Procter & Gamble Co., Cincinnati, received a patent for a feed system specifically designed for making thin-walled parts using a low-constant-pressure injection molding machine. The invention comprises two feed channels connected by a brazed joint; preferred construction materials for the mold include various types of aluminum, as opposed to the stronger materials that typically would be needed for molding at higher pressures. Aluminum offers more flexibility for creating flow geometries that reduce shear.
Patent 9,701,055; issued July 11
In other patent news:
Split-nut mechanism. A mechanism that Athena Automation Ltd., Vaughan, Ontario, has used for a few years on its injection molding machines has been patented.
The locking mechanism, which is used to secure a platen to a tie bar, includes a carrier assembly that couples lock-nut segments to the platen. An actuation mechanism, with a cam shaft and rotary drive, allows the two lock-nut segments to lock and unlock. In the locked position, the lock-nut segments press against the platen when force is applied to the tie bar; in the unlocked position, when the force on the tie bar is released, the lock-nut segments are spaced away from the platen.
Patent 9,636,859; issued May 2
Aseptic container molding device. Gea Procomac SpA, Sala Baganza, Italy, has applied for a patent for a method and machine for blow molding a container from a parison under aseptic conditions. With conventional equipment, the bottle needs to be sterilized after molding, and it can be challenging to maintain that sterilized state throughout the filling and capping process.
Gea Procomac has developed a completely aseptic blow molding machine in which all devices that come into contact with the parison — such as the grippers, stretching rod and blown air circuit — are sterilized, and the molding rotary carousel is protected by an isolation device that maintains the sterile environment. All parts and equipment that move the carousel and molds are kept outside of the isolation device, and any necessary manual procedures (such as the removal of obstacles) can be performed with gloves. If the isolation access door needs to be opened for any reason, however, the sterilized state inside the molding carousel will need to be restored.
Patent application 20170165874, published June 15
Color-matching system. O.E.D.A. Liad Holdings Ltd., Misgav Industrial Park, Israel, has applied for a patent for a system that optimizes the matching of colors between a reference part and parts being made by plastics processing equipment. The spectra of the two parts are measured and analyzed very quickly, enabling the system to adjust, in real time, the rate at which masterbatch is added to the resin.
Because the system can measure the reference part and in-line part so quickly, and because both measurements are taken with the same instrument, there is no need for high-accuracy spectrometer calibration.
Patent application 20170165873, published June 15
Forming-filling-sealing. Using devices designed to mimic the motion of muscles, Rinco Ultrasonics USA Inc., Danbury, Conn., has devised a way to replace the heating units of horizontal and rotary form-fill-seal machines with ultrasonic welding units, which seal more rapidly and efficiently, with less risk of damage.
Fluidic muscles — rubber tubes with woven sheaths — expand and contract as pressurized fluid is run through them. Using the muscles, Rinco has created a way to simultaneously actuate both an anvil and ultrasonic horn/booster/converter stack as part of packaging machines that were originally built without the equipment.
Patent 9,662,829; issued May 30
Resin transfer molding (RTM). Radius Engineering, Salt Lake City, has patented reusable cartridges that are designed to make RTM simpler and more efficient, enabling higher production rates. RTM is used for the fabrication of composite structures that are strong and lightweight. The process uses a resin injection system that injects thermosetting resin at high temperatures and pressures into a mold to impregnate a preform, which is made of a reinforcing material.
When using the cartridges, the time-consuming resin preparation process is done offline, so machine cycle times are unaffected, according to the patent. Users load a warmed, ready-to-use resin cartridge into the injection machine. The cartridge consists of a sealable barrel designed to withstand high pressures and/or high vacuum at elevated pressure, a piston, a quick-connect sealing device and a locking structure that prevents movement of the piston in the barrel when locked and allows movement of the piston when open. One of the problems with current RTM methods is that cleaning is time-consuming and involves hazardous solvents. The cartridges fit into a cleaning station that uses a vacuum to remove contaminants from the interior.
Patent 9,701,048; issued July 11
Die-gap adjustment. Nordson Corp., Westlake, Ohio, has created an invention that allows all fasteners on the extrusion die to be tightened at once, which could speed adjustments and reduce labor requirements. By tightening or loosening the lip gap spacing of an extrusion die, manufacturers can produce different thicknesses of sheet.
In one embodiment of the invention, the fastener tension adjustment assembly is made up of an elongated body connected to each of the fasteners; in another variation, the fastener tension adjustment assembly pushes against an intermediate fastener engagement member positioned between the proximal ends of the fasteners and lip body.
"Because the fastener tension adjustment assembly is operatively connected to each of the fasteners, the amount of force applied by the assembly to each of the fasteners is adjusted simultaneously (e.g., at the same time and/or rate). This can allow for quick adjustment of all of the fasteners, eliminating extended service time for fastener-by-fastener adjustments," the patent states.
Patent 9,694,530; issued July 4
Patents and patent applications can be viewed at www.uspto.gov
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