Injection molding apparatus and three-dimensional shaping apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021299925-A1
Application number	US-202117208437-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 22, 2021
Priority date	Mar 24, 2020
Publication date	Sep 30, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An injection molding apparatus includes a melting section configured to melt a solid material into a shaping material and a nozzle configured to inject the shaping material supplied from the melting section into a mold. The melting section includes a screw having a groove forming surface on which a groove is formed, a barrel having an opposed surface opposed to the groove forming surface, a communication hole communicating with the nozzle being provided in the barrel, a heating section configured to heat the solid material supplied to between the screw and the barrel, a driving motor, a first gear configured to transmit a driving force of the driving motor to the screw and rotate the screw, and a first injecting section including a first injection port for injecting a first lubricant and a first injection path leading from the first injection port to the first gear.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An injection molding apparatus comprising:
a melting section configured to melt a solid material into a shaping material; and a nozzle configured to inject the shaping material supplied from the melting section into a mold, wherein the melting section includes:
a screw having a groove forming surface on which a groove is formed;
a barrel having an opposed surface opposed to the groove forming surface, a communication hole communicating with the nozzle being provided in the barrel;
a heating section configured to heat the solid material supplied to between the screw and the barrel;
a driving motor;
a first gear configured to transmit a driving force of the driving motor to the screw and rotate the screw; and
a first injecting section including a first injection port for injecting a first lubricant and a first injection path leading from the first injection port to the first gear.

2 . The injection molding apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first timer; and a first storing section communicating with the first injection port and storing the first lubricant, wherein the first injecting section includes an automatic injecting section configured to, when elapse of a predetermined time is measured by the first timer, automatically inject the first lubricant into the first injection port from the first storing section.

3 . The injection molding apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first detecting section configured to detect injection timing based on at least one of vibration of the first gear, torque of the driving motor, and pressure in the first injection path; and a first storing section communicating with the first injection port and storing the first lubricant, wherein the first injecting section includes an automatic injecting section configured to, when the first detecting section detects the injection timing, automatically inject the first lubricant into the first injection port from the first storing section.

4 . The injection molding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the injection molding apparatus includes a first filter in at least one of the first injection port and the first injection path.

5 . The injection molding apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an injection cylinder; an injection plunger configured to slide in the injection cylinder and perform measuring operation for measuring the shaping material in the injection cylinder and injecting operation for sending the shaping material to the nozzle; an injection motor; a second gear configured to transmit a driving force of the injection motor to the injection plunger and slide the injection plunger in the injection cylinder; and a second injecting section including a second injection port for injecting a second lubricant and a second injection path leading from the second injection port to the second gear.

6 . The injection molding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the mold includes a fixed mold and a movable mold that moves with respect to the fixed mold, and the injection molding apparatus further comprises: a movable-mold moving section configured to move the movable mold; a mold opening and closing motor; a third gear configured to transmit a driving force of the mold opening and closing motor to the movable-mold moving section; and a third injecting section including a third injection port for injecting a third lubricant and a third injection path leading from the third injection port to the third gear.

7 . A three-dimensional shaping apparatus comprising:
a melting section configured to melt a solid material into a shaping material; and a nozzle configured to inject the shaping material supplied from the melting section toward a stage, wherein the melting section includes:
a screw having a groove forming surface on which a groove is formed;
a barrel having an opposed surface opposed to the groove forming surface, and a communication hole communicating with the nozzle being provided in the barrel;
a heating section configured to heat the solid material supplied to between the screw and the barrel;
a driving motor;
a first gear configured to transmit a driving force of the driving motor to the screw and rotate the screw; and
a first injecting section including a first injection port for injecting a first lubricant and a first injection path leading from the first injection port to the first gear.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Sasagawa Kakeru

Classifications

• B29C2045/835

  for ball screws or ball nuts · CPC title

• B29C45/83 Primary

  Lubricating means · CPC title

• B33Y50/00

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C45/768

  Detecting defective moulding conditions (B29C45/84 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29C2945/76163

  Errors, malfunctioning · CPC title