In-mold punch apparatus and methods
AssigneeAdvanced Drainage Systems, Inc.
InventorRandall A. Kolbet
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mold is provided for forming a continuously-extruded parison into a corrugated pipe. The mold includes a mold housing having a plurality of bores, a mold cavity having a plurality of annular corrugations, and a plurality of punches. Each punch is disposed in one of the bores and aligned with one of the annular corrugations of the mold cavity. Each punch is also configured to form an aperture in a corrugation of a corrugated pipe in the mold. A continuous extrusion blow molding system and a method are also provided for forming a hollow plastic product and punching a continuously-extruded, blow molded product before it is released from a mold.
Claims13
A mold for forming a continuously-extruded parison into a corrugated pipe, the mold comprising:
- a mold housing comprising first and second opposing mold halves configured to mate along an upper interface and a lower interface, the upper interface defining a plurality of bores;
- a mold cavity having a plurality of annular corrugations;
- and
- a plurality of punches, each punch being disposed in one of the bores defined by the upper interface of the opposing mold halves, and each punch being aligned with one of the annular corrugations of the mold cavity;
- wherein each punch is configured to form an aperture in a corrugation of a corrugated pipe in the mold;
- wherein the mold is configured to move along a mold track, and the plurality of punches are configured to move along an actuator track connected to the mold track;
- wherein the actuator track includes a disengaging portion and an engaging portion;
- wherein, when the plurality of punches move along the actuator track from the disengaging portion to the engaging portion, the engaging portion is configured to actuate the plurality of punches to form apertures in corrugations of the corrugated pipe.
A mold for shaping a continuously-extruded parison into a hollow plastic product, the mold comprising:
- an exterior surface defining a mold housing comprising first and second opposing mold halves configured to mate along an upper interface and a lower interface, the upper interface defining a plurality of bores;
- an interior surface defining a mold cavity;
- and
- a plurality of punches;
- wherein each punch extends, through one of the bores defined by the upper interface of the opposing mold halves, from the exterior surface defining the mold housing to the interior surface defining the mold cavity, each punch being configured to form an aperture in a corrugation of the hollow plastic product while the hollow plastic product is disposed in the mold cavity;
- wherein the mold is configured to move along a mold track, and the plurality of punches are configured to move along an actuator track connected to the mold track;
- wherein the actuator track includes a disengaging portion and an engaging portion;
- wherein, when the plurality of punches move along the actuator track from the disengaging portion to the engaging portion, the engaging portion is configured to actuate the plurality of punches to for apertures in corrugations of the hollow plastic product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.