US 6,217,813 B1 · Method of rapid injection molding of elongated articles, such as cable ties

Abstract

In a method of injection molding an elongated article, such as a cable tie, having a head and a strap terminating in a tip, (a) the article is formed by injecting molten plastic material, such as nylon, into a mold cavity defined between a first mold part and a second mold part, wherein the first mold part includes a head region defining a portion of the head of the elongated article, the second mold part includes a tip region defining a portion of the tip of the elongated article, and the portion of the mold cavity defined by the second mold part defines a series of pointed teeth on one side of the strap; (b) the first mold part is separated from the second mold part while retaining the portion of the head of the elongated article in the head region of the first mold part and the portion of the tip of the elongated article in the tip region of the second mold part, thereby separating the head from the second mold part, the tip from the first mold part, and a major portion of the strap of the elongated article from both the first and second mold parts; and (c) the first mold part is further separated from the second mold part while retaining said portion of the head of the elongated article in the head region of the first mold part to thereby remove the portion of the tip of the elongated article from the second mold part.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A method of injection molding a cable tie having a locking head, a strap terminating in a tip for passing through said head, and ratchet teeth on one side of the strap, wherein the locking head includes a pawl having teeth with surfaces for engaging the ratchet teeth to lock the strap in the locking head after the tip end of the strap has been pulled through the head, the method comprising the steps of

(a) forming the cable tie by injecting molten plastic material into a mold cavity defined by a first mold part combined with a second mold part, wherein the first mold part includes a head region defining a portion of the head of the cable tie and the second mold part includes a tip region defining a portion of the tip of the cable tie;
(b) separating the first mold part from the second mold part while retaining said portion of the head of the cable tie in the head region of the first mold part and said portion of the tip of the cable tie in the tip region of the second mold part, to separate the head from the second mold part, to separate the tip from the first mold part, and to separate a major portion of the strap of the cable tie from the first and second mold parts;
(c) further separating the first mold part from the second mold part while retaining said portion of the head of the cable tie in the head region of the first mold part to thereby remove said portion of the tip of the cable tie from the second mold part;
and
(d) ejecting the head of the cable tie from the head region of the first mold part.

2 more elements

A method of injection molding an elongated article having a head and a strap terminating in a tip, the method comprising the steps of

(a) forming the elongated article by injecting molten plastic material into a mold cavity defined between a first mold part combined with a second mold part, wherein the first mold part includes a head region defining a portion of the head of the elongated article, the second mold part includes a tip region defining a portion of the tip of the elongated article and the tip region includes an undercut region;
(b) separating the first mold part from the second mold part while retaining said portion of the head of the elongated article in the head region of the first mold part and said portion of the tip of the elongated article in the undercut region of the tip region of the second mold part, to separate the head from the second mold part, to separate the tip from the first mold part, and to separate a major portion of the strap of the elongated article from the first and second mold parts;
(c) further separating the first mold part from the second mold part while retaining said portion of the head of the elongated article in the head region of the first mold part to thereby remove said portion of the tip of the elongated article from the second mold part;
and
(d) ejecting the head of the elongated article from the head region of the first mold part;
wherein step (c) includes removing the tip from the tip region by pulling the strap of the elongated article by further separating the first mold part from the second mold part while retaining said portion of the head of the elongated article in the first mold part.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of rapid injection molding of elongated articles, such as cable ties

Life of this patent

Method of rapid injection molding of elongated articles, such as cable ties

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9