Injection-Molding Tool with Integrated Air Jets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016243739-A1
Application number	US-201514626981-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 20, 2015
Priority date	Feb 20, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An injection-molding tool includes a first die having a first surface, and a second die having a second surface. The first and second surfaces cooperate to define a part cavity when the tool is closed. The tool also includes at least one jet disposed on the first surface for blowing gas toward the second surface to remove debris from the second surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An injection-molding tool comprising:
a first die having a first surface; a second die having a second surface cooperating with the first surface to define a part cavity when the tool is closed; and at least one jet disposed on the first surface for blowing gas toward the second surface to remove debris from the second surface.

2 . The injection-molding tool of claim 1 wherein the first die defines a resin inlet connected with the part cavity.

3 . The injection-molding tool of claim 2 further comprising an injector connected with the resin inlet, and configured to inject resin into the part cavity to create an injection molded part having runners.

4 . The injection-molding tool of claim 3 wherein the first die further includes ejector pins extendable out of the first surface for ejecting the part and trimming the runners from the part.

5 . The injection-molding tool of claim 4 wherein each of the ejector pins includes a cutting surface for trimming the runners.

6 . The injection-molding tool of claim 4 wherein trimming the runners creates at least some of the debris.

7 . The injection-molding tool of claim 1 further comprising heating elements disposed in the second die.

8 . The injection-molding tool of claim 1 further comprising a cooling plate engagable with an outer surface of the second die, and defining coolant channels therein.

9 . The injection-molding tool of claim 1 further comprising a compressor in fluid flow communication with the at least one jet.

10 . A method of operating an injection-molding tool including first and second dies that each have a tool face, wherein at least one of the dies has jets, the method comprising:
closing the dies to form a part cavity defined by the tool faces; injecting resin into the cavity; cooling the resin to form a part; opening the cavity; and blowing compressed gas through the jets to remove debris from the tool faces.

11 . The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of:
ejecting the part; and
trimming excess material from the part.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the blowing step is preformed after the trimming step.

13 . The method of claim 10 wherein the second die further includes heating elements and the method further comprising the step of heating the tool face with the heating elements.

14 . The method of claim 10 wherein the blowing step is preformed when the dies are at least partially closed.

15 . The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of supplying compressed gas to the jets from a gas storage tank.

16 . An injection-molding tool comprising:
a mold cavity having a first tool surface; a mold core having a second tool surface cooperating with the first tool surface to at least partially define a part cavity when the tool is closed; a cooling plate including coolant channels, and disposed adjacent to the mold cavity on a side opposite the mold core; and at least one jet disposed on the second tool surface for blowing gas toward the first tool surface to remove debris from the second surface.

17 . The injection-molding tool of claim 16 wherein the mold cavity includes heating elements for heating the first tool surface and wherein the first tool surface is configured to produce mold-in-color parts.

18 . The injection-molding tool of claim 16 wherein the mold core further includes ejector pins extendable out of the second tool surface for ejecting a part and trimming runners from the part.

19 . The injection-molding tool of claim 18 wherein at least some of the debris are particles of the runners created during the trimming of the runners.

20 . The injection-molding tool of claim 19 wherein the air jets are activated after the ejector pins trim the runners.

Assignees

• Ford Motor Co

Inventors

• Pauken Junko

Classifications

• B29C45/7312

  Construction of heating or cooling fluid flow channels · CPC title

• B29C45/38 Primary

  Cutting-off equipment for sprues or ingates · CPC title

• B29C45/1753 Primary

  Cleaning or purging, e.g. of the injection unit (B29C45/24 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C45/2602 Primary

  Mould construction elements · CPC title

• B29C45/73

  of the mould {(B29C45/2642 and B29C45/2737 take precedence)} · CPC title