Mold assembly for forming apertures in a molded body

• US 5,798,073 A
• Filed: 10/07/1997
• Issued: 08/25/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Johnson, Michael G., Knoedl, George, Shevchuk, George J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HEITBRINK, JILL LYNNE
• Application Number:
  US08/946,449
• Time in Patent Office: 322 Days
• Field of Search: 264/313, 264/318, 264/328.1, 264/334, 425/542, 425/577, 425/468, 249/63, 249/64, 249/150, 249/151, 249/154, 249/183
• US Class Current: 264/313
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/0033 constructed for making articles provided with holes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/505 cores or mandrels, e.g. inflatable B29C33/0016 takes precedence; for winding and joining B29C53/824; for supporting articles during joining B29C66/634; flexible cores for vulcanizing tyres B29D30/0654
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/2628 with mould parts forming holes in or through the moulded article, e.g. for bearing cages
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2025/00 Frameless domes igloos B29L2031/106

Abstract

A mold assembly includes first and second housings having generally curved surfaces inside the mold cavity. The first housing has apertures extending therethrough. The second housing may have apertures, axially aligned with the apertures of the first housing, extending partially or completely therethrough. At least one guided, flexible, elongated rod member is configured for reception in the apertures of the first and second housings, the rod members being movable in a direction non-parallel to a direction of movement of the mold assembly with respect to the rod members. The mold-assembly is particularly useful for forming a molded body having a plurality of apertures, aligned in arbitrary non-parallel directions relative to one another, extending therethrough.

Claims

1. A mold assembly for forming a molded body, said mold assembly comprising:

(a) a first housing having a first arbitrarily shaped surface and a plurality of apertures extending therethrough;

(b) a second housing having a second arbitrarily shaped surface positioned adjacent said first arbitrarily shaped surface of said first housing, said arbitrarily shaped surfaces of said first and second housings defining a mold cavity therebetween;

(c) a plurality of flexible elongated rod members configured to slide through said plurality of apertures of said first housing and at least partially through said mold cavity;

(d) an actuating member operatively associated with said plurality of elongated rod members, said actuating member being movable in a first direction to slide said plurality of rod members through said plurality of apertures; and

(e) a plurality of guide members operatively associated with said first housing, said plurality of guide members configured to position said flexible elongated rod members to enter said mold cavity from said plurality of apertures in directions non-parallel to each other.

2. A mold assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second arbitrarily shaped surfaces include generally curved surfaces.

3. A mold assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said first arbitrarily shaped surface is concave and said second arbitrarily shaped surface is convex.

4. A mold assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein each guide member includes an elongated tubular member having first and second ends, said first end being disposed in said one of said plurality of apertures of said first housing and configured to guide one of said elongated rod members therethrough.

5. A mold assembly as recited in claim 4, further comprising a stabilizing member operatively associated with said tubular members for stabilizing said tubular members.

6. A mold assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein said stabilizing member comprises a planar base member defining a plurality of apertures extending therethrough, wherein said second end of said plurality of tubular members is affixed within said plurality of apertures of said planar base member.

7. A mold assembly as recited in claim 5, wherein said actuating member is configured to effect reciprocating translation of said plurality of said flexible elongated rod members within said plurality of tubular members and said plurality of apertures of said first housing.

8. A mold assembly as recited in claim, 7 wherein said actuating member comprises a planar base member that is affixed to an end portion of said plurality of flexible elongated rod members.

9. A mold assembly as recited in claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of apertures of said first housing is formed substantially perpendicular to said generally curved surface of said first housing.

10. A mold assembly as recited in claim 1, further comprising injection means for providing a molding substance into said mold assembly when said second housing and said first housing are positioned to define said mold cavity.

11. A mold assembly as recited in claim 10, wherein said first housing includes an orifice through which said injection means can introduce the molding substance into said mold cavity.

12. A mold assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said first housing comprises a plurality of layers, said plurality of layers including a plurality of corresponding grooves defining said plurality of apertures extending therethrough.

13. A mold assembly as recited as in claim 12, wherein each of said plurality of layers include at least one surface defining at least one generally half cylindrical surface forming one of said plurality of apertures extending through said first housing when said plurality of layers are placed together to form said first housing.

14. A mold assembly as recited in claim 1, wherein said second housing has at least one aperture extending at least a portion of the way therethrough, said plurality of apertures of said first housing being positioned in axial alignment with at least one corresponding aperture of said second housing when said second housing and said first housing are positioned to define said mold cavity, and wherein at least one of said plurality of flexible elongated rod members is configured for slidable reception through at least one of said plurality of apertures of said first housing, through said mold cavity and at least a portion of the way into said at least one corresponding aperture provided in said second housing when said apertures are in axial alignment with one another.

15. A mold assembly as recited in claim 14 wherein said at least one aperture in said second housing extends completely through said second housing.

16. A method of molding a generally curved molded body, said method comprising steps of:

(a) providing a first housing and a second housing to form a mold assembly having a mold cavity, the first housing defining a first arbitrarily shaped surface including a plurality of apertures extending therethrough and having a plurality of guide members associated therewith and the second housing defining a second arbitrarily shaped surface configured for reception with the first housing, said first and second housings being positioned to define the mold cavity;

(b) inserting a plurality of flexible, elongated rod members into the plurality of apertures of the first housing using a single actuating member, each of the flexible, elongated rod members being directed by a respective guide member to enter the mold cavity from one of said plurality of apertures in a direction non-parallel to another of said elongated rod members;

(c) injecting a molding substance into the mold cavity;

(d) withdrawing the plurality of elongated rod members from the plurality of apertures of the first housing;

(e) separating the first and second housings; and

(f) ejecting the molded body from the mold cavity.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said step of providing the first housing and the second housing comprises positioning a plurality of layers together to form the first housing, with each of the plurality of layers defining at least one generally half cylindrical surface so as to form at least one of the plurality of apertures through the first housing when the plurality of layers are placed together to form the first housing.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the respective guide members each include respective elongated tubular guiding member having first and second ends and said step of inserting the plurality of flexible, elongated rod members comprises sliding the plurality of flexible elongated rod members through said respective elongated tubular guiding members, each first end of each of the elongated tubular guiding members being disposed in one of the plurality of apertures provided in the first housing.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said step of inserting the plurality of flexible, elongated rod members comprises moving the actuating member, which is operatively associated with the plurality of flexible, elongated rod members, so as to reciprocally move the plurality of flexible, elongated rod members relative to the plurality of apertures of said first housing.