METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING AN ELASTICALLY DEFORMABLE SHAPED PART AND AN ELASTICALLY DEFORMABLE SHAPED PART

Abstract

A method produces an elastically deformable molded part having a number of undercut molded-part regions, by use of a mold. To provide a technique which makes it possible to produce individual molded parts which are elastically deformable and have undercut regions from soft materials in a precise and cost-effective manner, a method is performed in which a molded-part material is introduced into the mold. The mold has a shaping contour with a number of special contour regions, which are configured for shaping the number of undercut molded-part regions of the molded part, and in which the molded part is removed from the mold by at least partially deforming the mold together with the molded part therein in such a way that the molded part elastically deforms and the mold at least partially, but in any event to the extent of the special contour regions, breaks up.

Claims

1. A method for producing an elastically deformable molded part having at least one undercut molded-part region, by means of a mold, which comprises the steps of: introducing a molded-part material into the mold, the mold having a shaping contour with at least one special contour region, which is configured for a purpose of shaping the at least one undercut molded-part region of the elastically deformable molded part; and removing the elastically deformable molded part from the mold by at least partially deforming the mold together with the elastically deformable molded part therein such that the elastically deformable molded part elastically deforms and the mold at least partially, but in any event to an extent of the at least one special contour region, breaks up.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one special contour region is configured for a purpose of shaping the at least one undercut molded-part region such that the at least one undercut molded-part region has a geometry such that it would not be possible to remove the at least one undercut molded-part region from the mold without destroying the elastically deformable molded part.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the molded-part material has a higher elongation at break than a material of the mold.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the elongation at break of the molded-part material is at least three times an elongation at break of the material of the mold.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the molded-part material is a plastic material.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the molded-part material has a Shore A hardness of <90.

7. The method according to claim 5, which further comprises introducing the molded-part material into the mold at ambient pressure or at a pressure of <50 bar.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a material from which the mold is composed at least in the region of the at least one special contour region is distinguished in that it breaks up into shards as a result of deformation.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mold is a multi-part design mold, and only that part of the mold that has the shaping contour with the at least one special contour region breaks up as a result of the at least partial deformation of the mold and of the elastically deformable molded part therein during a demolding operation.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mold has a plurality of predetermined breaking points at least in the region of the at least one special contour region of the shaping contour.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mold is produced by means of additive manufacturing at least in the region of the at least one special contour region of the shaping contour.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein a material of the mold is a light-curing plastic material at least in the region of the at least one special contour region of the shaping contour.

13. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises destroying the shaping contour at least in the region of the at least one special contour region by mechanically breaking up in a course of deformation of the mold and the molded part therein.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the deforming of the mold is performed by applying pressure to the mold.

15. The method according to claim 3, wherein the elongation at break of the molded-part material is at least ten times the elongation at break of the material of the mold.

16. The method according to claim 3, wherein the elongation at break of the molded-part material is at least twenty times the elongation at break of the material of the mold.

17. The method according to claim 8, wherein the shards break into individual shards as a result of the deformation.

18. An apparatus for producing an elastically deformable molded part having at least one undercut molded-part region, the apparatus comprising: a mold having a shaping contour with at least one special contour region, being configured for a purpose of shaping the at least one undercut molded-part region of the elastically deformable molded part; means for introducing a molded-part material into said mold; and means for removing the elastically deformable molded part from said mold by at least partially deforming said mold together with the elastically deformable molded part therein in such a way that the elastically deformable molded part elastically deforms and said mold at least partially, but in any event to an extent of said at least one special contour region, breaks up.

19. An object, comprising: an elastically deformable molded part produced by the method according to claim 1.

20. The object according to claim 19, wherein the object is a shoe.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0056] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, sectional view of an empty mold;

[0057] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic, sectional view of the mold filled with molded-part material;

[0058] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic, sectional view of a partially broken-up mold; and

[0059] FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic, sectional view of a molded part.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0060] All of the figures show the invention as not true to scale and show it merely schematically and only with its essential constituent parts. In the figures, the same reference signs correspond to elements with identical or comparable functions.

[0061] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIGS. 1 and 4 thereof, there is shown an elastically deformable molded part 1 that is produced by means of a mold 2 by the method described. The finished molded part 1 has a number of molded-part regions 3 that are undercut to a great extent, see FIG. 4.

[0062] The mold 2 contains a fixed, i.e., not elastically deformable, shaping contour 4 with a number of special contour regions 5, as is illustrated in FIG. 1. The special contour regions 5 are configured for the purpose of shaping the number of undercut molded-part regions 3 of the molded part 1. The thin-walled mold 2 is manufactured from a brittle, shatterable material, at least to the extent of the special contour regions 5. The mold 2 is produced by means of additive manufacturing. The mold material is a light-curing plastics material.

[0063] First, molded-part material is introduced into the mold, as is indicated in FIG. 1 by the arrow. The mold 2 is filled at ambient pressure or at low pressure. Nonetheless, the mold 2 is mechanically reinforced from the outside by virtue of a sand foundation 6 which is indicated in FIG. 1. The molded-part material is a comparatively soft plastics material, for example PU foam. The ratio of the elongation at break of mold material to molded-part material is at least 1:3.

[0064] After the soft molded-part material in the mold 2 has solidified, the molded part 1 is removed from the mold 2. To this end, the mold 2 together with the molded part 1 therein is at least partially deformed in such a way that the molded part 1 elastically deforms without damage and the mold 2 at least partially, but in any case to the extent of the special contour regions 5, breaks up into shards (fragments) 7. In the region of the special contour regions 5, the shaping contour 4 of the mold 2 is provided with predetermined breaking points 8, as is indicated in FIG. 2. The partially broken-up mold 2 is depicted in FIG. 3. In order to obtain the desired deformation, pressure is applied to the mold 2 and therefore also the molded part 1 in the mold 2, the cause of which is that load is directly applied to the mold 2 by rotating rollers (not depicted). The mold 2 is broken up in the region of the special contour regions 5 as a result of the deformation of the mold 2 during the pressurization and can also take place on account of the deformation of the elastic molded part 1.

[0065] Lastly, the fragments 7 are removed, for example by simply vibrating, agitating and/or rotating the molded part 1. FIG. 4 shows the finished molded part 1.

[0066] All of the features illustrated in the description, the following claims and the drawing can be essential to the invention both individually and in any desired combination with one another.

[0067] These features and combinations of features may respectively substantiate an independent invention, and express reservation is made to the claiming thereof.

[0068] When a combination of features defining an invention is specified, it is not imperatively necessary to combine individual features from the description of an exemplary embodiment with one or more or all other features specified in the description of this exemplary embodiment; in this respect, any sub-combination of features of one or more exemplary embodiments is expressly also disclosed.

[0069] Moreover, substantive features of the apparatus may be used as method features when reworded, and method features may be used as substantive features of the apparatus when reworded. In this way, reworded features are automatically also disclosed.

[0070] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: [0071] 1 Molded part [0072] 2 Mold [0073] 3 Undercut molded-part region [0074] 4 Shaping contour [0075] 5 Special contour region [0076] 6 Foundation [0077] 7 Shards [0078] 8 Predetermined breaking points