MOLDING TOOLS WITH INTERCHANGEABLE INSERTS TO FORM A VARIETY OF PARTS WITH DIFFERING GEOMETRIES FROM A SINGLE TOOL

摘要

A first aspect of the invention relates to the manufacture of disparate workpieces by the process of injection molding using a single base tool. The tool is made up of cavity and core halves, and each half is made up of separate, removable/interchangeable, inserts which, when combined in a particular order, form the workpiece-forming surface. All or any number of the inserts may be replaced with other inserts to alter the workpiece-forming surface and allow a large number of differently shaped workpieces (i.e. having different surface features and shapes) to be formed from a single base tool. In another aspect of the invention, the inserts are connected to respective thermally conductive cavity and core mounting plates, which are in turn connected to respective cavity and core heating/cooling plates so that insert-mounting holes need not be made in the heating/cooling plates.

主权项

1. A molding tool for manufacturing a workpiece having a three-dimensional shape, said mold including a core and a cavity mateable with one another to define a space therebetween, at least a portion of said space having a shape substantially corresponding to the shape of the workpiece to be molded, at least one of said core and said cavity being comprised of:
a one or more mounting plates, and a collection of inserts, each of said inserts adapted to be detachably secured to said one or more mounting plates at any one of one or more user-selected locations on said one or more mounting plate, each of said inserts having at least a mounting side, which faces said one or more mounting plates, and a workpiece-forming surface which defines at least a portion of said space, said workpiece-forming surface being contoured to define the shape of a corresponding portion of the workpiece to be molded, at least one of said inserts being detachably securable to said one or more mounting plates in at least partially direct abutment with at least one other of said inserts such that an at least partial workpiece-forming material seal is formed between abutting inserts; whereby a grouping of inserts from said collection of inserts are selected and arranged on said one or more mounting plates such that the cumulative workpiece-forming surfaces of the grouping of inserts while they are arranged on said one or more mounting plates correspond to at least a portion of a surface of the workpiece to be formed.