A compression moulding method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023405888-A1
Application number	US-202118040354-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 5, 2021
Priority date	Aug 5, 2020
Publication date	Dec 21, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for forming an object comprises the steps of:
providing a mould comprising a first and a second mould part opposite to each other, a part selected from between the first mould part and the second mould part comprising a plurality of sectors for shaping a lateral portion of the object, the sectors delimiting a variable-volume forming region of the mould; positioning a dosed amount of mouldable material between the first and second mould parts while the mould is in an open position; displacing the first mould part and the second mould part towards each other in a moulding direction, to define between the first mould part and the second mould part a closed forming chamber bringing into contact respective abutment surfaces of the first mould part and the second mould part, the abutment surfaces extending transversely to the moulding direction.

First claim

1 . A method for forming an object, comprising the steps of:
providing a mould comprising a first mould part and a second mould part opposite to each other, a part selected from between the first mould part and the second mould part comprising a plurality of sectors for shaping at least a lateral portion of the object, the sectors delimiting a variable-volume forming region of the mould; positioning a dosed amount of mouldable material between the first mould part and the second mould part while the mould is in an open position; displacing the first mould part and the second mould part towards each other in a moulding direction, to define between the first mould part and the second mould part a closed forming chamber by bringing into contact respective abutment surfaces of the first mould part and of the second mould part, the abutment surfaces extending transversely to the moulding direction,
the method further comprising the step of moving the sectors transversely to the moulding direction in order to reduce volume of the variable-volume forming region, and wherein the mould comprises a forming component which penetrates into the variable-volume forming region, thereby compressing the mouldable material in the moulding direction.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sectors of said plurality delimit a lateral surface of the variable-volume forming region, the sectors of said plurality being movable between a first position in which the volume of the variable-volume forming region is maximum, and a second position, in which the volume of the variable-volume forming region is minimum, and wherein the dosed amount is positioned between the first mould part and the second mould part while the sectors of said plurality are in the first position.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the closed forming chamber is defined by bringing into mutual contact the sectors of said plurality and an abutment element of a mould part selected from between the second mould part and the first mould part and facing the sectors, said forming component being included in the mould part facing the sectors and arranged inside the abutment element.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein after the sectors of said plurality and the abutment element have been brought into mutual contact, one mould part selected from between the first mould part and the second mould part is displaced further in the moulding direction, so that the forming component penetrates between the sectors of said plurality to form the object.

5 . The method according to any preceding claim 1 , wherein the forming component is a male forming component, the mouldable material flowing between the sectors of said plurality and the male forming component to originate a lateral wall of the object.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the male forming component is located below the first mould part and the dosed amount is positioned on a support surface delimiting an upper end of the male forming component.

7 . (canceled)

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first mould part further comprises an end-forming element delimiting the closed forming chamber transversely to the moulding direction at the opposite side with respect to the second mould part.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the sectors of said plurality are slidable transversely to the moulding direction in contact with the end-forming element to decrease volume of the closed forming chamber.

10 . (canceled)

11 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the first mould part comprises a protruding core protruding from the end-forming element towards the second mould part, and wherein the dosed amount is positioned in the first mould part in a non-centred position with respect to the sectors of said plurality, at a side of the protruding core, so that the mouldable material flows between the sectors of said plurality and the protruding core to create an object having a hole or a hollow.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the protruding core protrudes from the sectors of said plurality towards the second mould part to engage in a guide hole made in the forming component.

13 . (canceled)

14 . The method according to claim 1 , and further comprising extruding the mouldable material, thereby generating a continuous extrudate of mouldable material, separating a dosed amount from the continuous extrudate, transporting the dosed amount into the mould.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sectors are movable transversely to the moulding direction between an enlarged configuration and a final configuration of the variable-volume forming region, the dosed amount being released between the first mould part and the second mould part while the sectors are in the enlarged configuration, the dosed amount having smaller transverse dimensions than the transverse dimensions of the variable-volume forming region in the enlarged configuration, the transverse dimensions of the dosed amount and of the variable-volume forming region in the enlarged configuration being measured perpendicular to the moulding direction.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of positioning a dosed amount of mouldable material between the first mould part and the second mould part comprises resting the dosed amount on a mould part selected from between the first mould part and the second mould part in a position where the dosed amount is at least partially surrounded by the sectors and spaced from the sectors, the sectors being subsequently moved transversely to the moulding direction to come into contact with the dosed amount.

17 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of moving the sectors transversely to the moulding direction starts before the closed forming chamber has been defined.

18 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of moving the sectors transversely to the moulding direction starts after the closed forming chamber has been defined.

19 . (canceled)

20 . The method according to claim 1 , and further comprising the step of blocking an edge zone of the dosed amount between the first mould part and the second mould part before starting to deform a central zone of the dosed amount.

21 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein the first mould part has a forming cavity, and wherein the edge zone of the dosed amount is blocked between the first mould part and the second mould part when the central zone of the dosed amount is spaced from a bottom of the forming cavity.

22 . The method according to claim 20 , wherein the sectors are included in the first mould part, and wherein the edge zone of the dosed amount is rested on the first mould part and blocked between the first mould part and the second mould part before the forming component starts to interact with the central zone of the dosed amount.

23 - 24 . (canceled)

25 . An apparatus for forming an object, comprising at least one mould which includes a first mould part and a second mould part opposite to each other, a mould part selected from between the first mould part and the second mould part comprising a plurality of sectors for at least partially forming a lateral surface of the object, the sectors delimiting a variable-volume forming region of the mould, the apparatus further comprising a driving device for displacing the first mould part and the second mould part with res

Assignees

• Sacmi

Inventors

• Pucci Fabrizio
• Parrinello Fiorenzo

Classifications

• B29C43/361 Primary

  with pressing members independently movable of the parts for opening or closing the mould, e.g. movable pistons (transfer moulding B29C45/02; injection-compression moulding B29C45/561) · CPC title

• B29C43/34 Primary

  Feeding the material to the mould or the compression means {(B29C43/085 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B29C2043/3602

  with means for positioning, fastening or clamping the material to be formed or preforms inside the mould · CPC title

• B29C2043/3613

  applying pressure locally · CPC title

• B29C2043/3621

  a plurality of individual elements acting on the material in the same or diferent directions, e.g. making tubular T-joints, profiles · CPC title