JP7639670B2 - Mold Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a mold device.

A molding machine for molding a casting, such as a die casting machine, has a die device that forms a cavity corresponding to the shape of the casting. For example, the die device is composed of a fixed die and a movable die that is driven in a die opening/closing direction to approach and move away from the fixed die. When die casting is performed using such a molding machine, for example, a casting molded into a desired shape can be obtained by solidifying molten metal as a molding material injected into the cavity. Some die devices used for casting have, in addition to a fixed die and a movable die, a slide die that can move in a direction different from the die opening/closing direction of the movable die relative to the fixed die in order to mold the undercut portion of the casting.

Patent Document 1 discloses a casting mold device that includes a fixed mold, a movable mold, a slide mold that can move in a direction intersecting the direction of movement of the movable mold, a drive means (cylinder) that moves the slide mold in the direction, and a cam mechanism (first cam and cam groove) that moves the slide mold away from the casting when the movable mold is opened.

JP 2016-68090 A

However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 has low design freedom for the direction in which the slide die moves, and is therefore unable to accommodate cases where the slide die is required to move in various directions depending on the product shape. If there is a problem with the withdrawal of the slide die, there is a problem that excess material increases and blowholes occur in the casting, resulting in a decrease in casting quality.

The present invention was made to solve these problems, and aims to provide a mold device that allows a high degree of freedom in the direction of movement of the slide mold.

The mold device according to one embodiment includes a fixed mold, a movable mold that can move in the mold opening/closing direction to approach and move away from the fixed mold, a slide mold held by a slide holder slidably mounted on the movable mold, a slide block slidably mounted on the movable mold, an actuator that moves the slide holder via the slide block by a drive rod having a connecting member that can engage with a slot formed in the slide block moving back and forth along a direction substantially perpendicular to the mold opening/closing direction, and a cam mechanism for changing the moving direction of the slide holder, which can move within a plane substantially perpendicular to the mold opening/closing direction, to a direction different from the moving direction of the drive rod, and the cam mechanism includes a cam groove provided in the slide holder, and a cam pin provided in the slide block that moves within the cam groove while engaging with the cam groove.

The present invention makes it possible to provide a mold device that allows for a high degree of freedom in the direction of movement of the slide mold.

FIG. 2 is a first diagram showing a main part of the mold device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a second diagram showing a main part of the mold device according to the first embodiment. 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of a slide included in the mold device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 is a front view showing the movable platen side (including the second platen) of a molding machine including a mold device of a comparative example. FIG. FIG. 13 is a front view showing a movable mold included in a mold device of a comparative example. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a connection structure between an actuator and a slide holder in a mold device of a comparative example. FIG.

First embodiment
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The components shown in the drawings are only a part of the whole, and many other components that are not shown are actually included. Furthermore, in the following description, the same or equivalent elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

In the following explanation, the present invention will be embodied in a die-casting die apparatus that constitutes part of a die-casting machine that functions as a molding machine that molds cast products by pouring molten metal as a molding material into a cavity formed by the die apparatus and then cooling and solidifying the molten metal. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and can be applied to die apparatuses for die-casting to mold other cast products, or various die apparatuses for various casting processes such as low-pressure casting and gravity casting, as well as injection molding and blow molding.

First, a comparative mold apparatus M2 will be described as an example of a mold apparatus with a low degree of freedom in the direction of movement of the slide mold. The configuration of the comparative mold apparatus M2 will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 7. Fig. 5 is a front view showing the movable platen side (including the second platen) of a molding machine that includes the comparative mold apparatus. Fig. 6 is a front view showing a movable mold included in the comparative mold apparatus. Fig. 7 is a perspective view explaining the connection structure between the actuator and the slide holder in the comparative mold apparatus.

As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the mold device M2 of the comparative example mainly has a fixed mold attached to a fixed platen of the molding machine, a movable mold 9 attached to a movable platen 5 of the molding machine, and a slide 10a. The fixed platen and the movable platen 5 are arranged facing each other. The fixed mold and the movable mold 9 are attached to the opposing surfaces of the fixed platen and the movable platen 5, respectively. The movable mold 9 is movable in the mold opening/closing direction, approaching and moving away from the fixed mold. The mold opening/closing direction is, for example, a horizontal direction, which is the front-to-back direction in Figures 5 and 6.

In a molding machine having a mold device M2, a plurality of tie bars 7 are provided between a fixed platen and a support platen, and a movable platen 5 arranged between the fixed platen and the support platen is slidably inserted through the tie bars 7. The movable platen 5 moves the movable mold 9 in the mold opening/closing direction relative to the fixed mold, and is supported by the support platen via a mold opening/closing means for clamping the mold. The fixed platen is also provided with an injection means for injecting molten metal through a molding material introduction section for supplying the molten metal to the cavity. The movable mold 9 is equipped with an extrusion mechanism that pushes out the casting so that it can be removed.

A slide 10a is disposed between the fixed mold and the movable mold 9. If the extension direction of the actuator's operating axis (the axial direction of the drive rod 62 of the cylinder 61) (the forward and backward direction of the drive rod 62 of the cylinder 61) is defined as a first direction among the directions approximately perpendicular to the mold opening and closing direction of the movable mold 9 relative to the fixed mold, the mold device M2 of the comparative example has a structure for moving the slide mold 1a in the first direction.

The fixed mold, movable mold 9, and slide 10a each have a dedicated part, a general-purpose part, and an attachment/detachment mechanism that enables each dedicated part and each general-purpose part to be automatically attached and detached. The dedicated parts are parts that are replaced when changing stages, and the general-purpose parts are parts that are not replaced when changing stages.

These dedicated parts are held in a manner that allows them to be automatically attached and detached from the corresponding general-purpose parts by their respective dedicated attachment and detachment mechanisms, and the dedicated parts are automatically integrated with each other by an integration mechanism. The mold device M2 configured in this way is configured so that the dedicated parts can be changed as a single assembly while the general-purpose parts remain on the machine.

The following description focuses on the configuration of the movable side to which the slide 10a is attached. Figure 5 shows the components of the dedicated section. As shown in Figure 5, the movable platen 5 has a movable second platen 8 on the front surface facing the movable mold 9. In addition, on the surface of the movable second platen 8, which has a substantially rectangular shape, facing the movable mold 9, a cylinder mounting section 23 for mounting an actuator (cylinder 61), which will be described later, is fixed approximately at the center of each side. Each cylinder mounting section 23 has a rod recess 24 for accommodating a drive rod 62 of the cylinder 61, which will be described later, formed so as to extend in the first direction.

Figure 6 also shows the components of the general-purpose section. As shown in Figure 6, the movable mold 9 mainly comprises a movable insert 30 which forms the molding surface 33 of the cavity, and a movable main mold 31 which is attached to the movable second platen 8. The movable insert 30 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and a convex molding section 32 is provided at approximately the center of the surface facing the fixed mold. The surface of the movable insert 30 facing the fixed mold has four recesses 34 which slidably hold the four slide molds 1a, and these recesses 34 are formed in four locations in a substantially cross shape from the center toward each side.

The movable insert 30 is attached in a positioned state at approximately the center of the movable main mold 31. The movable main mold 31 also has a pair of support parts 40 formed in correspondence with each slide 10a. The slide holder 2a of the slide 10a is disposed between the support parts 40.

The slide 10a includes a slide mold 1a that forms the molding surface 33 of the cavity, a slide holder 2a that holds the slide mold 1a, a slide key 41 for sliding the slide holder 2a, an actuator for driving the slide mold 1a to open and close, and a connecting means for connecting the slide holder 2a to the actuator. A plurality of sets (e.g., four sets) of the slide mold 1a, slide holder 2a, and slide key 41 are radially arranged around the movable main mold 31 as a dedicated part. In addition, four actuators are radially arranged around the movable second platen 8 as a general-purpose part to correspond to the slide mold 1a, slide holder 2a, and slide key 41.

The slide mold 1a is slidably inserted into each of the recesses 34 of the movable insert 30. The slide mold 1a is positioned and held relative to the slide holder 2a, so it can be smoothly inserted into the recesses 34 of the movable insert 30.

The slide holder 2a is guided to slide in the first direction along the slide key 41 protruding from the front of the movable main mold 31 with its back surface in sliding contact with the front of the movable main mold 31. When the actuator is driven with the movable mold 9 (movable main mold 31) attached to the movable second platen 8, the slide molds 1a held by each slide holder 2a advance from the standby position toward the cavity, and a cavity is formed around the molding portion 32 of the movable insert 30 as the slide molds 1a collide with each other. The slide holder 2a also has a connected member 3 protruding from the end opposite to the side where the slide mold 1a is attached.

A pair of slide keys 41 are provided on the opposing sides of the pair of support parts 40 so as to be parallel to the first direction, which is the movement direction of the slide holder 2a, and both ends of the slide holder 2a are slidably engaged with the slide keys 41.

Returning to FIG. 5, the actuator is a hydraulic cylinder 61 that drives the connecting member 72 of the connecting means to move forward and backward. The actuator is fixed to the periphery of the movable second platen 8 (e.g., the outer end surface of the cylinder mounting portion 23) with the driving rod 62 of the cylinder 61 inserted into the rod recess 24 of the cylinder mounting portion 23 provided on the movable second platen 8. In this embodiment, the driving rod 62 is driven to extend and retract in any of four orthogonal directions, the vertical direction along the first direction and the horizontal direction.

The actuator is attached to the cylinder attachment portion 23 of the fixed main mold 21. Because the actuator is mounted on the movable second platen 8 as a general-purpose portion, it does not need to be replaced when changing stages. This allows for cost reduction compared to when the actuator is attached to the dedicated portion.

The connecting means includes a T-shaped slot 4 consisting of a vertical slot extending in a direction perpendicular to the first direction and a horizontal slot extending in the first direction, and a connecting member 72 having a T-shaped head portion 73 at its tip that can engage with the slot 4. The connecting member 72 is a cylindrical member as a whole, and has an H-shaped cross section in the direction of its central axis, and is arranged so that the central axis direction is parallel to the first direction.

The slot 4 is formed at the base end of the connected member 3 on the side opposite the cavity. The slot 4 is recessed from the end face of the connected member 3 on the movable platen 5 side toward the fixed mold side so that the cross section is semicircular. The rear end of the connecting member 72 is connected to the tip of the drive rod 62 of the cylinder 61. The connecting member 72 is provided so that its tip protrudes toward the slide holder 2a side. As shown in FIG. 7, the head portion 73 is engaged with the slot 4, thereby connecting the slide holder 2a to the drive rod 62 of the cylinder 61 via the connecting means.

When closing the die during die casting with the mold device M2 configured in this manner, the drive rod 62 of the cylinder 61 is extended, and the connecting member 72 presses the slide holder 2a inward toward the cavity via the connected member 3, so that the slide mold 1a held by the slide holder 2a moves forward along the first direction within the recess 34 of the movable insert 30.

When die casting is completed and the mold is opened, the driving rod 62 of the cylinder 61 is driven to retract, so that the connecting member 72 presses the slide holder 2a outward away from the cavity via the connected member 3, and the slide die 1a held by the slide holder 2a moves backward along the first direction within the recess 34 of the movable insert 30.

In this way, in the comparative mold device M2, an actuator (cylinder 61) is provided that drives the slide holder 2a, which is a dedicated part, in one of four orthogonal directions relative to the movable second platen 8, which is a general-purpose part, thereby realizing the movement of the slide mold 1a provided on the movable mold 9. Therefore, the dedicated part can be made to have a simple and slim structure.

However, in the case of the mold device M2 of the comparative example described above, the movement direction of the slide mold 1a is limited to only the first direction in which the drive rod 62 of the cylinder 61 extends and retracts. In the configuration of the mold device M2 of the comparative example, the degree of freedom of the movement direction of the slide mold 1a is low, so it cannot accommodate cases where it is required to move the slide mold 1a in a direction other than the first direction depending on the product shape.

In contrast, the mold device M1 of this embodiment has a cam mechanism for changing the moving direction of the slide die 1b to a second direction different from the first direction when the forward/backward direction of the drive rod 62 is the first direction. This increases the degree of freedom of the moving direction of the slide die 1b. In the following explanation, the second direction is assumed to be a direction that forms an acute angle θ with respect to the first direction (see FIG. 3).

The configuration of the mold device M1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a first diagram showing the main parts of the mold device according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a second diagram showing the main parts of the mold device according to the first embodiment.

The mold device M1 of this embodiment has a common configuration with the mold device M2 of the comparative example, except for the structure for moving the slide mold 1b. Therefore, only the main parts of the mold device M1 are shown, and the same components are given the same reference numerals, and the differences from the mold device M2 are mainly described. Figures 1 and 2 are front views of the movable main mold 31 in a state in which an actuator provided on the cylinder mounting portion 23 of the movable second platen 8 is connected, and show the vicinity of one of the four slides 10b. Also, Figure 1 shows the slide mold 1b in a closed state, and Figure 2 shows the slide mold 1b in an open state.

The mold device M1 according to this embodiment has a fixed mold, a movable mold 9 that can move in the mold opening and closing direction to approach and move away from the fixed mold, a slide mold 1b held by a slide holder 2b slidably provided on the movable mold 9, and a slide block 80 slidably provided on the movable mold 9. The mold device M1 also has an actuator that moves the slide holder 2b via the slide block 80 by the drive rod 62 having a connecting member 72 that can engage with a slot 4 formed in the slide block 80 moving forward and backward along a direction approximately perpendicular to the mold opening and closing direction, and a cam mechanism for changing the moving direction of the slide holder 2b that can move in a plane approximately perpendicular to the mold opening and closing direction to a direction different from the advancing and retreating direction of the drive rod 62. The cam mechanism has a cam groove 91 provided in the slide holder 2b, and a cam pin 93 provided in the slide block 80 and moving within the cam groove 91 while engaging with the cam groove 91.

The mold device M1 has a slide 10b instead of the slide 10a of the mold device M2 of the comparative example. The slide 10b of the mold device M1 is configured to include a slide mold 1b as a dedicated part, a slide holder 2b, and a slide block 80. The slide 10b further includes a first slide key 141 for sliding the slide block 80, a second slide key 142 for sliding the slide holder 2b, an actuator, a connecting means, and a cam mechanism.

In the movable main mold 31, a pair of support parts 140 are formed corresponding to each slide 10b so as to be capable of supporting a pair of first slide keys 141 and a pair of second slide keys 142. Between each support part 140, the slide holder 2b of the slide 10b and the slide block 80 are disposed. On the opposing sides of the pair of support parts 140, a pair of first slide keys 141 are provided parallel to the first direction which is the moving direction of the slide block 80, and both ends of the slide block 80 are slidably engaged with the pair of first slide keys 141. On the opposite side to the opposing sides of the pair of support parts 140, a pair of second slide keys 142 are provided parallel to the second direction which is the moving direction of the slide holder 2b, and both ends of the slide holder 2b are slidably engaged with the pair of second slide keys 142.

The slide mold 1b, which forms the molding surface 33 of the cavity, is slidably inserted into each of the recesses 134 formed in the movable insert 30. Here, the recesses 134 formed in the movable insert 30 slidably hold the slide mold 1b, and are formed radially from the center toward each side so as to be parallel to the second direction.

The slide holder 2b, which holds the slide mold 1b, has a curved shape so that both ends can engage with the second slide key 142. The slide holder 2b is provided with a pair of upper and lower cam grooves 91 that penetrate in the mold opening and closing direction. The cam groove 91 is a groove that extends obliquely from the upper end close to the cavity toward the lower end and away from the cavity in the vertical and horizontal directions. The cam groove 91 is formed in a position away from the end where the slide mold 1b is attached. A pair of keys 92 is provided at both ends along the extension direction of the cam groove 91.

The slide block 80 is provided so as to be slidable between the slide holder 2b and the movable main mold 31. At the tip of the slide block 80 on the cavity side, on the front surface facing the slide holder 2b, a pair of upper and lower cam pins 93 protrude, which can engage with a pair of upper and lower cam grooves 91, respectively. The cam pins 93 axially support a cam roller 94 so as to be freely rotatable.

The cam pin 93 of the slide block 80 engages with the cam groove 91 of the slide holder 2b, so that the slide holder 2b and the slide block 80 move in conjunction with each other. As the cam pin 93 engages with the cam groove 91 and moves within the cam groove 91, the cam roller 94 rolls while sliding against the key 92. In other words, the slide holder 2b and the slide block 80 are arranged to be movable relative to each other via the cam mechanism.

The slide block 80 is slidably guided in a first direction along a first slide key 141 protruding from the front surface of the movable main mold 31, with its back surface in sliding contact with the front surface of the movable main mold 31. The slide holder 2b is slidably guided in a second direction along a second slide key 142 protruding from the front surface of the movable main mold 31, with its back surface in sliding contact with the front surface of the slide block 80.

The configuration on the movable second platen 8 side is similar to that of the comparative mold device M2 described in Figure 5, with four actuators each attached to a cylinder mounting portion 23 and arranged radially around the movable second platen 8.

The connecting means for connecting the slide holder 2b to the actuator includes a T-shaped slot 4 and a connecting member 72 having a T-shaped head portion 73 at its tip that can engage with the slot 4, similar to the mold device M2 of the comparative example. The slot 4 is formed at the base end of the slide block 80 opposite the cavity. The rear end of the connecting member 72 is connected to the tip of the drive rod 62 of the cylinder 61. The connecting member 72 is provided so that its tip protrudes toward the slide block 80, and the head portion 73 is engaged with the slot 4 to connect the slide block 80 to the drive rod 62 of the cylinder 61 via the connecting means.

The operation of the slide 10b in the mold device M1 configured in this manner will be described in detail with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram explaining the operation of the slide included in the mold device according to the first embodiment. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 3. The left side of Figures 3 and 4 shows a schematic diagram of the slide 10b when the slide mold 1b shown in Figure 1 is in a mold closed state, and the right side of Figures 3 and 4 shows a schematic diagram of the slide 10b when the slide mold 1b shown in Figure 2 is in a mold open state. The cross-sectional view of Figure 4 shows a combination of cross sections of each component so that the operation of the slide 10b can be understood.

In the die device M1, when closing the die during die casting, the drive rod 62 of the cylinder 61 is extended, and the connecting member 72 presses the slide block 80 inward toward the cavity, so that the slide block 80 moves forward along the first direction. While the cam pin 93 moves forward along the first direction with the forward movement of the slide block 80, the cam pin 93 presses the slide holder 2b inward along the second direction (diagonally downward to the left in Figures 3 and 4). As a result, in conjunction with the forward movement of the slide block 80 in the first direction, the slide holder 2b moves forward by the movement distance L toward the inside along the second direction. As a result, the slide die 1b moves forward together with the slide holder 2b along the second direction within the recess 134 of the movable side insert 30, and the die is closed.

When die casting is completed and the mold is opened, the drive rod 62 of the cylinder 61 is driven to retract, so that the connecting member 72 presses the slide block 80 outward away from the cavity, causing the slide block 80 to move backward along the first direction. While the cam pin 93 moves backward along the first direction as the slide block 80 moves backward, the cam pin 93 presses the slide holder 2b outward along the second direction (diagonally upward to the right in Figs. 3 and 4). As a result, in conjunction with the backward movement of the slide block 80 in the first direction, the slide holder 2b moves backward by the movement distance L toward the outside along the second direction. As a result, the slide mold 1b moves backward together with the slide holder 2b along the second direction within the recess 134 of the movable side insert 30, and the mold is opened.

As described above, by using the die device M1 according to this embodiment, the die can be opened by pulling out the slide die 1b in a direction different from the direction parallel to the operating axis of the actuator for driving the slide die 1b to open and close. In this way, the die device M1 has a high degree of freedom in the direction of movement of the slide die 1b, so the slide die 1b can be moved in various directions depending on the product shape. Therefore, the die device M1 according to this embodiment can smoothly pull out the slide die 1b. As a result, it is possible to improve the casting quality by suppressing the increase in excess material and the occurrence of blowholes that can occur when there is a problem with the pulling out of the slide die 1b.

Reference Signs List 1a, 1b Slide molds 2a, 2b Slide holder 3 Connected member 4 Slot 5 Movable platen 7 Tie bar 8 Movable second platen 9 Movable mold 10a, 10b Slide 34, 134 Recess 23 Cylinder attachment portion 24 Rod recess 30 Movable insert 31 Movable main mold 32 Molding portion 33 Molding surface 40, 140 Support portion 41 Slide key 61 Cylinder 62 Drive rod 72 Connecting member 73 Head portion 80 Slide block 91 Cam groove 92 Key 93 Cam pin 94 Cam roller 141 First slide key 142 Second slide key L Travel distance M1, M2 Mold device

Claims (1)

A fixed mold;
A movable mold that is movable in a mold opening/closing direction to approach and move away from the fixed mold;
a slide mold held by a slide holder slidably provided on the movable mold;
a slide block slidably provided on the movable die;
an actuator that moves the slide holder via the slide block by moving a drive rod having a connecting member that can be engaged with a slot formed in the slide block back and forth along a direction substantially perpendicular to the mold opening and closing direction;
a cam mechanism for changing a moving direction of the slide holder, which is movable within a plane substantially perpendicular to the mold opening/closing direction, to a direction different from the advancing/retracting direction of the drive rod;
having
The cam mechanism includes:
a cam groove provided in the slide holder;
a cam pin that is provided on the slide block and moves within the cam groove while engaging with the cam groove;
A mold apparatus having the above structure.

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