METHOD FOR ATTACHING WATER-REPELLENT FILTER TO INLET OR OUTLET OF AIR VENT FORMED IN THERMOPLASTIC RESIN MOLDED ARTICLE, THERMALLY PROCESSING TIP AND THERMALLY WELDING TIP FOR MOLDING FILTER ATTACHMENT PORTION AND FOR ATTACHING FILTER, AND MOLDED ARTICLE
20200215764 ยท 2020-07-09
Inventors
Cpc classification
B29C66/73116
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C65/20
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29K2027/18
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C65/72
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/0222
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29K2027/18
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/712
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/8322
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/8181
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/91212
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C43/18
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/3494
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/0242
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29K2055/02
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/7392
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/91651
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/81427
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/71
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/71
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B01D2313/56
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/326
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/81431
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/0342
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/91935
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29K2055/02
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/961
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/53425
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/91933
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C66/919
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C65/568
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
International classification
B29C65/20
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C43/18
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C65/00
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
B29C65/56
PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Abstract
A method attaches a liquid-repellent filter to an air vent of a resin molded article accommodating a component/electronic part. A thermal processing tip and a thermally welding tip and a molded article are provided. The thermal processing tip (22) forms a filter attachment surface (14) at the inlet or outlet of an air vent (16) in a thermoplastic resin molded article (13). A filter fixing rib (15) is formed around the attachment surface. The porous filter (18) is dropped onto the filter attachment surface, and a thermal welding tip (2) is used to melt the filter fixing rib such that the melted resin flows onto and covers a circumferential edge portion of the filter, penetrating the body of the filter. The melted resin penetrating the filter 18 and covering the circumferential edge portion of the filter are cooled to solid, whereby the filter is fixed to the filter attachment surface.
Claims
1. A method for installing a filter on an inlet or outlet of a ventilation hole formed on a thermoplastic resin molded article, the method comprising the steps of: forming, with a thermal processing tip, a filter installation surface on the inlet or outlet of the ventilation hole formed on the thermoplastic resin molded article; providing the thermal processing tip with a construction in which a guiding portion is formed at a center of a top of the main body of the tip, the guiding portion being inserted into the inlet or outlet of the ventilation hole formed on the thermoplastic resin molded article during the step of forming, while a pressing heating surface is formed around the base part of the guiding portion, and a flange is further formed on an outer circumference of the heating pressing surface at a position slightly set back and to form the filter installation surface using the thermal processing tip, the guiding portion is inserted into the inlet or outlet of the ventilation hole on the thermoplastic resin molded article, with the thermal processing tip being heated electrically and pressed to cause the top of the thermal processing tip to sink in the inlet or outlet of the ventilation hole, thereby melting resin around the inlet or outlet of the ventilation hole, and the top is caused to sink until the molten resin comes in contact with the flange, thereby raising a circumference of the inlet or outlet of the ventilation hole to form a filter-fastening rib to receive the filter; providing a thermal welding tip, for fastening the filter, with a construction in which a thermal processing rib is jutted out at the center of the top surface of the thermal welding tip, and a gate rib is formed outside the thermal processing rib, thereby forming the pressing heating surface between the thermal processing rib and the gate rib; dropping the filter on the filter installation surface formed on the inlet or outlet of the ventilation hole through use of the thermal welding tip, the thermal welding tip is heated electrically and caused to descend so that the pressing heating surface is pressed against the top of the filter-fastening rib while the filter-fastening rib is bent inward in a circular manner along the pressing heating surface and is simultaneously molten, and the molten resin covers the periphery of the filter such that the periphery is wrapped with the resin, while the top of the thermal processing rib causes the filter to bite into the surface of the filter installation surface; and then cooling air is blown to cool and harden the molten resin.
2. The method for installing a filter according to claim 1, wherein the ventilation hole includes an acoustic hole.
3. The method for installing a filter according to claim 1, wherein the filter has a ventilation property and liquid repellency.
4. The method for installing a filter according to claim 1, wherein fine gaps or pores through which the molten resin penetrates are formed on the filter.
5. The method for installing a filter according to claim 1, wherein the filter has a thickness between 30 m and 300 m.
6. The method for installing a filter according to claim 1, wherein the material of the filter is a porous fluororesin.
7. The method for installing a filter according to claim 1, wherein the melting point of the filter is higher than the melting point of the molded article on which the filter is installed.
8. The method for installing a filter according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the portion surrounded by the fastening rib to receive the filter is formed a level lower than the surface of the molded article, or at the same level as the molded article, or at a level higher than the surface of the molded article.
9. The method for installing a filter according to claim 1, wherein the filter-fastening rib to be formed on the molded article is molded integrally when the molded article is molded.
10. The method for installing a filter according to claim 1, wherein the filter has a circular or polygonal outline.
11. A method for forming a filter installation portion by forming the filter installation portion on an inlet or outlet of a ventilation hole formed on a thermoplastic resin molded article, the method comprising the steps of: causing a top of a thermal processing tip to sink in a periphery of the inlet or outlet of the ventilation hole while heating and melting the periphery, thus forming a level depressed filter installation surface on the inlet or outlet of the ventilation hole; and simultaneously forming a filter-fastening rib by raising the molten resin through sinking of the thermal processing tip on a circumference of the inlet or outlet.
12. A method comprising the steps of: providing a filter; providing a thermoplastic resin molded article comprising ventilation hole; providing a thermal processing tip comprising a thermal processing tip main body comprising a thermal processing main body end portion, a thermal processing rib on the thermal processing main body end portion, a gate rib extending circumferentially from the thermal processing main body end portion a lesser distance than that of the thermal processing rib and a pressing and heating surface between the gate rib and the thermal processing rib, the thermal processing rib defining a filter contact area of the thermal processing main body end portion for contacting a filter, the gate rib and the pressing and heating surface defining a filter free contact area of the thermal processing main body end portion for being free of contact with the filter; providing the filter on an inlet or an outlet of the ventilation hole via the thermal processing tip.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the thermal processing rib defines an opening.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the opening is located radially inward of the thermal processing rib with respect to a longitudinal axis of the thermal processing main body.
15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the gate rib and the pressing and heating surface define article engaging contact areas configured for engaging the thermoplastic resin molded article to fix the filter to the thermoplastic resin molded article.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0050] In the drawings:
[0051]
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DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0072] Referring to the drawings, in the present invention, two types of a thermally welding tip will be described: One is a thermally welding tip used to form a filter attachment portion that allows a filter to be attached to an inlet or an outlet of an air vent provided in a thermoplastic resin molded article; and the other is a thermally welding tip used to attach a filter to the formed attachment portion.
Embodiments
[0073] A first embodiment of the present invention relates to a filter attaching method described in claim 1, a thermal processing tip and a thermally welding tip used to carry out the method and described in claims 12 and 13, respectively.
[0074] A thermally welding tip for filter attachment will first be described with reference to
[0075] The thermally processing rib 5 is higher than the gate rib 7 by 0.5 mm (or an arbitrary dimension according to the shape of the thermally processing rib in a case where the height difference is greater than or equal to 0.1 mm).
[0076] Reference characters 8 and 8a denote cooling air flow-out windows formed on the side having the rear of the heat generating press surface 6 and in symmetric positions. Reference characters 9 and 9a denote slits 15 formed on opposite side surfaces of the thermal processing tip 2 and in symmetric positions. Reference character 10 denotes a cooling air pipe. Reference characters 11 and 11a denote lead wires for voltage application. Reference character 12 denotes an insulator. Reference character 13 denotes a thermoplastic resin molded article. Reference character 14 denotes a filter attachment surface. Reference character 15 denotes a filter fixing rib. Reference character 16 denotes an air vent formed in the thermoplastic resin molded article 13. Reference character 17 denotes cooling air blown through the cooling air pipe 10. Reference character 18 denotes a water-repellent filter to be attached.
[0077] Providing the clearance hole 4 at the center of the front end of the thermal processing tip 2 prevents heat produced by the heat generating press surface 6 from affecting the filter 18.
[0078] In
[0079] The filter 18 in the present first embodiment is a porous membrane made of a fluorine resin (PTFE) with t=0.1 mm and =11.0 mm.
[0080] The thermally processing rib 5 of the thermal processing tip 2 has an outer diameter of 10.0 mm and an inner diameter of 9.0 mm. The gate rib 7 of the thermal processing tip 2 has an outer diameter of 17.0 mm. The step between the front end of the thermally processing rib 5 and the heat generating press surface 6 has a dimension of 0.8 mm. The step between the front end of the thermally processing rib 5 and the front end of the gate rib 7 has a dimension of 0.5 mm.
[0081] The thermoplastic resin molded article 13, to which the filter 18 is welded, is made of an ABS resin and provided with the air vent 16 having a diameter of 4.0 mm.
[0082] A method for attaching the filter 18 will next be described with reference to
[0083]
[0084]
[0085] The temperature to which the thermally welding tip 2 is heated is controlled by the power supply, and it is further effective to perform feedback control using a thermocouple (not shown) attached to the front end of the thermally welding tip 2.
[0086] The temperature to which the thermally welding tip 2 is heated can be set as appropriate by selection of the materials of the filter 18 and the thermoplastic resin molded article 13, but the temperature to which the thermally welding tip 2 is heated needs to be higher than the melting point of the thermoplastic resin molded article 13 by at least 50 C. but lower than the melting point of the filter 18.
[0087] In the first embodiment, the material of the thermoplastic resin molded article 13 is an ABS resin having a melting point of 110 C. The filter 18 is made of a porous polytetrafluoroethylene having a melting point of 327 C. The temperature to which the thermally welding tip 2 is heated is 260 C.
[0088] At the same time, the thermally welding tip 2 is pressed at an appropriate pressure by a drive apparatus that is not shown against the molded article 13.
[0089] The filter fixing rib 15 heated by and pressed against the heat generating press surface 6 of the thermally welding tip 2 starts melting from above and spreads rightward and leftward along the heat generating press surface 6, and the thermally welding tip 2 further descends accordingly, as shown in
[0090] The thermally processing rib 5 of the thermally welding tip 2 having descended then comes into contact with the filter 18, as shown in
[0091] In this process, when the thermally processing rib 5 descends (lowers), the thermally processing rib 5 gives the filter 18 force that widens the filter 18 from the center thereof toward the outer circumference thereof, whereby the filter 18 does not wrinkle.
[0092] The thermally processing rib 5 causes the filter 18 to lower onto the filter attachment surface 14 of the thermoplastic resin molded article 13 while deforming the filter 18 in a concave shape, and the melted resin of the thermally processing rib 5 penetrates the body of the filter 18 at the same time.
[0093] At this point, the filter fixing rib 15 having been heated and having therefore melted spreads rightward and leftward along the heat generating press surface 6 but does not reach the circumferential edge of the filter 18.
[0094] When the thermally welding tip 2 further descends, the melted resin reaches from an outer portion 15a of the filter fixing rib 15 to the gate rib 7 but is blocked by the gate rib 7 because the front end of the gate rib 7 is in contact with the thermoplastic resin molded article 13, as shown in
[0095] An inner portion 15b of the melted filter fixing rib 15 therefore flows downward along the thermally processing rib 5 and eventually covers a circumferential edge portion of the filter 18.
[0096] The position to which the thermally welding tip 2 descends is set in advance. In the present first embodiment, the descent position is set at a position where the thermally processing rib 5 comes into contact with the top of the filter 18 having a certain thickness (0.1 mm) and the thickness is reduced by one-half (0.05 mm).
[0097] Further, in the descent position, a state in which the gate rib 7 intrudes into the thermoplastic resin molded article 13 by 0.3 mm is achieved. As a result, a situation in which the outer portion 15a of the melted filter fixing rib 15 extends off is avoided, and a front end 20 of the gate rib 7 forms a parting groove 7a having a depth of 0.3 mm around the filter attachment surface 14 at the same time, whereby post-process exterior appearance is improved (see
[0098] Setting the volume (cross-sectional area) of the filter fixing rib 15 in such a way that the post-process volume is smaller than the pre-process volume allows the filter fixing rib 15 melted in the position to which the thermally welding tip 2 descends to be pressurized between the thermally processing rib 5 and the gate rib 7, whereby the melted resin penetrates the filter 18. The ratio of the post-process volume of the filter fixing rib 15 to the pre-process volume thereof is selected as appropriate and ranges from 90 to 99%. The ratio is set at 95% in the present first embodiment.
[0099]
[0100] After a preset heating period elapses with the thermally welding tip 2 in the set descent position, the voltage application is terminated, and cooling air 17 is supplied through the cooling air pipe 10 provided as part of the thermally welding tip 2 at the same time, as shown in
[0101] The cooling air 17 is then discharged out of the thermally welding tip 2 through the flow-out windows 8 and 8a and the slits 9 and 9a.
[0102] As described above, cooling the front end 3 of the thermally welding tip 2 for a period set in advance allows the thermally processing rib 5, the heat generating press surface 6, and the gate rib 7 to be cooled, and the outer portion 15a and the inner portion 15b of the melted filter fixing rib 15 solidify. Further, resin 18a penetrating the filter 18 is cooled and solidifies, and the solidification of the penetrated resin more securely fixes the filter 18 to the thermoplastic resin molded article 13.
[0103] Thereafter, the supply of the cooling air 17 is terminated, and the thermally welding tip 2 is so lifted as to be separate above from the filter 18.
[0104] As a result, the filter 18 is fixed to the inlet of the air vent 16 of the thermoplastic resin molded article 13, as shown in
[0105]
[0106] In the present embodiment, the filter attachment surface 14 is lower than a surface of the thermoplastic resin molded article 13, as shown in
[0107] Further, each of the shape of the filter 18 and the shape of the air vent 16 of the filter attachment portion is not limited to a circular shape, and the present invention can be implemented in a case where each of the shapes is a polygonal shape. The invention can still further be implemented in a case where a plurality of air vents 16 are present, as shown in
[0108] A second embodiment of the present invention relates to a thermal processing tip for forming a filter attachment portion described in claim 12 and a method for forming the filter attachment portion by using the tip.
[0109]
[0110] A thermal processing tip 22 is used to form the filter attachment portion 14 and the filter fixing rib 15.
[0111]
[0112] In the thermal processing tip 22, a cylindrical, centrally hollow guide portion 24 is so provided as to protrude from a heat generating surface 23 at the front end of the thermal processing tip 22, a chamfered portion 25a is formed around a portion recessed from the front end of the guide portion 24 and a filter attachment surface formation portion 25b is so formed as to follow the chamfered portion 25a, and a flange 27 is formed around the outer circumference 26 of the heat generating surface 23 and in a position recessed from the filter attachment surface formation portion 25b.
[0113] The front end of the guide portion 24 has a rounded portion having a radius of 0.3, and the outer circumference of the guide portion 24 has a 2-tapered portion. The rounded portion and the tapered portion allow the thermal processing tip 22 to be smoothly inserted into the air vent 16 of the thermoplastic resin molded article 13 and the thermal processing tip 22 to be readily positioned.
[0114] Reference characters 8 and 8a denote cooling air flow-out windows formed in the side surface of the thermal processing tip 22 and in symmetric positions on the side facing the rear of the heat generating surface 23. Reference characters 9 and 9a denote vertically cut slits formed in the side surface of the thermal processing tip 22 and in symmetric positions. Reference character 10 denotes a cooling air pipe. Reference characters 11 and 11a denote lead wires for voltage application. Reference character 12 denotes an insulator. Reference character 13 denotes a thermoplastic resin molded article. Reference character 16 denotes an air vent formed in the thermoplastic resin molded article 13. Reference character 17 denotes cooling air blown through the cooling air pipe 10 after the thermal processing tip 22 melts and forms the filter attachment portion in
[0115] A method for processing the filter attachment portion will next be described with reference to
[0116]
[0117] At the same time, the thermal processing tip 22 is pressed at an appropriate pressure by a drive apparatus that is not shown against the molded product 13.
[0118] The diameter of the guide portion 24 at the base of the tapered portion thereof and at the boundary between the base and the chamfered portion 25a is equal to the diameter of the air vent 16. Further, since the guide portion 24 separates away from the heat generating surface 23 with distance toward the front end of the guide portion 24, the temperature in the guide portion 24 does not increase toward the front end thereof.
[0119] Therefore, when the melting starts, a circumferential edge portion of a rib around the air vent 16 that is in contact with the chamfered portion 25a is caused to flow toward the filter attachment surface formation portion 25b along the slope of the chamfered portion 25a. When the heating further advances, the portion in contact with the filter attachment surface formation portion 25b melts, but no resin flows toward the front end of the guide portion 24 but is caused to flow out of the filter attachment surface formation portion 25b, as shown in
[0120] No burr is therefore formed in the air vent 16, and entry of foreign matter resulting from any burr into the air vent 16 can be avoided.
[0121] When the thermal processing tip 22 further descends, the filter attachment surface formation portion 25b of the thermal processing tip 22 sinks into the surface of the molded article 13 in a portion around the inlet of the air vent 16, and the heated, melted resin is pushed out toward the outer circumference 26 and raised there, as shown in
[0122] As described above, the thermal processing tip 22 having sunk into the portion around the air vent 16 melts and pushes the resin corresponding to the amount of sink outward to form the filter attachment surface formation portion 25b, and the outer circumference 26 and the flange 27 form the filter attachment portion (stepped portion to which filter is dropped) 14 and the filter fixing rib 15 at the inlet of the air vent 16.
[0123] The position to which the thermal processing tip 22 descends is set in advance. In the present second embodiment, the descent position is set at a position where the filter attachment surface formation portion 25b and the filter fixing rib 15 are formed as intended in terms of dimension.
[0124] After a heating period elapses with the thermal processing tip 22 located in the set descent position, the voltage application is terminated, and cooling air 17 is supplied through the cooling air pipe 10 provided in the thermal processing tip 22 at the same time, as shown in
[0125] The cooling air 17 is then discharged out of the thermal processing tip 22 through the flow-out windows 8 and 8a, the slits 9 and 9a, and the hole of the guide 24.
[0126] As described above, cooling the heat generating surface 23 of the thermal processing tip 22 for a period set in advance allows the guide 24, the chamfered portion 25a, the filter attachment surface formation portion 25b, the outer circumference 26, and the flange 27 to be cooled, and the melted, raised resin solidifies into the filter fixing rib 15 having an annular shape in a plan view. Thereafter, the supply of the cooling air 17 is terminated, and the thermal processing tip 22 is lifted so that the thermal processing tip 22 is separated from the thermoplastic resin molded article 13.
[0127] As a result, the filter attachment surface 14 and the filter fixing rib 15 are formed around the inlet of the air vent 16 of the thermoplastic resin molded article 13, as shown in
[0128] The configuration of the thermal processing tip 22, which forms the filter attachment portion and the method for forming the filter attachment portion have been described.
[0129] The filter 18 is attached to the thus formed filter attachment portion by using the thermally welding tip 2 described in the first embodiment.
[0130] In the present second embodiment, the material of the thermoplastic resin molded article 13 is an ABS resin, and the temperature of the thermal processing tip 22 is set at 260 C.
[0131]
[0132] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.