Device for producing hollow shaped articles

Abstract: This invention relates to a device for producing hollow shaped plastic articles by injection molding the device comprising a nozzle (10) having a first inlet opening for melted plastic from the injection molding machine and a second inlet opening for a gas, means for directing gas into the melted plastic and an outlet opening for the gas and for the melted plastic, the outlet opening via a gate being connectable with a mold space. The second inlet opening com­ municates via a conduit (28) with a gas accumulator (29) having a constant volume and in which the gas has a mainly constant pressure. Said connection also has a variable throttle (32) by means of which the gas flow through the conduit can be adjusted.

Description: This invention relates to a device for producing hollow shaped plastic articles by injection molding and the device comprises a nozzle having a first inlet opening for melted plastic from an injection molding machine and a second inlet opening for a gas, means for directing the gas into the melted plastic and an outlet opening for the gas and the melted plastic, the outlet opening being connectable to a mold via a gate. It is previously known to produce hollow shaped plastic articles according to what has been described above. EP-A-0 250 080 and DE-OS 2 461 580 describe respectively a method and a device in which melted plastic is ejected through a nozzle to a mold the nozzle comprising a central outlet for a gas. The gas and the melted plastic are transferred to the mold simultaneously which means that the melted plastic surrounds the gas and forms a shell which solidifies against the walls of the mold. As an example of suitable gases nitrogen is mentioned. In order to force the gas into the melted plastic a cylinder is used to which the gas is transferred from a suitable source. The cylinder is via a conduit and a valve connected to a central channel in the nozzle. The cylinder is filled with gas, the gas is compressed by means of the piston and the gas is then introduced into the melted plastic. A similar method is described in EP 127 961 according to which the cylinder which is used to force the gas into the melted plastic also serves as a measuring device for the gas in order to adapt the gas volume to the article being produced. The piston has a stroke which is variable and which can be set on a predetermined value corresponding to the gas volume which is used. After filling the cylinder the gas supply is cut off and the gas is compressed by moving the piston forwards. At a certain pressure the valve is opened and the gas is transferred to the melted plastic. The devices described above offer among other things a possibility to avoid sinkings i.e. local deformations which are formed when producing thick-walled plastic articles. Moreover a better economy is achieved compared to conventional methods since the consumption of plastic material is reduced at the same as the method means an non-negliable weight reduction of the article produced. The purpose of this invention is to create a device for adjusting the flow of gas into the nozzle which is more simple then the arrangements which are previously known. Another purpose is to create a possibility to recollect the gas or at least a part of the gas which is used during the procedure. This is achieved with a device having the characteristics mentioned in the claims. An embodiment of the invention will know be described with reference to the attached drawing where Fig. 1 diagrammaticly shows a device according to the present invention whereas Fig.2 shows a vertical section through the nozzle through which the plastic and the gas is delivered to the mould and Fig. 3 shows the electric control unit for the equipment. As appears from Fig. 1 the device comprises a nozzle 10 to which a conventional plastic injection machine 11 is associated. The nozzle is in the usual way movable to abut a tool 12 comprising a mold space with which the nozzle communicates via a gate in the tool. As appears from Figure 2 the nozzle 10 comprises a front mounted hat like part 13 in which a central outlet channel 14 with an outlet 15 is arranged. In the part 13 there is an insert 16 with an axial through channel 17 having an inlet opening 18 for plastic, the channel 17 being coaxial with the outlet channel 14, the two channels partly being shaped as truncated cones joining each other. In the middle of the channel 14 and 17 there is a pipe 19 which is a part of the insert 16 and which extends from the insert into the outlet channel 14 and ends at the center of the outlet opening 15. The pipe 19 at its other end is formed as a radial channel in the insert 16 and continues as a sleeve 20 which is directed radially and on which a nipple 21 is fastened. The channel in the nipple 21 and in the sleeve 20 has an inlet opening 22 for gas which is transferred to the nozzle. The nozzle also has a rear part 23 with a valve body 24 which normally abuts a seat 25 and which divides and seals a chamber 26, in which the melted plastic is present, from the inlet opening 18 in the nozzle. The valve body 24 can by means of a device, not shown in detail, be moved axially so that the melted plastic flows from the chamber 26 to the inlet opening 18 of the nozzle. The front part 13 and the rear part 23 of the nozzle are connected to each other by means of locking members 27. The gas inlet opening 22 of the nozzle 10 communicates via a conduit 28 with a gas accumulator 29 having a fixed volume in which the gas is present under a comparatively high pressure. This gas accumulator is connected to a gas booster 30 i.e. a pressure increasing device which is fed with gas from a gas source 31 i.e. a gas bottle through a continuation of the conduit 28. The gas booster 30 thus creates a mainly constant pressure in the gas accumulator 29. Preferably nitrogen is used but also other gases or gas mixtures can be used. The conduit 28 is provided with a variable throttle 32 by means of which the gas flow to the nozzle can be set with great accuracy at certain values corresponding to the produced article. In its most simple version the throttle comprises a needle valve by means of which the flow-through-area of the conduit 28 can be changed in a simple way by adjusting the position of the valve body with the aid of a screw having a fine thread. The conduit 28 also comprises a valve 33 which is activated and deactivated by means of pneumatic, hydraulic and/or electric means 34 with the aid of an electric control unit which will be described below. Between the gas accumulator 29 and the valve 33 there is a pressure control device 35 by means of which a suitable pressure can be choosen in the part of the conduit 28 which is situated to the left of the pressure control device 35. The conduit also is provided with pressure sensing devices 36 for observing and controlling the pressure in the different parts of the conduit 28. There also is a safety valve 37 and a dehumidifier 38 for the gas. In order to make it possible to recover and recycle the gas which flows out into the conduit 28 through the throttle 32 there is a branched off conduit 39 which is connected the conduit 28 to the left of the throttle 32 and between the booster 30 and the gas source 31. This conduit 39 is provided with a valve 40 activated and deactivated by pneumatic, hydraulic and/or electric means 41 with the aid of said control unit. The conduit 39 also is provided with a throttle 42, a check valve 43 and a booster 44 increasing the pressure of the gas in the conduit to the left of the booster 44 to the same pressure as in the conduit between the booster 30 and the gas source 31. The control unit , Fig. 3, has a main switch 45 connecting the main supply with a transformer 47 the secondary side of which is connected to a switch on delayed relay 48 which receives an imput signal from the injection moulding machine when the valve body 24 is moved so that the melted plastic is ejected into the nozzle. The delay can be set between 0.05 and 10 sec. The relay 48 connects the secondary side of the transformer with a time relay 49 and this relay activates the means 34 for opening the valve 33. The time relay can be set to keep the valve open for 1-1000 sec. When the time relay 49 after a predetermined time switches back to its original position and the valve 33 is closed another time relay 50 is activated for a predetermined period. This relay activates the means 41 for opening the valve 40. The control unit also is provided with a switch 51 and an electric circuit for opening the valve 33 manually in order to empty the conduit and the gas channels by a gas flow through the nozzle if something should clog the channels. The device operates in the following way. Normally the valve 33 in the conduit 28 is closed, the gas booster 30 keeping a mainly constant pressure in the gas accumulator 29 the pressure being about 100-1000 bar. The valve body 24 abuts the seat 25 in the nozzle which means that the melted plastic is prevented from entering the nozzle. When a plastic article is to be formed the nozzle 10 is moved to abut the mold 12 and the valve body 24 is moved to the left in the Figure whereby the melted plastic by means of the pressure in the nozzle which normally is about 500-1000 bar is pressed into the channel 17 in the nozzle. The switch-on delayed relay 48 will then be drawn after the predetermined time. Thereby the time relay 49 is activated so that current is transferred to the means 34 which activates the valve 33 so that it opens. This means that gas in the gas accumulator 29 flows through the conduit 28 and through the throttle 32. By adjusting the throttle an adaption of the gas flow through the nozzle 10 occurs so that the velocity of the inflowing gas into the nozzle mainly corresponds to the flow-through velocity of the melted plastic. The gas will thus flow through the pipe 19 and flow out at the outlet opening 15 of the nozzle so that a central gas core is formed which is surrounded by the plastic. Because of the switch-on delay of the valve a plastic plug is formed at the front preventing the gas from breaking through the plastic and cause holes in its surface layer. The gas then presses the plastic towards the walls of the mold. When the valve body 24 then is returned to its original position the melted plastic will cease from flowing through the nozzle the communication however being maintained between the gas accumulator 29 and the mold 12 because the relay 49 remains in its drawn position during the time which has been set. The communication between the accumulator 29 and the mold 12 is preferably maintained during the complete injection molding procedure with the exception of the introduction phase as well as it is maintained afterwards during the cooling period. When the relay 49 is deactivated current flows to the relay 50 thereby establishing and electric connection to the means 41 for opening the valve 40 so that gas in the conduit 28 to the left of the valve 33 and in the nozzle 10 and mold 12 flows through the conduit 39 and is compressed by the booster 49 to the same pressure as in the gas source 31. After a predetermined time the relay 50 deactivates the means 41 thereby closing the valve 40 again. It should be mentioned that it sometimes is necessary to use a check valve 52 in the gas supply channel of the nozzle 12 preventing gas from flowing back from the mold since there is a risk that pieces of plastic follow the back flowing stream and clog the channel. This of course results in a reduction of the amount of gas which is recollected but usually the amount of gas which is enclosed by the conduit 28 is large compared to the amount of gas which is enclosed in the article being produced which means that the ratio of recollection is sufficient.

Claims: Device for producing hollow shaped plastic articles by an injection molding procedure the device comprising a nozzle (10) with a first inlet opening (18) for melted plastic from an injection molding apparatus and a second inlet opening (22) for a gas, means (19) for directing the gas into the melted plastic and an outlet opening (15) for the gas and the melted plastic the outlet opening via a gate being connectable with a mold space, characterized in that the second inlet opening (22) via a conduit (28) communicates with a gas accumulator (29) having a constant volume and in which the gas has a mainly constant pressure and that said conduit has a variable throttle (32) by means of which the gas flow through the conduit can be adjusted. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the conduit (28) also comprises a valve (33) between the gas accumulator (29) and the nozzle (10). Device according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises an electric control circuit for the valve (33), the control circuit comprising control means (48, 49) for opening the valve (33) a predetermined time after that the injection of the melted plastic into the nozzle (10) has been initiated. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the time delay is 0.05-10 sec. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the control means comprises a time relay (49) for maintaining the valve in an open position during a predetermined time which is 1-1000 sec. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is provided with a branched off conduit (39) extending from the conduit (28) at the outlet side of the throttle (32) to the inlet side of the accumulator (29) for recollecting a part of the gas which flows through the throttle. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the branched off conduit (39) is provided with a booster for increasing the pressure of the recollected gas. Device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the branched off conduit (39) is provided with a valve (40) which is closed during the stage of the procedure when plastic and gas is ejected into the mold and during a part of the cooling time. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the valve (40) of the branched off conduit (39) is opened by a time relay (50) when the valve (33) of the conduit is closed. Device according to any of claims 6 - 9, characterized in that the branched off conduit is provided with a check valve (43).

Inventors: PETERSON CHRISTER CALEB INGEMA, PETERSON, CHRISTER CALEB INGEMAR
Applicants: ELECTROLUX AB, AKTIEBOLAGET ELECTROLUX
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B29C45
IPC codes: B29C49, B29C45, B29L22