Abstract:
An apparatus and method provides that before, during, and/or after the plastic objects have been injection molded, a portion of the first plastic component, the second material, and/or a mixture of the two components is conveyed to at least one storage element with a variable volume. This element adjoins the flow path of the material melt. After completion of the injection molding process of the plastic objects and/or before the material is injected for the next plastic object to be produced, the plastic or the material stored in a storage element with a variable volume is conveyed to the flow path of the melt of the plastic or material. This frees the melt flow path of a mixture of the two plastic components and/or obtains a desired material mixture for producing the next plastic object.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the manufacture of plastic objects comprising several raw materials, the essential factor is to mix the materials as well as possible before injection into the mold. This ensures that the two different raw materials form an homogeneous injection molding material. 
     A generic method is known from the DE-GM 74 14 436. Multi-component plastics, i.e., polyurethanes, are processed by conducting individual components to a mixing chamber via feed lines. At the same time, a mixing chamber is energized. As a result, the mixed plastic also begins to exit from the exit opening of the mixing chamber into the mold cavity. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Problems with these known techniques, however, arise when two or more reactive materials (e.g. epoxy resins and plastic) are processed. After injection molding the plastic parts, the reactive mixture tends to clog and plug the injection molding apparatus. 
     According to the present invention an apparatus and method are disclosed that avoids this plugging-effect that plagues conventional systems, even when processing these reactive mixtures. 
     In general according to one aspect, the invention features a method in which before, during, and/or after the plastic objects have been injection molded, a portion of the first plastic component, the second material, and/or a mixture of the two components is conveyed to at least one storage element with a variable volume. This element adjoins the flow path of the material melt. After completion of the injection molding process of the plastic objects and/or before the material is injected for the next plastic object to be produced, the plastic or the material stored in a storage element with a variable volume is conveyed to the flow path of the melt of the plastic or material. This process frees the melt flow path of a mixture of the two plastic components and/or obtains a desired material mixture for producing the next plastic object. 
     According to specific embodiments of the invention, before, during, and/or after the injection molding process, preferably non-reactive raw material of one of the processcomponents is thus brought into the storage elements with a variable volume. Then, after the injection molding process has been completed, the material stored therein is again expelled from the storage elements. This process flushes the injection molding apparatus, effectively cleaning it. The material stored in the storage elements can also be used, before the production of the next plastic object, to create clearly defined new mixing conditions for the mixture of at least two components, with which the next object is produced. 
     Further, the thorough mixing of at least two materials in the mixing element is effected by a mixing motion caused by a mechanical drive, usually an electric or hydraulic drive. 
     In general according to another aspect, the inventive features an apparatus for injection molding plastic objects comprising at least two different materials. The apparatus comprises a first transport element for transporting a first plastic component and at least a second transport element for transporting a second material, preferably a second plastic component. A mixing element receives the first plastic component and at least one further material. A melt flow path extends from the first transport element and the second transport element to the mold cavity such that the materials enter the cavity of an injection molding tool via the mixing element. At least one storage element with a variable volume is additionally provided. The storage element adjoins the melt flow path of the plastic, the material, or the mixture. The storage element receives the plastic or the material before, during, or after the injection molding process of the plastic objects, and releases the plastic or the material at a later time. 
     The invention preferably includes tempering elements, which can influence the solidification of the plastic material. The elements are preferably located in the region of the storage element with a variable volume. 
     Furthermore, to manage the process accurately, the storage element with a variable volume is capable of exactly metering the takeup and/or delivery of plastic or material. The storage element with a variable volume can be disposed in the region of the flow path of the first plastic component, in the region of the flow path of the second material, and/or in the region of the flow path of the mixture of the two components in the region of the entry opening into the mold. In one implementation, the storage element with a variable volume comprises of a piston-cylinder system. 
     Indeed, the mold could be flushed even without the inventive method and the associated apparatus, by extruding only one component. However, this would have the disadvantage that the volume to be injected could not be measured exactly and would be poorly reproducible, due to the low counterpressure. Furthermore, the injected material would uncontrollably escape into the open. The invention prevents all of this in an advantageous manner. 
     The above and other features of the invention including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, and other advantages, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular method and device embodying the invention are shown by way of illustration and not as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features of this invention may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the accompanying drawings, reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; emphasis has instead been placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. 
     FIG. 1 schematically shows a section through an injection molding apparatus for processing two plastic components K 1  and K 2 ; 
     FIG. 2 is a flow diagram showing the inventing molding process; and 
     FIGS. 3A-3C show modifications for embodiments using non-plastic second components. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In FIG. 1, two different plastics K 1  and K 2  are each melted in respective plasticizers-extruders  8  and  9 . Exemplary components are epoxy resin and plastic, or even multicomponent plastics, such as polyurethanes. The plastic is first plasticized in the respective screw units. However, K 2  can also be a material other than a plastic, in alternative embodiments, but typically the two components K 1  and K 2  are reactive components, i.e. after the components are mixed, a chemical or physical reaction process takes place. 
     The two flows of melt are conducted to a mixing element  2 . That is, the plasticized plastic for the next molded part to be produced is conducted from the conventional injection units or extruders  8 ,  9  into the mixing element  2 . 
     The melts K 1  and K 2  are mixed and homogenized in the mixing element  2 , before they are injected into the cavity  3  of a mold  4 . This injection results in an injection molded part  1 . 
     The flow path  6  of the melt extends from the extruders  8 ,  9  to the mold cavity  3 . It comprises a flow path  12  of the first component K 1 , the flow path  13  of the second component K 2 , and the flow path  14  of the mixture of the components K 1  and K 2 . 
     The mixing element  2  comprises mixing and/or shearing elements. These elements are driven by an electric or hydraulic motor  7 , rotationally in the example shown, so as to mix the two components K 1  and K 2 . 
     Before the plastic components K 1  and K 2  are injected, the electric or hydraulic motor  7  is activated, so that the mixing and shearing elements of the mixing element  2  are put into motion. The first entering material K 1  is thus efficiently mixed with the material K 2 , which likewise enters the mixing element  2 . 
     The mixing process shown and described here takes place actively, i.e., through a “dynamic mixer.” The subject of the invention is equally applicable, however, also to a “static” mixer configuration, in which no separate mixing elements are present, but the components K 1 , K 2  are mixed as they flow through a mixer region. 
     Good mixing of the individual components is particularly important especially when the components—as in the case discussed here—undergo a chemical reaction. By good mixing, for example, even plastic melts with very different viscosity can be processed into a thoroughly mixed state. 
     To maximize the mixing power, the driving motor  7  of the mixing element  2  is activated before the melt K 1  or K 2  enters the region of the mixing element  2 , and the drive preferably continues for a certain time after the infeed of melt into the mixing element has been completed. 
     Although this case is not shown, a mixing element can be used, in place of the concept shown in FIG. 1, in which two intermeshing (possibly toothed) mixing cylinders are used. 
     According to the invention, the flow path  6 , comprising the flow path sections  12 ,  13 , and  14 , contains at least one storage element  5  with a variable volume. In the case shown here, three storage elements  5  are present: one in the region of the flow path  12 , one in the region of the flow path  13 , and one in the region of the flow path  14  near the mold. 
     At this point, it should be noted that the two storage elements  5  in the flow path  12  and  13  of the two components K 1  and K 2  represent alternative designs. As a rule, to clean the system, it will be sufficient to equip only one of the two flow paths with a storage element  5 , as the following discussion will explain. 
     Before, during, or after the molded parts  1  are injection molded, melt enters the storage elements  5  through a controlled withdrawal of the piston elements of the storage unit  5  by piston actuator  11 , which controls the volume of the storage elements  5 . 
     FIG. 1 shows a situation in which all three storage elements  5  are in the position in which melt has already entered the storage element  5 . So that the melt situated there does not “freeze” while the molded parts  1  are being injection molded, heating elements  10  are disposed about the storage elements  5 . 
     After the injection molding of a charge of molded parts  1  has been completed, a reactive mixture of the two components K 1  and K 2  is situated especially in the region of the mixing element  2 . If this mixture were to remain in the injection molding apparatus, it would clog the flow paths. 
     For this reason, following the injection molding process, the plastic compound stored in the storage elements  5  is expelled by the actuators, which move the piston elements, so that it flows along the flow path. In this way, the injection molding apparatus is cleaned and flushed of the reactive mixture. 
     To accomplish the cleaning process, the nozzle with the mixing element  2  is first run away from the mold  4 . Then, by activating one of the two storage elements  5 , the melted, liquid plastic of one component is driven along the flow path through the mixing element  2 . In particular, the mixing element  2  is thereby cleaned. In some embodiments, one storage element  5  is required for both flow paths  12  and  13 , although two are shown. Such single storage element is effective at purging the mixer of combined components K 1  and K 2 . 
     On the other hand, by activating the piston of the storage element  5 , which is situated in the region of the mold, the flow path in the region of the mold can be flushed in similar fashion. To accomplish this, a valve element  15  is preferably provided, which is first closed before the piston of the storage element  5  is activated, to assure that the melt exiting from the storage element  5  will have a defined flow direction. 
     So as to make it possible here also to free the flow path  14  of reactive mixture (comprising K 1  and K 2 ), care must be taken that before the injection molding process, by appropriately activating the extruders and the piston of the storage element  5  near the mold, that initially only pure material of one component reaches the storage element  5  near the mold. Thus, this mold-storage element  5  is initially filled with either K 1  or K 2 . 
     For flushing, after the nozzle orifice has been moved away from the mold, a recovery apparatus can be moved under the opening of the nozzle or under the mold opening, to receive the ejected material. Flushing is effected by moving the pistons of the storage element  5  in a controlled manner by means of the actuators  11 . The expelled material here can either be taken up by the recovery apparatus or—if there are bothersome odors precisely with an especially reactive mixture—can be directly conducted to a water bath. 
     As can already be seen in FIG. 1, there are various possibilities for arranging the storage element  5 . It can be situated at any point in the flow paths  12 ,  13 , and  14 ; it can be a component of the injection apparatus and/or a component of the mold or of the nozzle plate of the injection molding machine. 
     The actuators  11 , controlling the volume, in the flow path  12  and  13  can also be used to meter exactly each of the expelled materials K 1  and K 2 . Such metering devices are described in the German Patent Application 197 41 022. 
     By appropriately moving the piston, the storage element  5 , disposed in the region of the mold  4 , can also be used to take up material which has not yet been optimally mixed at the beginning of the mixing process. For this purpose, the valve element  15  preferably is closed at first. When the mixture has been adjusted optimally, the valve  15  is opened, and the mixture reaches the cavity  3  of the mold  4 . 
     FIG. 2 summarizes the injection molding process. 
     In the preferred embodiment, at the beginning of the process, valve  15  is closed to thus isolate the mold cavity  1  from the melt flow path  6  in step  110 . 
     Next, in step  112 , the two different plastics K 1  and K 2  are each melted in the respective plasticizers/extruders  8 , 9 . The melts K 1  and K 2  then progress to the mixing element  2  where they are thoroughly mixed together in step  114 . 
     Only after plastic components K 1  and K 2  have been sufficiently mixed, valve  15  opened to allow the mixture to proceed into the mold cavity  3  in step  116 . 
     While the two mixed components K 1  and K 2  are entering the mold, melt also enters the storage units  5 . In particular, melt enters the storage unit  5  located on flow path  12  or the one of the storage elements  5  that is provided on flow path  13  in step  118 . Incidently, this filling of the storage elements can also take place before the valve  15  opens to let the mixture initially into the mold cavity  1 . This later approach is used to fill storage element  5  in the mold in only K 1  or K 2 , but on mixture of the two components. 
     At completion of the injection molding of the molded part, the nozzle of the mixing element  2  is run away from the mold  4  in step  120 . 
     At around this same time, the valve element  15  is closed to isolate the mold cavity  3  in step  122 . Next, the melt flow path  6  and mixing element  2  are flushed by activating one of the storage elements  5  upstream of the mixing element  2  and the element  5  in the region of the mold  4 . This flushing occurs in step  124 . 
     FIGS. 3A-3C show alternative embodiments in which the K 2  extruder  9  is replaced with injector systems for non-plastic components. Such non-plastic components can result in better characteristics in the final product. Exemplary second components are chalk, paint, and metal-powder. 
     In FIG. 3A an injector  16  is used to push non-plastic material K 2  into the flow path 
     In FIG. 3B, the injector  16  is fed by a secondary extruder  17 . 
     Finally, in FIG. 3C, the injector  16  is fed by a secondary injector  18 . 
     While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.