into a second chamber;
- maintaining the first chamber and the second chamber at a temperature between liquidus and solidus temperatures of the melted material to maintain the melted material in a semi-solid state in at least the second chamber;
- pushing at least a portion of the melted material remaining in the first chamber into said second chamber;
- and
- injecting the melted material from the second chamber into the mold.
The method as claimed in claim S, comprising
- advancing the ram in the first chamber so that the ram seals off an outlet port of the first chamber during injection to prevent melted metal from passing between the first and the second chambers;
- uncovering an injection nozzle in the second chamber;
- injecting the melted material into the mold through the injection nozzle by advancing a piston;
- retracting the ram;
- and
- retracting an outer portion of the piston to create a suction in the second chamber to draw the melted material from the first chamber into the second chamber, while leaving an inner portion of the piston fully advanced to cover the injection nozzle.
An apparatus for injecting melted material into a mold, comprising
- a first chamber which holds melted material,
- a ram that moves through said first chamber to force at least a portion of the melted material from the first chamber through an outlet port leading into a second chamber,
- at least one heating element adjacent the second chamber to maintain the melted material in a semi-solid state in at least the second chamber;
- and a piston in the second chamber that
- (a) retracts to create suction that assists in drawing into the second chamber at least a portion of the melted material through the outlet port from the first chamber;
- and that
- (b) advances to inject the melted material into a mold.
An apparatus for injecting melted material into a mold, comprising
- a passing means for passing the melted material;
- forcing means for forcing at least a portion of the melted material from the passing means into an accumulation means for accumulating melted material;
- suction means for creating a suction in the accumulating means to draw at least a portion of the melted material into the accumulating means;
- heating means for maintaining the melted material in a semi-solid state in at least the second chamber;
- injection means for injecting the melted material from the accumulation means into the mold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.