Screw-moving assembly including screw-moving actuator and bias-adjustment mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9902101-B2
Application number	US-201214370822-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2012
Priority date	Jan 26, 2012
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A screw-moving assembly ( 100 ) for a screw assembly ( 903 ), the screw-moving assembly ( 100 ) comprising: a screw-moving actuator ( 102 ); and a bias-adjustment mechanism ( 104 ); wherein the screw-moving actuator ( 102 ) and the bias-adjustment mechanism ( 104 ) are configured to connect to the screw assembly ( 903 ); the screw-moving actuator ( 102 ) is configured to transmit, in use, a screw-translation force ( 112 ) to a longitudinal central axis ( 905 ) of the screw assembly ( 903 ); and the bias-adjustment mechanism ( 104 ) is configured to transmit, in use, a biasing force ( 114 ) to the longitudinal central axis ( 905 ) of the screw assembly ( 903 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A screw-moving assembly ( 100 ) for a screw assembly ( 903 ), the screw-moving assembly ( 100 ) comprising:
a screw-moving actuator ( 102 ) including:
an electric-motor assembly ( 120 );
a rack-and-pinion assembly ( 122 );
a shaft assembly ( 124 ); and
a piston assembly ( 126 );

the electric-motor assembly ( 120 ) being coupled to the rack-and-pinion assembly ( 122 ); the rack-and-pinion assembly ( 122 ) being coupled to the shaft assembly ( 124 ); the shaft assembly ( 124 ) being coupled to the piston assembly ( 126 ); and the piston assembly ( 126 ) configured to be coupled to the screw assembly ( 903 ); and a bias-adjustment mechanism ( 104 ) including a fluid-based actuator ( 130 ) having:
a single piston arrangement ( 132 ); and
a fluid-reservoir assembly ( 134 ) configured to accommodate, in use, a fluid selected from the group consisting of a liquid and a flowable solid; wherein the piston arrangement ( 132 ) contacts the fluid-reservoir assembly ( 134 ) and the piston arrangement ( 132 ) is coupled to the screw-moving actuator ( 102 ); wherein the screw-moving actuator ( 102 ) and the bias-adjustment mechanism ( 104 ) are configured to connect to the screw assembly ( 903 ); the screw-moving actuator ( 102 ) is configured to transmit, in use, a screw-translation force ( 112 ) to a longitudinal central axis ( 905 ) of the screw assembly ( 903 ); and the bias-adjustment mechanism ( 104 ) is configured to transmit, in use, a biasing force ( 114 ) to the longitudinal central axis ( 905 ) of the screw assembly ( 903 ); and
a controller assembly configured to optimize an amount of the biasing force used for an initial condition, the biasing force to be applied by the bias-adjustment mechanism via an accumulator assembly to the screw assembly during a molding cycle as a preload force;

the bias-adjustment mechanism ( 104 ) further includes:
a first lock valve assembly ( 300 );
a first reservoir assembly ( 302 );
a second lock valve assembly ( 304 );
a first accumulator assembly ( 306 );
a fluid-supply assembly ( 308 );
a pressure-regulator assembly ( 310 );
a second reservoir assembly ( 312 );
a second accumulator assembly ( 314 );
a first pressure-transducer assembly ( 320 );
a second pressure-transducer assembly ( 322 );

the first lock valve assembly ( 300 ) is in fluid communication with the fluid-reservoir assembly ( 134 ); the first reservoir assembly ( 302 ) is coupled to the first lock valve assembly ( 300 ); the second lock valve assembly ( 304 ) is in fluid communication with the fluid-reservoir assembly ( 134 ); the first accumulator assembly ( 306 ) is in fluid communication with the second lock valve assembly ( 304 ); the pressure-regulator assembly ( 310 ) is in fluid communication with the second lock valve assembly ( 304 ) and with the first accumulator assembly ( 306 ); the fluid-supply assembly ( 308 ) is in fluid communication with the pressure regulator assembly ( 310 ); the second reservoir assembly ( 312 ) is in fluid communication with the pressure-regulator assembly ( 310 ); the second accumulator assembly ( 314 ) is in fluid communication with the pressure-regulator assembly ( 310 ); the first pressure-transducer assembly ( 320 ) is configured to sense pressure of the first accumulator assembly ( 306 ); and the second pressure-transducer assembly ( 322 ) is configured to sense the pressure of the second accumulator assembly ( 314 ).

2. The screw-moving assembly ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein the piston arrangement ( 132 ) is disposed in-line with the longitudinal central axis ( 905 ).

3. The screw-moving assembly ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein:
the bias-adjustment mechanism ( 104 ) further includes:
a third lock-valve assembly ( 330 ); and
a fluid-treatment assembly ( 332 ) configured for filtering and heat management of the fluid; the third lock-valve assembly ( 330 ) is in fluid communication with a fluid-reservoir assembly ( 134 ); the fluid-treatment assembly ( 332 ) is in fluid communication with the third lock-valve assembly ( 330 ); and the fluid-treatment assembly ( 332 ) is in fluid communication with a first accumulator assembly ( 306 ).

4. The screw-moving assembly ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein:
the bias-adjustment mechanism ( 104 ) includes a fluid-supply assembly ( 308 ); and
the fluid-supply assembly ( 308 ) includes:
a servo-pump assembly ( 502 );
a servo-motor assembly ( 504 );
a pressure-reducing valve assembly ( 506 );
an emergency-stop assembly ( 508 ); and
a check-valve assembly ( 510 );

the servo-pump assembly ( 502 ) is fluidly connected to a second reservoir assembly ( 312 ), and also to the check-valve assembly ( 510 ), and the servo-pump assembly ( 502 ) is configured to pump, in use, the fluid to a first accumulator assembly ( 306 ); the servo-motor assembly ( 504 ) is connected to the servo-pump assembly ( 502 ), and the servo-motor assembly ( 504 ) is configured to drive, in use, the servo-pump assembly ( 502 ); the pressure-reducing valve assembly ( 506 ) is fluidly connected to the check-valve assembly ( 510 ), and is also fluidly connected to the second reservoir assembly ( 312 ), and the pressure-reducing valve assembly ( 506 ) is configured to reduce pressure from an output of the servo-pump assembly ( 502 ); and the emergency-stop assembly ( 508 ) is fluidly connected to the first accumulator assembly ( 306 ), and is also fluidly connected to the second reservoir assembly ( 312 ), and the emergency-stop assembly ( 508 ) is configured to stop a flow of the fluid to the second reservoir assembly ( 312 ) responsive to receiving a request to stop; and the check-valve assembly ( 510 ) is fluidly connected to the first accumulator assembly ( 306 ), the check-valve assembly ( 510 ) is configured to prevent back flow of the fluid from the first accumulator assembly ( 306 ) to the servo-pump assembly ( 502 ).

5. The screw-moving assembly ( 100 ) of claim 1 , wherein:
the bias-adjustment mechanism ( 104 ) includes a fluid-supply assembly ( 308 ); and
the fluid-supply assembly ( 308 ) includes:
a pump assembly ( 602 );
an electric-motor assembly ( 604 ); and
a first pressure-relief valve assembly ( 608 ); and

the bias-adjustment mechanism ( 104 ) further includes:
an accumulator assembly ( 606 );
a first check-valve assembly ( 610 );
a pressure-transducer assembly ( 612 );
an emergency-stop assembly ( 614 );
a pressure-regulating valve assembly ( 616 );
a second pressure-transducer assembly ( 618 ); and
a second check-valve assembly ( 620 );

the pump assembly ( 602 ) is fluidly connected to a second reservoir assembly ( 312 ), and is also fluidly connected to the first check-valve assembly ( 610 ); the electric-motor assembly ( 604 ) is operatively connected to the pump assembly ( 602 ), and the electric-motor assembly ( 604 ) is configured to drive, in use, the pump assembly ( 602 ); the accumulator assembly ( 606 ) is fluidly connected to the first check-valve assembly ( 610 ), and the accumulator assembly ( 606 ) is configured to accumulate the fluid received from the pump assembly ( 602 ) by way of the first check-valve assembly ( 610 ); the first pressure-relief valve assembly ( 608 ) is fluidly connected to the first check-valve assembly ( 610 ), and the first pressure-relief valve assembly ( 608 ) is configured to provide pressure relief to the fluid for a case where a fluid pressure exceeds an upper threshold limit; the first pressure-relief valve assembly ( 608 ) is fluidly connected to the first check-valve assembly ( 610 ), and the first pressure-relief valve assembly ( 608 ) is configured to provide relief of fluid pressure at the first pressure-relief valve assembly ( 608 ); the first check-valve assembly ( 610 ) is fluidly connected to the pump assembly ( 602 ), the first chec

Assignees

• Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Halter Christophe
• Hostert Claude Ferdinand
• Weatherall Douglas James

Classifications

• B29C2045/5068

  mechanical drive means in series with hydraulic drive means for axially movable screw · CPC title

• B01F15/06

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B29C45/5008 Primary

  Drive means therefor · CPC title

• B01F15/00538

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F15/0247

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic