Sealing construction for a pressure casting mold

Abstract: A casting mold for sanitary earthenware or the like which forms at a region of a predetermined size extending from the abutting surface of each of vertically dividable molds to the exterior a porous portion of the same quality as a filter medium layer and at a region between the porous portion and the exterior is disposed a sealing member, thereby preventing air leakage and slurry leakage from each mold.

Description: The present invention relates to a sealing construction for a vertically dividable pressure casting mold for molding sanitary earthenware or the like, which is provided with filter medium layers so as to form a mold space, into which slurry is injected, said slurry being deposited on to said filter medium layers, and thereafter excess slurry being discharged from said mold. A sludge casting method using a sealing construction disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. Sho-208005 filed by the applicant has been well known. The molding equipment of the prior application, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is so constructed that a molding apparatus 1 has porous filter medium layers 3a and 3b, such as plaster, at the inner surfaces of vertically dividable pressure-proof containers 2a and 2b, has disposed in the filter medium layers 3a and 3b drainages 4a and 4b at proper pitches, and comprises an upper mold 5a and a lower mold 5b. Inside the filter medium layers 3a and 3b a mold space 6 is formed. At least one end of the drainage 4a and 4b is guided to the exteriors of pressure-proof containers 2a and 2b and connected to steam separators 12a and 12b to communicate with the atmospheric pressure or a negative pressure source. An overflow tank 7 is mounted to the upper mold 5a and perforates the filter medium layer 3a to communicate with the mold space 6. A slurry supply-discharge pipe 8 is mounted to the lower mold 5b and perforates the filter medium layer 3a to communicate with the mold space 6, the lower mold 5b being vertically movable through support poles 9a and 9b. A basic material transfer truck 10, which advances or retracts toward or from below the lower mold 5b at the upper limit position and lower limit position, is provided. The molding apparatus 1 disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. Sho 58-208005 of the prior application by the present applicant carries out casting in such a manner that slurry is supplied from the slurry supply-discharge pipe 8 to the mold space 6 until the slurry flows into the overflow tank 7. Compressed air is supplied into the overflow tank 7 to pressurize the slurry in the mold spaces 6 and the drainages 4a and 4b communicate with the atmospheric pressure or the negative pressure source, thereby improving the deposition speed of slurry onto the filter medium layers 3a and 3b and the diffusion speed of water to the deposition. When the deposition on the inner surfaces of filter medium layers 3a and 3b reaches a predetermined thickness, the overflow tank 7 is set therein at the atmospheric pressure and slurry in surplus and not deposited in the mold space 6 is discharged through the slurry supply-discharge pipe 8, whereby basic material 11 can be molded as shown in Fig. 3. After the basic material 11 is molded, compressed air is sent to the steam separator 12b at the lower mold 5b side, the drainages 4b are back pressurized to exude out remaining water from the filter medium layer 3b to the border between the layer 3b and the basic material 11 so as to form a water film, thereby removing the lower mold 5b, in other words, hanging the basic material 11 to the upper mold 5a in a vacuum-attracting manner. Next, as shown in Fig. 3, the truck 10 is moved to below the basic material 11 and a water film is formed at the border between the filter medium layer 3a of upper mold 5a and the basic material 11 as in the case of the removal of lower mold 5b, so that the basic material naturally drops onto the truck 10. Thereafter, the basic material is transported to the subsequent process, such as drying. In the technique disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. Sho 58-208005, a prior application by the applicant, when pressure is applied to the slurry or back pressure is applied into the drainages 4b by compressed air, slurry leakage or air leakage has been generated between the abutting surfaces of upper and lower molds 5a and 5b. The slurry leakage leads to production of large burrs at part of basic material 11 corresponding to the abutting surfaces 13a and 13b. The air leakage causes an insufficient water film and the deposited slurry is stuck to the molded surfaces of basic material 11 when removed, so that the basic material 11 cannot smoothly be removed, thereby deteriorating surface quality thereof and sticking it to the mold. Therefore, the applicant, as shown in Fig. 4, has designed to dispose sealing members 14a and 14b on the abutting surfaces 13a and 13b of the upper and lower molds 5a and 5b, thereby preventing slurry leakage or air leakage. However, when the sealing members 14a and 14b are disposed, now, the water content in the slurry is insufficient to flow the abutting surfaces 13a and 13b, so that the deposited slurry is smaller in thickness, thereby creating a defect in that a recess 15 is produced at the inner surface of basic material 11. Also, there is a defect that the orientation of slurry particles at part of basic material corresponding to the sealing members 14a and 14b is different from that at other portions. If such recess 15 or portion of poor orientation exists, when the basic material 11 is softened in the baking process and lacks in strength enough to bear its dead weight for keeping configuration. Also, the behavior of the same following thermal expansion and contraction when baked is guided by the poor orientation of slurry particles so as to be intended to swell the deposited slurry at the recess 15 to the exterior. Hence, as shown in Fig. 5, these actions are mutually multiplied so as to form an acute-angular projection 17 at the surface of a product 16 after baked, thereby creating the defect that many inferior goods may be produced. 4. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the pressure casting mold such that at the abutting surfaces of vertically dividable molds are provided filter medium layers so as to form a molded space, slurry is injected therein and deposited on the filter medium layers, and thereafter slurry in surplus is discharged so as to mold a sanitary pottery or the like, in a region of a predetermined dimension across the mold space of the abutting surfaces of the respective surface and the exterior, a porous portion of the same quantity as the filter medium layer and in a region between the porous portion and outside of the mold sealing members are disposed for preventing air leakage and slurry leakage. Accordingly, for example, a region of a predetermined dimension across the molding surfaces of abutting surfaces of upper and lower molds, is formed in a porous portion of the same quality as the filter medium layers, and the sealing members are disposed outside the region. Accordingly, air leakage is not created at the abutting surfaces and also burrs are not created thereon. At the molded surface side of abutting surfaces a porous portion of the same quality as the filter medium layer is provided, so that the water content in the slurry is sufficiently discharged therefrom. Moreover, since air fully communicates during the back pressurization, a uniform water film can be formed on the entire molding surface, so that poor removal of basic material from the mold has not to be feared. 5. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a partially longitudinally sectional view of an embodiment of a pressure casting mold of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a side view of the conventional pressure casting apparatus as a whole, Fig. 3 is a partially side view of a mold removal process in the prior art, Fig. 4 is a partially longitudinally sectional view showing the abutting surfaces of the mold in the prior art, and Fig. 5 is a partially longitudinally sectional view of a product after baked in the prior art. 6. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the construction of pressure casting mold of the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. Fig. 1 is a partially longitudinally sectional view of abutting surfaces 13a and 13b of a pressure casting mold 18 of an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, at this embodiment, regions of predetermined length at the abutting surfaces 13a and 13b of the upper mold 5a and lower mold 5b across the mold space 6 and the exterior are formed with porous portions 19a and 19b of the same quality as the filter medium layers 3a and 3b, and outside porous portions 19a and 19b sealing members 20a and 20b are disposed for preventing air leakage. The provision of sealing members 20a and 20b avoids leakage of slurry particles from the abutting surfaces when slurry is deposited to thereby prevent formation of burr. During the back pressurization no air leaks from the abutting surfaces 13a and 13b and the water content stored in the filter medium layers 3a and 3b is exuded at the interface between the layers 3a and 3b at a basic material 21, thereby facilitating removal thereof from the mold. These operational effects are the same even when the sealing members 20a and 20b are adapted to be provided throughout the entire surfaces of abutting surfaces 13a and 13b. In brief, the sealing members 20a and 20b are not inevitably disposed as the conventional embodiment. On the other hand, the porous portions 19a and 19b are provided on the abutting surfaces 13a and 13b at the molded space 6 side so that the water content in slurry can uniformly and sufficiently be discharged from the entire molded surface including the abutting surfaces of filter medium layers 3a and 3b. Hence, the slurry can be deposited and grown on the molded surfaces of filter medium layers 3a and 3b. In other words, it is possible to make uniform a thickness of the entire basic material 21. Moreover, the orientation of slurry particles of the deposited slurry are arranged in one direction. Accordingly, when the basic material 21 is baked, there is no fear that it is deformed, following its thermal expansion and contraction. Therefore, the surface quality and configuration of a product are improved in accuracy and faulty products are less rejected, thereby expecting an improvement in the yield. The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, but can properly be modified of the configuration and kind of the pressure casting mold or the configuration and size of product. As seen from the above, the pressure casting mold of the invention is provided at the abutting surfaces of the molds with the porous portions of the same quality as the filter medium layers and the sealing members are disposed at the outside thereof, whereby the water content in the slurry or air does not leak from the abutting surfaces and the creation of burrs and poor removal from the mold can be prevented. Also, the deposited slurry can be uniform in thickness and the orientation of deposited slurry can be arranged in one direction, thereby enabling the product to be prevented from being deformed due to thermal expansion and contraction when baked. Therefore, it is possible to provide goods superior in the surface quality or configuration accuracy and moreover the number of defectives is remarkably reduced to expect an improvement in the yield.

Claims: A sealing construction for a vertically dividable pressure casting mold (5a; 5b) for molding sanitary earthenware or the like which is provided with filter medium layers (3a; 3b) so as to form a mold space (6), into which slurry is injected, said slurry being deposited onto said filter medium layers (3a; 3b), and thereafter excess slurry being discharged from said mold (5a; 5b), characterized in that at the abutting surface (13a; 13b) of each of said mold parts (5a; 5b) in a region of predetermined distance extending from said mold space (6) towards the exterior a porous portion (19a; 19b) of the same porosity as said filter medium layers (3a; 3b) is formed and in a region at said abutting surfaces (13a; 13b) between said porous portion (19a; 19b) and the exterior a sealing member (20a; 20b) for preventing air leakage and slurry leakage is disposed.

Inventors: ITO TAKESHI INAX CORPORATION, MURATA KAZUSHIGE INAX CORPORAT, ITO, TAKESHI INAX CORPORATION, MURATA, KAZUSHIGE INAX CORPORATION
Applicants: INAX CORP, INAX CORPORATION
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B28B1
IPC codes: B28B7, B28B1