Molding tools with interchangeable inserts to form a variety of parts with differing geometries from a single tool

An injection molding apparatus, adapted to be utilized with one or more cavity heating/cooling plates and one or more core heating/cooling plates, the one or more cavity heating/cooling plates and one or more core heating/cooling plates movably associated with one another between an open, insert assembly, position, and a mated, work piece molding, position, the one or more cavity heating/cooling plates adapted to removably receive one or more removable cavity-side workpiece surface-forming inserts, the one or more core heating/cooling plates adapted to removably receive one or more core-side workpiece surface-forming inserts, the apparatus comprising:

• one or more cavity-side mounting plates defining a first cavity insert mounting side to which is connected in heat-transfer relationship the one or more cavity-side workpiece surface-forming inserts;
• one or more core-side mounting plates defining a first core insert mounting side to which is connected in heat-transfer relationship the one or more core-side workpiece surface-forming inserts;
• a second side of the one or more cavity-side mounting plates connected in heat-transfer relationship to the one or more cavity heating/cooling plates;
• and
• a second side of the one or more core-side mounting plates connected in heat-transfer relationship to the one or more heating/cooling plates.

An injection molding apparatus for manufacturing a variety of differently configured prefabricated shower pans, said prefabricated shower pans including a floor and a drain, comprising;

• a collection of cavity-side inserts from which a first grouping of cavity-side inserts is selected;
• a collection of core-side inserts from which a first grouping of core-side inserts is selected;
• the first grouping of cavity-side inserts being sized and shaped to form a cavity-side molding surface of the shower pan and adapted to be connected to one or more of a group of mounting apparatus consisting of (a) one or more cavity heating/cooling plates and (b) one or more cavity mounting plates which may or may not be connected to one or more cavity heating/cooling plates;
• the first grouping of core-side inserts being sized and shaped to form a core-side molding surface of the shower pan and adapted to be connected to one or more of a group of mounting apparatus consisting of (a) one or more core heating/cooling plates and (b) one or more core mounting plates which may or may not be connected to one or more core heating/cooling plates;

An apparatus for injection molding a variety of differently configured prefabricated shower pans, said shower pans being characterized as having one or more of the following:

• one or more planar floor areas, one or more drains, one or more curbs and one or more sidewalls, comprising:
• one or more cavity-side mounting members selected from a group of mounting members consisting of one or more cavity-side mounting plates and one or more cavity-side heating/cooling plates;
• one or more core-side mounting members selected from a group of mounting members consisting of one or more core-side mounting plates and cavity-side heating/cooling plates;
• a collection of cavity-side floor inserts, each being detachably securable to the one or more cavity-side mounting members at any one of a multiplicity of user-selected locations, each of said cavity-side floor inserts having at least a mounting side which faces said one or more cavity-side mounting members, and a workpiece-forming surface which defines at least a portion of a cavity-side of a floor to be formed in said shower pans, said workpiece-forming surface of each cavity-side floor insert being substantially planar;
• a collection of core-side floor inserts, each being detachably securable to said one or more core-side mounting members at any one of a multiplicity of user-selected locations members, each of said core-side floor inserts having at least a mounting side which faces said one or more core-side mounting members when connected thereto, and a workpiece-forming surface which defines at least a portion of a core side of the floor to be formed in said shower pans;
• a collection of cavity-side drain inserts, each being detachably securable to said one or more cavity-side mounting members at any one of a multiplicity of user-selected locations, each of said cavity-side drain inserts having at least a mounting side which faces said one or more cavity-side mounting members when connected thereto, and a workpiece-forming surface which defines at least a portion of a cavity-side of a drain area to be formed in said shower pans;
• a collection of core-side drain insert inserts, each being detachably securable to said one or more core-side mounting members at any one of a multiplicity of user-selected locations, each of said core-side drain inserts having at least a mounting side which faces said one or more core-side mounting members when connected thereto, and a workpiece-forming surface which defines at least a portion of a core-side of the drain area to be formed in said shower pans.

A mold for manufacturing a workpiece having a three-dimensional shape, said mold including a core and a cavity mateable with one another to define a space therebetween, at least a portion of said space having a shape substantially corresponding to the shape of the workpiece to be molded, at least one of said core and said cavity being comprised of:

• one or more mounting members selected from a group consisting of one or more cavity-side mounting plates and one or more cavity-side heating/cooling plates, and a multiplicity of inserts, each of said inserts adapted to be detachably secured to said one or more mounting plates or said one or more heating/cooling plates at any one of one or more user-selected locations on said one or more mounting members, each of said inserts having at least a mounting side which faces said one or more mounting members, and a workpiece-forming surface which defines at least a portion of said space, said workpiece-forming surface being contoured to define the shape of a corresponding portion of the workpiece, each one of said inserts being detachably securable to said one or more mounting members in at least partially direct abutment with at least one other of said inserts such that an at least partial workpiece-forming material seal is formed between abutting inserts;
• whereby a plurality of inserts from said multiplicity of inserts are selected and arranged on said one or more mounting members such that the cumulative workpiece-forming surfaces of the plurality of inserts while they are arranged on said mounting members correspond to at least a portion of a surface of the workpiece to be formed.

A mold for manufacturing a workpiece having a three-dimensional shape, said mold including a core and a cavity mateable with one another to define a space therebetween, at least a portion of said space having a shape substantially corresponding to the shape of the workpiece to be molded, at least one of said core and said cavity being comprised of:

• one or more heating and/or cooling plates, and
• a multiplicity of inserts, each of said inserts adapted to be detachably secured to said one or more heating and/or cooling plates at any one of one or more user-selected locations on said one or more heating and/or cooling plates, each of said inserts having at least a mounting side which faces said one or more heating and/or cooling plates, and a workpiece-forming surface which defines at least a portion of said space, said workpiece-forming surface being contoured to define the shape of a corresponding portion of the workpiece, each one of said inserts being detachably securable to said one or more heating and/or cooling plates in at least partially direct abutment with at least one other of said inserts such that an at least partial workpiece-forming material seal is formed between abutting inserts;
• whereby a plurality of inserts from said multiplicity of inserts are selected and arranged on said one or more heating and/or cooling plates such that the cumulative workpiece-forming surfaces of the plurality of inserts while they are arranged on said one or more heating and/or cooling plates correspond to at least a portion of a surface of the workpiece to be formed.

An injection molding apparatus adapted to be utilized with a cavity heating/cooling plate and a core heating/cooling plate, the cavity heating/cooling plate and core heating/cooling plate movably associated with respect to one another between an open, insert assembly, position, and a mated, work piece molding, position, the cavity heating/cooling plate adapted to have associated therewith two or more removable cavity-side mounting plates to each of which is adapted to selectively be connected one or more workpiece surface-forming inserts, the core heating/cooling plate adapted to have associated therewith two or more removable cavity-side mounting plates to each of which is adapted to selectively be connected one or more core-side workpiece surface-forming inserts, the apparatus comprising:

• a first cavity-side mounting plate defining a first, cavity insert, mounting side to which is connected in heat-transfer relationship one or more cavity-side workpiece surface-forming inserts, a second side of the first cavity-side mounting plate connected in heat-transfer relationship to the cavity heating/cooling plate;
• a second cavity-side mounting plate defining a first, cavity insert, mounting side to which is connected in heat-transfer relationship one or more cavity-side workpiece surface-forming inserts, a second side of the second cavity-side mounting plate connected in heat-transfer relationship to the cavity heating/cooling plate;
• a first core-side mounting plate defining a first, core insert, mounting side to which is connected in heat-transfer relationship one or more core-side workpiece surface-forming inserts, the second side of the first core-side mounting plate connected in heat-transfer relationship to the core heating/cooling plate;
• a second core-side mounting plate defining a first, core insert, mounting side to which is connected in heat-transfer relationship one or more core-side workpiece surface-forming inserts, the second side of the second core-side mounting plate connected in heat-transfer relationship to the core heating/cooling plate.

A mold for manufacturing a workpiece having a three-dimensional shape, said mold including a core base and a cavity base mateable with one another to define a space therebetween, at least a portion of said space having a shape substantially corresponding to the shape of the workpiece to be molded, at least one of said core and said cavity being comprised of:

• the cavity base being characterized as having one or more cavity-side mounting plates and one or more cavity-side heating/cooling plates, at least one of which is adapted to receive cavity-side molding inserts;
• the core base being characterized as having one or more core-side mounting plates and one or more core-side heating/cooling plates, at least one of which is adapted to receive core-side molding inserts;
• a collection of cavity-side inserts, each of said cavity-side inserts adapted to be detachably secured to one or more of said one or more cavity mounting plates and/or one or more of said cavity heating/cooling plates, at any one of one or more user-selected locations, each of said inserts having at least a mounting side, which faces one or more of said cavity mounting plates and/or one or more of said cavity heating/cooling plates, and a workpiece-forming surface which defines at least a portion of said space, said workpiece-forming surface being contoured to define the shape of a corresponding portion of the workpiece to be molded, at least one of said inserts being detachably securable to said one or more cavity mounting plates and/or one or more of said cavity heating/cooling plates, in at least partially direct abutment with at least one other of said inserts such that an at least partial workpiece-forming material seal is formed between abutting inserts;
• a collection of core-side inserts, each of said inserts adapted to be detachably secured to one or more of said one or more core mounting plates and/or one or more of said core heating/cooling plates, at any one of one or more user-selected locations on said one or more core mounting plates and/or of one or more said heating/cooling plates, each of said inserts having at least a mounting side, which faces said one or more core mounting plates and/or said one or more core heating/cooling plates, and a workpiece-forming surface which defines at least a portion of said space, said workpiece-forming surface being contoured to define the shape of a corresponding portion of the workpiece to be molded, at least one of said inserts being detachably securable to said one or more core mounting plates and/or said one or more core heating/cooling plates, in at least partially direct abutment with at least one other of said inserts such that an at least partial workpiece-forming material seal is formed between abutting inserts;
• whereby a grouping of cavity-side inserts from said collection of cavity-side inserts are selected and arranged on said one or more cavity-side mounting plates and/or said cavity-side heating/cooling plates, and whereby a grouping of core-side inserts from said collection of core-side inserts are selected and arranged on said one or more core mounting plates and/or core heating/cooling plates such that the cumulative workpiece-forming surfaces of the cavity and core groupings of inserts while they are arranged on respective said one or more mounting plates and/or on said one or more heating/cooling plates correspond to at least a portion of a surface of the workpiece to be formed.