Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – With measuring – testing – or inspecting – Controlling rate of movement of molding material or its...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-15
2001-04-17
Silbaugh, Jan H. (Department: 1732)
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
With measuring, testing, or inspecting
Controlling rate of movement of molding material or its...
C065S086000, C065S187000, C164S418000, C164S459000, C264S164000, C264S167000, C264S166000, C264S571000, C425S130000, C425S145000, C425S224000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06217803
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates in general to a forming method of forming a piece and a forming system for forming a piece. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a forming method and a forming system in which a piece is formed from a molten material without using a casting mold.
BACKGROUND ART
There is disclosed, in JP-A-2-205232, a forming method of forming a piece from a molten material without using a casting mold. This forming method is a modification of a so-called continuous casting method. In the continuous casting method, a molten metal is first solidified in a mold cavity formed through the casting mold which is positively cooled, and the solidified molten metal is then continuously drawn out from the mold cavity, whereby a piece having a large length is cast. In the forming method disclosed in the above publication, on the other hand, a restrictor frame is used in place of the casting mold. This disclosed forming method may be referred to as a continuous-drawing-up method. The restrictor frame is identical with the casting mold of the continuous casting method in that the restrictor frame has a mold cavity formed therethrough. However, in the disclosed forming method, the molten metal is solidified not in the mold cavity, but in a position located above the mold cavity.
The restrictor frame is a plate-like member having the mold cavity formed therethrough, and is disposed on the surface of the molten metal. Into the mold cavity of the restrictor frame, a comparatively narrow dummy bar made of the same material as the molten metal is introduced. This dummy bar is drawn up through the mold cavity, when the molten metal in the vicinity of the dummy bar is solidified into a forming starter member having a cross sectional shape which corresponds to the mold cavity. As the forming starter member is drawn together with the dummy bar upward through the mold cavity, the molten metal is also drawn owing to its surface tension so as to be located between the lower end of the forming starter member and the restrictor frame. That is, the drawn molten metal is located between the upper surface of the molten metal and a starter surface which is the lower end face of the forming starter member. In the initial period of the drawing process, the drawn molten metal is cooled indirectly through the forming starter member, thereby causing the drawn molten metal to be solidified gradually from the portion nearer to the forming starter member. In the subsequent period of the drawing process, the drawn molten metal is cooled indirectly through a formed piece which has been solidified from the drawn molten metal, thereby causing the drawn molten metal to be solidified gradually from the portion nearer to the formed piece. Thus, the drawn molten metal is solidified into the formed piece, which is then cooled by water and gas (for example, a nitrogen gas) respectively sprayed from a water spray nozzle and a gas spray nozzle. The drawn molten metal is continuously drawn upward, while being cooled as described above, so that the length of the formed piece is enlarged whereby a long piece is obtained.
In this continuous-drawing-up method in which the drawn molten metal located between the formed piece and the restrictor frame is solidified into the formed piece, the formed piece has a cross sectional shape corresponding to the cross sectional shape of the mold cavity of the restrictor frame. The continuous casting method in which the drawn molten metal is solidified in the casting mold, suffers from a drawback that friction between the formed piece and the casting mold causes the formed piece to be scratched at its surfaces, or causes the casting mold to be worn out. The continuous-drawing-up method in which the drawn molten metal is solidified into the formed piece outside the restrictor frame, on the other hand, is free from the above drawback encountered in the continuous casting method. Further, in the continuous-drawing-up method, since the drawn molten metal is solidified when the draw molten metal is not in contact with the restrictor frame, it is possible to obtain a high-quality piece constituted by column or structure formed as a result of solidification in one direction. Still further, in the continuous-drawing-up method, where the drawing velocity of the formed piece is held within an optimum range, it is possible to obtain a straight piece having cross sectional dimensions which are not diversified as viewed in the longitudinal direction. An increase in the drawing velocity provides a piece having a diameter which is reduced as viewed in a direction toward the top end of the piece. A reduction in the drawing velocity provides a piece having a diameter which is increased as viewed in the direction toward the top end of the piece.
However, the continuous-drawing-up method has a drawback that it is impossible to form a piece having a cross sectional shape which is other than the shape of the mold cavity formed through the restrictor frame. Namely, the restrictor frame has to be changed every time when the cross sectional shape of the formed piece to be formed is changed.
The invention of the present application has an object of obtaining a forming method and a forming system in which it is possible to easily form pieces having various cross sectional shapes, without changing the restrictor frame.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The above object may be achieved by a forming method according to the following modes having respective features. The modes are numbered for identification and their dependency from each other is indicated in the same manner as in the claims, to clarify possible combinations of the features of the modes.
(1) A forming method of forming a piece between a surface of a mass of a molten material and a starter surface of a forming starter member by gradually separating the surface of the mass and the starter surface from each other, after the starter surface has been brought into contact with the surface of the mass, the forming method being characterized by:
covering at least a portion of the surface of the mass which portion is wider than the starter surface, by a partition member having a plurality of partition walls which are spaced apart from each other by a spacing interval permitting the partition walls to divide a corresponding surface partially constituting the above-described portion and corresponding to the starter surface, into a plurality of segmental surfaces, and then separating the partition member and the forming starter member from each other while keeping the partition member in a state for dividing the corresponding surface into the plurality of segmental surfaces, after the surface of the mass and the starter surface have been brought into contact with each other with the starter surface being held in contact with or proximity to the partition member.
One example will be explained on the basis of
FIGS. 32 and 33
. The reference numerals
600
,
602
in the figures denote a partition member and a forming starter member, respectively. The partition member
600
is adapted to normally cover a portion of a molten material mass surface
606
which portion is wider than a starter surface
604
of the forming starter member
602
. This portion of the molten material mass surface
606
includes a corresponding surface which corresponds to the starter surface
604
and which is divided into segmental surfaces
611
-
622
. The forming starter member
602
is spaced apart from the partition member
600
. It is noted that
FIGS. 32 and 33
schematically show the relationship between the forming starter member
602
and the partition member
600
. The forming starter member
602
is actually considerably larger than each of the segmental surfaces
611
-
622
,
630
, whereby the corresponding surface is actually divided into a larger numbers of the segmental surfaces. The actual distance between the starter surface
604
and the partition member
600
is much smaller than the distance shown in FIG.
33
.
The forming starter member
602
is
Eashoo Mark
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
Silbaugh Jan H.
Toyota Jidosha & Kabushiki Kaisha
LandOfFree
Forming method and forming system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Forming method and forming system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Forming method and forming system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2496134