Light metal injection molding machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10695827-B2
Application number	US-201916424498-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2019
Priority date	Jun 4, 2018
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A light metal injection molding machine includes a melting unit, a material supply device, and an inert gas supplier. The material supply device includes a supply cylinder and a lower shutter. The supply cylinder includes a passage which communicates vertically, a supply opening disposed on an upper side of the passage and to which a molding material is fed, and a discharge opening which is disposed on a lower side of the passage and discharges the molding material to a material supply port of the melting unit. The lower shutter is disposed in the supply cylinder to open and close the passage, and the molding material is placed on the lower shutter when the passage is closed. The lower shutter has at least one vent-hole that allows an inert gas supplied from below the lower shutter to pass when the passage is closed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light metal injection molding machine, comprising:
a melting unit comprising a material supply port supplying a molding material which is a light metal, and melting the molding material to generate a molten metal;
a material supply device supplying the molding material to the material supply port; and
an inert gas supplier supplying an inert gas to the material supply device,
wherein the material supply device comprises:
a supply cylinder comprising a passage which extends vertically, a supply opening which is disposed on an upper side of the passage and to which the molding material is fed, and a discharge opening which is disposed on a lower side of the passage and discharges the molding material to the material supply port; and
a lower shutter disposed in the supply cylinder to open and close the passage, wherein the molding material is placed on the lower shutter when the passage is closed,
wherein the lower shutter has at least one vent-hole that allows the inert gas supplied from below the lower shutter to pass when the passage is closed.

2. The light metal injection molding machine according to claim 1 , wherein the material supply device further comprises an upper shutter disposed above the lower shutter of the supply cylinder to open and close the passage.

3. The light metal injection molding machine according to claim 2 , wherein in a state where the upper shutter closes the passage, the molding material is fed from the supply opening and the molding material is placed on the upper shutter.

4. The light metal injection molding machine according to claim 3 , wherein in a state where the lower shutter closes the passage and the molding material is placed on the upper shutter, the upper shutter opens the passage and the molding material is placed on the lower shutter.

5. The light metal injection molding machine according to claim 2 , wherein the material supply device further comprises an outlet disposed between the upper shutter and the lower shutter of the supply cylinder and discharging a gas pushed up by the inert gas.

6. The light metal injection molding machine according to claim 5 , further comprising an oxygen concentration detector detecting an oxygen concentration of the gas discharged from the outlet,
wherein the inert gas is supplied when a value of the oxygen concentration detected by the oxygen concentration detector exceeds a predetermined value, and supply of the inert gas is stopped when the detected value of the oxygen concentration is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value.

7. The light metal injection molding machine according to claim 5 , further comprising an oxygen concentration detector detecting an oxygen concentration of the gas discharged from the outlet and a level sensor detecting a height of a liquid surface of the molten metal,
wherein when a value of the oxygen concentration detected by the oxygen concentration detector is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, and a value of the liquid surface of the molten metal detected by the level sensor is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, the lower shutter on which the molding material is placed is opened.

8. The light metal injection molding machine according to claim 1 , wherein in a state where the molding material is placed on the lower shutter, the lower shutter opens the passage and supplies the molding material from e discharge opening to the material supply port.

9. The light metal injection molding machine according to claim 1 , wherein the melting unit further comprises an inlet disposed above a liquid surface of the molten metal and supplying the inert gas.

10. The light metal injection molding machine according to claim 1 , wherein the material supply device further comprises an inlet disposed below the lower shutter and supplying the inert gas.

11. The light metal injection molding machine according to claim 1 , wherein the material supply device further comprises an outlet disposed above the lower shutter of the supply cylinder and discharging a gas pushed up by the inert gas.

12. The light metal injection molding machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a level sensor detecting a height of a liquid surface of the molten metal,
wherein when a value of the liquid surface of the molten metal detected by the level sensor is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, the lower shutter on which the molding material is placed is opened.

13. The light metal injection molding machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a material push-out device which comprises:
a storing chamber storing the molding material; and
a pusher pushing out the molding material in the storing chamber to feed the molding material to the supply opening.

14. The light metal injection molding machine according to claim 1 , wherein a specific gravity of the inert gas is larger than a specific gravity of air.

15. The light metal injection molding machine according to claim 14 , wherein the inert gas is argon.

16. The light metal injection molding machine according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one vent-hole comprises a plurality of vent-holes.

17. The light metal injection molding machine according to claim 1 , wherein an inner diameter of each of the at least one vent-hole is 2.5 mm or less.

Assignees

• Sodick Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fujikawa Misao

Classifications

• B22D17/30 Primary

  Accessories for supplying molten metal, e.g. in rations (supplying molten metal in ration in general B22D39/00) · CPC title

• B22D17/145 Primary

  Venting means therefor (for permanent moulds B22C9/067) · CPC title

• B22D17/32

  Controlling equipment · CPC title