Production apparatus of expansion-molded article, auxiliary member for transfer of foamed particles and production method of expansion-molded article

A method for producing an expansion-molded article by

• using a mold equipped with a feeder for filling foamed particles into the mold having a through-hole through which foamed particles can pass and a compressed-air ejection nozzle opening toward the mold, by which foamed particles contained in a hopper are filled into the mold through a transfer pipe connecting the hopper to the through hole of the feeder,
• ejecting compressed air from the compressed-air ejection nozzle for a predetermined period of time to fill the foamed particles contained in a hopper into the mold through the feeder,
• moving a piston of the feeder forward while continuously ejecting the compressed air from the compressed-air ejection nozzle, so as to close a foamed particle introducing opening in the mold,
• heating the foamed particles filled into the mold to expand them and then
• cooling the foamed particles thus expanded, wherein upon the filling of the foamed particles, compressed air is fed toward the foamed particle filling side from a compressed-air discharge orifice disposed on the inner surface of the transfer pipe and opening toward the foamed particle filling side of the apparatus connecting the hopper in the course of a foamed-particle transfer pipe connecting the hopper to the inlet of the feeder.