JP7511801B2 - Resin block manufacturing apparatus, resin product manufacturing method, and resin block manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the manufacture of resin blocks, and in particular to a resin block manufacturing apparatus, a resin product manufacturing method, and a resin block manufacturing method that can efficiently manufacture resin blocks of a desired size (thickness).

Prototypes of resin products are usually made by cutting out a resin block or by using a 3-D printer, but in either case, the materials that can be used are limited, and it may not be possible to properly evaluate the material you want to use in mass production. In addition, using a 3-D printer can cause problems with dimensional accuracy and warping, as well as the problem of expensive materials, which is costly. Therefore, if you want to properly evaluate the properties of a resin molded product when it is mass-produced and commercialized, you need to make a prototype using the same equipment and process as for mass production. That is, for example, you need to make a mold similar to the one used for mass production, use the resin material you plan to use, and actually operate an injection molding machine to mold the prototype. As a result, prototyping inevitably takes time, costs, and effort.

The inventors of the present application have already disclosed an apparatus and method for manufacturing resin blocks using resin materials of desired qualities and colors (see Patent Document 1), but there is a demand for more efficient manufacturing of resin blocks of desired sizes (thicknesses). There is also a demand for more efficient prototyping itself, i.e., for easy, short-term, and low-cost manufacturing.

JP 2019-151009 A

The present invention was made in light of such circumstances, and the object of the present invention is to provide a resin block manufacturing apparatus and a resin block manufacturing method that can more efficiently manufacture resin blocks using resin of desired material and color, that is, more efficiently manufacture resin blocks of any resin material. In addition, the object of the present invention is to provide a resin block manufacturing apparatus and a resin product manufacturing method that can more efficiently carry out prototyping itself, that is, more efficiently manufacture prototype resin products at low cost and in a short period of time.

The resin block manufacturing apparatus of the present invention comprises:
a material chamber for accommodating a resin material to be supplied;
a gate portion having a plurality of holes formed therein and disposed on an end surface of the material chamber;
A heating means for heating the gate portion;
an extrusion section that presses the resin material supplied to the material chamber against the heated gate section and extrudes the molten resin material from the hole;
The present invention is characterized in that it has a resin block molding space that contains the resin material to be extruded, and a mold portion that gradually expands the volume of the resin block molding space while applying pressure to the resin material to be extruded in the direction of the gate portion, and integrates the extruded resin material within the resin block molding space.

Preferably, the resin block manufacturing device of the present invention is characterized by further having a pressure adjustment means for adjusting the pressure with which the resin material is extruded from the hole and the pressure applied to the extruded resin material in the direction of the gate portion.

Also, preferably, the resin block manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is characterized by further having a cooling means for cooling the gate portion and the mold portion.

Preferably, the mold portion includes a side mold plate that defines the side of the resin block molding space, with the gate portion located at one end, and a pressing plate that has a pressing surface parallel to the gate portion and is movable in a direction perpendicular to the gate portion within the space surrounded by the side mold plate, and a pressing plate that has a pressing surface parallel to the gate portion and is movable in a direction perpendicular to the gate portion within the space surrounded by the side mold plate, and is characterized in that by moving the pressing plate, the pressure is applied to the resin material being extruded while the volume of the resin block molding space is gradually expanded.

Preferably, the resin block manufacturing device of the present invention further comprises a mold section moving means for moving the side mold plate in a direction perpendicular to the gate section, and an extrusion block that is disposed between the resin block formed inside the side mold plate and the gate section when the side mold plate is moved to a position away from the gate section, and is characterized in that, when the extrusion block is disposed between the resin block and the gate section, the mold section moving means moves the side mold plate in a direction approaching the gate section, thereby releasing the resin block from the side mold plate.

It is also preferable that each of the plurality of holes has a truncated cone shape with an opening diameter on the side of the resin block molding space larger than the opening diameter on the side of the material chamber.

The resin block manufacturing apparatus of the present invention may further include a prototype mold section having a cavity corresponding to the shape of the desired resin molded product and a resin inflow passage that connects the cavity with the resin block molding space.

Preferably, a prototype hole communicating with the resin inflow passage is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the resin block molding space of the mold section, and the resin block manufacturing device of the present invention is characterized by further having a prototype gate opening/closing pin that controls the communication state between the cavity and the resin block molding space by opening and closing the prototype hole.

The resin product manufacturing method of the present invention is characterized in that, by applying pressure to the molten resin material contained in the resin block molding space in the resin block manufacturing device having the prototype mold section, the resin material is filled into the cavity of a prototype mold section having a cavity of a desired shape, and a resin product corresponding to the shape of the cavity is manufactured.

Preferably, the resin material is resin pellets or crushed resin.

Further, the method for producing a resin block of the present invention includes the steps of:
a step of forcing the molten resin material through a gate portion having a plurality of holes formed therein and heated, thereby forcing the molten resin material out of the holes;
and a process of integrating the extruded resin material within the resin block molding space by gradually expanding the volume of the resin block molding space that contains the extruded resin material while applying pressure in the direction of the gate portion to the extruded resin material.

Preferably, in the resin block manufacturing method of the present invention, the pressure applied to the extruded resin material in the direction of the gate is less than the pressure applied to extrude the molten resin material from the hole.

Preferably, the resin block manufacturing method of the present invention further includes a step of cooling the resin material integrated in the resin block molding space, and the cooling is performed by applying pressure to the resin material in the direction of the gate portion.

Preferably, the resin material is resin pellets or crushed resin.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a resin block manufacturing apparatus and a resin block manufacturing method that can more efficiently manufacture resin blocks using resins of desired materials and colors, i.e., more efficiently manufacture resin blocks of any resin material. In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a resin block manufacturing apparatus and a resin product manufacturing method that can more efficiently carry out prototyping itself, i.e., can easily manufacture prototype resin products at low cost in a short period of time.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a resin block manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of the resin block manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a first sectional perspective view showing the configuration and operation of a material chamber and a gate unit of the resin block manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a second sectional perspective view showing the configuration and operation of the material chamber and the gate unit of the resin block manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the configuration of the gate portion of the resin block manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 1, where FIG. 5A is a perspective view and FIG. 5B is a sectional view of a portion V in FIG. 5A. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining a molding process of a resin block in the resin block manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the cooling step in the resin block manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a first schematic diagram for explaining the demolding step in the resin block manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a second schematic diagram for explaining the demolding step in the resin block manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a resin block manufacturing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a first sectional perspective view showing the configuration and operation of the prototype mold unit of the resin block manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 12 is a second sectional perspective view showing the configuration and operation of the prototype mold unit of the resin block manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG.

First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In this embodiment, the present invention will be described by taking as an example a resin block manufacturing apparatus 1 that manufactures a resin block from resin pellets (sometimes simply referred to as pellets). The resin block manufacturing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is an apparatus that can manufacture a resin block of a desired thickness by heating and melting the pellets and then cooling and hardening them.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the resin block manufacturing device 1 has a material chamber 100, a gate section 200, a heater (heating means) 250, a cooling section (cooling means) 270, an extrusion section 300, a mold section 500, and a control section 630. The resin block manufacturing device 1 has a frame formed by connecting angle bars, for example, on which various mechanisms and units described below are mounted.

First, we will explain the configuration and function of each part of the resin block manufacturing device 1.

The material chamber 100 contains the resin material to be supplied. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the material chamber 100 has a rectangular cylindrical member (referred to as a rectangular cylindrical section) 110 arranged with the horizontal direction (X-axis report) as the cylindrical axis direction, and a gate section 200 (described later) is installed at one end of the rectangular cylindrical section 110. Inside the rectangular cylindrical section 110, a material extrusion plate 320 of the extrusion section 300 (described later) is arranged so as to be movable in the cylindrical axis direction. The space surrounded by the inner peripheral surface 112 of the rectangular cylindrical section 110, the gate section 200, and the material extrusion plate 320 of the extrusion section 300 is the material storage space 102 that contains pellets as raw materials. A material inlet 120 for supplying pellets to the material storage space 102 is formed on the upper surface of the material storage space 102.

The material chamber 100 may be made of any metal material, but in this embodiment it is made of an aluminum plate.

The gate section 200 is a member for melting the pellets supplied to the material containing space 102 of the material chamber 100 and for causing the molten resin material to flow into a resin block molding space 502 of the mold section 500 .
The gate section 200 is installed between the material chamber 100 and the mold section 500, and the material chamber side surface 201 forms one end face of the material storage space 102, and the mold section side surface 203 forms one end face of the resin block molding space 502.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the gate section 200 has a number of holes 210 formed between the material chamber side surface 201 and the mold section side surface 203. The holes 210 are holes for allowing the molten resin material to flow from the material storage space 102 to the resin block molding space 502. As shown in FIG. 5B, each hole 210 is a truncated cone-shaped hole whose inner circumferential surface is inclined at a predetermined angle α from the material chamber side opening (resin inlet) 221 toward the resin block molding space side opening (resin outlet) 222. That is, each hole 210 is a truncated cone-shaped hole whose opening diameter at the resin block molding space side opening 222 is larger than the opening diameter at the material chamber side opening 221. By making the hole 210 a truncated cone-shaped hole having such a tapered circumferential surface, it becomes easier to release the resin block molded in the resin block molding space 502.

In this embodiment, the hole 210 is a truncated cone-shaped hole whose inner peripheral surface is tapered and inclined toward the resin block molding space side opening (resin flow outlet) 222 from the material chamber side opening (resin inlet) 221. The size of the material chamber side opening (resin inlet) 221 may be any size as long as the pellets used as raw materials cannot enter the hole 210, that is, the size is smaller than the diameter of the pellets used (maximum value), and the molten resin material can flow in (minimum value). However, if the diameter of the hole 210 is large (thick), it becomes difficult to release the molded resin block, so it is preferable that the hole 210 has a small diameter. Specifically, for example, the diameter φ of the resin flow inlet 221 is 1.0 mm to 5.0 mm, preferably 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm. The inclination angle α of the inner peripheral tapered surface of the hole 210 is, for example, an angle greater than 0° and less than 15°, preferably 1° to 5°.

The number of holes 210 and the arrangement of the holes 210 may be any number and arrangement as long as the holes 210 can be formed independently without interfering with each other. The more holes 210 there are, the more resin material flows from the material storage space 102 to the resin block molding space 502, and the faster the resin block can be molded. On the other hand, the more holes 210 there are, the more difficult it is to release the molded resin block. The holes 210 are preferably arranged uniformly throughout the gate portion 200. Specifically, the holes 210 are preferably formed in a lattice or zigzag pattern with a pitch of 5 mm to 15 mm in both the vertical and horizontal directions (Y and Z directions).

The gate portion 200 may be made of any metal material, but in this embodiment, it is made of aluminum.

As shown in FIG. 6, a temperature sensor 230 that detects the temperature of the gate portion 200 is installed near the hole 210 of the gate portion 200. In this embodiment, the temperature sensor 230 is a thermocouple. The temperature sensor 230 is directly or indirectly connected to the control unit 630, and the control unit 630 is capable of detecting the temperature near the hole 210 of the gate portion 200.

The heater (heating means) 250 heats the gate section 200 to melt the pellets contained in the material storage space 102 of the material chamber 100. The heater 250 is embedded in the gate section 200. The heater 250 uniformly heats the entire area of the gate section 200, including the area where the numerous holes 210 are formed and forming one end face of the material storage space 102 of the gate section 200. The heater 250 is controlled by the control section 630 to heat the gate section 200 to a predetermined temperature according to the type of pellets used as raw materials. Specifically, the heater 250 heats and increases the temperature of the gate section 200 to about the melting temperature of the resin material (pellets) used as raw material, or to a temperature 30° to 40° higher than the temperature at which the resin material begins to soften and melt, based on experience.

The pellets contained in the material storage space 102 of the material chamber 100 are pressed against the material chamber side surface 201 of the gate section 200 by the operation of the extrusion section 300 described below. As described above, the gate section 200 is heated by the heater 250, and the pressed pellets melt and flow into the resin block molding space 502 through each of the holes 210.

When molding of the resin block is completed, the cooling section 270 cools the gate section 200 and the mold section 500 described below. As shown in FIG. 7, the cooling section 270 cools the gate section 200 and the molded resin block RB present in the resin block molding space 502 by a cooling plate 271 cooled by a cooling device (not shown) and a cooling airflow 273 generated by a cooling airflow blower (not shown).

The cooling plate 271 is formed adjacent to the gate portion 200 or integrally with the gate portion 200, and is cooled by a cooling device (not shown) to cool the gate portion 200. The cooling device for cooling the cooling plate 271 may be an oil-cooled type that uses oil as a cooling medium to cool the cooling plate 271, an air-cooled type that uses a gas such as air (wind) as a cooling medium, or a water-cooled type that uses water as a cooling medium, or any other cooling method.

The cooling airflow 273 is compressed air for cooling that is blown from below onto the template 510 of the mold section 500 by a cooling airflow blower (not shown). The template 510 is cooled by the cooling airflow 273, thereby cooling and hardening the molded resin block present in the resin block molding space 502 inside the template 510. The cooling airflow 273 may be blown onto the template 510 not only from below the template 510, but also from above. It may also be blown onto the template 510 from the side.

The extrusion section 300 presses the pellets supplied to and contained in the material storage space 102 of the material chamber 100 against the heated gate section 200 to melt them, and sends the molten resin material through the hole 210 of the gate section 200 to the resin block molding space 502 of the mold section 500. The extrusion section 300 has a material extrusion plate 320, an extrusion plate moving unit 324, an extrusion plate drive section 326, and an extrusion plate control section (not shown).

The material extrusion plate 320 is disposed inside the rectangular cylindrical section 110 of the material chamber 100, inscribed in the inner peripheral surface 110 of the rectangular cylindrical configuration, and movable in the cylindrical axial direction. Inside the rectangular cylindrical section 110 of the material chamber 100, the material extrusion plate 320 forms the other end surface of the material storage space 102 facing the gate section 200. The material extrusion plate 320 is connected to the extrusion plate drive section 326 by the extrusion plate moving unit 324. In this embodiment, the extrusion plate drive section 326 is an actuator mechanism using a ball screw using a servo, but may be another drive device. The extrusion plate drive section 326 is driven by an extrusion plate control section (not shown) provided in the control section 630. That is, the material extrusion plate 320 is moved by an extrusion plate control section (not shown) provided in the control section 630.

The mold section 500 has a resin block molding space 502 that contains the resin material extruded from each hole 210 of the gate section 200, and while applying pressure in the direction of the gate section 200 to the extruded resin material, the volume of the resin block molding space 502 gradually expands, and the extruded resin material is integrated within the resin block molding space 502.

The mold section 500 has a configuration in which rectangular cylindrical members are arranged with the horizontal direction (X-axis report) as the cylindrical axis direction, and has a side mold plate 510 that defines the side of the resin block molding space 502. The gate section 200 described above is installed at one end of the side mold plate 510. The side mold plate 510 is fixed to the mold pulling plate 540 via a side mold plate support rod 514 connected to the other end. The side mold plate 510 may be made of any metal material, but in this embodiment it is made of aluminum.

The mold section 500 has a pressure plate 520 that can move in a direction perpendicular to the gate section 200 within the space surrounded by the side mold plate 510. The pressure plate 520 also has a pressure surface 521 that faces parallel to the gate section 200. The space surrounded by the inner peripheral surface of the side mold plate 510, the gate section 200, and the pressure plate 520 is the resin block molding space 502. The pressure plate 520 is connected to a pressure plate drive section 526 by a pressure plate drive rod 524. The pressure plate 520 may be made of any metal material, but in this embodiment it is made of aluminum.

In this embodiment, the pressure plate drive unit 526 is an actuator mechanism using a ball screw with a servo, but may be another drive device. The pressure plate drive unit 526 is driven by a pressure plate control unit (not shown) provided in the control unit 630. In other words, the pressure plate 520 is moved by a pressure plate control unit (not shown) provided in the control unit 630.

The pressure plate 520 is gradually moved from a state in which it is in contact with the mold portion side surface 203 of the gate portion 200 in a direction away from the gate portion 200 in accordance with the resin material being extruded at the gate portion 200. As a result, the pressure plate 520 functions to gradually expand the volume of the resin block molding space 502 while applying pressure to the resin material being extruded from the gate portion 200 into the resin block molding space 502.

The mold pulling plate 540, on which the side mold plate 510 is installed via the side mold plate support rod 514, is connected to the mold pulling plate drive unit 546 by the mold pulling plate drive rod 544, and is movable in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction, perpendicular to the gate unit 200). When the mold pulling plate 540 moves in a direction away from the gate unit 200, the side mold plate 510 moves in a direction away from the gate unit 200 together with the resin block formed in the resin block molding space 502. As a result, a space is created between the side mold plate 510 and the gate unit 200 in which the demolding extrusion block 580 can be placed.

As shown in FIG. 9, the mold release push-out block 580 is a member in which two opposing plate materials 581, 582 are connected by a rod 583. The mold release push-out block 580 is configured to be movable vertically by the push-out block moving part 584, and when the side mold plate 510 is in contact with the gate part 200, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, it is retreated to the upper part of the side mold plate 510. Also, as shown in FIG. 8, when the mold pulling plate 540 moves in a direction away from the gate part 200 to release the molded resin block and a space is secured between the side mold plate 510 and the gate part 200, the mold release push-out block 580 is moved downward and positioned between the side mold plate 510 and the gate part 200.

The mold release push-out block 580 has a shape and size that allows it to enter the resin block molding space 502 inside the side mold plate 510. There is no need for the mold release push-out block 580 to be inscribed on the inner peripheral surface of the side mold plate 510. When the mold puller plate 540 moves and the side mold plate 510 moves toward the gate section 200, it is sufficient that at least the plate material 581 on the side farthest from the gate section 200 has a certain area and is capable of entering the inside of the side mold plate 510 to a certain depth.

In this configuration, after the resin block RB is formed in the resin block molding space 502, the mold release push block 580 is placed between the side mold plate 510 and the gate portion 200, and the mold pulling plate 540 is moved toward the gate portion 200. The side mold plate 510 can move around the mold release push block 580 toward the gate portion 200, but the resin block RB formed inside the side mold plate 510 comes into contact with the mold release push block 580 and stops moving toward the gate portion 200. As a result, even if the resin block RB is stuck to the inner peripheral surface of the side mold plate 510, the resin block is released from the side mold plate 510.

At this time, if the pressure plate 520 is abutted against the end face of the resin block RB opposite the gate portion 200 so that the resin block is sandwiched between the pressure plate 520 and the demolding extrusion block 580, the resin block can be properly held even when the resin block is demolded and completely separated from the side mold plate 510.

The control unit 630 controls the operation of each part of the resin block manufacturing device 1. Specifically, while detecting the temperature of the gate unit 200 via the temperature sensor 230, the control unit 630 drives the heater 250 to heat the gate unit 200 and drives the cooling unit 270 to cool the gate unit 200, thereby controlling the gate unit 200 to a desired temperature state. The control unit 630 also controls the pressure plate driving unit 526, the mold pulling plate driving unit 546, and the extrusion block moving unit 584 so that the formed resin block is appropriately released and removed.

The control unit 630 also controls the pusher plate drive unit 326 and the pressure plate drive unit 526 to adjust the pressure so that the force with which the material pusher plate 320 presses the pellets in the material storage space 102 against the gate unit 200 is slightly greater than the force with which the pressure plate 520 presses the resin material flowing into the resin block molding space 502. By achieving this relative pressure relationship, a high-quality resin block without air bubbles can be manufactured through the action described below.

Next, a method for producing a resin block using the resin block production apparatus 1 having the above-mentioned configuration will be described.
First, as an initial state, as shown in FIG. 3, the material extrusion plate 320 is retracted in a direction away from the gate portion 200 relative to the material inlet 120 to ensure that the material storage space 102 has a sufficient volume to allow the material to be introduced, and the pressure plate 520 is in close contact with the gate portion 200, i.e., the volume of the resin block molding space 502 is zero.
In this state, pellets, which are the raw material, are fed into the material accommodation space 102 of the material chamber 100 through the material feed port 120. (Material Feeding Step)

Next, the heater 250 is controlled to raise the temperature of the gate section 200 to a predetermined temperature according to the type of pellet, i.e., the temperature at which the pellet is in a molten state. (Heating process)

Next, the pusher plate driver 326 is driven to move the material pusher plate 320 toward the gate section 200 at a predetermined pressure, in other words, at a predetermined speed, so that the pellets in the material chamber 100 are moved toward the gate section 200, accumulated, and brought into close contact with the gate section 200. In addition, the pressure plate driver 526 is driven to press the pressure plate 520 toward the gate section 200 at a predetermined pressure.
As a result, the pellets are disposed on the entire surface 201 of the gate portion 200 on the side of the material chamber, and the pellets adjacent to the gate portion 200 melt and are extruded from the holes 210 into the resin block molding space 502 of the mold portion 500. (Extrusion Process)

In the extrusion process, pressure is managed by servo control to adjust the material extrusion plate 320 and the pressure plate 520 so that they exert the appropriate pressure to mold the resin block. By setting the pressing force of the pressure plate 520 slightly smaller than that of the material extrusion plate 320, the molten resin material enters between the pressure plate 520 and the gate section 200, and a resin block is molded into the shape of the resin block molding space 502. As the resin block is molded, the pressure plate 520 is forced out and gradually moves away from the gate section 200, gradually expanding the volume of the resin block molding space, and the resin block gradually becomes larger.

Here, the process of removing air bubbles in the extrusion step will be described with reference to FIG.
When the pellets in the material chamber 100 are moved toward the gate section 200 by the material pushing plate 320, accumulated, and brought into close contact with the gate section 200, the pellets change from the material pushing plate 320 to the gate section 200, changing from a state in which the pellet shape is maintained (pellet state), to a semi-molten state, to a molten state. At this time, air bubbles are contained between the pellets in the pellet state, but in the semi-molten state, the air bubbles escape and the pellets change to a molten state. In the molten state, pressure is applied, so that the air bubbles are released to the semi-molten state and pellet state sides, which have low density and air bubble flow paths remaining, or have high air bubble fluidity. Due to this action, only resin material without air bubbles flows into the resin block molding space 502 of the mold section 500. As a result, a resin block without air bubbles is molded in the resin block molding space 502.

When the resin block has grown to a desired thickness, the resin material integrated into the resin block in the resin block molding space 502 is cooled. (Cooling process)
7, the cooling is performed by cooling the gate portion 200 via a cooling plate 271 and by blowing a cooling air current 273 onto the side mold plate 510 around the resin block molding space 502. At this time, a strong pressure (back pressure FB) is applied to the resin block RB in the direction of the gate portion 200 by a pressing plate 520.

By applying such back pressure FB, it is possible to prevent the resin block RB from having a so-called sink mark due to contraction during cooling, and to prevent the resin from being drawn in near the gate portion 200 .
Furthermore, by using such a cooling method, the gate portion 200 is cooled first, and as soon as cooling starts, the resin near the gate portion 200 hardens, so that no resin is drawn in from the gate portion 200, and the hole 210 of the gate portion 200 is covered. As a result, a state can be created in which a sufficient back pressure FB is applied to the resin block, and sink marks and drawing in of resin can be appropriately prevented.

After the cooling is completed, the molded resin block RB is released and taken out from the side mold plate 510. Since the molded resin block RB is stuck to the side mold plate 510, it is peeled off. (Mold Release Process)
8, in the demolding process, the mold pulling plate 540 (see FIG. 2) is first retracted in a direction away from the gate portion 200 to move the side mold plate 510 and the molded resin block RB in a direction away from the gate portion 200. At this time, the pressing plate 520 also moves together with the resin block RB while maintaining a state of contact with the end face of the resin block RB.
Next, the mold release push-out block 580 is lowered and placed between the side mold plate 510 thus created and the gate portion 200. The surface of the mold release push-out block 580 on the gate portion 200 side is placed so as to be in close contact with the gate portion 200.

Next, the mold puller plate 540 is moved toward the gate section 200, and the side mold plate 510 and the resin block RB are moved toward the gate section 200. The side mold plate 510 and the resin block RB move together until the resin block RB abuts against the release push block 580, but when the resin block RB abuts against the release push block 580, the movement of the resin block RB is prevented, and only the side mold plate 510 moves toward the gate section 200. As a result, the resin block RB is peeled off from the side mold plate 510. By further moving the side mold plate 510 toward the gate section 200, the resin block RB is completely separated from the side mold plate 510, and the release of the resin block RB is completed.

The pressing plate 520 is moved together with the resin block RB while maintaining a state of abutment against the end face of the resin block RB until the resin block RB abuts against the demolding extrusion block 580. When the resin block RB abuts against the demolding extrusion block 580, the pressing plate 520 stops at this position and maintains a state in which the resin block RB is sandwiched between the pressing plate 520 and the demolding extrusion block 580. As a result, when the release of the resin block is completed, the resin block is held between the pressing plate 520 and the demolding extrusion block 580, and is removed from the resin block manufacturing apparatus 1 via a removal means (not shown).
In this manner, the resin block manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment manufactures a resin block of a desired size.

In this way, in the resin block manufacturing device of this embodiment, resin pellets, which are available in various types and colors, are melted and resin layers are stacked in sequence to form a resin block without using a molding machine, so that resin blocks can be manufactured using resin of the desired material and color, in other words, resin blocks of any resin material. Furthermore, resin blocks of the desired size can be manufactured within the length of the side mold plate 510 (resin block molding space 502). As a result, resin blocks of the desired size and of the desired resin material required to manufacture a prototype by cutting can be manufactured, and the characteristics can be appropriately evaluated in the prototype for mass production and commercialization.

In addition, in the resin block manufacturing device 1 of this embodiment, numerous holes 210 are formed, and the gate portion 200 is heated and the pellets are pressed against it to melt them, and the pellets flow into the resin block molding space 502 through the holes 210. As a result, air bubbles are less likely to be trapped in the completed resin block, making it possible to manufacture resin blocks of extremely high quality.

In addition, in the resin block manufacturing device 1 of this embodiment, the resin block RB is cooled while being pressurized, and is cooled so that the gate portion 200 is cooled first, so that so-called sink marks and resin entrapment can be prevented, and a high-quality resin block with high dimensional accuracy can be manufactured.

Second Embodiment A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12 in addition to FIGS.
The resin block manufacturing apparatus 2 of the second embodiment is an apparatus that can perform prototype resin products, i.e., has the function of molding prototype resin products, in addition to the function of the resin block manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, which is to manufacture resin blocks from resin pellets. In the following description, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are used in the drawings for configurations, functions, operations, steps, and methods that are the same as those in the resin block manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 10, the resin block manufacturing apparatus 2 of the second embodiment has a material chamber 100, a gate section 200, a heater (heating means) 250, a cooling section (cooling means) 270, an extrusion section 300, a prototype mold section 400, a mold section 501, and a control section 640. Of these, the configurations, functions and operations of the material chamber 100, the gate section 200, the heater 250, the cooling section 270 and the extrusion section 300 are the same as the functions of the corresponding sections of the resin block manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. In addition, the process and method for manufacturing a resin block in the resin block manufacturing apparatus 2 are also the same as the process and method in the resin block manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment.

The resin block manufacturing apparatus 2 of the second embodiment has a prototype mold section 400 as a new component. The mold section 501 and control section 640 of the resin block manufacturing apparatus 2 of the second embodiment have the same configuration and function as the mold section 500 and control section 630 of the resin block manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, and further have a new configuration and function corresponding to the resin block manufacturing apparatus 2 having the prototype mold section 400. The configurations, functions, etc. of the prototype mold section 400 and the mold section 501 and control section 640 newly provided in correspondence with the prototype mold section 400 will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 10, in the resin block manufacturing apparatus 2, the prototype mold section 400 is installed on one side of the template 511 of the mold section 501. The prototype mold section 400 is installed on the outside of one of the side plates parallel to the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) of the template 511. Unlike the resin block described in the first embodiment, the prototype mold section 400 is configured to create a resin molded product of a desired shape. As shown in FIG. 11, the prototype mold section 400 has a cavity 420 of a desired shape inside, and a molded product of a shape corresponding to the shape of the cavity 420 is produced by flowing molten resin material from the resin block molding space 502 into it.

The prototype mold section 400 has a prototype mold base 411, a first prototype mold section 413, and a second prototype mold section 415. The prototype mold base 411 is a member on which the prototype mold section 400 is installed on the side of the mold plate 511 and on which the prototype mold (including the first prototype mold section 413 and the second prototype mold section 415) is installed. The prototype mold base 411 is installed on the mold plate 511 by screws (not shown). Note that the method of installing the prototype mold base 411 on the mold plate 511 may be a method other than screws, such as bolts/nuts, rivets, welding, etc.

The first prototype mold part 413 and the second prototype mold part 415 are components having cavities formed therein that correspond to the shape of the resin molded product to be manufactured. The first prototype mold part 413 is attached to the prototype mold base part 411, for example, by screws not shown. The second prototype mold part 415 is also attached to the first prototype mold part 413 or the prototype mold base part 411, for example, by screws not shown.

The prototype mold section 400 has a resin inflow passage 425 for pouring the molten resin material into the cavity 420. One end of the resin inflow passage 425 is connected to a prototype horizontal hole 516 formed at the end of the gate section 200 side of the mold plate 511, and the other end of the resin inflow passage 425 is connected to the cavity 420 of the prototype mold section 400. When the molten resin material flows from the gate section 200 to the mold section 501 side and a resin block molding space 502 is formed between the pressing plate 520 of the mold section 501 and the gate section 200, the prototype horizontal hole 516 opens to the resin block molding space 502. As a result, the molten resin material in the resin block molding space 502 is sent to the cavity 420 via the prototype horizontal hole 516 and the resin inflow passage 425, and the cavity 420 is filled with the resin material.

As shown in Figures 11 and 12, one end of the resin flow passage 425, which is the end connected to the prototype horizontal hole 516, is formed as part of a sliding hole 435 of a prototype gate opening/closing pin 430 formed approximately perpendicular (Z-axis direction) on the side of the template 511. The prototype gate opening/closing pin 430 moves in the Z-axis direction along this sliding hole 435, and is positioned in a blocking position where its tip fits into the prototype horizontal hole 516 to block the prototype horizontal hole 516, or in an opening position where it opens the prototype horizontal hole 516.

When the prototype gate opening/closing pin 430 is in the closed position, the prototype horizontal hole 516 is closed and the resin material in the resin block molding space 502 does not flow into the resin inflow passage 425. In this state, the tip surface of the prototype gate opening/closing pin 430 is configured to be flush with the inner peripheral surface of the template 511 in the space that forms the resin block molding space 502, that is, to be in a so-called flush state. The resin block manufacturing device 2 in this state can manufacture resin blocks in the same way as the resin block manufacturing device 1 of the first embodiment by operating it in the same way.

When the prototype gate opening/closing pin 430 is in the open position, the prototype side hole 516 is opened, and the resin inflow passage 425 from the resin block molding space 502 to the cavity 420 is connected. In this state, molten resin material is sent from the gate portion 200 to the resin block molding space 502, and pressure is applied to the molten resin material in the resin block molding space 502 by the pressure plate 520, so that the resin material in the resin block molding space 502 is sent to the cavity 420 via the prototype side hole 516 and the resin inflow passage 425. As a result, the cavity 420 is filled with resin material, and a resin molded product according to the shape of the cavity 420 is formed.

In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shapes of the resin flow passage 425 and the trial side hole 516 are the same rectangular cross-sectional shape throughout the resin flow passage 425 and the trial side hole 516, with a width of, for example, several mm to several cm (1.0 mm to 10.0 mm) and a height of, for example, several mm to several cm (1.0 mm to 10.0 mm).

The cross-sectional shapes of the resin inflow passage 425 and the prototype horizontal hole 516 may be any shape depending on the size of the cavity 420 (the size of the resin molded product to be manufactured), the characteristics of the resin material used (viscosity, etc.), the control conditions of the resin block manufacturing device 2 (the pressing force of the material extrusion plate 320 of the extrusion section 300, the heating conditions of the gate section 200 by the heater 250, the pressing force of the pressing plate 520 of the mold section 501, etc.), etc., and may be, for example, a hole with a circular cross section.

The cross-sectional shape of the resin flow passage 425 and the prototype horizontal hole 516 may be a passage of sufficient height in the height direction. For example, when the cross-sectional width of the resin flow passage 425 and the prototype horizontal hole 516 is 1.0 mm to 10.0 mm, the height may be approximately 10.0 mm to 200.0 mm. Alternatively, the height may be specified and designed to be 10%, 30%, 50% or 100% of the height of the resin block molding space 502.

In addition, the shape and size of the holes (passages, holes) may vary depending on the location (position).

The shape of the prototype gate opening/closing pin 430 may be any shape as long as the tip is capable of closing the prototype horizontal hole 516 and the entire pin can move within the sliding hole 435 between the closed position and the open position.

With a resin block manufacturing device 2 configured in this way, both resin blocks and prototype resin products can be manufactured.

When manufacturing a resin block, as described above, the prototype gate opening/closing pin 430 is placed in the closed position, and the resin block manufacturing apparatus 2 is operated in the same manner as the resin block manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. At this time, since the prototype mold section 400 is installed relative to the template 511 of the mold section 501, it moves together with the template 511, but this has no effect on the production of the resin block, and a resin block of the desired size can be manufactured in the same manner as the resin block manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment.

When a prototype resin product is manufactured using the resin block manufacturing device 2, the prototype gate opening/closing pin 430 is initially placed in the closed position. Then, the same process as when manufacturing a resin block is carried out. That is, the pressing plate 520 of the mold section 501 is placed in close contact with the gate section 200, raw material pellets are fed into the material storage space 102 of the material chamber 100, the heater 250 is used to raise the temperature of the gate section 200 to a temperature at which the pellets are in a molten state, and the material pushing plate 320 is moved and pressed toward the gate section 200 with a predetermined pressure, pushing the molten resin material from the hole 210 of the gate section 200 into the resin block molding space 502 of the mold section 501.

In this state, by setting the pressing force of the pressing plate 520 of the mold section 501 slightly smaller than the pressing force of the material extrusion plate 320, the molten resin material enters between the pressing plate 520 and the gate section 200, and a resin block is molded into the shape of the resin block molding space 502. As the resin block is molded, the pressing plate 520 is forced out and gradually moves away from the gate section 200, gradually expanding the volume of the resin block molding space 502.

When manufacturing a prototype of a resin product, the subsequent steps are different from when manufacturing a resin block.
When a predetermined thickness of resin material has been fed into the resin block molding space 502, the prototype gate opening/closing pin 430 is opened and the pressing force of the presser plate 520 of the mold section 501 is increased so that the presser plate 520 cannot be pushed down by the supply of resin material via the gate section 200 or the pressure applied by the material extrusion plate 320 of the extrusion section 300. As a result, the resin material in the resin block molding space 502 is sent into the cavity 420 of the prototype mold section 400 via the prototype side hole 516 and the resin inflow passage 425, the cavity 420 is filled with the resin material, and a resin molded product corresponding to the shape of the cavity 420 is formed.

Once the cavity 420 of the prototype mold section 400 has been filled with resin material, the prototype mold section 400 is cooled together with the gate section 200 and the mold section 501. Once cooling is complete, the prototype mold section 410 is separated into the second prototype mold section 415 and the first prototype mold section 413 (the mold is opened), and the molded prototype is released and removed. This allows the desired resin molded product to be obtained.

In this way, by using the resin block manufacturing apparatus 2 of the second embodiment, it is possible to efficiently manufacture prototypes of resin products. Since the resin block manufacturing apparatus 2 is equipped with a pressure control means for manufacturing resin blocks, by using this to manufacture prototypes of resin products with the prototype mold section 400, it is possible to manufacture prototypes of resin products of desired shapes easily and with high accuracy at low cost.

The mold used in the resin block manufacturing device 2 only needs to have a cavity 420 and a resin inflow passage 425 formed, and can be manufactured more simply and inexpensively than molds used in normal injection molding machines. Therefore, compared to manufacturing prototypes using an injection molding machine in the same manner as mass production, prototypes can be manufactured more simply, at lower cost, and in a shorter period of time, i.e., extremely efficiently.

In this embodiment, a configuration and method for manufacturing one prototype resin product prototype by installing one prototype mold section 400 on one side of the template 511 of the mold section 500 has been described. However, if a new prototype mold section 400 is installed on the opposite side, two prototypes can be manufactured simultaneously, and the resin block manufacturing device 2 may be implemented in such a form.

Furthermore, the location where the prototype mold section 400 is installed is not limited to the side surface of the template 511 (the surface facing in the Y-axis direction), but may be installed on the side surfaces facing above and below. The number of prototype mold sections 400 installed on one side surface is also not limited to one, but two or more may be installed. Any number of prototype mold sections 400 may be installed on the template 511 depending on the size of the prototype to be manufactured (the size of the prototype mold section 400), etc.

In addition, the method of driving the prototype gate opening/closing pin 430 and the method of controlling each part of the resin block manufacturing device 2 in the control unit 640 may be any method.

Modifications The present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments described above, and various arbitrary and suitable modifications are possible.
For example, the resin block manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is a horizontal type apparatus whose main operating direction is horizontal, but the present invention can also be applied to a vertical type apparatus without any problem.

The resin material used as the raw material in the resin block manufacturing device or manufacturing method of the present invention is not limited to resin pellets. For example, it may be a resin material made by crushing a resin part of any shape to reduce its size, and any resin material can be used as the raw material as long as it has a size, shape, etc. that can be melted or dissolved by the resin block manufacturing device.

In the above-described embodiment, an example of manufacturing a resin block or a resin product prototype from one type of resin pellet (resin material) has been described. However, the raw materials for the resin block or resin product prototype are not limited to this form. For example, a single resin block or resin product prototype may be manufactured using multiple types of resin materials as raw materials, such as different types of resin materials or resin materials of different colors. In that case, in the process of feeding the raw materials into the material chamber, the multiple types of resin materials may be fed in appropriate amounts. In this state, by operating the resin block manufacturing device as described above, a resin block or resin product prototype containing a specified material in a specified ratio or having a desired composition can be manufactured.

Similarly, a resin block or a resin product prototype may be manufactured by mixing a desired additive or reinforcing material, metal, etc., with the resin material. A desired amount of additive or reinforcing material is put into the material chamber together with the resin material (resin pellets) and the resin block manufacturing device is operated to manufacture a resin block or a resin product prototype containing a predetermined additive or reinforcing material. The resin block manufacturing device and manufacturing method of the present invention can manufacture a resin block or a resin product prototype in which any additive, such as a stabilizer such as an antioxidant, a flame retardant, a plasticizer, or an antistatic agent, is added to the resin. The resin block manufacturing device and manufacturing method of the present invention can also manufacture a resin block or a resin product prototype in which any reinforcing material or metal object is compounded with the resin, such as any fibrous reinforcing material such as glass fiber, carbon fiber, aramid fiber, or metal fiber, any plate-shaped reinforcing material such as mica, talc, glass flakes, or metal plate, or any granular reinforcing material such as silica, calcium silicate, glass beads, carbon black, metal pieces, or metal globules. Additionally, resin blocks and resin product prototypes containing such additives, reinforcing materials, etc., produced by the manufacturing method of the present invention are also within the scope of the present invention.

1, 2... Resin block manufacturing apparatus 100... Material chamber 102... Material storage space 110... Rectangular cylindrical portion 110
112: Inner peripheral surface 120: Material inlet 200: Gate portion 201: Material chamber side surface (material chamber end surface)
203: Mold side surface (mold gate plate side end surface)
210: Hole 221: Resin flow inlet (material chamber side opening)
222: Resin outlet (opening on the resin block molding space side)
230...Temperature sensor 250...Heater (heating means)
270...cooling section (cooling means)
271: cooling plate 273: cooling air flow 300: extrusion section 320: material extrusion plate 324: extrusion plate moving unit 326: extrusion plate driving section 400: prototype mold section 410: prototype mold 411: prototype mold base section 413: prototype mold first section 415: prototype mold second section 420: cavity (prototype mold growth space)
425: Resin flow passage 430: Prototype gate opening/closing pin 435: Prototype gate opening/closing pin slide hole 500, 501: Mold portion 502: Resin block molding space 510, 511: Mold plate (side mold plate)
514: Side mold plate support rod 516: Horizontal hole for trial 520: Presser plate 521: Presser surface 524: Presser plate drive rod 526: Presser plate drive unit 540: Mold pulling plate (mold section moving means)
544...Die tension plate driving rod (mold section moving means)
546... Die pulling plate drive unit (die part moving means)
580: Extrusion block for demolding 581, 582: Plate material 583: Rod 584: Extrusion block moving section 630, 640: Control section (pressure adjusting means)
RM: Resin material RB: Resin block

Claims (14)

a material chamber for accommodating a resin material to be supplied;
a gate portion having a plurality of holes formed therein and disposed on an end surface of the material chamber;
A heating means for heating the gate portion;
an extrusion section that presses the resin material supplied to the material chamber against the heated gate section and extrudes the molten resin material from the hole;
a mold portion which has a resin block molding space that contains the resin material to be extruded, and which gradually expands the volume of the resin block molding space while applying pressure to the resin material to be extruded in a direction of the gate portion, thereby integrating the extruded resin material within the resin block molding space. The resin block manufacturing device according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure adjusting means for adjusting the pressure with which the resin material is extruded from the hole and the pressure applied to the extruded resin material in the direction of the gate portion. The resin block manufacturing device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a cooling means for cooling the gate portion and the mold portion. The mold portion is
a side mold plate that defines a side surface of the resin block molding space and has one end on which the gate portion is disposed;
a pressing plate having a pressing surface parallel to the gate portion and movable in a direction perpendicular to the gate portion within a space surrounded by the side mold plate;
4. The resin block manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure plate is moved to gradually increase the volume of the resin block molding space while applying the pressure to the extruded resin material. A mold portion moving means for moving the side mold plate in a direction perpendicular to the gate portion;
the side mold plate is moved to a position away from the gate portion, and an extrusion block is disposed between the resin block formed inside the side mold plate and the gate portion,
The block manufacturing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the resin block is released from the side mold plate by moving the side mold plate in a direction approaching the gate portion using the mold portion moving means while the extrusion block is positioned between the resin block and the gate portion. The block manufacturing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each of the plurality of holes has a truncated cone shape with an opening diameter on the side of the resin block molding space larger than the opening diameter on the side of the material chamber. The block manufacturing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 further comprises a prototype mold section having a cavity corresponding to the shape of the desired resin molded product and a resin inflow passage that connects the cavity with the resin block molding space. a prototype hole communicating with the resin flow passage is formed on an inner peripheral surface of the resin block molding space of the mold portion,
The mold further includes a prototype gate opening/closing pin for opening and closing the prototype mold hole to control the communication state between the cavity and the resin block molding space.
8. The block manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7 . The resin block manufacturing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the resin material is resin pellets or crushed resin. A method for producing a resin product, comprising: applying pressure to the molten resin material contained in the resin block molding space in the resin block production apparatus according to claim 7 or 8; filling the cavity of a prototype mold part having a cavity of a desired shape with the resin material; and producing a resin product corresponding to the shape of the cavity. a step of forcing the molten resin material through a gate portion having a plurality of holes formed therein and heated, thereby forcing the molten resin material out of the holes;
and gradually expanding a volume of the resin block molding space that contains the extruded resin material while applying pressure in a direction toward the gate portion to the extruded resin material, thereby integrating the extruded resin material within the resin block molding space. The resin block manufacturing method according to claim 11, wherein the pressure applied to the extruded resin material in the direction of the gate is less than the pressure that extrudes the molten resin material from the hole. The resin block manufacturing method according to claim 10 or 12, further comprising a step of cooling the resin material integrated in the resin block molding space, the cooling being performed by applying pressure to the resin material in the direction of the gate portion. The method for producing a resin block according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the resin material is a resin pellet or a pulverized resin.

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