Molding method and apparatus and part produced thereby

• Main Authors: H. RICHARD VOGHT, DAVID W. LAHNALA, GARY W. BERNIER, CHARLES E. ASH JR
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 25.02.1998
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULARARTICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; REMOVABLE EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE COVERINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FORVEHICLES; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL; WINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILARDEVICES FOR VEHICLES; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

Part is moulded using a stationary mould base (25), with a portion of a mould cavity therein, and at least one movable mould core (30, 35), having a further portion of a mould cavity therein, and which is rotatable between a closed position in facing relation with the stationary mould base to define therewith a complete mould cavity, and an open position away from the mould base. A device (32, 37) is provided to rotate the movable mould core between its open and closed positions and moulding material is injected into the mould cavity when the mould is closed, with a control system to rotate the movable mould and inject the moulding material. Also claimed are further apparatus and methods, to encapsulate a sheet or a part of a sheet, or a sheet of glass, or a part of a sheet of glass, or a sheet of glass supported on the stationary mould; or a sheet of glass and in which there is a movable top mould core and a movable side mould core, or encapsulating a sheet of glass about at least one of its edge regions or surfaces in which a part to be partially encapsulated with the glass is loaded into one of the movable moulds prior to closing the mould about the edge of the glass. Claims refer to the fixed mould base being multi-part. A manufacturing system having a turntable carrying a moulding station indexable between a number of stations including a loading station at which a robotic arm loads sheets of material into the moulding station, an injection station at which moulding material is injected into the moulding station, and an unloading station at which an encapsulated sheet is unloaded, is also claimed.