Sealing device for use in molded foam pad production

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11806900-B2
Application number	US-202016992521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2020
Priority date	Aug 13, 2020
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A mold tool assembly includes a first tool having a protrusion for producing a respective hole in a foam body and a second tool configured to cooperate with the first tool to mold the foam body. The second tool defines a cavity corresponding to the protrusion. The mold tool assembly also includes a movable plunger for clearing flash corresponding to and located at least partially within the cavity in the second tool, and movable between a disengaged position when the first and second tools are separated, and an engaged position when the first and second tools are closed. The mold tool assembly also includes an actuator configured to move the movable plunger between the engaged position and the disengaged position. In the engaged position, the movable plunger contacts the protrusion to seal the cavity, and in the disengaged position, at least a portion of the movable plunger extends below a bottom surface of the second tool into the hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mold tool assembly comprising:
a first tool having a protrusion for producing a hole in a foam body;
a second tool configured to cooperate with the first tool to define a foam body cavity for molding the foam body, the second tool defining a protrusion cavity corresponding to the protrusion such that the protrusion of the first tool is aligned with the protrusion cavity of the second tool;
a movable plunger for clearing flash corresponding to and located at least partially within the protrusion cavity in the second tool aligned with the protrusion and positioned such that the movable plunger seals the protrusion cavity from foam entering the protrusion cavity, and movable between a disengaged position when the first and second tools are separated, and an engaged position when the first and second tools are closed; and
an actuator configured to move the movable plunger between the engaged position and the disengaged position,
wherein, in the engaged position during foam fill, the movable plunger contacts the protrusion, and the movable plunger and protrusion form a seal at a contact point such that foam is inhibited from flowing between the movable plunger and the protrusion and a bottom of the movable plunger is aligned with the bottom surface of the second tool, and in the disengaged position, at least a portion of the movable plunger extends below the bottom surface of the second tool.

2. The mold tool assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator has a bias in the disengaged position, such that in the engaged position the protrusion pushes the movable plunger against the bias.

3. The mold tool assembly of claim 2 , wherein the actuator is a spring and the movable plunger is displaced between the engaged and disengaged positions based on compression and decompression of the spring.

4. The mold tool assembly of claim 3 , wherein the spring is positioned around a shaft body of the movable plunger within the protrusion cavity to compress and decompress based on movement of the movable plunger.

5. The mold tool assembly of claim 3 , wherein the spring has a spring rate of at least 5 N/mm.

6. The mold tool assembly of claim 1 , wherein the movable plunger includes a rib portion around at least a portion of a periphery of the movable plunger.

7. The mold tool assembly of claim 6 , wherein the rib portion contacts an inner wall of the second tool defining the protrusion cavity and clears foam from the protrusion cavity when the movable plunger moves between the engaged and disengaged positions.

8. The mold tool assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a hydraulic actuator for pushing the movable plunger into the disengaged position after the movable plunger is moved into the engaged position via engagement with the protrusion.

9. A mold tool assembly comprising:
a first tool having a protrusion for producing a hole in a foam body;
a second tool configured to cooperate with the first tool to define a foam body cavity for molding the foam body, the second tool defining a protrusion cavity corresponding to the protrusion such that the protrusion of the first tool is aligned with the protrusion cavity of the second tool; and
a movable plunger for clearing flash, the movable plunger aligned with the protrusion and located at least partially within the protrusion cavity in the second tool such that the movable plunger seals the protrusion cavity from foam entering the protrusion cavity, the movable plunger being movable between a disengaged position when the first and second tools are separated, and an engaged position when the first and second tools are closed, the movable plunger being movable between the engaged position and the disengaged position, and having a bias in the disengaged position;
wherein, in the engaged position during foam fill, the movable plunger contacts the protrusion to form a seal at a contact point between the movable plunger and the protrusion such that foam is inhibited from flowing between the movable plunger and the protrusion, and a bottom of the movable plunger is aligned with a bottom surface of the second tool, and in the disengaged position, the bias shifts the movable plunger such that at least a portion of the movable plunger extends below the bottom surface of the second tool into the hole.

10. The mold tool assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first tool includes a plurality of protrusions and the second tool includes a plurality of protrusion cavities corresponding to the plurality of protrusions such that each of the plurality of protrusions of the first tool are aligned with a respective protrusion cavity of the plurality of protrusion cavities of the second tool.

11. The mold tool assembly of claim 10 , wherein the mold tool assembly includes a plurality of movable plungers with a respective movable plunger for each of the plurality of protrusion cavities.

12. The mold tool assembly of claim 9 , further comprising an actuator cooperating with the movable plunger to bias the movable plunger in the disengaged position, wherein the actuator is a spring having a spring rate of at least 5 N/mm.

13. The mold tool assembly of claim 9 , wherein the protrusion has a diameter of 5 to 35 mm.

14. The mold tool assembly of claim 9 , wherein the movable plunger includes a rib portion around at least a portion of a periphery of the movable plunger, the rib portion contacting an inner wall of the second tool defining the protrusion cavity and clears foam from the protrusion cavity when the movable plunger moves between the engaged and disengaged positions.

Assignees

• Lear Corp

Inventors

• Legh Darren
• Baxter Antony
• Molina Myriam
• Whiley Christopher

Classifications

• B29C33/0038 Primary

  with sealing means or the like (seals on envelopes used in tyre retreading B29D30/542; for injection moulding footwear B29D35/0045) · CPC title

• B29C33/0033

  constructed for making articles provided with holes · CPC title

• B29C44/02

  for articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles · CPC title

• B29C44/58 Primary

  Moulds · CPC title

• B29K2105/04

  cellular or porous · CPC title