SPRUE SYSTEM FOR INJECTION-MOLDING PROCESSES

Abstract

A sprue system for a nozzle-side injection-molding arrangement of an injection-molding machine for introducing a plasticizable and/or plasticized plastics material into an injection-molding tool along a runner, the center axis of which fixes an injection axis, includes a sprue piece which at least partially forms the runner, a tube portion and a flange portion. A fastener assembly for fastening the sprue system to the injection-molding tool and for aligning the sprue piece along the injection axis is included. The sprue piece and the fastener assembly are formed adjustably in relation to one another and the sprue system has an adjuster for setting a distance (A) between the flange portion and the fastener assembly.

Claims

1. A sprue system for a nozzle-side injection-molding arrangement of an injection-molding machine for introducing a plasticizable and/or plasticized plastics material into an injection-molding tool of the injection-molding machine along a runner, a center axis of which is an injection axis, the sprue system comprising: a sprue piece comprising a tube portion, a flange portion, wherein the sprue piece at least partially defines the runner; and a fastener assembly configured for fastening the sprue system to the injection-molding tool and configured for aligning the sprue piece along the injection axis, wherein the sprue piece and the fastener assembly are adjustable in relation to one another via an adjuster such that a distance (A) between the flange portion of the sprue piece and the fastener assembly can be set.

2. The sprue system according to claim 1, wherein the fastener assembly has a tube portion lead-through defining delimiting walls, the delimiting walls of the tube portion lead-through surrounding the tube portion of the sprue piece.

3. The sprue system according to claim 1, wherein the distance (A) between the flange portion and the fastener assembly is set by at least one threaded connection between the adjuster and the sprue piece.

4. The sprue system according to claim 1, wherein the distance (A) between the flange portion and the fastener assembly is set by at least one threaded connection between the adjuster and the fastener assembly.

5. The sprue system according to claim 1, wherein the distance (A) between the flange portion and the fastener assembly is greater than zero.

6. The sprue system according to claim 1, wherein the flange portion has a flange through-opening configured for a fastening screw to be disposed within and the fastener assembly has a corresponding internal threaded bore, and the fastening screw sets the distance (A) between the sprue piece and the fastener assembly by passing through the flange through-opening and engaging the internal threaded bore.

7. The sprue system according to claim 1, wherein the flange portion has a plurality of flange through-openings configured for a plurality of fastening screws to be disposed within and the fastener assembly has a corresponding plurality of internal threaded bores, and the plurality of fastening screws set the distance (A) between the sprue piece and the fastener assembly by passing through the plurality of flange through-openings and engaging the corresponding plurality of internal threaded bores.

8. The sprue system according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of flange through-openings are arranged around the injection axis in the form of a ring.

9. The sprue system according to claim 1, wherein the flange portion has a flange threaded bore configured for engagement with an adjusting screw, and the adjusting screw, while engaging the flange threaded bore, is supported with a stop face on the fastener assembly such that the distance (A) between the flange portion and the fastener assembly is set.

10. The sprue system according to claim 1, wherein the flange portion has a plurality of flange threaded bores configured for engagement with a plurality of adjusting screws, and the plurality of adjusting screws, while engaging the plurality of flange threaded bores are supported with a stop face on the fastener assembly such that the distance (A) between the flange portion and the fastener assembly is set.

11. The sprue system according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of flange threaded bores are arranged around the injection axis in the form of a ring.

12. The sprue system according to claim 1, wherein the flange portion has a plurality of flange through-openings and a plurality of flange threaded bores and the number of flange through-openings is equal to the number of flange threaded bore.

13. The sprue system according to claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of flange through-openings is positioned between two adjacent flange threaded bores and each of the plurality of flange threaded bores is positioned between two adjacent flange through-openings.

14. A sprue system comprising: an injection-molding tool; a sprue piece comprising a tube portion and a flange portion, wherein the spruce piece defines at least a portion of a runner of the injection-molding tool and the flange portion comprises a flange through-opening and a flange threaded bore; a fastener assembly attached to the sprue piece and configured for fastening the sprue piece to the injection-molding tool, wherein the fastener assembly comprises a tube portion lead-through, a fastening screw, and an adjusting screw, the tube portion lead-through defining delimiting walls that surround the tube portion of the sprue piece and an internal threaded bore corresponding to the flange through-opening, the fastening screw being disposed in the flange through-opening, and the adjusting screw being engaged with the flange threaded bore; wherein the sprue piece is attached to the fastener assembly via the fastening screw disposed in the flange through-opening of the flange portion and engaged with the internal threaded bore of the fastener assembly; and the sprue piece and the fastener assembly are adjustable in relation to one another such that a distance (A) between the flange portion of the sprue piece and the fastener assembly is set.

15. The sprue system according to claim 14, wherein: the flange portion comprises a plurality flange through-openings and a plurality of flange threaded bores; the fastener assembly comprises a plurality of internal threaded bores corresponding to the plurality of flange through-openings and a plurality of fastening screws disposed in the plurality of flange through openings; the adjusting screw comprises a plurality of adjusting screws engaged with the plurality of flange threaded bores; and the sprue piece and the fastener assembly are adjustable in relation to one another by the plurality of adjusting screws engaged with the plurality of flange threaded bores such that the distance (A) between the flange portion of the sprue piece and the fastener assembly is set.

16. The sprue system according to claim 15 further comprising a plurality of fixing device through-bores in the fastener assembly and a plurality of fixing screws disposed within the plurality of fixing device through-bores and engaged with a plurality of blind-hole bores in the injection-molding tool such that the fastener assembly and the sprue piece are attached to the injection-molding tool.

17. The sprue system according to claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of flange through-openings is positioned between two adjacent flange threaded bores and each of the plurality of flange threaded bores is positioned between two adjacent flange through-openings.

18. An assembly method for attaching and adjusting a sprue piece to an injection-side nozzle arrangement of an injection-molding tool, the assembly method comprising: assembling a sprue system comprising: the sprue piece, wherein the sprue piece comprises a tube portion and a flange portion with a plurality of through-openings and a plurality of flange threaded bores; a fastener assembly comprising a tube portion lead-through, a plurality of internal threaded bores corresponding to the plurality of flange through-openings, and a plurality of fixing device through-bores; and a plurality of adjusting screws, a plurality of fastening screws, and a plurality of fixing screws; disposing the plurality of adjusting screws in the plurality of flange threaded bores for setting a distance (A) between the flange portion of the sprue piece and the fastener assembly; disposing the tube portion of the sprue piece into the tube portion lead-through of the fastener assembly; fastening the sprue piece to the fastener assembly by disposing the plurality of fastening screws in the plurality of through openings and engaging the plurality of fastening screws with the plurality of internal threaded bores, wherein the distance (A) is set between the flange portion and the fastener assembly; and fastening the fastener assembly to the injection-molding tool by disposing the plurality of fixing screws into the plurality of the plurality of fixing device through-bores and engaging the plurality of fixing screws with a plurality of blind-hole bores in the injection-molding tool.

19. The assembly method according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of adjusting screws is screwed in until a stop face that defines a stop contact for supporting the adjusting screw is formed.

20. The assembly method according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the plurality of fastening screws is screwed into one of the plurality of internal threaded bores such that a stop contact forms between the fastening assembly and a stop face.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0033] In order that the disclosure may be well understood, there will now be described various forms thereof, given by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a perspective sectional representation of a nozzle-side injection-molding arrangement from the prior art;

[0035] FIG. 2 shows a further perspective sectional representation of a nozzle-side injection-molding arrangement from the prior art with the sprue piece omitted;

[0036] FIG. 3 shows a perspective exploded view of a sprue system according to the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0037] FIG. 4a shows a first perspective representation of a sprue system according to the teachings of the present disclosure;

[0038] FIG. 4b shows a further perspective representation the sprue system in FIG. 4a; and

[0039] FIG. 5 shows a perspective sectional representation of a nozzle-side injection-molding arrangement of according to the teachings of the present disclosure.

[0040] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate like or corresponding parts and features.

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a nozzle-side injection-molding arrangement 300 with the nozzle-side components of a tool and with a sprue system 100 according to the prior art. A tool consists of a number of plates placed one on top of the other in the manner of layers. As shown in FIG. 1 the sprue system 100 is mounted on a platen 201. In the inward direction, that is to say toward the finished workpiece, a mold plate 202 is provided, lying flat against the platen 201, and is adjoined in turn to a mold insert 203 lying flat against it. The mold plate 202 and the mold insert 203 have apertures for a system of lines, for example a cooling system 204, for controlling the temperature of the nozzle-side injection-molding arrangement 300. During opening and closing, one half of a tool is guided along guiding elements, for which guiding element depressions 205 are provided in the mold plate 202. The cavity 206 within the mold insert 203 forms the hollow space in which the plasticized plastic cures. The plasticized plastic is injected by an injection device (not represented), for example a nozzle, through a runner 212 (shown in FIG. 2) along an injection axis 190. The runner 212 runs essentially within a sprue piece 140 and a sprue gate 211 is between the sprue piece 140 and the cavity 206. The sprue piece 140 is typically a drilled-out cast part of non-corrosive steel, which has been reworked by machining. The runner 212 within the sprue piece 140 may have a conical or cylindrical shape. The sprue piece 140 also has a tube portion 141 and a flange portion 142, the flange portion 142 being intended to be understood as being coaxially arranged as a tube flange of the tube portion 141. The sprue piece 140 is held on the tool by way of a fastening means (e.g., fastener assembly 101).

[0043] In this case, the lateral surfaces of the tube portion 141 and of the flange portion 142 are enclosed in a form-fitting manner by the platen 201, the mold plate 202 and the mold insert 203. On the end portion of the tube portion 141 that is facing the cavity 206, the end wall of the tube portion 141 also forms a stop 310 with the mold insert 203. In particular at this stop 310, it is desired to keep within the prescribed tolerance classes of the fit. Consequently, the correct length of the sprue piece 140 must be chosen, since only very small tolerances (H7-g6) between the sprue piece 140 and the tool are admissible. In addition, there is no freedom of movement 320 to push the sprue piece 140 further into the tool if there is undesired play between the end of the tube portion 141 and the mold insert 203 or some other plate of the tool. The sprue piece 140 is also formed as essentially rotationally symmetrical about the injection axis 190, but arresting inhibitors (not represented) may be provided against twisting of the sprue piece 140 about the axis of rotation.

[0044] The fastener assembly 101, which keeps the sprue piece 140 in the tool, has a fixing device 110 and a centering device 120, both being formed as circular metal plates and being placed one on top of the other in the manner of layers. Provided both in the fixing device 110 and in the centering device 120 is an aperture or lead-through 160 (cf. FIG. 2), through which the injection channel 212 runs. The fixing device 110 and the centering device 120 are arranged coaxially in relation to one another, in relation to the sprue piece 140 and in relation to the injection axis 190. For fastening to the platen 201, the fixing device 110 has fixing device through-bores 115 (cf. FIG. 3), through which fixing screws 111 or other fixing means can be led. For assembly, the fixing screws 111 can be brought into engagement with blind-hole bores 112 in the platen 201. For receiving the centering device 120 in a form-fitting manner, the platen 201 has a centering depression 125, for example a pocket, that complements the centering device 120.

[0045] FIG. 2 shows a detail of the nozzle-side injection-molding arrangement 300 with the sprue piece 140 omitted. In the region of the flange portion 142 (see FIG. 1), the aperture in the platen 201 is widened to form a flange clearance 213. The omission also makes it possible to show the lead-through 160, through which during the injecting operation the nozzle of an injection device can be led and placed against the flange portion 142 (see FIG. 1).

[0046] FIG. 3 shows a sprue system 100 in an exploded drawing according to one form of the present disclosure. In this case, the represented fixing device 110 of the fastener assembly 101 is fastened by way of fixing screws 111 or some other fixing means, it being possible for these to be led through fixing device through-bores 115 and, by actuation of the screw head 113, for the screw thread 114 of the fixing screws 111 to be brought into engagement with the blind-hole bores 112 of the platen 201 (shown in FIG. 1). The tube portion 141 may be pushed through the lead-through 160 along the injection axis 190 and in the direction of flow of the plastic to be injected. The flange portion 142 has in the center a hemispherical depression 145 for the form-fitting docking of the nozzle of an injection device, and consequently the entry into the runner 212. Provided around the center point of the flange portion 142 or around the injection axis 190 as a ring of holes are three flange through-openings 143 and three flange threaded bores 144, arranged alternating with one another.

[0047] Provided for each flange threaded bore 144 is an adjusting screw 180, which has an adjusting screw head 181, an adjusting screw shank 182 and an adjusting screw thread 183. Provided at the end of an adjusting screw 180 remote from the adjusting screw head 181 is a wall, which can form a stop face 184 with respect to the fastener assembly 101. The adjusting screw thread 183 is intended for a threaded connection with the flange threaded bore 144. Also provided for each flange through-opening 143 is a fastening screw 170, which likewise has a fastening screw head 171, a fastening screw shank 172 and a fastening screw thread 173. The fastening screw thread 173 is intended for a threaded connection with the internal threaded bore 174 in the fastener assembly 101. Likewise provided at the fastening screw head 171 of a fastening screw 170 is a wall, which can form a stop face 175 with respect to the flange portion 142.

[0048] FIG. 4a shows an assembled sprue system 100, the adjusting means, here the fastening screws 170 and the adjusting screws 180, allowing a distance A to be set between the flange portion 142 and the fastener assembly 101. In the assembly, the flange portion 142 has a side or wall that is facing the fastener assembly 101. Extending away from this side of the flange portion 142 is an adjusting screw shank 182 or an adjusting screw thread 183 of an adjusting screw 180 that passes through the flange portion 142. The distance A in this case corresponds to the length of this extending-away portion of the adjusting screw 180. The stop face 184 (see FIG. 3) of the adjusting screws 180 forms a stop contact 185 with a wall of the fastener assembly 101. In other words, the position of the stop face 184 is consequently fixed by the relative position or the relative movement between the adjusting screws 180 and the flange element 142 and/or by the depth of penetration of the adjusting screws 180 into the flange threaded bores 144 of the flange element 142. For this, adjusting screws 180 of the same length should expediently have the same relative position or the same depth of penetration. Further pushing of the sprue piece 140 into the fastener assembly 101, and consequently into the tool (shown in FIG. 5), is consequently no longer possible. Further screwing of the adjusting screws 180 into the flange threaded bore 144, if possible, increases the distance A. The sprue piece 140 is readjusted.

[0049] FIG. 4b shows the sprue system 100 from the perspective that is hidden from the viewer after installation in the nozzle-side injection-molding arrangement 300 (shown in FIG. 5). The maximum screwing-in depth of the fastening screw thread 173 of the fastening screws 170 into the internal threaded bore 174 of the fastener assembly 101 is dictated by the geometrical dimensions of the fixing device 110 and the centering device 120, for example the thickness of the metal disks. Furthermore, there is a clearance between the delimiting walls 161 of the lead-through 160 and the outer wall of the tube portion 141, which however can be reduced by appropriate choice of the geometrical dimensions.

[0050] FIG. 5 shows the installation of the sprue system 100 into the nozzle-side injection-molding arrangement 300. The variability of the distance A (shown in FIG. 4a) always allows a stop 310 to be formed between the tube portion 141 and the mold insert 203 for the forming of a continuous runner 212 (cf. FIG. 2). It is also possible to dispense with the still represented flange clearance 213 in the platen 201, thereby dispensing with the need for a machining step. Machining steps are also dispensed with because the threaded connection between the fastening screw thread 173 and the internal threaded bores 174 of the fastener assembly 101 makes it possible to dispense with the need for an additional twist prevention or arrestment against twisting of the sprue piece 140 about the injection axis 190.

[0051] Unless otherwise expressly indicated herein, all numerical values indicating mechanical/thermal properties, compositional percentages, dimensions and/or tolerances, or other characteristics are to be understood as modified by the word generally, about or approximately in describing the scope of the present disclosure. This modification is desired for various reasons including industrial practice, manufacturing technology, and testing capability.

[0052] As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical (A OR B OR C), using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed to mean at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C.

[0053] The description of the disclosure is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the substance of the disclosure are intended to be within the scope of the disclosure. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.