초록 ▼

Injection-molding processes and systems are described herein. An exemplary method involves: (a) holding one or more inserts in a desired position within a mold cavity by contacting a retractable core to at least a portion of each insert, wherein the retractable core is a feature of a mold plate; (b)

Injection-molding processes and systems are described herein. An exemplary method involves: (a) holding one or more inserts in a desired position within a mold cavity by contacting a retractable core to at least a portion of each insert, wherein the retractable core is a feature of a mold plate; (b) while the one or more inserts are being held in the desired position by the retractable core, initiating an injection of molten plastic into the mold cavity; (c) retracting the retractable core from the one or more inserts while continuing the injection of molten plastic into the mold cavity, wherein retracting the retractable core creates additional cavity space within the mold cavity between the retractable core and the one or more inserts; and (d) continuing the injection of molten plastic into the mold cavity until the mold cavity, including the additional cavity space, is filled. The retractable core is preferably retracted at a point when molten plastic filling cavity space further from the retractable core has substantially cooled and hardened, while molten plastic filling cavity space in close proximity to the retractable core remains substantially heated.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An injection molding process comprising: (a) positioning a retractable core within a mold cavity to hold two or more electrically conductive inserts in a desired position within the mold cavity, wherein the retractable core comprises a portion in the mold cavity that separates the two or more ins

1. An injection molding process comprising: (a) positioning a retractable core within a mold cavity to hold two or more electrically conductive inserts in a desired position within the mold cavity, wherein the retractable core comprises a portion in the mold cavity that separates the two or more inserts in the mold cavity and prevents the two or more inserts from contacting each other during an injection of hot molten plastic into the mold cavity, wherein the retractable core is configured to restrict movement of a proximal portion of each of the two or more inserts in at least one horizontal direction and one vertical direction, further wherein the mold cavity is defined by a first mold plate and a second mold plate and the retractable core is a feature of the second mold plate;(b) while the two or more inserts are being held in the desired position by the retractable core, initiating the injection of hot molten plastic into the mold cavity through at least one gate located in close proximity to the retractable core, wherein the injected plastic: (i) substantially fills a first cavity space encompassing the gate and the proximal portion of each of the two or more inserts, and (ii) substantially fills a second cavity space encompassing a distal portion of each of the two or more inserts and located beyond the first cavity space in relation to the gate;(c) continuing the injection of hot molten plastic into the mold cavity, and at such time that the injected plastic in the second cavity space has cooled and hardened sufficiently to substantially secure the distal portion of each of the two or more inserts from movement and the injected plastic in the first cavity space is still sufficiently warm and molten to securely bond to newly injected hot molten plastic, retracting the retractable core from its position restricting the movement of a proximal portion of each of the two or more inserts, wherein retracting the retractable core creates an additional cavity space within the mold cavity between the retractable core and the two or more inserts; and(d) continuing the injection of hot molten plastic into the mold cavity until the mold cavity, including the additional cavity space, is filled. 2. The process of claim 1, wherein the first cavity space is substantially filled subsequent to the second cavity space being substantially filled. 3. The process of claim 1, wherein positioning the retractable core comprises positioning protrusions from the retractable core on opposing sides of at least one of the two or more inserts. 4. The process of claim 1, wherein the retractable core comprises a comb feature that is used to hold the two or more inserts in the desired position within the mold cavity, and wherein the comb feature includes a smooth curve on at least one edge of the retractable core, wherein the smooth curve creates a ramped flow front when the retractable core is initially retracted. 5. The process of claim 1, further comprising contacting a retractable feature of the first mold plate to the proximal portion of at least one of the two or more inserts, wherein the retractable feature of the first mold plate opposes the retractable core. 6. The process of claim 5, wherein the retractable feature of the first mold plate comprises one of: a second retractable core or a retractable pin. 7. An injection molding process comprising: (a) positioning a retractable core within a mold cavity to hold two or more electrically conductive inserts in a desired position within the mold cavity, wherein the retractable core comprises a portion in the mold cavity that separates the two or more inserts in the mold cavity and prevents the two or more inserts from contacting each other during an injection of hot molten plastic into the mold cavity, wherein the retractable core is configured to restrict the movement of a proximal portion of each of the two or more inserts in at least one horizontal direction and one vertical direction, further wherein the mold cavity is defined by a first mold plate and a second mold plate and the retractable core is a feature of the second mold plate;(b) securing a distal portion of each of the two or more inserts within a mold cavity feature, such that the distal portion of each of the two or more inserts is restricted from movement;(b) while the two or more inserts are being held in the desired position by the retractable core and the mold cavity feature, initiating the injection of hot molten plastic into the mold cavity through at least one gate, wherein the injected plastic substantially fills the mold cavity, including a first cavity space encompassing the gate and the proximal portion of each of the two or more inserts;(c) continuing the injection of hot molten plastic into the mold cavity, and within such time that the injected plastic in the first cavity space is still sufficiently warm and molten to securely bond to newly injected hot molten plastic, retracting the retractable core from its position restricting the movement of a proximal portion of each of the two or more inserts, wherein retracting the retractable core creates an additional cavity space within the mold cavity between the retractable core and the two or more inserts; and(d) continuing the injection of hot molten plastic into the mold cavity until the mold cavity, including the additional cavity space, is filled. 8. The process of claim 7, wherein positioning the retractable core comprises positioning protrusions from the retractable core on opposing sides of at least one of the two or more inserts. 9. The process of claim 7, wherein the retractable core comprises a comb feature that is used to hold the two or more inserts in the desired position within the mold cavity. 10. The process of claim 7, further comprising contacting a retractable feature of the first mold plate to the proximal portion of at least one of the two or more inserts, wherein the retractable feature of the second mold plate opposes the retractable core. 11. The process of claim 10, wherein the retractable feature of the first mold plate comprises one of: a second retractable core or a retractable pin. 12. An injection-molding system comprising: (a) a first mold plate having an inner surface defining a first portion of a mold cavity;(b) a second mold plate having an inner surface defining a second portion of the mold cavity, wherein the first mold plate mates to the second mold plate to define the mold cavity, wherein the second mold plate comprises a retractable core, wherein the retractable core is extendable from the inner surface of the second mold plate to hold two or more electrically conductive inserts in a desired position within the mold cavity, wherein the retractable core comprises a portion in the mold cavity that separates the two or more inserts in the mold cavity and prevents the two or more inserts from contacting each other during an injection of hot molten plastic into the mold cavity, and wherein the retractable core is retractable, during a continuous injection of molten plastic, to create additional cavity space within the mold cavity between the retractable core and the two or more inserts; and(c) a runner having a gate located in close proximity to the retractable core, such that plastic filling a second cavity space further from the retractable core in the mold cavity will cool and harden while plastic filling a first cavity space within the mold cavity in close proximity to the retractable core remains substantially heated. 13. The injection-molding system of claim 12, wherein the retractable core is configured to be retracted away from the two or more inserts during the injection of molten plastic into the cavity when (i) already-injected plastic further from the retractable core in the mold cavity has substantially cooled and (ii) already-injected plastic near the retractable core in the mold cavity has not substantially cooled, such that the substantially-cooled plastic further from the retractable core holds the two or more inserts in the desired location after retracting the retractable core, and such that molten plastic injected into the additional cavity space between the retractable core and the inserts securely bonds to already-injected plastic near the retractable core in the mold cavity. 14. The injection-molding system of claim 12, wherein the retractable core comprises a plurality of protrusions that are positioned on opposing sides of at least one of the two or more inserts to hold the at least one of the two or more inserts in the desired position. 15. The injection-molding system of claim 12, wherein a portion of each of the two or more inserts extends into one of the mold plates to assist the retractable core in holding the two or more inserts in the desired position within the mold cavity. 16. The injection-molding system of claim 12, wherein the first mold plate comprises a retractable feature that opposes the retractable core. 17. The injection-molding system of claim 16, wherein the retractable feature that opposes the retractable core comprises one of: (a) a second retractable core and (b) one or more retractable pin features.