Apparatus for the fabrication of a lipstick lead with two components

Molding apparatus (1) for molding of materials consisting of at least two components, in particular for molding lipstick leads with at least one mold (2) in which the material to be molded may be poured and with a core (3) which may be inserted into and extracted out of the at least one mold (2), wherein the at least one core (3) has a modifiable outer surface, as well as a corresponding method.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to European Patent Application Serial No. EP 07 012 147.0 filed Jun. 21, 2007.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a mold for the fabrication of a molded material from materials with at least two components and in particular a method for the fabrication of lipstick leads from at least two components.

In a mold apparatus for molding materials, for example for the fabrication of lipstick leads, the one material to be molded is filled into several molds in the hot and liquid state by means of a filling station. The filled in material is then cooled down in the molds by means of a cooling station and extracted out of the molds after the cooling process by means of a demolding station.

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,443 and DE 946257 A, apparatuses and methods are described for the fabrication of lipstick leads from a material consisting of two or more different components. To this end, extractable inserts are used. These avoid in a first step that, when filling in the first component, the first component reaches an area in which the second component is to be filled in a second step.

With such methods, however, only lipstick leads with very simple designs for the first and the second component may be molded. Basically, there is a need for apparatuses and methods for the fabrication of lipstick leads with the at least two components forming complicated designs and structures, respectively. The object of the present invention, therefore, consists of providing a corresponding method and a corresponding apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, this object is solved by a molding apparatus for the molding of materials consisting of at least two components according to claim1and a corresponding method according to claim6.

The molding apparatus for the molding of materials consisting of at least two components, in particular for the molding of lipstick leads, to this end has at least one mold in which the material to be molded is poured in. Furthermore, the molding apparatus has at least one core, which may be inserted into and extracted out of the at least one mold. According to the invention, the at least one core has a modifiable outer surface.

By means of the molding apparatus according to the invention, it is possible for the first time, to form molded materials from two or more components, with the molded material form the at least one of the two components having a complicated design or structure. With the cores used in the art, the design formed by the first component has to be such simple that the core used for this purpose may be extracted out of the mold without impairment. Such designs of molded components or materials respectively are called simple. With complicated designs, the simple extraction of the core is not possible. If, for example, a complicated mesh structure from a first component is to be arranged at the outer surface of the lipstick lead, which is enclosed by the second component, this mesh structure may not be formed by the apparatuses and methods known in the art. This meshed design is thus an example of a complicated design.

By the apparatus according to the invention, however, such a complicated design may be formed. To this end, a core is used for example, whose outer surface forms the complement of the design to be formed by the first component. By the modifiable outer surface of the core according to the invention, the core may be extracted from the mold without impairment of the design formed out of the first component. To this end, the outer surface of the core is modified prior to extraction out of the mold such that the design formed by the first component is not damaged.

In a preferred embodiment, the at least two components have different colors.

In a further preferred embodiment, the apparatus has a second modifiable core, wherein the dimensions of the second core are at least partially smaller than the dimensions of the first core. By means of such a second core, a molded material from three components for example may be fabricated.

Preferably, the modifiable outer surface of the core is implemented by a contracting core. The contracting core may be fabricated for example from a flexible material. During the molding of the design of the first components, the flexible core is maintained in its shape by means of a appropriate means. To this end for example, the flexible core may be filled with a gas or a liquid. For extracting the core out of the mold and the design formed by the first component, the means makes sure that the core does not maintain its shape any more but virtually collapses back upon itself or is contracted upon itself. To this end, for example, the liquid or gas may be removed from the flexible core.

According to the invention, the core has movable elements, with which the outer surface may be modified. These movable elements may for example be moved by means of pressure or magnetism. During the filling in of the first component, the movable elements may be moved out. According to the invention, the movable elements touch the inner wall of the mold in the moved out state. Thus, these areas are kept free from the first component.

For extracting the core, the movable elements are preferably moved into the core to allow for extracting the core out of the design formed by the first component.

To allow for a demolding as simple as possible, the core according to the invention is coated by an anti-adhesive material. Furthermore, the core has preferably channels, through which selectively a heating or cooling medium may flow. By using channels for a heating or cooling medium at the outer surface of the form and in the core, the curing process may be accelerated compared to using just a single component.

Thereupon, the outer surface of the core is modified and the core is extracted out of the mold. Then the second component of the material to be molded is filled into the mold.

Further advantages and features of the invention may be inferred from the following detailed description in which the invention is described in more detail and with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1shows a cross section through a molding apparatus1with a mold2and a core3, how it may be used within the present invention. InFIG. 1the core3is located in the mold2. The core3has movable elements in this embodiment, with which the outer surface of the core3may be modified.

InFIG. 1the movable elements4are in a so called moved out state. The movable elements4are moved out of the core3such that they make contact between the core3and inner surface of the mold2. In the present embodiment, the movable elements4touch the inner surface of the mold2such that a first component filled into the space between mold2and core3can not touch the inner surface of the mold2at these areas.

Thus, a cavity is formed by the core3, the movable elements4and the mold2, in which the first component may be filled. Thereby, the cavity defines the portion of the lipstick lead in which the first component is to be arranged later.

The core3furthermore has recesses5. In these recesses5, the movable elements4may be moved in.FIG. 2exemplarily illustrates how the core3with the moved in movable elements4may look like.

The moving out and moving in of the movable elements4may be facilitated by different means. In theFIGS. 1 and 2the core3has a channel6in its interior. By means of this channel6the movable elements4may be moved, thus moved out and moved in, by means of pressure. Alternatively, the movable elements4may be moved by means of magnetism or mechanical means for example.

By means of the apparatus1according to the invention, a lipstick lead may be fabricated simply. In a first step the core3for example is inserted into the mold2. While doing so, the movable elements4used in this embodiment may already be moved out of the core3or may be moved out not until the core3is arranged in the mold2. The core3forms a cavity together with the movable elements4and the inner surface of the mold3, which may then be filled with the first component. After the filling in, the first component cures, preferably supported by cooling means, which may be arranged in the mold2and/or the core3.

After the at least partial curing of the first component, the core3is extracted out of the mold2. To this end, the modifiable outer surface of the core3is modified first. In the embodiment shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, this modifying of the outer surface happens by moving in the movable elements4. Thereby the outer surface of the core3is modified such that the core3may be extracted out of the mold2without damaging the at least partially cured first component.

After extracting the core3, the second component is filled into the cavity formed by the inner surface of the mold2and the at least partially cured first component (cf.FIG. 3). Subsequently, the lipstick lead formed by at least two components may be extracted out of the mold2by known demolding stations (cf.FIG. 4).

According to the invention, the object is also solved by a method for molding of materials consisting of at least two components. To this end, at least one core is inserted into a mold and then the first component of the material to be molded is filled into the mold.