# US 8,784,724 B2 · Seal component manufacturing method and mold

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- Number: US 8,784,724 B2
- Document ID: US8784724B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/258,352
- Filed: 2010-02-19
- Published: 2012-01-26
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2009-03-31
- Assignees: Nok Corporation
- Applicants: Shigeru Watanabe
- Inventors: Shigeru Watanabe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8784724B2

## CPC

- B29C 45/34: having venting means
- B29C 45/2669: {with means for removing excess material, e.g. with overflow cavities (B29C45/1711 takes precedence)}
- H01M 8/0284: Organic resins; Organic polymers
- H01M 8/0286: Processes for forming seals
- B29L 2031/26: Sealing devices, e.g. packaging for pistons or pipe joints
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

To prevent defective molding, a base member is set between split molds of a metal mold, a molding rubber material is injected into an endless shape cavity defined between the base member and the split mold, an injection amount thereof is made such that the molding rubber material fills the cavity and thereafter flows from an air vent hole open to a confluence position in the cavity into a surplus material reservoir provided downstream but does not fill the surplus material reservoir, pressure drop due to flow resistance is caused to the molding rubber material flowing into the surplus material reservoir, and thereby pressure in the cavity is maintained to be not lower than pressure required to mold a gasket and lower than pressure causing leakage from the cavity.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a seal component obtained by integrally molding an endless shaped gasket made of an elastomeric material on a base member, comprising the steps of:
setting the base member between split molds of a mold;
injecting an injection amount of a molding rubber material to an endless shaped cavity defined between a base surface of the base member and an inner surface of one of the split molds opposed to the base surface of the base member;
making the injection amount of the molding rubber material be an amount such that the molding rubber material completely fills the cavity, completely fills an air vent hole open to a confluence position of the molding rubber material within the cavity, and thereafter flows through an orifice and into a surplus material reservoir provided at a downstream side of the air vent hole but does not completely fill the surplus material reservoir;
causing a pressure drop with only the orifice on the basis of flow resistance to the molding rubber material flowing into the surplus material reservoir from the air vent hole through the orifice; and
keeping an internal pressure of the cavity to be equal to or more than a first lower limit value of pressure for molding the gasket and to be less than a second lower limit value of pressure which causes leakage from the cavity, on the basis of the pressure drop.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the surplus material reservoir provided at the downstream side of the air vent hole is a closed space.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein a length and a cross sectional flow diameter of the orifice are selected to keep the internal pressure of the cavity equal to or more than the first lower limit value and less than the second lower limit value, on the basis of the pressure drop.

### Claim 4

A mold for manufacturing a seal component, comprising:
a base member havin a base surface;
a first split mold having an inner surface;
a second split mold having a first surface and an opposite second surface, the first surface of the second split mold facing the base surface of the base member, the second surface of the second split mold facing the inner surface of the first split mold;
an endless shaped gasket molding cavity defined between the base surface of the base member and the first surface of the second split mold;
an air vent hole open to a confluence position of a molding rubber material within the cavity; and
a surplus material reservoir extending from a downstream side of the air vent hole via an orifice,
wherein the orifice and the surplus material reservoir extend along an interface of the second surface of the second split mold and the inner surface of the first split mold, and the orifice alone causes pressure drop on the basis of flow resistance to the molding rubber material flowing into the surplus material reservoir from the air vent hole through the orifice.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The mold of claim 4 wherein the surplus material reservoir extending from the downstream side of the air vent hole is a closed space.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The mold of claim 4 wherein a length and a cross sectional flow diameter of the orifice are selected to cause the pressure drop on the basis of flow resistance to the molding rubber material flowing into the surplus material reservoir from the air vent hole.