Patent Description:
More in detail, the present invention relates to a method, and a respective mould for moulding, preferably by injection under pressure or by compression, a substantially cylindrical gasket with a variously and generically annular section of the type comprising outer and inner sharp-corner lips that seal mechanically and fluidically.

It is known art to make substantially cylindrical, i.e. tubular, gaskets with annular corners jutting internally and externally, which are intended to be stably housed within a respective seat provided in the cylinder of a device, for example a damper, of the cylinder and piston (plunger) type, in such a way as to engage, within its axial cavity, the plunger sliding with respect to the cylinder, in order to prevent the leakage of oil, or other fluid, present in a similar device.

To optimize the tightness, both mechanic, with respect to the cylinder seat, and fluidic, with respect to the plunger stem, it is known to equip such type of gasket with annular lips, i.e. corners jutting circumferentially, both externally and internally, which are intended to engage respectively the inner wall of the aforesaid seat and the plunger stem.

The implementation of such a substantially cylindrical gasket commonly occurs in a mould for injection or compression moulding of preferably polymeric materials of the type comprising a movable part and a fixed part, which can be coupled to each other in abutment along a closing surface, in addition to known means for injecting or delivering such moulding material into the mould, in the case of injection moulding, or to known means for feeding the moulding material, in the case of compression moulding.

Due to the presence, on such type of gasket, of annular portions jutting both internally and externally to form the aforesaid lips, it is obvious that the closing surface of the movable and fixed parts of the mould is shaped so that it passes through the impressions of such lips, which are thus partially made in the movable mould and partially in the fixed mould, to avoid the presence of undercuts that are complex and inconvenient to make, which however result in difficulties in extracting the gasket.

This solution, although effective in the production of this type of gaskets, however, results in the frequent need of having to finish the aforesaid lips of each gasket, once they have been extracted from the mould. In fact, such lips thus achieved are not free from moulding burrs or inaccuracies, and consequently, to ensure the tightness of the gasket, they must often be finished, for example through material removal machining (such as blanking, cryogenic deburring, grinding, cutting or more).

As an alternative to such solution, it is possible to provide a mould in multiple parts arranged side by side, of which a central part interposed between the movable part and the fixed part comprises the impressions of such jutting annular portions of the gasket (lips). In this type of mould, such central part can be removed, for example transversely with respect to the axis of the mould and therefore of the gasket, before fully opening the same mould, thus facilitating the extraction of the gasket.

In this case, the lips normally do not require further finishing work and, however, the mould thus shaped turns out to be difficult to make and inconvenient to use in the respective moulding method, in addition to being considerably expensive. <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT> disclose known methods and moulds for manufacturing cylindrical gaskets.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a moulding method and a respective mould for a gasket of the type set forth above, which does not show the disadvantages of the known prior art.

It is another object of this invention to implement a moulding method and a respective mould, which allows to make substantially cylindrical gaskets equipped with sealing jutting lips, which are dimensionally precise and do not require further finishing work.

Finally, it is a further object of this invention to describe a moulding method and a respective mould for a cylindrical gasket with sealing lips, which allow the effective and economic implementation of such type of gaskets.

These and other objects are achieved by the moulding method according to the first independent claim, with the respective dependent claims, and by the mould according to the eighth independent claim, with the respective dependent claims.

According to the present invention, it is provided a method for producing at least one substantially cylindrical gasket, preferably with a generally annular section, of the type comprising, along the axis of symmetry of the same gasket, a base end and a top end joined reciprocally by an outer, substantially longitudinally extending, side surface and by an inner, also substantially longitudinally extending, side surface, a first annular lip jutting externally from the outer side surface and a second annular lip jutting internally from the inner side surface, which comprises in sequence the steps of:.

and wherein the fixed part, or vice versa the movable part, of the mould comprises at least one housing cavity of the moulding material and the movable part, or vice versa the fixed part, of the mould comprises at least one clamping portion, preferably flat or convex, complementary to the aforesaid housing cavity, wherein said at least one housing cavity is formed within a single solid body.

Such moulding method advantageously provides that the aforesaid closing surface, comprising at least the aforementioned clamping portion, delimits at least the top end of the gasket defined by such at least one housing cavity.

This way, as the person skilled in the art may well appreciate, the engravings of the mould related to making the so-called jutting annular lips are made in the mould housing cavity formed, preferably, but not necessarily, from solid, in only one of the fixed or movable parts of the same mould, i.e. in a single solid body, so that they, not being arranged at the closing surface of said fixed and movable parts of the mould, do not give rise to annular lips that must be finished because, for example, they are equipped with entirely undesired burrs.

Thus, according to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the housing cavity of the moulding material, which is preferably a polymeric material, such as a nitrile rubber (NBR), comprises at least one undercut extending circumferentially for making said externally- jutting first lip, and/or at least one undercut extending circumferentially for making said internally-jutting second lip.

Obviously, also this undercut, or undercuts, are made in a single solid body, from solid, without the need or presence of cores or modular parts of the mould, adapted to define this undercut or undercuts. In fact, this undercut or undercuts are engravings inside the moulding cavity made in a single solid body, which are defined, with respect to the extraction direction of the moulded object, by at least two walls placed on planes transverse to the aforesaid extraction direction of the moulded object.

It should be noted that, according to a further aspect of the method described here, the aforesaid step of moulding a moulding material is preferably selected from a step of injection moulding, comprising a step of injecting under pressure, or sending, a moulding material in the fluid state within the mould after the aforesaid step of closing the mould, and a compression moulding step, comprising a step of feeding a moulding material between the fixed part and the movable part of the mould before the aforesaid step of closing the mould.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the mould may comprise a plurality of housing cavities to house the moulding material (for example, a nitrile rubber) and a corresponding plurality of clamping portions, complementary to such cavities, in order to simultaneously produce a plurality of gaskets. In this case, such mould comprises at least one concave portion connected, when the mould is closed, to the aforesaid plurality of housing cavities, in such a way as to make, at the end of the step of injecting under pressure, or delivering, the moulding material, a support made in one piece with such plurality of gaskets.

The implementation of a mould equipped with a plurality of housing cavities of the moulding material in order to simultaneously make a plurality of gaskets obviously allows to increase the productivity of the moulding method.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the step of removing one or more of the gaskets from the respective housing cavities of the mould may comprise a step of emitting a jet of compressed air at such gaskets.

This allows to facilitate the detachment of the gaskets from the respective housing cavities of the mould, even in the presence of undercuts.

A further aspect of the present invention relates to a mould for making at least one substantially cylindrical gasket, preferably with a generally annular section, of the type comprising, along the axis of symmetry of the same gasket, a base end and a top end joined together both by an outer, substantially longitudinally extending, side surface and by an inner, also substantially longitudinally extending, side surface, a first annular lip jutting externally from the outer side surface of the gasket and a second annular lip jutting internally from the inner side surface. Such mould comprises a fixed part and a movable part, which can be coupled to each other in abutment along a closing surface, in which such fixed part, or vice versa such movable part, of the mould comprises at least one housing cavity to house the moulding material, made in a single solid body (preferably, but not necessarily, from solid) and bearing the negative shape of the gasket to be moulded, and said movable part of the mould, or vice versa said fixed part, comprises at least one flat or convex clamping portion, complementary to the aforesaid at least one housing cavity. Advantageously, the aforesaid closing surface of the mould comprises at least the aforesaid clamping portion and delimits the top end of the gasket defined by the corresponding housing cavity.

Such solution, as stated, allows to achieve some gaskets of the type set forth herein, which are equipped with sealing jutting annular lips that do not require further finishing work before the installation of the respective gasket.

According to the preferred embodiments, the aforesaid gaskets preferably have a maximum outer diameter in the range of <NUM> - <NUM>.

In a preferred embodiment of such a mould, the aforesaid housing cavity of the moulding material, made in a single solid body, preferably but not necessarily from solid, comprises at least one undercut extending circumferentially along a side wall of such cavity, in order to allow the aforementioned externally-jutting first lip and/or at least one undercut, which extends circumferentially along another side wall of the same cavity, to be made, in order to allow the aforesaid internally-jutting second lip to be made.

According to the preferred embodiments, as far as the aforesaid internally-jutting lip is concerned, the inner angle formed by the two sides of the lip that constitute its vertex (angled edge) is preferably in the range of <NUM>° - <NUM>°.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, the mould may comprise a plurality of housing cavities to house the moulding material and a corresponding plurality of clamping portions complementary to said cavities, in such a way as to be able to simultaneously produce a plurality of gaskets.

According to a preferred embodiment, such a mould with multiple housing cavities of the moulding material may further comprise at least one concave portion connected, when the mould is closed, to such plurality of housing cavities, for making, at the end of the moulding step, for example by injection or compression, a moulding material of a support for the aforementioned plurality of gaskets, which is made in one piece with such gaskets.

According to the preferred embodiments, the aforesaid support is preferably made in a substantially "disk-like" shape with a maximum diameter of the outer perimeter of the "disk-shaped" impression within the range of <NUM> - <NUM>.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention, together with the same invention, can be better understood through the following detailed description carried out, by way of example only, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, wherein:.

The invention will now be described, with reference to the accompanying figures, according to a preferred embodiment.

It is hereby intended that such invention relates to a mould, and a related moulding method, for making a gasket, preferably of polymeric material, which is substantially cylindrical with a generally annular section, of the type preferably usable in fluidic pistons and cylinders, for example silicone oil springs or dampers, of the type equipped, along the axis of symmetry of the same gasket, with a base end and a top end joined together by an outer, substantially longitudinally extending, side surface and by an inner, also substantially longitudinally extending, side surface, with a first annular lip jutting externally from the outer side surface and with a second annular lip jutting internally from the inner side surface.

Moreover, it is to be further noted herein that the expression "substantially cylindrical with a generally annular section" means that the gasket to which the present invention refers, is substantially tubular with a central, i.e. almost cylindrical, axis of symmetry and can have a section orthogonal to the respective axis of symmetry, which is annular but variable along such axis of symmetry in its dimensions, so that for example the inner cavity of such gasket can be tapered or even that the outer surface of the gasket can have some irregularities.

Again, as will be explained, it should be noted that the expression according to which the housing cavity of the moulding material is made of "a single solid body" means that such cavity is made of a solid body, preferably but not necessarily starting from solid, so that there is no need to compose multiple bodies, such as cores or carriages, to define such a cavity bearing the impression of the piece to be moulded.

With reference to <FIG>, the mould <NUM> described herein for making an annular gasket, according to an aspect of this invention and in an embodiment thereof, as is known in the art, consists of a fixed part <NUM> and a movable part <NUM> and it is configured to be removably inserted into an apparatus for moulding, preferably for injection moulding, a moulding material, such as, and preferably, a suitable polymeric material, such as nitrile rubber (NBR - Nitrile-Butadiene Rubber) or other elastomeric material such as, by way of example, hydrogenated nitrile rubber (HNBR - Hydrogenated Nitrile-Butadiene Rubber), silicone rubber (VMQ - Vinyl Methyl Silicone), fluorinated rubber (FKM - Fluoroelastomer, Viton®).

As shown in <FIG> and known, the fixed part <NUM> and the movable part <NUM> of the mould <NUM> can be coupled to each other in abutment along a closing surface <NUM>, in such a way as to define a shaped moulding cavity, which is reached by the fluid polymeric moulding material thanks, for example, to a plurality of injectors, known per se and not shown herein, formed in one or both parts <NUM>, <NUM> that constitute the mould <NUM>.

It should be noted that herein and hereinafter, a method and a respective mould for moulding at least one substantially cylindrical gasket, preferably with a generally annular section, and preferably usable in cylinder and piston mechanisms, will be described, which uses a method for injection moulding a moulding material, usually polymeric/elastomeric, which, as known, provides for the injection under pressure of such material in the fluid state into the mould <NUM>, when the latter is in its closed configuration. However, as the person skilled in the art may appreciate, the method depicted herein - and, unless obvious changes such as the elimination of injection holes, also the respective mould - can be implemented by using a compression moulding method, wherein a moulding material, preferably polymeric/elastomeric, is inserted between the fixed part <NUM> and the movable part <NUM> of the mould <NUM>, when obviously the mould <NUM> is open, so that the closing step of the mould <NUM> determines the compression moulding of such moulding material.

In the embodiment described herein with reference to <FIG>, the fixed part <NUM> of the mould <NUM> comprises a housing cavity <NUM> for the moulding material, which will constitute a gasket <NUM> object of the present invention. On the other hand, the movable part <NUM> of the mould <NUM> comprises a flat or convex clamping portion <NUM> complementary to the aforesaid housing cavity <NUM> and shaped, as will be explained, to define only the top end of such gasket <NUM> (in this regard, see <FIG> and <FIG>).

In other words, the housing cavity <NUM> has substantially the negative shape of the gasket <NUM> to be moulded, while the complementary clamping portion <NUM> defines the top end of such gasket <NUM>.

Such housing cavity <NUM> is formed in a single solid body, so that the entire impression of the piece to be moulded, defined by such cavity <NUM>, is made in a continuous solid.

Preferably, but not necessarily, also the clamping portion <NUM>, which can have an impression that defines the top end of the gasket <NUM>, can also be made in a single solid body.

It should be noted that, due the cylindrical symmetry of the gasket <NUM> to be made, both the movable part <NUM> and the fixed part <NUM> of the mould <NUM>, as well as the respective housing cavity <NUM> and the respective clamping portion <NUM>, also have cylindrical symmetry and therefore have a longitudinal symmetry axis.

It should be noted that, in a preferred embodiment, the fixed part <NUM> of the mould <NUM> may comprise a removable insert <NUM>, which includes the housing cavity <NUM> of the moulding material, and the movable part <NUM> of the mould <NUM> may also comprise a removable insert <NUM> which includes said flat or convex clamping portion <NUM> complementary to said housing cavity <NUM>.

Thus, in the embodiment illustrated herein, the single solid body within which the housing cavity <NUM> is made, consists of a removable insert <NUM>, in a single piece, arranged within a support belonging to one of the movable or fixed parts <NUM>, <NUM> of the mould <NUM> (in the case depicted, inside the fixed part <NUM> of the mould <NUM>).

However, as the person skilled in the art may well appreciate, if the part <NUM> or <NUM> of the mould <NUM> in which such cavity <NUM> is formed is without inserts, this housing cavity <NUM> is made directly in such part <NUM> or <NUM>, provided that it is made in a single solid body.

It is to be noted herein that although the accompanying figures and the respective description of the mould <NUM> refer to an embodiment according to which the housing cavity <NUM> is formed, or anyway present, in the fixed part <NUM> of the mould <NUM> and the respective clamping portion <NUM> is formed, or present, in the movable part <NUM> of the mould <NUM>, it is possible to alternatively provide for the presence of the housing cavity <NUM> in the movable part <NUM> of the mould <NUM> and the corresponding presence of the clamping portion <NUM> in the fixed part <NUM> of the same mould <NUM>, without thereby departing from the present invention.

Furthermore, the definition of "fixed part" and "movable part" of the mould <NUM>, as will be clear to the one skilled in the art, is entirely conventional and, although reflecting a preferred and normally used embodiment, is therefore not excluded that both parts may be movable with respect to the moulding equipment, preferably by injection under pressure or also by compression, within which the mould <NUM> is assembled.

With reference now to <FIG> and <FIG>, in which a cross-section of a gasket is depicted, which can be achieved with the mould <NUM> shown in <FIG>, it is noted that such gasket <NUM> is a substantially cylindrical gasket with a generally annular section, with a maximum outer diameter preferably in the range of <NUM>-<NUM>, and with an axis of symmetry denoted as Z, in which, along such axis of symmetry Z, a substantially flat base end <NUM> and a top end <NUM> which is developed along a multiform surface, are recognised, which are joined together by an outer, longitudinally extending, side surface <NUM> and by an inner, also longitudinally extending, side surface <NUM>.

The gasket <NUM> further comprises a first annular and preferably sharp-corner outer lip <NUM> or anyway equipped with a jutting tip (or angled edge), which protrudes on the outer side surface <NUM>, and a second, also annular and preferably sharp-corner inner lip <NUM> or equipped with a jutting tip (or angled edge), the inner angle formed by the two sides of the lip which constitute said jutting tip (or angled edge) preferably being comprised in the range of <NUM>° - <NUM>°, which is formed as protruding on the inner side surface <NUM>. In the particular embodiment of this gasket <NUM>, such outer lip <NUM> and such inner lip <NUM> are arranged near the top end <NUM>.

More particularly, this gasket <NUM> provides that the multiform surface constituting the top end <NUM> comprises in section, from the outside toward the inside of the same gasket <NUM>, a first outer annular portion, a concavity with a substantially "V"-shaped section and a further inner annular portion. Moreover, the inner side surface <NUM> is tapered internally toward the axis of symmetry Z, in such a way as to substantially define a truncated-cone portion separated from the first annular portion of the top end <NUM> thanks to the aforesaid concavity with a substantially "V"-shaped section, equipped internally with the aforesaid second inner lip <NUM>.

It should be noted that, although a gasket has been described herein and made according to a well-specified geometry and as the person skilled in the art will appreciate, any other geometry of such gasket which provides the latter being cylindrical with a generally annular section, even possibly variable along the axis of symmetry, and equipped with the aforesaid outer lip and inner lip, i.e. angled corners or edges, which are annular to achieve the mechanical and fluidic seal of such gasket, can alternatively be made thanks to the mould and the moulding method according to the present invention.

Referring now to the housing cavity <NUM> of the mould <NUM> shown herein and intended, together with the respective clamping portion <NUM>, to make the gasket <NUM>, with reference again to <FIG>, it is noted that such cavity <NUM> has a substantially cylindrical shape with an annular planform and comprises, along the axis of symmetry of such cavity <NUM>, a base end <NUM>' and a top end <NUM>' joined by an outer (longitudinally extending) side surface <NUM>' and an inner (longitudinally extending) side surface <NUM>', which are intended to define the respective ends <NUM>, <NUM> and the corresponding outer and inner side walls <NUM>, <NUM> of the gasket <NUM>.

The housing cavity <NUM> shown in <FIG> also has a first undercut <NUM>', i.e. a notch, formed circumferentially along the outer side wall <NUM>', to make the aforesaid first lip <NUM> jutting from the outermost surface <NUM> of the gasket <NUM>, and a second undercut <NUM>', i.e. at least one notch, which extends circumferentially on the inner side wall <NUM>' to make the aforesaid second lip <NUM> jutting onto the innermost surface <NUM> of the gasket <NUM>.

As stated, such housing cavity <NUM> is made in a single solid body and, consequently, also such undercuts or at least one of them, <NUM>', <NUM>' are made in such single solid body, in the embodiment shown herein consisting of an insert <NUM> of one of the movable and fixed parts <NUM>, <NUM> of the mould <NUM> (for example, as shown here by way of example, in the fixed part <NUM>).

On the other hand, the clamping portion <NUM> of the mould <NUM> has the negative shape of the surface only of the top end <NUM> and, therefore, has essentially only flat or convex portions, which define such top end <NUM> of the gasket <NUM>.

Preferably but not necessarily, also such clamping portion <NUM>, with the respective negative shape of the surface of the top end <NUM>, can be made in a single solid body which can be, for example, the aforementioned insert <NUM> of the movable part <NUM> of the mould <NUM>.

Also in this case, the person skilled in the art may well appreciate that also such shape of the clamping portion can be directly made in one of the two movable and fixed parts <NUM>, <NUM> of the mould <NUM>, which constitutes a single solid body, if no insert is present.

The closing surface <NUM> between the two parts of the mould <NUM>, previously set forth, will therefore comprise the clamping portion <NUM> previously mentioned, thus delimiting the top end <NUM> of the gasket <NUM> defined by the housing cavity <NUM> comprised in the fixed part <NUM> of the mould <NUM>, in the particular embodiment of the invention depicted herein.

Thanks to the presence of the undercuts <NUM>', <NUM>' in the cavity <NUM> of the mould <NUM>, jutting lips <NUM> and <NUM> are achieved on the moulded gasket <NUM>, which are particularly well defined, sharp-corner and particularly effective in ensuring the fluidic tightness and mechanical coupling when using such gasket <NUM> in oil dampers of the piston and cylinder type.

In fact, although it would be more logical to arrange in the mould <NUM> the impressions corresponding to such jutting lips <NUM>, <NUM> of the gasket <NUM> at the closing surface <NUM> of the movable and fixed parts <NUM>, <NUM> of the mould <NUM>, in order to avoid the uncomfortable presence of the aforesaid undercuts <NUM>', <NUM>', it has been found that the solution object of the present invention, in which the aforesaid housing cavity <NUM> of the moulding material, and therefore the respective undercuts <NUM>', <NUM>', is made in a single solid body, allows to improve unpredictably and significantly the quality of the aforesaid lips <NUM>, <NUM> of such gasket <NUM>.

With reference now to <FIG>, the mould <NUM>, according to another aspect of the present invention, can also be made in such a way as to comprise a plurality of housing cavities <NUM> made for example in this case in the fixed part <NUM> of the same mould <NUM>, and a corresponding plurality of clamping portions <NUM> complementary to said cavities <NUM> made in the movable part <NUM> of this mould <NUM>.

This arrangement is particularly advantageous in the continuous production of gaskets, allowing high productivity with very accurate quality control in relation to dimensional tolerances and possible surface defects.

In this case, one or more concavities <NUM> may also be present between the clamping portions <NUM>, in such a way as to define, at the end of the moulding step, a supporting portion <NUM> which joins, and is made in one piece with, the various gaskets <NUM> produced in the cavities <NUM>.

More particularly, in order to form this support <NUM> for the plurality of gaskets <NUM>, of the type shown for example in <FIG> and <FIG>, the mould <NUM>, for example in the movable part <NUM> of the latter, comprises at least one concave portion <NUM> made in such a way as to join the aforementioned clamping portions <NUM> of the various cavities <NUM> so that, once the mould <NUM> has been closed by joining the respective fixed part <NUM> with the corresponding movable part <NUM> and the injection moulding has been carried out (or alternatively, as stated, the compression moulding has been carried out during the mould closing), such support <NUM> is made and connected in one piece to the plurality of gaskets <NUM>.

In fact, at least such concave portion <NUM>, together with all the cavities <NUM> of the mould <NUM>, will be filled with the moulding material and at the end of the moulding step, for example preferably by injection, will give rise to a "disk-shaped" support <NUM> made in one piece with said plurality of gaskets <NUM> (see <FIG> and <FIG>).

In other words, the mould <NUM> depicted in <FIG> comprises a plurality of housing cavities <NUM> each made in a single solid body, and a corresponding plurality of clamping portions <NUM> complementary to such cavity <NUM>, for the simultaneous production of a plurality of gaskets <NUM>, each of which has a substantially cylindrical geometry depicted in <FIG> with a generally annular section, of the type comprising, along its own axis of symmetry, a base end <NUM> and a top end <NUM> joined together by an outer side surface <NUM> and an inner side surface <NUM>, a first annular lip <NUM> (or annular sharp-corner edge) jutting externally from the outer side surface <NUM> of the same gasket <NUM> and a second annular lip <NUM> (or annular sharp-corner edge) jutting internally from the inner side surface <NUM>.

This mould <NUM> further comprises at least one concave portion <NUM> which is connected, when the movable <NUM> and fixed <NUM> parts of the mould <NUM> are coupled to each other in abutment and therefore the mould <NUM> is closed, to the aforesaid plurality of housing cavities <NUM> in such a way as to constitute a suitable partitioning gap between the movable <NUM> and fixed <NUM> parts of the mould <NUM> and thus to make, at the end of the moulding step, preferably by injecting under pressure the moulding material, preferably polymeric/elastomeric, a support <NUM> made in one piece with said plurality of gaskets <NUM>, as depicted in <FIG>.

In other words, the mould <NUM> according to the particular embodiment shown in <FIG>, by providing for a partitioning gap <NUM> between the movable and fixed parts <NUM>, <NUM> of such mould <NUM>, allows to achieve a plurality of gaskets <NUM> constrained to each other by a support <NUM> at the end of the moulding step, as can be seen in <FIG>.

This solution allows to optimize the times and methods of use of the mould <NUM>, thus allowing the simultaneous production of a plurality of gaskets <NUM> at each complete cycle of the moulding method, for example and preferably of the injection type, with a very accurate quality control with regard to dimensional tolerances and possible surface defects.

Thus, by using the mould <NUM>, as can be noted from <FIG> and <FIG>, each gasket <NUM>, for example of the type depicted in <FIG> and <FIG>, is connected to the adjacent gaskets <NUM> by a substantially "disk-shaped" support <NUM> made in one piece with such gaskets <NUM> and comprising a portion joining together parts of the top end <NUM> of each gasket <NUM>. However, note that such support <NUM> does not affect the outer and inner lips <NUM>, <NUM> of each gasket <NUM>, so that the removal of the gaskets <NUM> from the respective support <NUM> does not involve such lips <NUM>, <NUM>, which therefore do not require further finishing to definitively achieve the respective gasket <NUM>.

Thanks to the moulds <NUM> and <NUM>, it is therefore possible to carry out the moulding method according to a preferred aspect of the present invention.

Such method is in fact aimed at producing one or more gaskets <NUM>, which have a substantially cylindrical shape with a generally annular section, such as the one depicted for example in <FIG> and <FIG>, each of which comprises, upon sliding along the axis of symmetry of this gasket <NUM>, a base end <NUM> and a top end <NUM> joined by an outer, longitudinally extending, side surface <NUM> and an inner, longitudinally extending, side surface <NUM>, a first annular lip <NUM> jutting externally from the outer side surface <NUM> and a second annular lip <NUM> jutting internally from the inner side surface <NUM>, preferably, but not necessarily, near or at the aforesaid top end <NUM>. This method, according to an aspect of the present invention and with reference first to the simplified mould <NUM> of <FIG>, comprises in sequence the steps of:.

As set forth above, the fixed part <NUM> or the movable part <NUM> of the mould <NUM> comprises, as stated, at least one housing cavity <NUM> of the moulding material and the movable part <NUM>, or the fixed part <NUM>, of the mould <NUM> comprises at least one flat or convex clamping portion <NUM> complementary to said housing cavity <NUM>, and wherein such at least one housing cavity <NUM> of the moulding material is made in a single solid body, preferably, but not necessarily, from solid.

The method, according to an advantageous aspect of the present invention, further provides that such housing cavity <NUM> is characterised by a first undercut <NUM>', which extends circumferentially to allow the making of said first lip <NUM> jutting from the outermost surface <NUM> of the gasket <NUM>, once the moulding has been carried out, and/or a second undercut <NUM>' extending circumferentially to allow the making of said second lip <NUM>, or angled edge, jutting from the innermost surface <NUM> of the gasket <NUM>, once the moulding has ended.

The method requires that the previously mentioned closing surface <NUM> between the two parts of the mould <NUM> comprise at least the aforesaid clamping portion <NUM> which delimits the top end <NUM> of the gasket <NUM>, which end is essentially defined by the housing cavity <NUM> of the mould <NUM> (in addition to the clamping portion <NUM>).

Even such clamping portion <NUM> can also be preferably, but not necessarily, made from solid, in a single solid body.

It should be noted that, as will become clear to the one skilled in the art, the step of moulding a moulding material between the fixed part <NUM> and the movable part <NUM> of the mould <NUM>, in order to form the aforesaid gasket <NUM>, can be selected from a step of injection moulding, comprising a step of injecting under pressure, or sending, a moulding material in the fluid state into/to said mould <NUM> after the step of closing the mould <NUM>, and a step of compression moulding, comprising a step of feeding a moulding material between the fixed part <NUM> and the movable part <NUM> of the mould <NUM>, before the step of closing the same mould <NUM>, which in this case causes the moulding of the gasket <NUM>.

At the end of the method for moulding, for example and preferably, injection moulding, the moulding material consisting, by way of example, of a polymeric material such as a nitrile rubber (NBR) or other elastomeric material, the method provides, in one of its particular embodiments, that when the mould <NUM> is opened, and therefore following the separation of the fixed part <NUM> from the movable part <NUM> of such mould <NUM>, the moulded gasket <NUM> can be removed, for example, thanks to the aid of a jet of compressed air emitted at the gasket <NUM> within the aforesaid cavity <NUM> of the mould <NUM>.

The method is applied, in an entirely equivalent and recurring manner, to a mould <NUM> of the type depicted for example in <FIG>, comprising a movable part <NUM> and a fixed part <NUM>, wherein a plurality of housing cavities <NUM> and a corresponding plurality of clamping portions <NUM> complementary to said cavities <NUM> are each made in a single solid body, for simultaneously producing a plurality of gaskets <NUM>.

In this case, as stated, the mould <NUM> can comprise at least one concave portion <NUM> connected, when the mould <NUM> is closed, to the aforesaid plurality of housing cavities <NUM>, which constitutes a partitioning gap between the movable <NUM> and fixed <NUM> parts of the mould <NUM>, to allow the making of a support <NUM> made in one piece with said plurality of gaskets <NUM>, at the end of the moulding step, for example carried out by injecting under pressure a polymeric moulding material.

It should be noted that also in this implementation of the method depicted herein, the moulding by which the aforesaid plurality of gaskets <NUM> are made can be of the type injecting under pressure a polymeric/elastomeric material, with the mould <NUM> closed, or it can be of the type compressing a polymeric/elastomeric material inserted with the mould <NUM> open, wherein the closing of the mould <NUM> causes the moulding of the polymeric/elastomeric material.

In this particular embodiment, the method provides for the step of removing the plurality of moulded gaskets <NUM> from the respective cavities <NUM> of the mould <NUM> with a step of emitting a jet of compressed air at said plurality of gaskets <NUM> and the respective support <NUM>, which are placed in the mould <NUM>.

The method may further comprise, at the end of such removing step from the mould <NUM>, a step of detaching the gaskets <NUM> from said support <NUM> by eliminating the filler moulding material of a segment-like shape, which constitutes the support <NUM>, through a low-intensity mechanic action (for example, punching by calibrated matched-mould, blanking, cryogenic deburring, grinding, cutting or other).

Claim 1:
Method for producing at least one substantially cylindrical gasket, preferably with a generally annular section, of the type comprising, along the axis of symmetry of the gasket (<NUM>), a base end (<NUM>) and a top end (<NUM>) joined by an outer side surface (<NUM>) and an inner side surface (<NUM>), a first annular lip (<NUM>) jutting externally from the outer side surface (<NUM>) of the gasket (<NUM>) and a second annular lip (<NUM>) jutting internally from the inner side surface (<NUM>), the method comprising in sequence the steps of:
• preparing a mould (<NUM>) with a fixed part (<NUM>) and a movable part (<NUM>), which can be coupled together in abutment along a closing surface (<NUM>);
• closing the mould (<NUM>) by sealingly coupling the fixed part (<NUM>) and the movable part (<NUM>) of the mould (<NUM>) to one another;
• moulding a moulding material between the fixed part (<NUM>) and the movable part (<NUM>) of the mould (<NUM>) for making said gasket (<NUM>);
• opening the mould (<NUM>) by separating the respective fixed part (<NUM>) from the movable part (<NUM>);
• removing the moulded gasket (<NUM>);
wherein the fixed part (<NUM>), or the movable part (<NUM>), of the mould (<NUM>) comprises at least one housing cavity (<NUM>) of the moulding material and the movable part (<NUM>), or the fixed part (<NUM>), of the mould (<NUM>) comprises at least one flat or convex clamping portion (<NUM>) complementary to said housing cavity (<NUM>),
characterised in that said at least one flat or convex clamping portion (<NUM>), delimits the aforesaid top end (<NUM>) of the gasket (<NUM>) and said at least one housing cavity (<NUM>) has substantially the negative shape of said gasket (<NUM>) to be moulded, and is made in a single solid body, so that the entire impression of the gasket (<NUM>) to be moulded, defined by such cavity (<NUM>), is made in a continuous solid.