INJECTION MOLDING OF ARTICLES WITH INCORPORATED INSERTS

• Main Author: HALTER CHRISTOPHE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 17.03.2016
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULARARTICLES; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

Disclosed herein, amongst other things, is In accordance with an aspect disclosed herein, there is provided a method (1200) of molding a molded article (190, 290, 390, 490, 590) in a mold (120, 220, 320, 420, 520). The method broadly includes disposing (1202) an insert (140, 240, 340, 440, 540) between a first mold stack portion (124, 224, 324, 424, 524) and a second mold stack portion (128, 228, 328, 428, 528), the first and second mold stack portions being in a spaced relation (S, S1, S2, S3, S4). Next, the method includes positioning (1204) a shuttle (132, 232, 332, 432, 532) to align a shuttle aperture (170, 270, 371, 471, 571) defined in the shuttle with the first and second mold stack portions. Next, the method includes advancing (1206) at least one of the first and second mold stack portions towards the other of the first and second mold stack portions into a molding configuration to define a molding cavity (144, 244, 344, 444, 594) therebetween with the insert at least partially enclosed within the molding cavity, the first and second mold stack portions, when in the molding configuration, being substantially accommodated within the shuttle aperture. Next, the method includes injecting (1208) molding material (155, 255, 355, 455, 555) into the molding cavity through the first or second mold stack portion to mold the molded article incorporating the insert. Next, the method includes separating (1210) the first and second mold stack portions into the spaced relation to open the molding cavity. Next,