System for molding a jointed linkage support system
First Claim
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1. A system for molding a jointed linkage, the system comprising:
- a mold having a first set of cavities with contours corresponding to a first part and a second set of cavities with contours corresponding to a second part, wherein the first and second sets of cavities are in communication and are positioned such that a plurality of individual cavities of the first set of cavities alternate with a plurality of individual cavities of the second set of cavities, and wherein at least one of the first set of cavities is bisected by a plane of symmetry between two identical socket part mold cavities;
a plurality of first parts each having a first melting point, wherein the first parts are placed into the first set of cavities with portions of the first parts extending into the second set of cavities;
means for introducing a material having a second melting point which is lower than the first melting point into the second set of cavities at a temperature which is equal to or higher than the second melting point and lower than the first melting point to form a plurality of second parts that alternate with the plurality of first parts in the jointed linkage; and
wherein the second parts capture the portions of the first parts which extend into the second set of cavities to form movable joints between the first and second alternating parts.
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Abstract
A system for molding a jointed linkage support system with joints that allow movement and bending in many directions and degrees of freedom. A chain-like linkage system made up of a series of joints is molded in a single step from materials having different melting temperatures in a series of alternating communicating mold cavities. The jointed linkage support system emerges from the mold fully assembled. An electrical switch may be provided within one of the joints between sleeves and rods whereby movement of the rod relative to the sleeve actuates the switch.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A system for molding a jointed linkage, the system comprising:
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a mold having a first set of cavities with contours corresponding to a first part and a second set of cavities with contours corresponding to a second part, wherein the first and second sets of cavities are in communication and are positioned such that a plurality of individual cavities of the first set of cavities alternate with a plurality of individual cavities of the second set of cavities, and wherein at least one of the first set of cavities is bisected by a plane of symmetry between two identical socket part mold cavities;
a plurality of first parts each having a first melting point, wherein the first parts are placed into the first set of cavities with portions of the first parts extending into the second set of cavities;
means for introducing a material having a second melting point which is lower than the first melting point into the second set of cavities at a temperature which is equal to or higher than the second melting point and lower than the first melting point to form a plurality of second parts that alternate with the plurality of first parts in the jointed linkage; and
wherein the second parts capture the portions of the first parts which extend into the second set of cavities to form movable joints between the first and second alternating parts. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A jointed linkage support system made by a method comprising the steps of:
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providing a mold with a series of individual communicating cavities, a first set of the individual cavities configured to receive a first part, each of the first parts having a first contour, and a second set of the individual cavities configured to form a second part, each of the second parts having a second contour, with the individual cavities of the first set positioned such that a plurality of individual cavities of the first set alternate with a plurality of individual cavities of the second set;
making a plurality of the first parts from a first material having a first melting point;
placing the first parts in the first set of cavities with portions of the first parts extending into the second set of cavities;
introducing into the second set of cavities a second material having a second melting point which is lower than the first melting point to form the second part, wherein the second material is introduced into the second set of cavities at a temperature that is equal to or higher than the second melting point and lower than the first melting point;
allowing the second material to cool in the second cavities to form a movable joint with the portions of the first parts which extend into the second set of cavities, thereby molding a jointed linkage support system in which the first parts pivot with respect to the second parts without any of the second parts engaging an adjacent one of the second parts. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification