JP7759819B2 - Mold device and foam manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a mold apparatus and a method for manufacturing a foam using this mold apparatus.

Conventionally, mold assemblies for foam molding have been known that have upper and lower mold halves that are divided vertically. Such foam molding dies produce foams by foaming the foaming raw material within a cavity formed when the upper and lower mold halves are closed.

In such a mold device, the ends of the upper and lower dies are clamped by a clamping mechanism (see, for example, Patent Document 1). By clamping the upper and lower dies in this way, the gap around the cavity is closed, preventing the foaming raw material from leaking around the cavity and causing burrs in the foam.

Publication number 3-15286

In such a mold device, the clamping mechanism switches between a pressing position, in which the upper and lower dies are pressed together, and a release position, in which the upper and lower dies are released from the pressing position. The mold device opens when the clamping mechanism is in the release position. At this time, it is preferable that the mold device be able to open smoothly without interference between the clamping mechanism and other devices. The object of this disclosure is to provide a mold device that allows smooth mold opening in a smaller space, and a method for manufacturing foam using this mold device.

The mold apparatus according to the present disclosure has a first mold and a second mold, and is configured to close the first mold and the second mold to form a cavity. The mold apparatus is equipped with a first displacement portion and a second displacement portion. The first displacement portion is provided on a first surface of the first mold and is displaceable in a first direction between a first pressing position and a first release position. The first displacement portion presses the second mold against the first mold when positioned at the first pressing position, and releases the pressure when positioned at the first release position. The second displacement portion is provided on a second surface intersecting the first surface and is displaceable in the same direction as the first direction between a second pressing position and a second release position. The second displacement portion presses the second mold against the first mold when positioned at the second pressing position, and releases the pressure when positioned at the second release position.

The foam manufacturing method disclosed herein involves pouring foaming raw material into the cavity of the above-mentioned mold device, and then foaming and curing the foaming raw material within the cavity to form the foam.

With this mold device, the first displacement portion provided on the first surface and the second displacement portion provided on the second surface intersecting the first surface are displaced in the same direction. This reduces the space required for the first displacement portion and the second displacement portion to move when pressing the second mold against the first mold. As a result, the mold device can mold a foam in a smaller space without interfering with other devices. As a result, with this mold device, molds can be opened smoothly in a smaller space. Furthermore, a foam manufacturing method using such a mold device can efficiently produce foams with fewer flashes.

This disclosure provides a mold apparatus that allows smooth mold opening in a smaller space, and a method for manufacturing foam using this mold apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the mold device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a plan view of a mold device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a first lever according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a second lever according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a lever ratio of a mold device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an operating state of a mold device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. 10A and 10B are views showing the operation of a mold device according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of a mold apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the left-right direction corresponds to the width direction of the mold apparatus 1, and the front-rear direction corresponds to the depth direction of the mold apparatus 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the mold apparatus 1 has a lower mold (an example of a first mold) 2 and an upper mold (an example of a second mold) 4, and the lower mold 2 and the upper mold 4 are closed to form a cavity C. The mold apparatus 1 is an apparatus that injects a foaming raw material into the cavity C and foams and hardens the foaming raw material to form a foam. In this embodiment, the foaming raw material is a foaming resin raw material that is a mixture of a liquid A mainly containing a polyol and a liquid B mainly containing an isocyanate. The cavity C is formed into a shape that corresponds to, for example, an energy absorbing material used in automobiles. However, the cavity C is not limited to this and various shapes can be applied.

The lower mold 2 and the upper mold 4 are generally rectangular parallelepiped structures extending in the front-to-rear, left-to-right, and up-down directions. In this embodiment, the up-to-down direction roughly coincides with the direction of gravity and intersects with the left-to-right and front-to-rear directions. In other words, the left-to-right and front-to-rear directions roughly coincide with the horizontal direction. As shown in FIG. 2 , the lower mold 2 and the upper mold 4 are rectangular in plan view, with a short side d extending in the left-to-right direction and a long side w extending in the front-to-rear direction. The first surface M1, which will be described later, is a surface that includes the short side d of the lower mold 2 and extends in the up-to-down and left-to-right directions. The second surface M2 is a surface that includes the long side w of the lower mold 2 and extends in the up-to-down and front-to-rear directions. In other words, the first surface M1 and the second surface M2 are two adjacent side surfaces of the mold device 1.

In the mold device 1, the lower mold 2 and upper mold 4 are closed with the joining surface E as the mating surface. The joining surface E extends in a substantially horizontal direction. The lower mold 2 and upper mold 4 open and close in the vertical direction via a hinge h provided on the side opposite the first surface M1.

The mold device 1 includes a first lever (an example of a first displacement portion) 6, a second lever (an example of a second displacement portion) 8, a link mechanism (an example of an interlocking portion) 10, a first receiving portion 11, and a second receiving portion 12.

As shown in Figure 3, the first lever 6 is a fixing device that maintains the upper mold 4 pressed against the lower mold 2 at the short side d of the mold device 1 by displacing between the first pressing position P1 and the first release position L1. In other words, the first lever 6 applies a force in the vertical direction to the lower mold 2 and upper mold 4 at the first pressing position P1 to fix them.

At the first release position L1, the first lever 6 completely releases the force acting on the lower mold 2 and upper mold 4 in the vertical direction. This allows the upper mold 4 to rotate upward around the hinge h as a fulcrum. In this embodiment, the first release position L1 is the maximum displacement position of the first lever 6, opposite the first pressing position P1.

The first lever 6 is provided on the first surface M1 of the lower mold 2. In this embodiment, two first levers 6 are provided side by side in the left-right direction on the first surface M1. The first lever 6 has a first shaft 61, a handle (an example of an operating part) 62, and a first pressing part 63. The first shaft 61 extends in the left-right direction along the first surface M1. The handle 62 extends in a direction intersecting the first shaft 61. In this embodiment, the handle 62 is a rod member extending in the front-rear direction. The handle 62 is fixed to a connecting member 6b that connects the two first levers 6 in the left-right direction. The first pressing part 63 extends in a direction intersecting the first shaft 61. In this embodiment, the first pressing part 63 is a plate-shaped member extending in the up-down direction. That is, the first shaft 61, the handle 62, and the first pressing part 63 extend in directions intersecting each other. The handle 62 and first pressing portion 63 are connected via a first shaft 61, and when the handle 62 is operated in the vertical direction, the first pressing portion 63 rotates around the first shaft 61. In other words, the first lever 6 swings around the first shaft 61 and displaces along the first direction S1.

In this embodiment, the first lever 6 swings around the first axis 61 between a first pressing position P1 and a first release position L1 by operating the handle 62 in the vertical direction. When the first lever 6 is positioned at the first pressing position P1, the first lever 6 presses the upper mold 4 against the lower mold 2 via the first pressing portion 63. When the first lever 6 is positioned at the first release position L1, the first lever 6 completely releases the pressure.

The first pressing portion 63 includes a bridge 64. The bridge 64 is rotatable around a rotation axis 65 that is substantially parallel to the first axis 61. Meanwhile, a first receiving portion 11 is provided on the third surface M3 of the upper mold 4, which corresponds to the first surface M1 of the lower mold 2. The first receiving portion 11 includes a first receiving surface 111 that corresponds to the shape of the bridge 64. At least a portion of the first receiving surface 111 is formed with a radius of curvature that corresponds to the diameter of the bridge 64, and is a curved surface that is concave downward in the vertical direction.

When the first lever 6 is located at the first pressing position P1, the piece 64 applies a pressing force along the downward vertical direction to the first receiving surface 111 of the first receiving portion 11. Meanwhile, the first receiving surface 111 applies a reaction force to the piece 64 that is equal in magnitude to the pressing force. As a result, when the first lever 6 is located at the first pressing position P1, the first pressing portion 63 and the first receiving portion 11 can press against each other in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the first lever 6 is located at the first pressing position P1, the first lever 6 can press the upper mold 4 against the lower mold 2 and maintain the pressed state.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the first lever 6 maintains the lower mold 2 and the upper mold 4 in a pressed state by the bridge 64 of the first pressing portion 63 and the first receiving surface 111 of the first receiving portion 11 pressing against each other. However, this is not a limitation, and various pressing methods using the first lever 6 can be applied. For example, the first receiving portion 11 may be provided with a bridge including a rotation axis substantially parallel to the first axis 61, and the first lever 6 may be provided with a curved surface corresponding to the shape of the bridge. This allows the receiving surface of the first lever 6 to ride up on the bridge of the first receiving portion 11 as the first lever 6 moves to the first pressing position P1. Therefore, when the first lever 6 is located at the first pressing position P1, the first lever 6 and the first receiving portion 11 can be pressed against each other. As a result, when the first lever 6 is located at the first pressing position P1, the mold device 1 can be maintained in a pressed state.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the second levers 8 are provided on a second surface M2 that intersects with the first surface M1. In this embodiment, two second levers 8 are provided on each of the second surfaces M2 in the left and right directions of the mold device 1. Also, in this embodiment, two second levers 8 are provided on one of the left and right directions. However, the number of second levers 8 can be changed to match the size of the lower mold 2 and the upper mold 4. As shown in Figure 4, the second lever 8 has a second shaft 81, a second pressing portion 82, and a pressing surface 83. The second shaft 81 is provided to protrude from the second surface M2 and extends approximately parallel to the first shaft 61. The second pressing portion 82 extends in a direction that intersects with the second shaft 81.

The second pressing portion 82 is a plate-shaped member that can rotate in the same direction as the first pressing portion 63. The link mechanism 10, which will be described later, is connected to the second pressing portion 82 of the second lever 8. This allows the second lever 8 to rotate about the second shaft 81 via the link mechanism 10.

In this embodiment, the second lever 8 swings around the second axis 81 between a second pressing position P2 and a second release position L2. The second pressing position P2 is the position of the second lever 8 when the mold device 1 is in a pressing state. On the other hand, the second release position L2 is the maximum displacement position of the second lever 8, opposite the second pressing position P2. When the second lever 8 is located at the second pressing position P2, it presses the upper mold 4 against the lower mold 2 via the second pressing portion 82. When the second lever 8 is located at the second release position L2, it completely releases the pressure.

In addition, in the mold device 1 of the first embodiment, the distance from the first shaft 61 to the bridge 64 (see R2 in Figure 5) is equal to the distance from the second shaft 81 to the pressing surface 83 (see R4 in Figure 5). Therefore, the second pressing portion 82 extends approximately parallel to the first pressing portion 63, rotates around the second shaft 81, and displaces along the same direction and with the same rotation radius as the first direction S1. In other words, the second lever 8 swings around the second shaft 81 and displaces along the same direction and with the same rotation radius as the first direction S1 between the second pressing position P2 and the second release position L2.

A pressing surface 83 is formed on the second pressing portion 82. In this embodiment, the pressing surface 83 is a plane extending generally horizontally. Meanwhile, a second receiving portion 12 is provided on the fourth surface M4 of the upper mold 4, which corresponds to the second surface M2 of the lower mold 2. The second receiving portion 12 has a second receiving surface (an example of a receiving surface) 121. In this embodiment, the second receiving surface 121 is a top that rotates around an axis that protrudes from the fourth surface M4 generally parallel to the second axis 81. In other words, the second receiving surface 121 is a surface that follows the second axis 81 and corresponds to the shape of the pressing surface 83.

When the second lever 8 is located at the second pressing position P2, the pressing surface 83 of the second pressing portion 82 applies a pressing force along the lower side in the vertical direction to the second receiving surface 121 of the second receiving portion 12. Meanwhile, the second receiving surface 121 applies a reaction force to the pressing surface 83 of the second pressing portion 82 that is equal in magnitude to the pressing force. As a result, when the second lever 8 is located at the second pressing position P2, the second pressing portion 82 and the second receiving portion 12 can press against each other in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the second lever 8 is located at the second pressing position P2, the second lever 8 can press the upper mold 4 against the lower mold 2 at least in the direction in which the lower mold 2 and the upper mold 4 close, thereby maintaining the pressed state.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the second lever 8 maintains the lower mold 2 and the upper mold 4 in a pressed state by the pressing surface 83 of the second pressing portion 82 and the second receiving surface 121 of the second receiving portion 12 pressing against each other. However, this is not a limitation, and various pressing methods using the second lever 8 can be applied. For example, the pressing surface 83 of the second lever 8 may be configured as a bridge including a rotation axis substantially parallel to the second axis 81. Meanwhile, the second receiving surface 121 of the second receiving portion 12 may be a curved surface corresponding to the shape of the bridge that is the pressing surface 83. This allows the bridge that is the pressing surface 83 to ride up onto the second receiving surface 121 of the second receiving portion 12 as the second lever 8 moves to the second pressing position P2. Therefore, when the second lever 8 is positioned at the second pressing position P2, the second lever 8 and the second receiving portion 12 can be pressed against each other. As a result, when the second lever 8 is located at the second pressing position P2, the mold device 1 can be maintained in a pressing state.

1 and 2, the link mechanism 10 is a synchronous link mechanism that connects the first lever 6 and the second lever 8 and synchronizes the first lever 6 and the second lever 8. In this embodiment, one link mechanism 10 is arranged along each of the second surfaces M2 in the left and right directions of the mold apparatus 1. The link mechanism 10 has a first link 101, a rod 102, and a second link 103. The link mechanism 10 transmits the movement of the first link 101 provided on the first lever 6 side to the second lever 8 via the rod 102 and the second link 103. In other words, the link mechanism 10 links the first lever 6 and the second lever 8. As a result, when the first lever 6 is displaced between the first release position L1 and the first pressing position P1, the displacement of the second lever 8 between the second release position L2 and the second pressing position P2 can be synchronized with the first lever 6. Conversely, when the second lever 8 is displaced between the second release position L2 and the second pressing position P2, the displacement of the first lever 6 between the first release position L1 and the first pressing position P1 can also be synchronized with the second lever 8. As a result, the mold device 1 can press the upper mold 4 against the lower mold 2 in conjunction with each other at at least two locations. This allows the mold device 1 to press the upper mold 4 against the lower mold 2 simultaneously at at least two locations with a single operation. As a result, the mold device 1 can efficiently produce foams with minimal flash.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first link 101 connects the first lever 6 and the rod 102. The first link 101 is a rotation axis that extends approximately parallel to the first shaft 61. In this embodiment, the first link 101 connects two first levers 6, and the connecting member 6b to which the handle 62 is connected serves as the rotation axis of the first link 101. That is, the first pressing portion 63 of the first lever 6 has the bridge 64 located near one end and the handle 62 and first link 101 located near the other end, with the first shaft 61 sandwiched between them.

As a result, when the handle 62 of the first lever 6 is operated downward in the vertical direction, the first pressing portion 63 rotates around the first axis 61 in the first direction S1 from the first pressing position P1 toward the first release position L1. At this time, the first link 101 moves on an arc centered on the first axis 61. That is, as shown by the first link 101 moving from the solid line to the virtual line in Figure 3, when the handle 62 is operated downward in the vertical direction, the first link 101 moves rearward while approaching the lower mold 2. Furthermore, the rod 102 moves rearward in the front-to-rear direction as the first link 101 moves.

On the other hand, when the handle 62 of the first lever 6 is operated upward in the vertical direction, the first pressing portion 63 rotates around the first axis 61 in the first direction S1 from the first release position L1 toward the first pressing position P1. At this time, the first link 101 moves on an arc centered on the first axis 61. That is, as shown by the first link 101 moved from the imaginary line to the solid line in Figure 3, when the handle 62 is operated upward in the vertical direction, the first link 101 moves forward in the front-to-rear direction while moving away from the lower mold 2. Furthermore, the rod 102 moves forward in the front-to-rear direction in conjunction with the movement of the first link 101. In this way, the first link 101 moves forward in the front-to-rear direction in conjunction with the swinging of the first lever 6, thereby moving the rod 102 in the front-to-rear direction.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rod 102 is a rod-shaped member extending in the front-to-rear direction. In this embodiment, the rod 102 is arranged adjacent to the second surface M2 of the lower mold 2. A first link 101 is arranged on one side of the rod 102. A second link 103 is arranged on the other side of the rod 102. As a result, the rod 102 moves generally in the front-to-rear direction in conjunction with the swinging of the first lever 6. In this embodiment, because there are two second levers 8 on one of the left-to-right surfaces, there are also two second links 103.

The rod 102 is positioned between the parting surface E and the lower end of the lower mold 2 in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the rod 102 is positioned between the parting surface E and the lower end of the lower mold 2 in the vertical direction whether the mold device 1 is in a pressed state or a released state. In other words, the rod 102 moves within the range of the second surface M of the lower mold 2 in a side view. As a result, the rod 102 always moves in the vertical direction without protruding beyond the lower end of the mold device 1. This allows the mold device 1 to be configured compactly.

The second link 103 connects the rod 102 and the second lever 8. The second link 103 is a rotation axis that extends approximately parallel to the second shaft 81. That is, the first shaft 61, the first link 101, the second shaft 81, and the second link 103 extend generally along the left-right direction and are arranged so as to be approximately parallel to one another. As shown in FIG. 4 , the second link 103 is arranged on the opposite side of the second shaft 81 from the pressing surface 83 of the second pressing portion 82 in the up-down direction. As a result, when the rod 102 moves, the second lever 8 rotates around the second shaft 81 in the same direction as the first direction S1. Therefore, the rod 102 can transmit the movement of the first lever 6 to the second lever 8. As a result, by operating the handle 62 of the first lever 6, the first lever 6 and the second lever 8 can be moved in unison.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described using Figures 5 and 6. In the second embodiment, only the differences from the first embodiment will be described. The mold device 201 in the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a lever ratio, which will be described later, is set to adjust the times at which the first lever 6 and the second lever 8 reach the first pressing position P1 and the second pressing position P2, respectively. Therefore, the mold device 201 of the second embodiment has the same component configuration as the first embodiment. Therefore, in the description of the second embodiment, the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment will be used to describe the component configuration.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the mold device 201 in the second embodiment can arbitrarily set the movement distance of the bridge 64 of the first pressing portion 63 and the movement distance of the pressing surface 83 of the second lever 8 in response to the amount of operation of the handle 62 of the first lever 6 by changing the lever ratio. The lever ratio is the ratio of the distance R1 from the connection point between the first link 101 and the first pressing portion 63 to the first shaft 61, the distance R2 from the first shaft 61 to the rotation axis 65 of the bridge 64, the distance R3 from the connection point between the second link 103 and the second pressing portion 82 to the second shaft 81, and the distance R4 from the second shaft 81 to the pressing surface 83. By changing the distances R1 and R4, the mold device 201 can change the movement distance of the bridge 64 of the first pressing portion 63 and the movement distance of the pressing surface 83 of the second lever 8 in response to the amount of operation of the handle 62 of the first lever 6.

For example, the greater the distance R2 relative to the distance R1, the greater the movement distance of the piece 64 relative to the amount of operation of the handle 62. Conversely, the smaller the distance R2 relative to the distance R1, the smaller the movement distance of the piece 64 relative to the amount of operation of the handle 62.

The movement distance of the pressure surface 83 of the second lever 8 in response to the amount of operation of the handle 62 of the first lever 6 can be set using the ratio of distance R1 to distance R3 to distance R4. The movement distance of the bridge 64 of the first lever and the movement distance of the pressure surface 83 of the second lever 8 in response to the amount of operation of the handle 62 can be set using the ratio of distance R2 to distance R4.

In this way, in the mold device 201, when the first lever 6 is displaced from the first release position L1 toward the first pressing position P1, or when the second lever 8 is displaced from the second release position L2 toward the second pressing position P2, the link mechanism 10 displaces either the first lever 6 or the second lever 8 to the first pressing position P1 or the second pressing position P2 before the other.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the mold device 201 of this embodiment, when the link mechanism 10 (see FIG. 5) displaces the second lever 8 from the second release position L2 toward the second pressing position P2, the second lever 8 is displaced to the second pressing position P2 before the first lever 6 is positioned at the first pressing position P1.

Specifically, in this embodiment, distance R3 is the same as distance R1, and distance R4 is longer than distance R2. Therefore, the distance over which the pressure surface 83 swings around the second axis 81 is greater. More specifically, when compared at the same swing angle α, the swing distance (movement distance) T2 of the pressure surface 83 of the second lever 8 is greater than the swing distance (movement distance) T1 of the bridge 64 of the first lever 6.

As a result, when the link mechanism 10 (see FIG. 5) displaces the first lever 6 from the first release position L1 (see the imaginary line of the first lever 6 in FIG. 6) toward the first pressing position P1 (see the solid line of the first lever 6 in FIG. 6), the second lever 8 can be displaced to the second pressing position P2 (see the dashed line of the second lever 8 in FIG. 6) before the first lever 6 reaches the first pressing position P1. In other words, when the first lever 6 is displaced from the first release position L1 toward the first pressing position P1, the second lever 8 reaches the first pressing position P1 after it reaches the second pressing position P2. Then, until the first lever 6 reaches the first pressing position P1, the second lever 8 continues to displace in the same rotational direction (an example of the first direction S1) while maintaining a pressing state against the second receiving surface 121, and displaces to the final second pressing position P3 (see the solid line of the second lever 8 in FIG. 6). This allows the second lever 8 to reach the second pressing position P2 first, pressing the second surface M2 side (long side w side) of the upper mold 4 before the first surface M1 side (short side d side). This adjustment can also be made by adjusting the ratio between distances R1 and R3 and changing the swing angle α. It is also possible to make adjustments using all of distances R1 to R4.

Next, using Figure 7, we will explain the foam manufacturing method and the movement of the mold device 201 when the handle 62 is operated. Figure 7(a) shows the mold device 201 in the released state. Figure 7(b) shows the mold device 201 in the middle of changing from the released state to the pressed state. Figure 7(c) shows the mold device 201 in the pressed state.

First, with the upper mold 4 open, foaming raw material is injected into the cavity C. In this embodiment, liquid A, which is primarily polyol, and liquid B, which is primarily isocyanate, are injected into the cavity C as foaming raw materials. The upper mold 4 is then mated with the lower mold 2. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7(a), when the mold device 201 is in the released state, the first lever 6 is positioned at the first release position L1. Also, when the mold device 201 is in the released state, the second lever 8 is positioned at the second release position L2. At the first release position L1, the handle 62 of the first lever 6 is fully depressed downward in the vertical direction. The bridge 64 of the first pressing portion 63 and the first receiving surface 111 of the first receiving portion 11 are spaced apart generally in the front-to-rear direction and do not contact each other. Also, the pressing surface 83 of the second pressing portion 82 and the second receiving surface 121 of the second receiving portion 12 are spaced apart generally in the front-to-rear direction and do not contact each other. Therefore, the lower mold 2 and upper mold 4 are closed at the parting surface E, but the lower mold 2 is only pressed by the weight of the upper mold 4.

As shown in Figure 7(b), when the handle 62 of the first lever 6 is pulled up or down from the release state of the mold device 201, the first lever 6 rotates around the first shaft 61. At this time, the bridge 64 of the first pressing part 63 rotates around the first shaft 61 and moves closer to the upper mold 4.

On the other hand, when the handle 62 is pulled up in the vertical direction, the rod 102 moves forward (towards the handle 62) in the front-to-rear direction in Figure 7 via the first link 101. As the rod 102 moves, the second lever 8 also rotates around the second axis 81. Furthermore, when the handle 62 is pulled up in the vertical direction, the second lever 8 reaches the second pressing position P2 before the first lever 6. At this time, the first lever 6 has not yet reached the first pressing position P1.

As shown in Figure 7(c), as the handle 62 is further pulled up in the vertical direction, the bridge 64 comes into contact with the first receiving surface 111 of the first receiving portion 11, and eventually the first lever 6 reaches the first pressing position P1, while the second lever 8 reaches the final second pressing position P3 while maintaining the pressing state. In this state, the foaming raw material injected into the cavity C is foamed and hardened. Thereafter, the first lever 6 and the second lever 8 are moved back to the release position, and the molded foam is removed. The foam produced in this manner has few burrs and good shape precision.

According to the inventors' findings, for example, when the first lever 6 and the second lever 8 are simultaneously moved to the pressing position, the longer of the upper mold 4 in the left-right or front-to-back direction may bend upward and deform. This bending of the upper mold 4 creates a gap around the cavity C, resulting in flash on the foam-molded product. Furthermore, if the first lever 6 is moved to the first pressing position P1 before the second lever 8, the upper mold 4 and the lower mold 2 may separate near the location of the second lever 8, potentially requiring greater force to operate the handle 62 in order to move the second lever 8 to the second pressing position P2. Therefore, in such cases, it is preferable to clamp the mold while suppressing deformation of the upper mold 4. In this embodiment, because the long side w is the front-to-back direction, the second lever 8 is moved to the pressing position before the first lever 6, and the center of the long side w is first pressed to suppress deformation of the upper mold 4. This allows the mold device 1 to be reliably placed in the pressing state with less force. As a result, foam molded products with fewer flashes can be produced.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. In particular, the multiple modifications described in this specification can be combined as needed.

For example, in the above embodiment, the mold device 1 was described using an example in which, when the handle 62 of the first lever 6 is operated, the second lever 8 moves in conjunction with the first lever 6 via the link mechanism 10, which moves in the forward and backward directions, but the present disclosure is not limited to this.

8, the mold device 301 may use a rotary link mechanism 310 that links the first lever 306 and the second lever 308. In this case, the rotating body 311 of the link mechanism 310 rotates about the rotation shaft 312 in accordance with the swing of the first lever 306. The rotation shaft 312 is fixed to the rotating body 311. The second lever 308 is fixed to the rotation shaft 312 and rotates together with the rotation shaft 312. In this way, the second lever 308 swings in conjunction with the first lever 306 in the direction in which the first lever 306 swings (an example of the first direction S). Note that in this embodiment, the first lever 306a at the front in FIG. 8 and the first lever 306b and second lever 308 at the rear in FIG. 8 swing in directions opposite to each other. The present disclosure also includes mold devices 301 that move in opposite directions while swinging in the same direction, such as first lever 306a, first lever 306b, and second lever 308.

As described above, according to the present disclosure, the first lever 6, 306 and the second lever 8, 308 are displaced along the first direction S1. This makes it possible to provide a mold assembly 1, 201, 301 that allows smooth mold opening in a smaller space, as well as a method for manufacturing a foam using this mold assembly 1, 201, 301.

1, 201, 301: mold device 2: lower mold 4: upper mold 6, 306: first lever 6b: connecting member 8, 308: second lever 10, 310: link mechanism 61: first shaft 81: second shaft 82: second pressing portion 83: pressing surface C: cavity L1: first release position L2: second release position M1: first surface M2: second surface P1: first pressing position P2: second pressing position S1: first direction d: short side w: long side

Claims (8)

A mold apparatus having a first mold and a second mold, the first mold and the second mold being closed to form a cavity,
a first displacement portion provided on a first surface of the first mold, displaced in a first direction between a first pressing position and a first release position, pressing the second mold against the first mold when positioned at the first pressing position, and releasing the pressing when positioned at the first release position;
a second displacement portion provided on a second surface intersecting the first surface, displaced along the same direction as the first direction between a second pressing position and a second release position, pressing the second mold against the first mold when positioned at the second pressing position, and releasing the pressing when positioned at the second release position;
Equipped with
Mold equipment. further comprising an interlocking portion that interlocks the first displacement portion and the second displacement portion,
When the first displacement portion is displaced from the first release position toward the first pressing position, or when the second displacement portion is displaced from the second release position toward the second pressing position, the interlocking portion displaces either the first displacement portion or the second displacement portion to the first pressing position or the second pressing position before the other.
The mold apparatus according to claim 1 . the first type is a rectangle having short sides and long sides in a plan view,
the first surface includes the short side and the second surface includes the long side;
When the first displacement portion is displaced from the first release position toward the first pressing position or when the second displacement portion is displaced from the second release position toward the second pressing position, the interlocking portion displaces the second displacement portion to the second pressing position before the first displacement portion is positioned at the first pressing position.
The mold apparatus according to claim 2 . The second displacement portion is
when the first displacement portion is displaced from the first release position toward the first pressing position, the first displacement portion is positioned at the second pressing position before being positioned at the first pressing position, and the first displacement portion swings while maintaining the pressing force until being positioned at the first pressing position.
The mold apparatus according to claim 3 . the first displacement portion is a first lever that swings between the first pressing position and the first release position around a first axis that extends along the first surface,
the second displacement portion is a second lever that swings between the second pressing position and the second release position around a second axis that is parallel to the first axis;
The mold apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4. a receiving portion provided on the second surface, protruding in the direction in which the second axis extends, and having a receiving surface along the second axis,
the second lever has a pressing surface that presses the receiving surface,
the pressing surface of the second lever and the receiving surface of the receiving portion press against each other at least along a direction in which the first mold and the second mold are closed, when the second lever is at the second pressing position;
The mold apparatus according to claim 5. the interlocking portion is a synchronous link mechanism that connects the first lever and the second lever and synchronizes the first lever and the second lever,
the first lever has an operating portion that moves the first displacement portion between the first pressing position and the first release position,
When the operating portion is operated, the second lever is operated via the synchronous link mechanism.
The mold apparatus according to claim 5 or 6. A foaming material is charged into a cavity of the mold device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and the foaming material is foamed and cured in the cavity to form a foam.
A method for producing a foam.