Mold assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11224996-B2
Application number	US-201916290323-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2019
Priority date	Mar 1, 2019
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

An assembly includes a first mold component defining a first portion of a mold cavity and a first slot. The first slot corresponds to a first portion of a retention channel. The assembly also includes a second mold component defining a second portion of the mold cavity and a second slot. The second slot corresponds to a second portion of the retention channel. The assembly also includes a connector having a cross-sectional shape corresponding to a cross-sectional shape of the retention channel. The connector has thermal expansion characteristics that are different from thermal expansion characteristics of the first and second mold components such that when the first and second mold components are in contact and the connector is inserted into the retention channel, heating the assembly causes differential thermal expansion of the connector and the mold components resulting in a clamping force between the mold components.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly comprising:
a first mold component defining a first portion of a mold cavity, wherein the first mold component includes a first slot in a first surface of the first mold component, and wherein the first slot in the first surface of the first mold component corresponds to a first portion of a first retention channel;
a second mold component defining a second portion of the mold cavity, wherein the second mold component includes a second slot in a first surface of the second mold component, and wherein the second slot in the first surface of the second mold component corresponding to a second portion of the first retention channel; and
a first connector configured to be positioned in the first retention channel, wherein the first retention channel is formed when the first slot is aligned with the second slot, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the first connector in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first connector corresponds to a cross-sectional shape of the first retention channel in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first retention channel, wherein a first portion of the cross-sectional shape of the first connector at a particular position along a length of the first connector positioned in the first retention channel is positioned in the first slot and not in the second slot, wherein a second portion of the cross-sectional shape of the first connector at the particular position is positioned in the second slot and not in the first slot, wherein the first connector comprises a first material having first thermal expansion characteristics, and wherein the first thermal expansion characteristics differ from thermal expansion characteristics of materials of the first mold component and the second mold component such that when the first connector is inserted into the first retention channel, application of heat to the first mold component, the second mold component, and the first connector causes thermal expansion resulting in a clamping force between the first mold component and the second mold component.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the first retention channel corresponds to a C shape, an H shape, or an hourglass shape.

3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the first connector defines a concave region.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first mold component further defines a third slot in the first surface of the first mold component, wherein the third slot in the first surface of the first mold component corresponds to a first portion of a second retention channel, wherein the second mold component further defines a fourth slot in the first surface of the second mold component, and wherein the fourth slot in the first surface of the second mold component corresponding to a second portion of the second retention channel, and further comprising a second connector comprising the first material and having a cross-sectional shape corresponding to a cross-sectional shape of the second retention channel.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third mold component defining a third portion of the mold cavity and a third slot in a first surface of the third mold component, wherein the third slot in the first surface of the third mold component corresponds to a first portion of a third retention channel, wherein the first mold component further defines a fourth slot in a second surface of the first mold component, and wherein the fourth slot in the second surface of the first mold component corresponds to a second portion of the third retention channel; and
a third connector having a cross-sectional shape corresponding to a cross-sectional shape of the third retention channel, wherein the third connector comprises the first material or another material having thermal expansion characteristics different from the thermal expansion characteristics of the materials of the first and third mold components.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the third mold component further defines a fifth slot in the first surface of the third mold component, the fifth slot in the first surface of the third mold component corresponding to a first portion of a fourth retention channel, and wherein the second mold component further defines a sixth slot in a second surface of the second mold component, the sixth slot in the second surface of the second mold component corresponding to a second portion of the fourth retention channel, and further comprising a fourth connector having a cross-sectional shape corresponding to a cross-sectional shape of the fourth retention channel, the fourth connector comprising the first material or the other material having thermal expansion characteristics different from the thermal expansion characteristics of the materials of the second and third mold components.

7. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the third connector has a length greater than a length of the third retention channel.

8. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein the third mold component further defines a recess to accommodate an end of the first connector.

9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first connector has a length greater than a length of the first retention channel.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first slot in the first surface of the first mold component extends a first portion of a distance across the first surface of the first mold component, and wherein the first mold component further defines a punch hole extending a remaining portion of the distance.

11. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first connector comprises a through hole at one end to facilitate extraction of the first connector from the first retention channel.

12. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising one or more thermal exchange elements coupled to or within at least one of the first mold component or the second mold component.

13. An assembly comprising:
a plurality of mold components including:
a first mold component defining a first portion of a mold cavity and a first set of slots;
a second mold component defining a second portion of the mold cavity and a second set of slots; and
a third mold component defining a third portion of the mold cavity and a third set of slots; and

a plurality of connectors including:
a first connector comprising a first material, wherein a first retention channel is formed when a first slot of the first set of slots is aligned with a first slot of the second set of slots, wherein a cross-sectional shape of the first connector in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first connector corresponds to a cross-sectional shape of the first retention channel in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first retention channel, wherein a first portion of the cross-sectional shape of the first connector at a particular position along a length of the first connector positioned in the first retention channel is positioned in the first slot of the first set of slots and not in the first slot of the second set of slots, and wherein a second portion of the cross-sectional shape of the first connector at the particular position is positioned in the first slot of the second set of slots and not in the first slot of the first set of slots;
a second connector comprising the first material and having a second cross-sectional shape corresponding to a combined cross-sectional shape of a second slot of the first set of slots and a second slot of the second set of slots;
a third connector comprising the first material and having a third cross-sectional shape corresponding to a combined cross-sectional shape of a third sl

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Willempje Blom-Schieber Adriana
• Schieber Jack

Classifications

• B29C33/302

  Assembling a large number of mould elements to constitute one cavity · CPC title

• B29C33/30 Primary

  Mounting, exchanging or centering {(moulds, mould parts or cores; B29C33/485 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B22C9/062

  Mechanisms for locking or opening moulds · CPC title

• F16B4/008

  using heat-recoverable, i.e. shrinkable, sleeves · CPC title

• B29C45/641 Primary

  Clamping devices using means for straddling or interconnecting the mould halves, e.g. jaws, straps, latches · CPC title