阅读说明：本技术 射出缸温度调节 (Shooting pot temperature regulation ) 是由 玛农·丹妮尔·贝尔济莱 于 2020-03-03 设计创作，主要内容包括：公开了一种用于调节与注射模制机相关联的射出缸中的温度的系统和相关方法。结构尤其包括接近射出缸的柱塞进入端的冷却回路和热电偶,以及用于控制由冷却流体提供的冷却量的冷却调节单元。在操作中,与冷却调节单元和热电偶联接的控制器基于与热电偶相关联的温度读数来控制冷却调节单元。(A system and related method for regulating temperature in a shooting pot associated with an injection molding machine is disclosed. The structure includes, among other things, a cooling circuit and thermocouple proximate the plunger entry end of the shooting pot, and a cooling adjustment unit for controlling the amount of cooling provided by the cooling fluid. In operation, a controller coupled to the cooling conditioning unit and the thermocouple controls the cooling conditioning unit based on a temperature reading associated with the thermocouple.)

1. A system for regulating temperature in a shooting pot associated with an injection molding machine, the system comprising:

a cooling circuit proximate to a plunger entry end of the shooting pot, the cooling circuit configured to allow a cooling fluid to pass therethrough;

a thermocouple proximate the plunger entry end of the shooting pot;

a cooling regulation unit for controlling the amount of cooling provided by the cooling fluid; and

a controller coupled with the cooling conditioning unit and the thermocouple for controlling the cooling conditioning unit based on a temperature reading associated with the thermocouple.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the cooling regulation unit is a flow control valve connected to the cooling circuit for regulating the flow of the cooling fluid within the cooling circuit.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to control the flow control valve to maintain a target temperature.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to increase the flow of cooling fluid after determining that the temperature reading is greater than the target temperature.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to reduce the flow of cooling fluid after determining that the temperature reading is less than the target temperature.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the target temperature is selected to maintain a consistency of resin near the plunger-entry end of the shooting pot to reduce leakage of the resin from the plunger-entry end of the shooting pot.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the cooling fluid is water.

8. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the cooling conditioning unit is a heater.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to control the heater to increase heat after determining that the temperature reading is less than a target temperature.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to control the heater to reduce heat after determining that the temperature reading is greater than a target temperature.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the shooting pot is disposed on an auxiliary injection assembly associated with the injection molding machine, the auxiliary injection assembly configured to be removably connected to the injection molding machine.

12. A method of regulating temperature in a shooting pot associated with an injection molding machine, the method comprising:

receiving a temperature reading associated with a thermocouple proximate a plunger entry end of a shooting pot; and

controlling a cooling adjustment unit based on the temperature reading, the cooling adjustment unit controlling an amount of cooling provided by cooling fluid in a cooling circuit adjacent a plunger entry end of the shooting pot.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the cooling conditioning unit is a flow control valve connected to the cooling circuit for regulating the flow of the cooling fluid within the cooling circuit, and wherein controlling the cooling conditioning unit includes controlling the flow control valve to maintain a target temperature.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein controlling the cooling adjustment unit comprises increasing a flow of cooling fluid after determining that the temperature reading is greater than the target temperature.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein controlling the cooling adjustment unit includes reducing a flow of cooling fluid after determining that the temperature reading is less than the target temperature.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the target temperature is selected to maintain a consistency of resin near the plunger-entry end of the shooting pot to reduce leakage of the resin from the plunger-entry end of the shooting pot.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the cooling fluid is water.

18. The system of claim 12 or 13, wherein the cooling conditioning unit is a heater.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein controlling the cooling conditioning unit includes controlling the heater to increase heat after determining that the temperature reading is less than a target temperature.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein controlling the cooling conditioning unit includes controlling the heater to reduce heat after determining that the temperature reading is greater than a target temperature.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the target temperature is a temperature range or a specific temperature within the range in which the resin in the shooting pot has a desired viscosity.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to injection molding, and in particular to a method and system of adjusting the temperature of resin in a plunger entry end of a shooting pot to reduce resin leakage.

Background

Injection molding machines sometimes include shooting pots for metering the material of the plastic resin so that the cavities in the multi-cavity mold receive an amount of resin during the molding cycle. The shooting pot housing (which may also be referred to as a shooting pot cylinder) may define a cylindrical cavity through which a plunger or piston may move to expel resin from the shooting pot cylinder. That is, a plunger or piston may be actuated to discharge the resin into a hot runner manifold that carries the resin to an injection nozzle and then into a mold cavity.

The resin, which is in solid form at room temperature, may be heated to keep the resin in liquid form to allow injection into the mold cavity. However, heating the resin to high temperatures can also cause leaks. More specifically, such heating can cause resin to leak from an undesirable location of the shooting pot (e.g., a plunger entry end of the shooting pot). The plunger entry end of the shooting pot is the portion of the shooting pot cylinder furthest from the shooting pot exit end. The outlet end of the shooting pot cylinder is the portion of the shooting pot cylinder through which the resin is discharged when the plunger is actuated. Thus, the plunger entry end of the shooting pot is the end of the shooting pot cylinder opposite the exit end of the shooting pot cylinder. Resin may leak from the plunger entry end of the barrel due to the clearance between the plunger and the shooting pot barrel.

Resin leakage can be problematic for a variety of reasons. For example, resin leakage may reduce the accuracy of the injected quantity. Furthermore, leakage results in wasted resin, and can also result in material build up in undesired portions of the injection molding machine, which ultimately requires cleaning.

Accordingly, there is a need for improved methods and systems for reducing resin leakage from shooting pots.

Drawings

Reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings which show an example embodiment of the present application, and in which:

fig. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of an exemplary auxiliary injection assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a portion of an exemplary secondary injection assembly.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of exemplary components of a system that adjusts the temperature of a shooting pot.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an exemplary method of adjusting a temperature of a shooting pot.

The same reference numbers are used in the drawings to identify similar elements and features.

Detailed Description

In a first aspect, the present disclosure describes a system for regulating a temperature in a shooting pot associated with an injection molding machine. The system comprises: a cooling circuit proximate the plunger entry end of the shooting pot, the cooling circuit configured to allow a cooling fluid to pass therethrough; a thermocouple proximate to the plunger entry end of the shooting pot; a cooling regulation unit for controlling the amount of cooling provided by the cooling fluid; and a controller coupled with the cooling conditioning unit and the thermocouple for controlling the cooling conditioning unit based on a temperature reading associated with the thermocouple.

In another aspect, the present disclosure describes a method of regulating a temperature in a shooting pot associated with an injection molding machine. The method includes receiving a temperature reading associated with a thermocouple proximate a plunger entry end of a shooting pot; and controlling a cooling adjustment unit based on the temperature reading, the cooling adjustment unit controlling an amount of cooling provided by cooling fluid in a cooling circuit adjacent the plunger entry end of the shooting pot.

Other exemplary embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the present application, the term "and/or" is intended to cover all possible combinations and subcombinations of the listed elements, including only any one, any subcombination, or all elements thereof, and not necessarily excluding additional elements.

In this application, the phrase "at least one … or …" is intended to encompass any one or more of the listed elements, including only any one, any subcombination, or all of the listed elements, without necessarily excluding any additional elements, and without necessarily requiring all elements.

As will be described in more detail below, the temperature at the plunger entry end of the shooting pot may be adjusted to maintain the resin at a target temperature. The target temperature may be a temperature range or a specific temperature within the range in which the resin has a desired viscosity. Thus, the temperature range is limited to the type of resin and the application. At the target temperature, the consistency of the resin is thick enough to prevent leakage of the resin from the plunger entry end of the shooting pot. The consistency of the resin is also thin enough to prevent the resin from interfering with the operation of the shooting pot (e.g., by jamming the plunger). The temperature is maintained at a desired consistency by using a cooling circuit configured to allow a cooling fluid to pass therethrough. A cooling adjustment unit, such as a flow control valve, e.g., a solenoid valve or a proportional flow control valve, is used to control the amount of cooling provided by the cooling fluid and to control the cooling adjustment unit based on temperature readings associated with a thermocouple positioned proximate the plunger entry end of the shooting pot.

Having provided an overview, reference will now be made to fig. 1, which illustrates an example injection assembly 100. In the illustrated example, injection assembly 100 is an auxiliary injection assembly. The auxiliary injection assembly 100 is an auxiliary unit that may be added to the main injection molding machine to expand the capabilities or features of the main injection molding machine. That is, the auxiliary injection component is configured to be removably connected to an injection molding machine. However, the techniques, methods, and systems described herein may also be applied to features of a main injection molding machine. For example, a main shooting pot of an injection molding machine may use the temperature regulation features described herein.

In the illustrated example, the injection assembly 100 includes a first injection module 200 and a second injection module 300. The first injection module 200 is a shooting pot unit and the second injection module 300 is a plasticizing unit. The plasticizing unit melts the polymer material, and the shooting pot unit injects the melted polymer material (which may be referred to as resin) into the cavity of the mold.

To melt the polymeric material, the plasticizing unit includes a plasticizing screw that rotates to melt the polymeric material and advance the polymeric unit through the plasticizing unit. For example, the solid polymeric material may be loaded into a hopper that feeds a barrel in which the plasticizing screw is located. The plasticizing screw rotates and the polymer material melts and moves forward within the barrel of the plasticizing unit. The molten polymeric material (i.e., resin) may then pass through the delivery tube 302. The transfer tube transfers the resin into the shooting pot of the first injection module 200 (i.e., shooting pot unit).

Transfer tube 302 provides a fluid connection between the barrel head (i.e., the end of the barrel in which the plasticizing screw is located) and shooting pot 209. The shooting pot 209 includes a plunger 210 and a shooting pot housing 220 (which may also be referred to as a shooting pot cylinder) that defines a cavity for receiving the plunger 210. The transfer tube 302 transfers resin into a cavity defined by the shooting pot housing 220. The transfer tube 302 is connected to the shooting pot housing 220 at a first point (opening 221) between the first end 225 and the opposite second end 227 of the shooting pot housing. The first end 225 of the shooting pot housing is an outlet end of the shooting pot housing. The outlet end is the end from which the resin shot is discharged. The second end 227 is opposite the first end 225. The second end 227 may also be referred to as the rear end of the shooting pot or the plunger entry end. The plunger entry end is the end that receives the plunger 210. The plunger entry end is also the end of the shooting pot 209 closest to the actuator that transfers the linear motion to the plunger 210.

The plunger 210 is linearly movable relative to the body of the first injection module 200 and a shooting pot housing 220 disposed at a first end of the plunger 210. The actuator in the first injection module 200 may be used to impart linear motion to the plunger 210. For example, in at least some embodiments, the first injection module 200 can include a ball screw connected to the plunger 210 and a rotational power source coupled to the ball screw to transfer rotational force to the ball screw. When a rotational force is applied, the ball screw may cause linear movement of a fixing nut coupled to the plunger 210, thereby driving the plunger 210 to linearly retract the plunger forward or linearly according to the rotation of the ball screw.

Plunger 210 is positioned in first injection module 200 such that the forward end of plunger 210 is movable along shooting pot housing 220 between opposite sides of opening 221. That is, plunger 210 may be driven linearly forward in shooting pot housing 220 to push a shot of melt flowing through opening 221 and linearly retract until the next shot of melt is ready to advance in shooting pot housing 220.

Referring now to fig. 2, a cross-sectional view of a portion of injection assembly 100 is illustrated. As illustrated in fig. 2, plunger 210 travels within a cavity defined by shooting pot housing 220. The resin flows into the cavity through the opening 221. The consistency of the resin in the cavity may cause at least some resin to travel through any space between the plunger and the shooting pot housing 220 and drip from the rear end (i.e., the second end 227) of the shooting pot 209. To reduce the likelihood of such leakage, the injection assembly 100 may be equipped with a system for regulating the temperature in the shooting pot. The system may include a cooling circuit 402 configured to allow a cooling fluid to flow therethrough. The cooling circuit is positioned near the plunger entry end (i.e., second end 227) of the shooting pot 209. In the example shown, at least a portion of the cooling circuit is defined by the front drive housing 404 of the injection assembly. The front drive housing 404 is the portion of the injection assembly 100 that supports the shooting pot 209. In the illustrated example, the front drive housing 404 supports the rear end of the shooting pot and defines a channel that serves as part of the cooling circuit 402. The cooling circuit 402 allows a cooling fluid (such as water) to flow within the cooling circuit. In an example, at least a portion of the cooling circuit is located within three (3) centimeters of the shooting pot. The closer the cooling circuit is to the rear end of the shooting pot, the more effective the cooling characteristics of the cooling circuit for cooling the rear end of the shooting pot. The cooling circuit 402 may include other portions not specifically shown in fig. 2. These portions may generally be provided by conduits or channels through which the cooling fluid may flow.

The system for regulating temperature also includes a thermocouple 412 proximate the plunger entry end (i.e., the back or second end 227) of the shooting pot 209. In the illustrated example, the thermocouple is located within a slot defined in the shooting pot housing 220. In the example, the thermocouple is located within three (3) centimeters of the second end 227 of the shooting pot. A thermocouple is a temperature sensor that generates a temperature reading based on a sensed temperature. For example, the temperature reading may be a temperature-dependent voltage generated as a result of thermal effects, and the voltage may be used by the controller as a temperature reading or measurement.

The system for regulating the temperature comprises other components not shown in fig. 2. For example, referring now to FIG. 3, a block diagram of the electrical components of a system 450 for regulating temperature is shown. System 450 includes a thermocouple 412 coupled to a controller 425. The controller 425 may be, for example, a processor. The controller 425 is coupled with the cooling conditioning unit 414 that controls the amount of cooling provided by the cooling fluid in the cooling circuit 402. The controller 452 may be configured to control the cooling conditioning unit based on temperature readings associated with the thermocouples.

In at least some embodiments, the cooling conditioning unit 414 is a flow control valve, such as a solenoid valve or a proportional flow control valve, coupled to the cooling circuit 402. The flow control valve regulates the flow of cooling fluid within the cooling circuit.

The controller 452 may be configured to control the flow control valve to maintain a target temperature. As previously mentioned, the target temperature may be a temperature range or a specific temperature within the range. The technical effect of using targeted temperature control as a temperature range is that the flow is not triggered on and off too quickly, which may reduce the life of the switching components (i.e., solenoid valves). For example, after determining that a greater amount of cooling is needed (i.e., the temperature reading from the thermocouple is greater than the target temperature), the flow control valve may be actuated by the controller 252 to increase the flow of cooling fluid. Similarly, after determining that a lesser amount of cooling is needed (i.e., the temperature reading from the thermocouple is less than the target temperature), the flow control valve may be actuated by the controller 252 to reduce the flow of cooling fluid. The target temperature is selected to maintain a consistency of the resin near the plunger-entry end of the shooting pot to reduce leakage of the resin from the plunger-entry end of the shooting pot, and the target temperature may be defined in a memory associated with the controller.

Other cooling adjustments may also be used to adjust the temperature in the shooting pot. For example, in some cases, the cooling conditioning unit may be a heater or a cooling unit. The controller 252 may control the heater or cooling unit based on temperature readings from the thermocouple. For example, the controller 252 may control the heater to increase the amount of heat after determining that the temperature reading is less than the target temperature. Similarly, the controller 252 may control the heater to reduce the amount of heat after determining that the temperature reading is greater than the target temperature. The heater or cooling unit may be positioned to directly adjust the temperature of the cooling fluid or to adjust the temperature of the resin in the shooting pot.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a flow diagram of an example method 600 is shown. The example method 600 may be performed, for example, by the controller 252. For example, the controller 252 may be a processor and a memory associated with the processor may store processor-executable instructions that, when executed, configure the processor to perform the method 600.

At operation 602, the controller 452 receives a temperature reading associated with the thermocouple 412. As described above, thermocouple 412 may be positioned adjacent to the plunger entry end of the shooting pot.

In operation 604, the controller 452 controls the cooling conditioning unit based on the temperature reading. As described above, the cooling adjustment unit may control the amount of cooling provided by a cooling fluid (such as water) in a cooling circuit proximate the plunger entry end of the shooting pot.

As discussed above in the discussion of fig. 3, the cooling adjustment unit may be a flow control valve connected to the cooling circuit for adjusting the flow of cooling fluid within the cooling circuit. In such embodiments, at operation 604, the controller 452 may control the cooling conditioning unit by controlling the flow control valve to maintain the target temperature. In some embodiments, at operation 604, the controller 452 controls the cooling adjustment unit by increasing the flow of cooling fluid after determining that the temperature reading is greater than the target temperature. The target temperature may be selected to maintain the consistency of the resin near the plunger entry end of the shooting pot to reduce leakage of the resin from the plunger entry end of the shooting pot.

In some embodiments, at operation 604, the controller 452 controls the cooling conditioning unit by decreasing the flow of the cooling fluid after determining that the temperature reading is less than the target temperature.

In some embodiments, the cooling conditioning unit may be a heater or a cooling unit. In some such cases, the controller 452 controls the cooling conditioning unit in operation 604 by controlling the heater to increase the heat after determining that the temperature reading is less than the target temperature. In other cases, the cooling conditioning unit is controlled to reduce heat by controlling the heater after determining that the temperature reading is greater than the target temperature in operation 604.

The various embodiments given above are merely examples and are in no way meant to limit the scope of the application. Variations of the innovations described herein will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and such variations are within the intended scope of the present application. In particular, features from one or more of the above-described example embodiments may be selected to create alternative example embodiments that include subcombinations of features not explicitly described above. Additionally, features from one or more of the example implementations described above may be selected and combined to produce alternative example implementations including combinations of features that may not be explicitly described above. Features suitable for such combinations and sub-combinations will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the present application as a whole. The subject matter described herein and in the recited claims is intended to cover and embrace all suitable variations in technology.