Mold for compression molding a resin article

Abstract: A mold for compression molding a resin article, which mold consists of male and female molds, wherein, at the time of complete mold closing, the shortest length L in a mold closing direction of a mated part formed between the outermost wall of said male mold to which a resin melt con­ tacts and the innermost wall of a flange of said female mold satisfies the equation: (t₁ - t₀ + 10) mm ≧ L ≧ (t₁ - t₀) mm wherein t₁ is a distance (mm) between the male and female molds when the resin melt first reaches the horizontally outermost edge of the male mold, and t₀ is a distance (mm) in the mold closing direction between the same points on the male and female molds as those used for measuring t₁, and the shortest horizontal distance of a mating gap between the horizontally outermost wall surface of said male mold and the horizontally innermost wall surface of said female mold is from 0.02 to 0.1 mm, with which mold, squeeze-out of a resin melt during molding is prevented.

Description: The present invention relates to a mold for compression molding a resin article. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mold for compression molding a molded resin article, which mold can produce a molded resin article with preventing squeeze-out of a resin melt from the mold and leaving no air in the mold cavity during molding. As a method for compression molding a resin molded article, there is known a method comprising supplying a resin melt in a cavity formed in a mold consisting of male and female molds and closing the male and female molds to mold the resin. In the conventional method, the upper (female) and lower (male) molds 21 and 22 are once opened and then closed to mate each other in the vertical direction V as shown in Fig. 1A, whereby a cavity 23 is formed therebetween and the resin melt 24 is compressed. Therefore, a dimensional accuracy of the molds 21 and 22 is strictly defined. In particular, a mold edge 21a of the upper mold 21 and a mold edge 22a of the lower mold 22 are so designed that no gap is formed in the horizontal direction H or a length L′ of the mated part is made long unnecessarily (see. Fig. 1B) since the resin melt is squeezed out from the end of the edges 21a and 22a so that, as shown in Fig. 2B, the molded article 25 has an irregular shape. However, the size accuracy is too strict or the length L′ is too long, the air 26 is trapped in the cavity 23 as shown in Fig. 1B, so that, as shown in Fig. 2A, the molded article 27 has an underfilld part 28. In addition, the edges 21a and 22a may engage each other and may be damaged. An object of the present invention is to provide a mold for compression molding a resin article, which can prevent squeeze-out of a resin melt and leaving of the air in a mold cavity during molding. Accordingly to the present invention, there is provided a mold for compression molding a resin article, which mold consists of male and female molds, wherein, at the time of complete mold closing, the shortest length L in a mold closing direction of a mated part formed between the outermost wall of said male mold to which a resin melt contacts and the innermost wall of a flange of said female mold satisfies the equation: (t₁ - t₀ + 10) mm ≧ L ≧ (t₁ - t₀) mm wherein t₁ is a distance (mm) between the male and female molds when the resin melt first reaches the horizontally outermost edge of the male, and t₀ is a distance (mm) in the mold closing direction between the same points on the male and female molds as those used for measuring t₁, and the shortest horizontal distance of a mating gap between the horizontally outermost wall surface of said male mold and the horizontally innermost wall surface of said female mold is from 0.02 to 0.1 mm. Figs. 1A and 1B are cross sectional views of the conventional mold before closing and after complete closing of the mold, respectively, Fig. 2A and 2B are cross sectional views of the molded articles produced with the conventional mold of Fig. 1, and Figs. 3A, 3B and 3C schematically show steps for producing a resin molded article with the mold according to the present invention. Now, the present invention will be explained by making reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 3A is a cross sectional view of one embodiment of the mold according to the present invention when the mold closing is completed. The mold 1 comprises a male mold 2 and a female mold 3 which mates with the male mold 2. In this embodiment, the male mold 2 is fixed and the female mold 3 is moved vertically with a well known lifting mechanism (not shown). When the mold closing is completed, a mating gap 5 is formed between the horizontally outermost wall surface 2a of the male mold 2 and the horizontally innermost wall surface 3a of the female mold 3. In the present invention, the shortest horizontal gap distance (W) of the mated part between said outermost wall of the male mold and said innermost wall of the female mold is from 0.02 to 0.1 mm, preferably from 0.02 to 0.08 mm, and through the gaps of the mated part, the air in the mold cavity 6 escapes during mold closing. However, said gaps should not be large enough for the resin melt to squeeze out. The actual gap distance is defined according to the kind, viscosity, temperature and/or supplied amount of the resin. For example, in a case where a disc of 30 cm in diameter is molded under mold closing pressure of 100 kg/cm² from polypropylene (Sumitomo Noblen (trade mark) AX 568 manufactured by Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. having a melt flow index of 65 g/10 minutes) at a resin temperature of 260°C and a mold temperature of 60°C, the squeeze out amount of the resin is less than 0.1 mm when the shortest gap distance W is 0.02 mm. In a case where the same disc as above is molded under the same molding conditions from a methacrylate resin (Sumipex-B) (trade mark) MHO manufactured by Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.), the squeezed out amount of the resin is less than 0.1 mm when the shortest gap distance is 0.06 mm. In both cases, the air in the cavity can escape outside at the above shortest gap distances. In addition, the shortest length L in the mold closing direction of the mated part formed between the outermost wall of the male mold and the innermost wall of the flange of the female mold satisfies the equation: (t₁ - t₀ + 10) mm ≧ L ≧ (t₁ - t₀) mm wherein t₁ and t₀ are the same as defined above (see Fig. 3A). The reason why the shortest length L in the mold closing direction is adjusted in the above range is that when the length L is longer than the above upper limit, it is necessary to open the male and female molds to an unnecessary distance and the productivity is decreased, and the air is easily trapped in the cavity so that the defect molded articles may be produced. When said length L is shorter than the above lower limit, the resin melt tends to be squeezed out so that the defect molded article may be produced. The shortest length in the molding direction of the mated part is not necessarily uniform around the whole circumference of the mold. At least at a point P of the horizontally outermost edge of the male mold to which the resin melt first contact (see Fig. 3C), the shortest length L of the mated part should satisfy the above equation. At other points, the length of the mated part may be from zero to L. With the mold according to the present invention, the molded article can be produced by the following steps: 1. A mass of the resin melt 4 is supplied between the male mold 2 and the female mold 3. In Fig. 3B, the mass of resin melt is supplied on the male mold 2. The resin melt can be supplied by a per se conventional means. For example, the resin melt is supplied through a resin supplying conduit which is formed in the mold (not shown) with means for melting and plasticizing the resin such as an extruder (not shown). 2. By actuating the lifting mechanism, the female mold is lowered to press the resin melt, whereby the resin melt flows and spreads between the male mold 2 and the female mold 3. Then, the air in the cavity is forced to escape through the gap 5. Since the shortest gap distance W is in the above range, the resin melt is not squeezed out through the gap of the mated part. 3. The female mold is further lowered, and finally, the male and female molds are completely closed to complete the molding of resin (see Fig. 3A). In the molding process, the timing of the resin melt supply is not limited to the above described timing. The resin melt can be supplied at any time before the male and female molds are completely closed. The relative position of the male and female molds and the closing direction can be freely selected. Specific examples of the skin material are woven or non-woven fabric, nets made of metals, fibers or thermoplastic resins, paper, metal foils, and a sheet or a film of a thermoplastic resin or elastomer. The skin material may be decorated with uneven patterns such as grain patterns, printing, dying and the like. In addition, the skin material may be made of foamed materials of thermoplastic resins or rubbers. Also, a laminate comprising at least two layers each made of the same material or different materials which are bonded to each other with an adhesive can be used as the skin material. Before the skin material is supplied in the mold, a part or whole of the skin material may be preheated to adjust tensile stress and elongation. As the resin to be molded with the mold of the present invention, any of the conventional resins used in compression molding, injection molding and extrusion molding can be used. Specific examples of the resin are non-expandable or expandable resins of thermoplastic resins (e.g. polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, acrylonitrile-styrene-butadiene copolymer, nylon, etc.), and thermoplastic elastomers (e.g., ethylene-propylene block copolymer, styrene-butadiene block copolymer, etc.). The resin may contain at least one additive such as fillers (e.g. inorganic fillers and glass fibers), pigments, lubricants, antistatic agents and the like.

Claims: A mold for compression molding a resin article, which mold consists of male and female molds, wherein, at the time of complete mold closing, the shortest length L in a mold closing direction of a mated part formed between the outermost wall of said male mold to which a resin melt contacts and the innermost wall of a flange of said female mold satisfies the equation: (t₁ - t₀ + 10) mm ≧ L ≧ (t₁ - t₀) mm wherein t₁ is a distance (mm) between the male and female molds when the resin melt first reaches the horizontally outermost edge of the male mold, and t₀ is a distance (mm) in the mold closing direction between the same points on the male and female molds as those used for measuring t₁, and the shortest horizontal distance of a mating gap between the horizontally outermost wall surface of said male mold and the horizontally innermost wall surface of said female mold is of 0.02 to 0.1 mm. The mold according to claim 1, wherein said shortest horizontal distance of the mating gap is from 0.02 to 0.08 mm.

Inventors: HARA TAKAHISA, MATSUBARA SHIGEYOSHI, MATSUMOTO MASAHITO, USUI NOBUHIRO, HARA, TAKAHISA, MATSUBARA, SHIGEYOSHI, MATSUMOTO, MASAHITO, USUI, NOBUHIRO
Applicants: SUMITOMO CHEMICAL CO, SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B29C43
IPC codes: B29C33, B29C43