APPARATUS ASSOCIATED WITH AN INJECTION MOULDING MACHINE

Abstract

An apparatus for coupling a first and a second part after they have been produced by injection moulding which includes: a linear runner, a carriage that is mounted on the runner, where it can make translations in a movement direction, and a pivoting member that is mounted cantilevered on the carriage in order to revolve in a planetary movement about a rotation axis perpendicular to the direction of movement of the carriage, so that the pivoting member revolving causes one of the two parts to turn over and enables it to be coupled with the other one. The motive part comprises a first electric drive mounted on the runner in order to move the carriage along the runner; and a second electric drive mounted on the carriage in order to cause the pivoting member to revolve so as to couple the two parts.

Claims

1. An apparatus for coupling a first part and a second part after they have been produced by injection moulding, wherein the apparatus can be coupled to a mould mounted on an injection moulding machine able to mould said parts, the apparatus comprising: a linear runner; a carriage that is mounted on the runner, where it can make translations in a movement direction; a pivoting member that is mounted cantilevered on the carriage in order to revolve about an axis of revolution perpendicular to the direction of movement of the carriage, so that the revolution of the pivoting member causes one of the two parts to turn over and makes it possible to couple it with the other one; a first electric drive mounted on the runner for moving the carriage along the runner; a second electric drive mounted on the carriage in order to cause the pivoting member to revolve so as to couple the two parts.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising two drives like the first drive, each being able to move in translation on a respective linear runner, the two runners being parallel and the pivoting member being mounted rotatably on each carriage and placed between the two carriages.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising two drives like the second drive, each drive being mounted on the corresponding carriage in order to cause the pivoting member to revolve.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the or each first and/or second drive is a rotary electric motor.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the or each first rotary electric motor is connected to the respective carriage by means of a rotary threaded shaft mounted in engagement with a nut present in the carriage, a translation of the carriage corresponding to the rotation of the rotary threaded shaft.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the or each second rotary electric motor is connected to said pivoting member, by means of a rotary threaded shaft mounted in engagement with a toothed wheel connected to the pivoting member, a rotation of the toothed wheel corresponding to the rotation of the rotary threaded shaft.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pivoting member is a bar configured to come into contact with one part and to push it onto the other.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pivoting member is a mould portion into which the molten material is injected in order to mould the first part.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a logic unit programmed to control the first and second electric drives and to coordinate the movements thereof in order to move the pivoting member so that the latter in the translation thereof approaches the two parts, and through its rotation causes the turning over of one of the two parts and makes it possible to couple it with the other one.

Description

[0049] The features of the invention, as well as others, will emerge more clearly from a reading of the following description of an embodiment by way of example, provided in relation to the accompanying drawings, among which:

[0050] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first moulding apparatus according to an embodiment in IMA technology;

[0051] FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the first apparatus;

[0052] FIG. 3 shows a view in cross section of the first apparatus along the plane III-III;

[0053] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a second moulding apparatus according to an embodiment in IMC technology;

[0054] FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the second apparatus;

[0055] FIG. 6 shows a diagram of paths for the first apparatus;

[0056] FIG. 7 shows another diagram of paths for the first apparatus;

[0057] FIG. 8 shows a diagram of paths for the second apparatus.

[0058] A stopper consisting of a body (the first part) and a lid (the second part) is described as an example of a moulded object. The apparatus 10 and the apparatus 60 are associated with a known moulding machine and with an injection mould that are not depicted.

[0059] In the figures, identical references designate identical parts. In order not to burden the figures, only a few elements are marked with a reference.

[0060] FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 10 for moulding and mounting the lid and body of a stopper. The apparatus 10 comprises a base consisting mainly of two parallel runners 12. On the figures there are two runners 12, but, in the case of large installations, it is possible to produce additional runners.

[0061] On each runner 12 there is mounted a movable carriage 18 able to move longitudinally along the runner 12 while being pushed or pulled by an electric motor 30 along an axis X. The two carriages 18 are connected together at the middle by one or more mould portions 40 that extend between the two carriages 18 perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the carriages 18, along an axis Y.

[0062] The number of mould portions 40 varies according to the type of mould.

[0063] Each mould portion 40 is mounted on the carriage 18 so as to be able to revolve about the axis X with a planetary path, in other words it is offset eccentrically with respect to the axis Y. In this way the axis of the portion 40 revolves about the axis Y.

[0064] The electric motor 30 is of the rotary type and rotates a worm 32, the axis of which is parallel to X and which is in engagement with a corresponding nut in the carriage 18. Rotation of the worm 32 involves the advance of the carriage 18 on the runner 12 along the axis X.

[0065] On each carriage 18 there is mounted a second rotary electric motor 50, the output shaft of which rotates a worm 52, the axis of which is parallel to X and which is in engagement with the teeth on a toothed wheel 54 having the rotation axis Y. The toothed wheel 54 is connected to a disc or support that supports and rotates the portion 40.

[0066] The coordinated control of the motors 30, 50 enables the apparatus 10 to function in IMA mode. Please see the diagrams in FIGS. 6 and 7, which illustrate a few types of path imposed on the portion 40.

[0067] In FIG. 6, the portion 40 is initially moved along the axis X, by activation of the motor 30, from a position Q to a position W. Then the motor 30 is stopped and the portion 40 revolves eccentrically about the axis Y, under the effect of the activation of the motor 50, from the position W to a position E in which it is turned over vertically and is at a different height with respect to the runner 12.

[0068] Finally, another electric motor (not shown) is activated in order to vertically lower the portion 40 until it joins a die 42 that contains the body of the stopper (position R). Coupling of the portion 40 with the die 42 causes the lid and body of the stopper to fit together. The latter movement, that is to say the one that assembles the two parts, may also take place in the opposite direction, preferably executed by the part-ejection means situated on the moulding machine. Or said latter movement is effected by an external actuator.

[0069] In FIG. 7 the portion 40 is initially moved along the axis X, by activation of the motor 30, from a position G to a position H. Then the motor 50 is activated at the same time as the motor 30 and the coordinated movement thereof obtains a composite path for the portion 40. The latter commences for example to rise linearly with respect to the runner 12 or effects a parabola with its concavity turned downwards (end HI) while it revolves about the axis Y under the effect of the activation of the motor 50.

[0070] Finally, as before, the portion 40 is lowered vertically until it joins a die 42 for fitting together between lid and body. Here also the variant exists with an opposite direction of movement.

[0071] FIGS. 4 and 5 show another apparatus 60 for moulding and closing the lid 90 and body 92 of a stopper one on the other (FIG. 8). The lid 90 and the body 92 are moulded so as to be joined by an integral hinge. The cross section in FIG. 3 is also valid for the apparatus 60.

[0072] The apparatus 60 differs from the apparatus 10 only through the structure of the rotary part, and this is why we shall pass over the common details.

[0073] The two carriages 18 are connected together at the middle by one or more bars 70 that extend between the two carriages 18 perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the carriages 18. The number of bars 70 varies according to the type of mould.

[0074] The toothed wheel 54 is connected to a disc 56 that supports the bar 70 eccentrically and rotates it. Each bar 70 is then mounted on the carriage 18 so as to be able to revolve about an axis Y perpendicular to the axis X, while remaining at a certain distance from the axis Y. In other words each bar 70 is mounted on the carriage 18 so as to be able to revolves about the axis Y in a planetary movement.

[0075] The coordinated control of the motors 30, 50 enables the apparatus 60 to function in IMC mode.

[0076] Please see the diagram in FIG. 8, which illustrates a type of path imposed on the bar 70 (drawn by way of exemplification as a circle). The bar 70 is initially moved along the axis X, by activation of the motor 30, from a position J to a position K; in this phase the bar 70 has moved under the lid 90. Then the motor 30 is stopped and the bar 70 revolves about the axis Y, under the effect of the activation of the motor 50, from the position K to a position L. In revolving, the bar 70 pushes the lid 90 towards the body 92 until they couple with a click (position L). FIG. 8 also shows successive positions of the lid 90.