Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus – Distinct means to feed – support or manipulate preform stock... – And means to form or reshape preform
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-08
2001-08-07
Davis, Robert (Department: 1722)
Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus
Distinct means to feed, support or manipulate preform stock...
And means to form or reshape preform
C425S126100, C425S297000, C425S388000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270331
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for forming a pattern onto an article during an injection molding thereof and an apparatus for the same, for preventing impressions of a heating board from remaining on the surface of the molded article or molding.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as decorative patterning methods for three-dimensional solid moldings, a laminate method and a transfer printing method are known. In the laminate method, after a film on which a pattern has been printed is shaped or concurrently therewith, the film is adhered to a substrate, or while or after the film is shaped, the film is filled with a resin. On the other hand, in the transfer printing method, only a pattern ink of a film on which the pattern has been printed is transferred to a molded article or molding.
As a transfer printing method, a method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Serial No. SHO 62-196113, published on Aug. 29, 1987 is known. In this method, as will be described later, a heating board which sucks a pattern-bearing film thereon is moved into a space between a male mold and a female mold which are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. Then the pattern-bearing film heated by the heating board is vacuum sucked to the inner surface of the female mold. Thereafter, the heating board is retreated to the outside of the space between the male mold and the female mold. Next, the male mold and the female mold are clamped or closed. In the cavity defined by these molds, a molten resin is injected to form a molded article. Thus, the pattern-bearing film is attached to the surface of the molded resin article.
In this method, however, when the pattern-bearing film is sucked to the heating board, air is caught between the heating board and the pattern-bearing film. This air remains as air bubbles so that the pattern-bearing film is not uniformly heated. In addition, marks or impressions of vacuum holes defined on the heating board remain on the surface of the final molding having the pattern-bearing film sucked thereby. Thus, the appearance of the molding is adversely affected.
To solve this problem, a method as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Serial No. HEI 5-301250 (i.e., Japanese Patent Application Serial No. HEI 4-108271) has been proposed. In this method, a square-shaped holding flame is protruded from a peripheral edge of the heating surface of the heating board so as to contact with the pattern-bearing film, and a concave portion is formed at the inside of the annular holding frame. When the pattern-bearing film is located to be opposed to the heat board in order to heating the film, the concave portion prevents the film from direct contact with the heating surface of the heating board. Thus, the concave portion restrains the marks or impressions of vacuum holes from being formed on the surface of the final molding so that the appearance of the molding is fortunately affected.
In the above method, however, while the pattern-bearing film is heated by the heating board so as to be softened, the film is transferred into the internal surface of the female mold so as to be positioned thereto. At this state, slacks or wrinkles are liable to be formed on the film and the positioning of the film cannot be accurately performed by the effect of the softened film.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is made from the above-mentioned point of view. A first object of the present invention is to provide a method for forming a pattern onto an article during an injection molding thereof and an apparatus for the same, in which the pattern-bearing film can be transferred to a position opposed to the internal surface of the female mold under the condition that the slacks or wrinkles are not formed on the film, so that the pattern-bearing film can be accurately positioned to the internal surface of the female mold.
A second object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for forming a pattern onto an article during an injection molding thereof and an apparatus for the same, in which the heating board can be simply and securely pressed into the female mold.
A third object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for forming a pattern onto an article during an injection molding thereof and an apparatus for the same, in which the heating board can be securely pressed into the parting surface of the female mold.
A fourth object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for forming a pattern onto an article during an injection molding thereof and an apparatus for the same, in which the heating board can uniformly heat the entire pattern-bearing film.
A fifth object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for forming a pattern onto an article during an injection molding thereof and an apparatus for the same, in which a insulation board waiting at a standby position an prevent the pattern-bearing film or the like from being heated and deformed in the standby position.
A sixth object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for forming a pattern onto an article during an injection molding thereof and an apparatus for the same, in which the pattern-bearing film can be cut by a simple structure and the cutting is lower in cost.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the first object is accomplished by a method for forming a pattern onto an article during an injection molding thereof, comprising the steps of: feeding a pattern-bearing film to a molding position where a male mold and a female mold are opposed; heating said pattern-bering film by a heating board so as to soften it, said heating board having a heating surface and being movable into and away from a space between said male mold and said female mold; transferring said pattern-bearing film to an internal surface of said female mold so as to contact said pattern-bearing film with said internal surface; causing said male mold and said female mold with said pattern-bearing film therein to approach each other to form a closed molding cavity; and injecting a molten resin into said cavity to form a molded article to adhere said pattern-bearing film to the surface of said article, wherein the improvement comprises the step of: feeding the pattern-bearing film from a film supplying section to a position which is opposed to the internal surface of the female mold; fixing a distal end of the pattern-bearing film by a film fixing frame arranged at a downstream-side of the female mold along the film feeding direction; retreating the pattern-bearing film to the film supplying section so as to tighten up the pattern-bearing film; and fixing the pattern-bearing film on the parting surface of the female mold, whereby the heating board is moved into a position where the heating surface thereof is opposed to the pattern-bearing film fixed on the parting surface, and then the pattern-bearing film is softened by the heating surface of the heating board means.
In the method, after the pattern-bearing film is fed to the female mold, the distal end of the film is fixed under a lower portion of the female mold, and at the same time the film is retreated by a tensile force from the film supply portion. Thus, this tightens up the film so that the slacks or wrinkles cannot be formed on the film. Therefore, the film can be fortunately spread around the parting surface of the female mold.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the second object is accomplished by an apparatus for forming a pattern onto an article during an injection molding thereof, comprising: means for feeding a pattern-bearing film to a molding position where a male mold and a female mold are opposed; heating board means for heating said pattern-bering film so as to soften it, said heating board means having a heating surface and being movable into and away from a space between said male mold and said female mold; means for transferring said pattern-bearing film to an internal surface of said female
Atake Hiroyuki
Hanamoto Keiji
Kobayashi Kazuhisa
Matano Takashi
Miyazawa Kazushi
Dai Nippon Printing Co. Ltd.
Davis Robert
Heckenberg Donald
Parkhurst & Wendel L.L.P
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