Method to Optimize Regulated Pressure to a Cyclical Air Application

Abstract

An air flow control assembly moves a pressurized air stream to a cyclical application, such as a molding machine, with air pressure at the cyclical application returned to the air flow control assembly to modulate the rate at which the air stream is delivered to the cyclical application.

Claims

1. A dome loaded air pressure regulator assembly for controlling the movement of pressurized supply air to an operating device at a regulated lower pressure, comprising: a valve body with an inlet opening for receiving pressurized inlet air and an outlet opening for discharging the air at a lower pressure to the operating device; an air passage extending through the valve body from the inlet opening to the outlet opening for passing air through the valve body, and a valve seat surrounding the air passage; a valve assembly movable in the air passage through the valve seat, the valve assembly including a disc valve movable toward and away from the valve seat for regulating the flow of air through the air passage; a spring at one end of the disc valve for biasing the disc valve toward a closed position with the valve seat; a diaphragm at the other end of the disc valve for biasing the disc valve toward an open position, the diaphragm including a reference or setpoint pressure application surface on the outer side of the diaphragm for receiving pressurized air for opposing the force of the spring and for opening the valve, and a process pressure application surface on the inner side of the diaphragm for receiving the process signal pressure air for opposing the force applied by the reference or setpoint pressure application surface for closing the valve; an air delivery conduit extending from the outlet opening of the valve body to the operating device; a return port in the valve body extending from outside the valve body to the inner pressure application surface of the diaphragm for connection externally to the operating device; and a process signal air pressure line extending from adjacent the air operating device back to the return port of the valve body and to the inner pressure application surface of the diaphragm for applying signal air pressure from adjacent the operating device to the inner surface of the diaphragm for opposing the force applied by the reference or setpoint pressure air to the outer application surface of the diaphragm.

2. The air pressure regulator assembly of claim 1, and further including an external blow tank with an air inlet for receiving elevated pressure air from the compressors and an air outlet for delivering air from the blow tank to the air regulator.

3. The air pressure regulator assembly of claim 1, wherein the air delivery conduit includes an internal blow tank for accumulating pressurized air from the air pressure regulator and delivering the air to the operating machine.

4. The air pressure regulator assembly of claim 3, and further including a pilot regulating valve for connection between the pressurized supply inlet air conduit and the outer side pressure application surface of the diaphragm of said air pressure regulator assembly, for applying the reference or setpoint pressure air to the outer side pressure application surface of the diaphragm.

5. The air pressure regulator assembly of claim 3, and further including an external pressure source of some type (such as regulated air from a bottle) for connection to the outer side pressure application surface of the diaphragm of said air pressure regulator assembly, for applying the reference or setpoint pressure air to the outer side pressure application surface of the diaphragm.

6. The air pressure regulator assembly of claim 3, and further including two or more supply and exhaust valves to modulate mechanically or electrically the reference or setpoint pressure supplied to the connection to the outer side pressure application surface of the diaphragm of said air pressure regulator assembly, for applying the reference or setpoint pressure air to the outer side pressure application surface of the diaphragm.

7. The air pressure controller of claim 1, wherein the air pressure regulator comprises an electrically controlled device such as a stepper motor controlled valve with a local or remote pressure measuring device sending a signal to a controller connected to the stepper motor controlled valve.

8. A method of controlling the pressure of an air stream delivered to a molding machine comprising: moving air from an air pressure regulator to a molding machine; providing an air pressure signal from the air moving into the molding machine back to the air pressure regulator; and regulating the flow of air to the molding machine in response to the change in air pressure from the molding machine.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates the pressure changes in the compressed air in a cycle of a prior art production machine.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the dome loaded air pressure regulator.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a diagram of the components of the invention and how they are functionally connected together.

[0020] FIG. 4 illustrates the improved pressure changes in the compressed air in a cycle of a molding machine outfitted with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Referring now in more detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 3 shows the air flow control assembly 10 that controls the air stream delivered to a molding machine, through a blow distribution manifold 30 and individual hoses 32 that lead to the cavities of a molding machine.

[0022] FIG. 4 shows the sequence of air pressures to mold cavities during a cycle of the molding machine utilizing the dome loaded regulator invention method. This illustrates how the invention allows the supply pressure exiting the dome loaded regulator to be boosted above the reference or setpoint pressure to more quickly stop the pressure droop or falling pressure and bring the mold pressure back up towards the desired level. Typically, the regulator outlet pressure does not drop below setpoint as the prior art does. The dip inside the oval on FIG. 4 shows the reduction of the air pressure being minimized at the start of the molding process and the full recovery of the air pressure back to the setpoint pressure at the end of each cycle. The temporary decrease in air pressure in the mold cavities at the beginning of a filling cycle, under the prior art, is caused by the air supply system not being able to quickly sense the reduction in mold pressure and respond appropriately.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, the air flow control assembly includes an air pressure regulator 12 and a pilot regulating valve 14 that are pneumatically connected together for receiving and controlling the pressurized air from the supply air conduit 16 and passing the regulated air to the molding machine 21. As shown in FIG. 3, conduit 18 passes the stream of pressurized air from the supply inlet air pressure conduit 16 through the dome loaded air pressure regulator 12 and through the delivery conduit 20 toward the molding machine. In the meantime, branch conduit 17 applies the pressurized supply air from the pressurized supply inlet conduit 16 to the pilot regulating valve 14. This provides the reference (setpoint) pressure for the air stream moving from delivery conduit 20 through the blow solenoid valves 28, distribution manifold 30 and delivery hoses 32 that lead to the individual cavities of the mold machine (not shown).

[0024] Typically, the pressure of the inlet air stream from pressure inlet conduit 16 entering the air pressure regulator 12 and the pilot regulating valve 14 may be at about 100-500 pounds per square inch, and the air pressure leaving the air pressure regulator 12 may be at about 100-500 psi. Other pressure conditions may be used based on, for example, the sizes of the equipment, the capacities of the blow machine, and the distances between the components of the equipment.

[0025] Pilot valve 14 may be a prior art regulator valve that includes a spring biased diaphragm valve (not shown in detail) that controls the movement of a disc valve that restricts the flow of air through a valve seat and reduces the pressure of the air flowing from the pressurized supply inlet conduit 16 and through the pilot controlled air conduit 19. The pilot controlled air then passes from the pilot control pressure conduit 19 at the reduced pressure to the dome loaded air pressure regulator port 33 shown in FIG. 2 which is connected to the outer surface of the diaphragm 34, to control the reference or setpoint pressure of the air moving to the molding machine 21.

[0026] The air pressure regulator 12 is also connected to the same source of elevated pressure air through supply pressure conduit 16 and branch conduit 18, and the elevated pressure air is modulated in the air pressure regulator 12 to the desired lower pressure. The regulated lower pressure air is delivered through delivery conduit 20, toward the molding machine 21.

[0027] Typically, the air pressure regulator 12 will be positioned outside the structure of the molding machine 21 as represented by the vertical dash line 26 of FIG. 3.

[0028] The delivery conduit 20, in some cases, delivers the modulated air through one or more high blow tanks 22 and 24. The modulated air pressure moves through any blow tanks, passing through solenoid valves 28 and through their delivery conduits to the high blow distribution manifold 30, and then through the delivery hoses 32 to mold cavities (not shown).

[0029] The pressurized inlet air stream is shown by the arrow P4 and the outlet air stream is shown by arrow P5 in FIG. 2. The dome loaded air pressure regulator 12 consists of a pilot operated design that provides optimal performance in a high volume cyclical application such as this one.

[0030] Pilot valve 14 (FIG. 3) applies its modulated air pressure through controlled air conduit 19 to the primary air pressure regulator of FIG. 2. This acts as a reference pressure and is the setpoint pressure for the system.

[0031] An external signal pressure line 64 communicates with the internal high blow tank or manifold pressure to port 62 (FIG. 2) of the dome loaded air pressure regulator. This is compared to the reference pressure and determines if the air pressure regulator needs to open or close to try and maintain the setpoint pressure. As shown in FIG. 2, the return port 62 is in open communication through signal pressure line 64 of FIG. 3, in the downstream direction of the air flow of the assembly, and connected to the blow tank 24 that is close to the mold cavities inside the machine. This direct communication from the blow tank closest to the mold cavities back to the inner surface of the diaphragm 35 of the air pressure regulator provides direct and open communication between the blow tank and the air pressure regulator of FIG. 2, so that unobstructed communication of the varying pressure closest to the mold cavities occurs. This tends to more quickly perceive the change in high blow air pressure allowing for fast communication and therefore early response to the drop in air pressure, allowing the air pressure regulator to respond earlier.

[0032] Those familiar with the embodiment of the patent can also imagine this function being performed using an electrical instead of the mechanical method shown in the invention. An electrical device, such as a stepper motor controlled valve, and a local or remote pressure measuring device could be used to accomplish the invention method. The local or remote pressure signal would be sent to a controller that would then send a signal to the stepper motor controlled valve telling it which direction to move and at what rate of speed to regulate the downstream pressure being supplied to the mold cavities.

[0033] Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in detail herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications of the disclosed embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.