Granted Patent B2

US 9,005,495 · App. 12/589,123 · Granted Apr 14, 2015

Inventors: Zhong Wang (Zhu Hai, CN); Charles R. Hill (Loudonville, OH)

Assignee: Flextronics AP, LLC

B29C35/007B29C35/049B29C45/7306

Abstract

Claims (96)

1. A portable mold-temperature control unit comprising:

a support structure;

a transport mechanism coupled to said support structure;

a heating system coupled to said support structure for heating fluid used to heat a mold;

a cooling system coupled to said support structure;

a first fluid duct coupled to said support structure for facilitating the flow of hot fluid heated by said heating system;

a second fluid duct coupled to said support structure for facilitating the flow of cool fluid used to cool said mold, said cool fluid cooled by said cooling system; and

a fluid exchange system coupled to said support structure and operative to supply hot fluid from said first fluid duct to said mold and cool fluid from said second fluid duct to said mold, said fluid exchange system being further operative to receive said fluid from said mold; and wherein

said heating system includes a steam generator operative to generate steam used to heat said mold; and

said first duct facilitates the flow of steam generated by said steam generator.

2. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 1 , wherein said cooling system includes a refrigeration system and a cool-fluid reservoir, said refrigeration system being operative to cool fluid, said cool-fluid reservoir being operative to hold said fluid cooled by said refrigeration system.

3. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 1 , wherein

said fluid exchange system includes an inlet for receiving fluid from a remote fluid source, and

said cooling system is operative to cool fluid received via said inlet.

4. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 1 , wherein said cooling system is operative to cool fluid received by said fluid exchange system from said mold.

5. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 1 , wherein

said heating system further includes a heater operative to heat liquid used to heat said mold;

said portable mold-temperature control unit further includes a third duct that facilitates the flow of liquid heated by said heater; and

said fluid exchange system is further operative to supply hot fluid from said third fluid duct to said mold.

6. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 5 , wherein said fluid exchange system includes

a mold supply outlet operative to supply fluid from said first fluid duct, said second fluid duct, and said third fluid duct to said mold, and

a return inlet operative to receive fluid previously supplied to said mold via said mold supply outlet.

7. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 6 , further including a valve capable of operating in a first position and a second position, said valve including:

a first inlet port coupled to receive hot fluid from at least one of said first fluid duct and said third fluid duct;

a second inlet port coupled to receive cool fluid from said second duct; and

an outlet port coupled to supply fluid to said mold supply outlet; and

wherein said first inlet port of said valve is opened and said second inlet port of said valve is closed when said valve operates in said first position; and

wherein said first inlet port of said valve is closed and said second inlet port of said valve is opened when said valve operates in said second position.

8. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 7 , wherein:

said fluid exchange system includes a reservoir outlet for discharging fluid from said mold-temperature control unit to a remote fluid reservoir;

said mold-temperature control unit further includes a second valve capable of operating in a first position and a second position, said second valve including

a first inlet port coupled to receive fluid from said return inlet,

a first outlet port coupled to at least one of said cooling system and said heating system, and

a second outlet port coupled to supply fluid to said reservoir outlet; and

wherein said first outlet port of said second valve is opened and said second outlet port of said second valve is closed when said second valve operates in said first position; and

wherein said first outlet port of said second valve is closed and said second outlet port of said second valve is opened when said second valve operates in said second position.

9. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 1 , wherein said fluid exchange system includes:

an outlet operative to supply fluid from said first fluid duct and said second fluid duct to a mold;

an inlet operative to receive fluid returning from a mold, said fluid returning from said mold being supplied to said mold by said outlet;

a second outlet operative to discharge fluid out of said mold-temperature control unit; and

a second inlet operative to receive fluid from a remote fluid source.

10. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 9 , further including a valve capable of operating in a first position and a second position, said valve including

a first inlet port coupled to receive hot fluid from said first fluid duct,

a second inlet port coupled to receive cool fluid from said second fluid duct, and

an outlet port coupled to supply fluid to said outlet; and

wherein said first inlet port is opened and said second inlet is closed when said valve operates in said first position; and

wherein said first inlet port is closed and said second inlet port is opened when said valve operates in said second position.

11. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 9 , further comprising

a valve capable of operating in a first position and a second position, said valve including

a first inlet port coupled to receive fluid from said inlet,

a first outlet port coupled to at least one of said cooling system and said heating system, and

a second outlet port operative to supply fluid to said second outlet; and

wherein said first outlet port is opened and said second outlet port is closed when said valve operates in said first position; and

wherein said first outlet port is closed and said second outlet port is opened when said valve operates in said second position.

12. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 9 , wherein said outlet of said fluid exchange system includes at least one outlet port coupled to permit fluid from both said first fluid duct and said second fluid duct to flow therethrough.

13. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 9 , wherein said inlet of said fluid exchange system includes at least one inlet port for receiving fluid supplied to said mold by both said first fluid duct and said second fluid duct.

14. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 1 , wherein said heating system is a local heating system and said steam generator is a local steam generator.

15. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 14 , wherein said local heating system further includes a reservoir operative to contain hot water, said reservoir being further operative to supply hot water to said local steam generator.

16. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 1 , wherein

said heating system further includes a heater operative to heat liquid used to heat said mold, and

said first duct further facilitates the flow of liquid heated by said heater.

17. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 16 , wherein

said fluid exchange system includes an inlet adapted to receive water from a remote water source, and

said local heating system is operative to heat water received via said inlet and use said heated water to heat said mold.

18. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 16 , wherein said heating system is operative to heat fluid received by said fluid exchange system from said mold.

19. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 16 , further including an air compressor coupled to said support structure for providing pressurized air to maintain said heated liquid under pressure.

20. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 16 , further including an air inlet adapted to receive pressurized air from a remote source, said pressurized air maintaining said heated liquid under pressure.

21. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a pump system coupled to said support structure.

22. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 21 , wherein said pump system includes a hot-fluid pump and a cool-fluid pump, said hot-fluid pump being operative to transport fluid through said first fluid duct when actuated, said cool-fluid pump being operative to transport fluid through said second fluid duct when actuated.

23. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a filter system.

24. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a control system coupled to said support structure.

25. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 24 , wherein said control system includes a user input/output device.

26. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 24 , wherein said control system includes an interface for communicating with a mold machine.

27. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 24 , further including a set of electromechanical valves coupled to receive control signals provided by said control system and operative to selectively provide said hot fluid and said cool fluid to said mold based on said control signals.

28. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 24 , further including a pump system coupled to receive control signals provided by said control system and operative to selectively pump said hot fluid and said cool fluid based on said control signals.

29. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 24 , wherein said control system is adapted to receive an electrical signal provided by a remote mold-temperature sensor.

30. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 24 , wherein said control system is adapted to receive an electrical signal provided by a local temperature sensor.

31. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 24 , wherein said control system is adapted to receive an electrical signal provided by a local pressure sensor.

32. A portable mold-temperature control unit according to claim 1 , further including:

a local heater;

a local hot-water reservoir operative to contain water heated by said heater;

a local refrigeration system;

a local cool-water reservoir operative to hold water cooled by said local refrigeration system;

a local pump system; and

a local control system electrically coupled to said local pump system; and wherein said steam generator is a local steam generator.

33. A method for controlling the temperature of a mold, said method comprising:

providing a portable mold-temperature control unit;

providing a remote fluid source;

providing a mold;

connecting said portable mold-temperature control unit to said remote fluid source;

transferring fluid from said remote fluid source to said portable mold-temperature control unit;

disconnecting said portable mold-temperature control unit from said remote fluid source;

connecting said portable mold-temperature control unit to said mold;

using said mold-temperature control unit to generate steam;

circulating said steam from said mold-temperature control unit through said mold while said portable mold-temperature control unit is disconnected from said remote fluid source; and

circulating said fluid from said mold-temperature control unit through said mold while said portable mold-temperature control unit is disconnected from said remote fluid source.

Assignments (9)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (2)