Ingot loading mechanism for injection molding machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10300528-B2
Application number	US-201715452085-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2017
Priority date	Nov 11, 2011
Publication date	May 28, 2019
Grant date	May 28, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus for loading one or more alloy ingots into a molding machine. The apparatus includes a holder configured to hold a plurality of the alloy ingots and dispense one or more of the alloy ingots into a melt zone of the molding machine through an opening in a mold of the machine. The holder is moved in a perpendicular direction with respect to an axis along a center of the opening in the mold between a first position in line with the opening in the mold to dispense one or more of the alloy ingots and a second position away from the opening in the mold. The apparatus can carry ingots of amorphous alloy material so that when the machine melts and molds the material, it forms a bulk amorphous alloy containing part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for loading one or more alloy ingots comprising a holder configured to hold a plurality of the alloy ingots and dispense one or more of the alloy ingots into a melt zone of a molding machine through an opening in a mold of the molding machine;
wherein the holder comprises a drive mechanism associated therewith that is configured to selectively move at least part of the holder between a first position in line with the opening in the mold to dispense the one or more of the alloy ingots and a second position away from the opening in the mold.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the holder is configured to move in a perpendicular direction with respect to an axis along a center of the opening in the mold between the first position and the second position.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the melt zone is positioned along a horizontal axis such that the one or more of the alloy ingots is dispensed into the melt zone in a horizontal direction, and wherein the holder is configured to move in a vertical direction with respect to the mold.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the melt zone is positioned along a vertical axis such that the one or more of the alloy ingots is dispensed into the melt zone in a vertical direction, and wherein the holder is configured to move in a horizontal direction with respect to the mold.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the melt zone is positioned along a horizontal axis and wherein the movement of the one or more of the alloy ingots into the melt zone is in a horizontal direction through the opening in the mold.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising an actuation mechanism associated therewith that is configured to dispense said one or more of the alloy ingots in the horizontal direction.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more alloy ingots are made of amorphous alloy material.

8. A method for forming a bulk amorphous alloy containing part using a molding machine comprising a melt zone and a mold, comprising:
loading one or more alloy ingots from a holder into the melt zone of the molding machine through an opening in the mold of the molding machine;
melting the one or more alloy ingots in the melt zone to form a molten alloy; and
introducing the molten alloy into the mold to form the bulk amorphous alloy containing part;
wherein the holder is configured to hold a plurality of the alloy ingots and dispense the one or more of the alloy ingots into the melt zone of the molding machine through the opening in the mold of the molding machine; and wherein the holder comprises a drive mechanism associated therewith that is configured to selectively move at least part of the holder between a first position in line with the opening in the mold to dispense the one or more of the alloy ingots and a second position away from the opening in the mold.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
moving the holder into the first position to load the one or more alloy ingots into the melt zone.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the holder is configured to move in a perpendicular direction with respect to an axis along a center of the opening in the mold between the first position and the second position, and wherein the moving of the holder into the first position comprises moving the holder in a perpendicular direction with respect to the axis along the center of the opening.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the moving of the holder comprises moving the holder in a vertical direction with respect to the mold.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the moving of the holder comprises moving the holder in a horizontal direction with respect to the mold.

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the dispensing of the one or more alloy ingots from the holder into the melt zone is in a horizontal direction through the opening in the mold.

14. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the molding machine further comprises an induction source, and wherein the method further comprises melting the one or more alloy ingots in the melt zone using the induction source.

15. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the molding machine comprises at least one vacuum source configured to apply vacuum pressure to at least the melt zone and mold, and wherein the method further comprises applying a vacuum on the melt zone and the mold such that the melting and the molding is performed under vacuum.

16. An injection molding system comprising:
a melt zone configured to melt meltable material
a mold configured to receive molten material from the melt zone for molding into a part, and
an apparatus for loading the meltable material into the melt zone through an opening in the mold,
wherein the apparatus comprises a drive mechanism associated therewith that is configured to selectively move the apparatus between a first position in line with the opening in the mold to load the meltable material and a second position away from the opening in the mold.

17. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the apparatus comprises a holder configured to hold a plurality of alloy ingots and dispense one or more of the alloy ingots into the melt zone.

18. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the apparatus is configured to move in a perpendicular direction with respect to an axis along a center of the opening in the mold between the first position and the second position.

19. The system according to claim 18 , wherein the melt zone is positioned along a horizontal axis such that the meltable material is loaded into the melt zone in a horizontal direction, and wherein the apparatus is configured to move in a vertical direction with respect to the mold.

20. The system according to claim 18 , wherein the melt zone is positioned along a vertical axis such that the meltable material is loaded into the melt zone in a vertical direction, and wherein the apparatus is configured to move in a horizontal direction with respect to the mold.

21. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the melt zone is positioned along a horizontal axis and wherein the movement of the meltable material into the melt zone is in a horizontal direction through the opening in the mold.

22. The system according to claim 21 , wherein the apparatus comprises an actuation mechanism associated therewith that is configured to load the meltable material in the horizontal direction.

23. The system according to claim 16 , further comprising an induction source positioned within the melt zone that is configured to melt the meltable material.

24. The system according to claim 16 , further comprising a transfer sleeve between the melt zone and the mold that is configured to receive the molten material therethrough.

25. The system according to claim 16 , further comprising at least one vacuum source that is configured to apply vacuum pressure to at least the melt zone and the mold.

26. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the meltable material is an alloy and wherein the mold is configured to form a molded bulk amorphous alloy object.

Assignees

• Crucible Intellectual Prop Llc

Inventors

• Stevick Joseph W

Classifications

• B22D18/02

  Pressure casting making use of mechanical pressure devices, e.g. cast-forging (B22D18/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B22D17/14

  Machines with evacuated die cavity · CPC title

• B22D17/04

  Plunger machines · CPC title

• B22D17/2023

  Nozzles or shot sleeves · CPC title

• B22D17/2038

  Heating, cooling or lubricating the injection unit (for plastics B29C45/74, B29C45/83) · CPC title