Window molding apparatus and method of molding window using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11135752-B2
Application number	US-201815863085-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2018
Priority date	Apr 4, 2017
Publication date	Oct 5, 2021
Grant date	Oct 5, 2021

Abstract

A window molding apparatus includes an upper mold, a lower mold under the upper mold, and a side mold under the upper mold and adjacent to at least one side of the lower mold. The upper mold includes a first surface, the lower mold includes a second surface having a portion facing the first surface, and the side mold includes a third surface. The first surface includes a first flat surface and a first bent surface extending from the first flat surface, the second surface includes a second flat surface facing the first flat surface and a second bent surface extending from the second flat surface, and the third surface includes a third bent surface contacting one end of the first bent surface and facing the second bent surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A window molding apparatus comprising:
an upper mold having a first surface;
a lower mold under the upper mold and having a second surface, wherein a portion of the second surface faces the first surface; and
a side mold under the upper mold and adjacent to at least one side of the lower mold, the side mold having a third surface,
wherein the first surface comprises a first flat surface and a first bent surface extending from the first flat surface, the second surface comprises a second flat surface facing the first flat surface and a second bent surface extending from the second flat surface, and the third surface comprises a third bent surface facing the second bent surface and wherein a third bent end of the third bent surface contacts a first bent end of the first bent surface; and
wherein the second bent surface comprises a bent portion facing the first bent end and the third bent end and, in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the first surface, the bent portion defines an arc, wherein a first imaginary line perpendicular to the instantaneous slope of the arc at one end of the arc and a second imaginary line perpendicular to the instantaneous slope of the arc at the opposite end of the arc intersect at a bending axis and a first angle at the bending axis defining the angular distance of the bent portion is more than about 90 degrees and equal to or less than about 180 degrees.

2. The window molding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first angle is equal to or greater than about 120 degrees and equal to or less than about 180 degrees.

3. The window molding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first bent surface overlaps with at least a portion of the third bent surface when viewed in a plan view.

4. The window molding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the side mold comprises a rib protruding toward the upper mold from an end of the third bent surface spaced apart from the first bent surface.

5. The window molding apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the rib has a width that decreases in a direction of the upper mold.

6. The window molding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the side mold comprises a groove recessed from the third bent surface, and the groove is adjacent to an end of the third bent surface spaced apart from the first bent surface.

7. The window molding apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the groove has a width that increases in a direction of the upper mold.

8. The window molding apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising driving parts that move the upper mold, the lower mold, and the side mold, respectively, wherein the upper mold moves in an upwards direction or a downwards direction, the lower mold moves in the upwards direction or the downwards direction, and the side mold moves in a sideways direction by the driving parts.

9. The window molding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first bent surface comprises:
a first sub-bent surface extending from one end of the first flat surface; and
a second sub-bent surface extending from another end of the first flat surface.

10. The window molding apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the third bent surface comprises:
a third sub-bent surface contacting the first bent end of the first sub-bent surface; and
a fourth sub-bent surface contacting one end of the second sub-bent surface.

11. The window molding apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the side mold comprises:
a first sub-mold at one side of the lower mold and comprising the third sub-bent surface; and
a second sub-mold at another side of the lower mold and comprising the fourth sub-bent surface.

12. The window molding apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second bent surface comprises:
a fifth sub-bent surface facing the first sub-bent surface and the third sub-bent surface; and
a sixth sub-bent surface facing the second sub-bent surface and the fourth sub-bent surface.

13. The window molding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the upper mold, the lower mold, and the side mold define an inner space, and a base window comprising a window bending part and a widow flat part is in the inner space.

14. A method of molding a window, the method comprising:
injecting a polymer resin into an inner space of a mold;
curing the polymer resin to form a base window;
cooling the base window; and
removing the base window from the mold, wherein the mold comprises:
an upper mold having a first surface;
a lower mold under the upper mold and having a second surface, wherein a portion of the second surface faces the first surface; and
a side mold under the upper mold and adjacent to at least one side of the lower mold, the side mold having a third surface, wherein the first surface comprises a first flat surface and a first bent surface extending from the first flat surface, the second surface comprises a second flat surface facing the first flat surface and a second bent surface extending from the second flat surface, and the third surface comprises a third bent surface facing the second bent surface and wherein a third bent end of the third bent surface contacts a first bent end of the first bent surface; and
wherein the second bent surface comprises a bent portion facing the first bent end and the third bent end and, in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the first surface, the bent portion defines an arc, wherein a first imaginary line perpendicular to the instantaneous slope of the arc at one end of the arc and a second imaginary line perpendicular to the instantaneous slope of the arc at the opposite end of the arc intersect at a bending axis and a first angle at the bending axis defining the angular distance of the bent portion is more than about 90 degrees and equal to or less than about 180 degrees.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein removing the base window comprises:
moving the upper mold in an upwards direction;
moving the lower mold in a downwards direction; and
moving the side mold in a sideways direction.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the side mold comprises a rib protruding in the upwards direction from an end of the third bent surface spaced apart from the first bent surface, and removing the base window comprises separating the base window from the mold by moving the upper mold, the lower mold, and the side mold.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the side mold comprises a groove recessed from the third bent surface, the groove being adjacent to an end of the third bent surface spaced apart from the first bent surface, and removing the base window comprises separating the base window from the mold by moving the upper mold, the lower mold, and the side mold.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising a grinding process, wherein an upper surface of the base window comprises an upper flat surface and an upper bent surface extending from the upper flat surface, and the grinding process is performed on the upper bent surface after removing the base window from the mold.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Seo Hyunseung
• Cho Jonghwan
• Cho Woojin

Classifications

• B29C45/44

  for undercut articles · CPC title

• H05K5/03

  Covers · CPC title

• B29C45/37 Primary

  Mould cavity walls {, i.e. the inner surface forming the mould cavity, e.g. linings} · CPC title

• B29C45/26 Primary

  Moulds · CPC title

• B29C45/33 Primary

  having transversely, e.g. radially, movable mould parts · CPC title