Method of molding and mold with succesive stage cooling channels
Various embodiments provide methods and apparatus for cooling a mold in a compression molding assembly, thereby enabling increased cycling speed and efficiency. Embodiments include a coolant flow path that transports a fluid coolant into and out of a cooling ring around the molding assembly's core. The coolant flow path may divide into several channels within the cooling ring. The coolant flow path may also include a series of stages with varying volumes or cross sectional areas designed to regulate the flow of coolant.
1. A molding device for molding a plastic material, comprising:
a center core concentric about a central axis of the molding device, the center core comprising a plurality of center core inlets and a plurality of center core outlets;
a cooling ring disposed around the center core and concentric about the central axis of the molding device, the cooling ring comprising:
a plurality of internal grooves extending in an axial direction on an inner surface of the cooling ring;
a plurality of traversing channels extending between the inner surface of the cooling ring and an outer surface of the cooling ring
a plurality of arcuate grooves; and
a plurality of external grooves extending in the axial direction on the outer surface of the cooling ring and offset from the internal grooves by an angle about the central axis of the molding device; and
a thread core concentric about the central axis of the molding device and disposed around the cooling ring,
wherein the center core, the cooling ring, and the thread core are configured to define a fluid coolant flow path through which coolant may flow into the plurality of center core inlets, through a plurality of internal channels bounded by the plurality of internal grooves and the center core, through the plurality of traversing channels, through a plurality of arcuate channels bounded by the plurality of arcuate grooves and the thread core, through a plurality of external channels bounded by the plurality of external grooves and the thread core, and through the plurality of center core outlets.
2. The molding device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a bubbler coupled with the center core and comprising a bubbler inlet and a bubbler outlet,
wherein the bubbler is configured to further define the fluid coolant flow path so that coolant flows in through the bubbler inlet through to the center core inlets, and
wherein the bubbler is configured to further define the fluid coolant flow path so that coolant flows out from the center core outlets and out through the bubbler outlet.
3. The molding device of claim 2 , wherein the center core, the cooling ring, and the thread core are configured to define the fluid coolant flow paths with cross sectional areas configured to control the coolant flow.
4. The molding device of claim 3 , wherein the center core is configured so that the plurality of center core inlets have a larger combined cross sectional area than the bubbler inlet.
5. The molding device of claim 4 , wherein the center core and the cooling ring are configured so that the plurality of internal channels have a smaller combined cross sectional area than the bubbler inlet.
6. The molding device of claim 5 , wherein the thread core and the cooling ring are configured so that the plurality of external channels have a smaller combined cross sectional area than the plurality of internal channels.
7. The molding device of claim 6 , wherein the center core is configured to mold caps.
8. The molding device of claim 7 , wherein the thread core comprises external threads.
9. The molding device of claim 8 , wherein the cooling ring is configured to directly contact the plastic material during a molding operation.
10. The molding device of claim 1 , wherein the molding device is an injection molding device.
11. The molding device of claim 1 , wherein the molding device is a compression molding device.
12. A method of cooling a molding device with a fluid coolant, the molding device comprising a bubbler, a center core, a cooling ring, and a thread core concentric about a central axis of the molding device, the method comprising:
directing the fluid coolant into a bubbler inlet of the bubbler;
directing the fluid coolant from the bubbler into a plurality of center core inlets of the center core;
directing the fluid coolant from the center core inlets into a plurality of internal channels bounded by a plurality of internal grooves extending in an axial direction on an inner surface of the cooling ring and the center core;
directing the fluid coolant from the plurality of internal channels into a plurality of traversing channels extending between the inner surface of the cooling ring and an outer surface of the cooling ring;
directing the fluid coolant from the plurality of traversing channels into a plurality of arcuate channels bounded by a plurality of arcuate grooves of the cooling ring and the thread core;
directing the fluid coolant from the plurality of arcuate channels into a plurality of longitudinal flow channels defined by external grooves of the cooling ring and the thread core, the external grooves extending in the axial direction on the outer surface of the cooling ring and offset from the internal grooves by an angle about the central axis;
directing the fluid coolant from the plurality of longitudinal flow channels into a plurality of center core outlets of the center core; and
directing the fluid coolant from the plurality of center core outlets into a bubbler outlet of the bubbler and out of the molding device.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein:
the center core, the cooling ring, and the thread core are configured so that the plurality of center core inlets have a combined cross sectional area that is larger than the bubbler inlet;
the center core and the cooling ring are configured so that the plurality of internal channels have a combined cross sectional area that is smaller than the bubbler inlet; and
the thread core and the cooling ring are configured so that the plurality of external channels have a combined cross sectional area that is smaller than the plurality of internal channels.
14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising molding plastic caps with the center core.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising directly contacting the cooling ring with plastic material during a molding operation.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the molding operation is an injection molding operation.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the molding operation is an injection molding operation.
18. A method of manufacturing using a molding device, comprising:
applying the molding device to a plastic material, wherein the molding device comprises:
a center core concentric about a central axis of the molding device, the center core comprising a plurality of center core inlets and a plurality of center core outlets;
a cooling ring disposed around the center core and concentric about the central axis of the molding device, the cooling ring comprising:
a plurality of internal grooves extending in an axial direction on an inner surface of the cooling ring;
a plurality of traversing channels extending between the inner surface of the cooling ring and an outer surface of the cooling ring
a plurality of arcuate grooves; and
a plurality of external grooves extending in the axial direction on the outer surface of the cooling ring and offset from the internal grooves by an angle about the central axis of the molding device; and
a thread core concentric about the central axis of the molding device and disposed around the cooling ring,
wherein the center core, the cooling ring, and the thread core are configured to define a fluid coolant flow path through which coolant may flow into the plurality of center core inlets, through a plurality of internal channels bounded by the plurality of internal grooves and the center core, through the plurality of traversing channels, through a plurality of arcuate channels bounded by the plurality of arcuate grooves and the thread core, through a plurality of external channels bounded by the plurality of external grooves and the thread core, and through the plurality of center core outlets.
19. The method of manufacturing of claim 18 , wherein applying a molding device to a plastic material comprises an injection molding operation and the molding device is an injection molding device.
20. The method of manufacturing of claim 18 , wherein applying a molding device to a plastic material comprises a compression molding operation and the molding device is a compression molding device.
21. The molding device of claim 1 , wherein two or more of the center core, the cooling ring and the thread core are configured as a single component.
22. The molding device of claim 1 , wherein the center core, the cooling ring and the thread core are configured as a single component.
23. The method of claim 12 , wherein two or more of the bubbler, center core, cooling ring, and thread core are configured as a single component.
24. The method of claim 12 , wherein the bubbler, center core, cooling ring, and thread core are configured as a single component.
25. The method of manufacturing of claim 18 , wherein two or more of the center core, cooling ring, and thread core are configured as a single component.
26. The method of manufacturing of claim 18 , wherein the center core, cooling ring, and thread core are configured as a single component.