JP2024001599A - Thermoforming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce cycle time of a thermoforming apparatus.SOLUTION: A thermoforming apparatus 1 comprises: a cutting template 41 liftably/lowerably arranged above a resin sheet S; a trimming part 4 that punches-off a formed article Sa thermoformed in the resin sheet S accompanied with lowering movement of the cutting template 41; and a collection part 5 that collects the formed article Sa after punching. The resin sheet S is intermittently conveyed in a lengthwise direction A. The trimming part 4 is installed movably in the lengthwise direction (conveying direction) A of the resin sheet S. In the thermoforming apparatus, the collection part 5 is disposed outside in a width direction B of the resin sheet S, and the trimming part 4 is installed with a cutting template moving mechanism 48 that moves the cutting template 41 in the width direction B of the resin sheet S. The formed article Sa after punching-off is conveyed to the collection part 5 via the cutting template 41 that moves in the width direction B of the resin sheet S toward the collection part 5 while holding the formed article Sa.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to thermoforming equipment.

Containers and trays for storing foods, electronic parts, daily necessities, medicines, etc., and lids for such containers are obtained by trimming (punching) thermoformed molded products from resin sheets. is widely used. The above-mentioned "thermoforming" means that the resin sheet is softened by heating to the appropriate molding temperature and is brought into close contact with the mold using vacuum or compressed air supply, or both, so that the resin sheet can conform to the uneven shape of the mold. It is a technical means for obtaining a molded product having an uneven shape, and the concept includes so-called vacuum forming, pressure forming, vacuum pressure forming, etc.

For example, Patent Document 1 listed below includes a sheet conveying section that intermittently conveys a belt-shaped resin sheet in its length direction, and a molded article that is thermoformed on the resin sheet (the part that has been heated and softened to an appropriate molding temperature). a trimming section having a cutting die for punching out the molded product, and an accumulating section for accumulating the molded products after punching. In a thermoforming device arranged sequentially along the conveyance direction of the resin sheet (hereinafter also referred to as the "sheet conveyance direction"), the molded product after punching is directed toward the accumulation section between the trimming section and the accumulation section. A thermoforming apparatus is disclosed in which a molded product conveying section (for example, a conveyor) is provided to convey the molded article, and the molded article after punching is conveyed to the molded article conveying section by a cutting die. In the thermoforming apparatus having such a configuration, the molded product after punching is conveyed to the accumulation section via the cutting die and the molded article conveyance section.

In addition, in the thermoforming apparatus of Patent Document 1, the trimming section is capable of sliding movement in the sheet conveyance direction, and when changing the mold, the size of the molded product to be thermoformed in one shot (especially in the sheet conveyance direction) is adjusted. When the length) is changed, the position of the trimming section in the sheet conveyance direction, that is, the distance between the forming section and the trimming section, is adjusted accordingly. With such a configuration, the thermoforming apparatus of Patent Document 1 can accurately produce molded products of various sizes.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-225123

In the thermoforming apparatus of Patent Document 1, since the trimming section is movable in the sheet conveyance direction, the distance between the forming section and the trimming section in the sheet conveyance direction can be easily adjusted, and the distance between the forming section and the molded product can be easily adjusted. The interval between the conveyance units is basically constant. Therefore, for example, if the size of the molded product to be thermoformed in the molding section is small and the trimming section is placed close to the molding section, the cutting die that transports the punched molded product to the molded product conveyance section As the reciprocating distance becomes longer, the cycle time of the cutting die and, by extension, the cycle time for molding the molded product becomes longer, and the productivity (production efficiency) of the molded product decreases.

In view of these circumstances, the main object of the present invention is to realize a thermoforming apparatus that can efficiently produce molded products of various sizes.

The present invention, which was created to achieve the above object,
It has a molding part that thermoforms the molded product on the resin sheet, a trimming part that has a cutting die that can be moved up and down, and punches out the molded product that has been thermoformed on the resin sheet as the cutting die moves downward, and A thermoforming device comprising a stacking section for stacking molded products, a resin sheet is intermittently conveyed in the length direction to the molding section and a trimming section, and the trimming section is provided so as to be movable in the conveying direction of the resin sheet. In,
The accumulation part is arranged on the outside in the width direction of the resin sheet,
A cutting die moving mechanism is provided in the trimming section to move the cutting die holding the molded product after punching along the width direction of the resin sheet,
The molded product after punching is conveyed to the stacking section via a cutting die that moves in the width direction of the resin sheet toward the stacking section while holding the molded product.

In the thermoforming device according to the present invention, when the molded product thermoformed on the resin sheet is punched out as the cutting die moves downward, the molded product after the punching is cut in the same manner as in the thermoforming device of Patent Document 1. It is conveyed toward the accumulation section while being held in the mold. However, in the thermoforming apparatus according to the present invention, the accumulating part for accumulating the molded products after punching is arranged on the outside in the width direction of the resin sheet, and the cutting mold holding the molded products after punching is placed in the trimming part in the accumulating part. By providing a cutting-type moving mechanism that can move the resin sheet in the width direction toward Even if the molded product has been punched out, the molded product can be moved to the outside of the resin sheet and transported to the stacking section by moving the cutting die holding the punched molded product a predetermined distance in the width direction of the resin sheet. In short, in the thermoforming apparatus according to the present invention, regardless of the size of the molded product to be thermoformed in the molding section, the moving distance of the cutting die when transporting the punched molded product toward the accumulation section is constant and Therefore, the cycle time of the cutting die and, by extension, the cycle time for molding the molded product can be shortened.

Furthermore, in the conventional thermoforming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the forming section, the trimming section, the molded product conveying section, and the accumulating section are arranged in order (in series) along the sheet conveying direction, so the entire length of the apparatus is tends to become long. On the other hand, in the thermoforming apparatus according to the present invention, since the accumulation section is disposed on the outside in the width direction of the resin sheet, the accumulation section can be disposed on the side of the trimming section and in parallel with the trimming section. Therefore, it is also possible to realize a compact thermoforming device with a shortened overall length.

In the above configuration, the stacking section receives the molded product that has fallen when the holding state of the cutting die is released at the moving end of the cutting die that has moved toward the stacking section, and carries this molded product in the conveying direction of the resin sheet. A molded product transport mechanism can be provided to transport the molded product along the molded product.

As mentioned above, in the thermoforming device according to the present invention, the accumulation section is arranged on the outside in the width direction of the resin sheet, so the area downstream of the trimming section where the accumulation section was installed in the conventional thermoforming device is The above area can be left as an empty space, but a sheet cutting section is provided in the above area, for example, to cut a thermoformed resin sheet into a predetermined length (cut the resin sheet along its width direction). You can also do that. By installing such a sheet cutting section, the versatility of the thermoforming apparatus according to the present invention can be increased.

From the above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a thermoforming apparatus that can efficiently produce molded products of various sizes.

(a) is a schematic plan view for explaining the arrangement of members and parts constituting a thermoforming device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a schematic side view of the thermoforming device. It is a schematic sectional view of a molding part. It is a schematic sectional view of a trimming part. FIG. 2 is a partial schematic plan view of a thermoforming device. 5 is a side view of the stacking section viewed from the arrow Z2 direction in FIG. 4, (a) is a diagram showing a stage of stacking molded products, and (b) is a diagram showing a stage of transporting a stack of molded products stacked in multiple stages. FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view for explaining the arrangement of members and parts constituting a thermoforming apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings (FIGS. 1 to 6).

FIG. 1(a) is a schematic plan view for explaining the arrangement of members and parts constituting a thermoforming device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic plan view of the thermoforming device 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view [view taken along the Z1-Z1 line in FIG. 1(a)]. The thermoforming apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) is used to mass-produce molded products used as containers and trays for storing foods, electronic parts, daily necessities, medicines, etc., or as lids for containers. A sheet conveying section 2 that intermittently conveys a long belt-shaped resin sheet S in its length direction, and a sheet conveying section 2 that intermittently conveys a long resin sheet S in a belt shape, and a sheet conveying section 2 that brings the resin sheet S (partial region in the length direction) to an appropriate temperature for molding. A molding section 3 that heats and softens and molds (thermoforming) a molded product Sa of a predetermined shape on the softened part, a trimming section 4 that completely punches the molded product Sa from the resin sheet S, and a molded product Sa after punching. It is provided with an accumulating section 5 for accumulating. The molding section 3 and the trimming section 4 are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the resin sheet S shown by arrows A in FIGS. ) are arranged in order (in series). Hereinafter, the terms "downstream side" and "upstream side" may be used for convenience in explaining directionality, but "downstream side" refers to the front side in the sheet conveying direction A (in Figure 1). The "upstream side" is the rear side in the sheet conveying direction A (the left side of the paper in FIG. 1).

As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the sheet conveying unit 2 has a pedestal 21 rotatably supporting the sheet roll SR, and a belt-shaped resin sheet S fed out from the sheet roll SR in a horizontal position (approximately horizontal). The present invention includes a horizontal conveyance section 22 that conveys the sheet in a horizontal posture (position), and a scrap winder 23 that winds up into a roll a perforated resin sheet S (scrap sheet S') from which the molded product Sa has been punched out by the trimming section 4. The horizontal conveyance section 22 is arranged continuously from the upstream end of the forming section 3 to the downstream end of the trimming section 4, and the scrap winder 23 is arranged downstream of the trimming section 4.

Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the horizontal conveyance unit 22 may include, for example, an endless chain in which a plurality of clamps that clamp the resin sheet S in the thickness direction are attached at predetermined intervals, and an endless chain wrapped around the outer periphery. A rotary drive unit 22a, which rotates and drives the endless chain around a vertical axis so as to rotate the endless chain in a horizontal plane, is arranged on both sides of the resin sheet S in the width direction. In the horizontal conveyance unit 22 having such a configuration, the ends of the resin sheet S on one side and the other side in the width direction are gripped by a plurality of clamps attached to each endless chain, and both rotational drive units 22a are synchronized. When driven to rotate in opposite directions, both endless chains rotate in opposite directions at the same speed, thereby conveying the resin sheet S in its length direction A. The horizontal conveyance section 22 and the scrap winder 23 are driven intermittently in synchronization. Thereby, the sheet conveying section 2 intermittently conveys the resin sheet S in the length direction A thereof.

The feeding pitch of the resin sheet S that is intermittently transported by the sheet transport section 2 is set to be the length in the sheet transport direction A of the molded product Sa that is molded in one molding operation of the molding section 3. Therefore, when the size (especially the length in the sheet conveyance direction A) of the molded product Sa to be thermoformed into the resin sheet S is changed due to the replacement of the mold in the molding section 3, the resin sheet S The feed pitch of is also changed (adjusted). The resin sheet S transported by the horizontal transport section 22 is under tension in both its length direction A and width direction B. That is, in the thermoforming apparatus 1 of this embodiment, there is no region between the molding section 3 and the trimming section 4 in which the resin sheet S is loosened.

As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), the molding unit 3 includes a heating device 3A that heats and softens the resin sheet S (partial area in the sheet conveying direction A) to a suitable temperature for molding, and a heating device 3A that heats the resin sheet S. A molding device 3B is provided to mold the molded product Sa into the softened portion. The heating device 3A and the forming device 3B are arranged in order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction A.

The heating device 3A includes an upper heater 31 and a lower heater 32 arranged above and below the resin sheet S transported by the horizontal transport section 22, and the upper heater 31 and the lower heater 32 can be raised and lowered, respectively. It is attached to an upper holding member 33 and a lower holding member 34. During normal operation of the thermoforming apparatus 1, the upper holding member 33 and the lower holding member 34 are located at the bottom dead center and the top dead center, respectively, and come into contact with the other holding member, so that a portion of the resin sheet S in the longitudinal direction The area (heated area facing both heaters 31 and 32) is sealed. Thereby, the heated region of the resin sheet S can be efficiently heated and softened.

The molding device 3B includes a mold having an upper mold 35 and a lower mold 36 disposed above and below the resin sheet S, respectively, and an elevating mechanism that raises and lowers the upper mold 35 and the lower mold 36. As conceptually shown in FIG. 2, the upper mold 35 of this embodiment is a female mold provided with a recess 35a corresponding to the shape of the molded product Sa to be molded into the resin sheet S, and the lower mold 36 is The male mold is provided with a protrusion 36a for pushing the resin sheet S into the recess 35a during mold clamping. The upper die 35 is provided with numerous ventilation holes 35b whose one end opens into the recess 35a, and the other end of the ventilation holes 35b is connected to an air source (not shown) such as an air pump via an air hose or the like.

With the above configuration, after the mold is clamped by moving the upper mold 35 downward and moving the lower mold 36 upward, the upper mold 35 is moved between the two molds 35 and 36 through the ventilation hole 35b provided in the upper mold 35. When a suction force is applied to the resin sheet S, the resin sheet S is deformed following the recesses 35a, and a molded product Sa of a predetermined shape is molded into the resin sheet S (vacuum forming). In addition to the above-mentioned vacuum forming using vacuum evacuation, the molded product Sa may also be formed by air pressure forming using compressed air supply, or vacuum pressure forming using a combination of evacuation and compressed air supply. Further, depending on the shape of the molded product Sa, the upper mold 35 may be a male mold and the lower mold 36 may be a female mold, contrary to the illustrated example.

As shown in FIG. 1(b), the trimming section 4 includes a cutting die 41 disposed above the resin sheet S, a receiving member 42 disposed below the resin sheet S, and a press device 43.

As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 3, the cutting die 41 includes a support member 45 and a cutting blade 44 attached to the support member 45. The cutting blade 44 is a thin band-shaped blade called a Thomson blade formed into an annular shape corresponding to the contour shape of the molded product Sa. What you have is used.

The receiving member 42 receives the cutting edge 44a of the cutting blade 44 when the molded product Sa is punched out from the resin sheet S by the cutting blade 44 penetrating the resin sheet S as the cutting die 41 moves downward, For example, a plate made of a resin material such as polypropylene (PP) or polyamide (PA) is used. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the cutting edge 44a of the cutting blade 44 from being damaged at an early stage as a result of punching out the molded product Sa.

The cutting die 41 is attached to a movable member of a press device 43 that is movable up and down. As mentioned above, the cutting blade 44 is used having a size, shape, etc. according to the size, shape, etc. of the molded product Sa, so the cutting die 41 equipped with the cutting blade 44 is basically It is replaced when the mold is replaced. When the size of the molded product Sa to be thermoformed (especially the length in the sheet conveyance direction A) is changed due to the mold exchange of the mold, the feeding pitch of the resin sheet S is changed, so the feeding pitch of the resin sheet S is changed, so Unless the distance between the molding part 3 and the trimming part 4 in the sheet conveyance direction A is changed, the molded product Sa thermoformed on the resin sheet S cannot be punched out accurately. Therefore, the interval between (the mold of) the molding part 3 and (the cutting mold 41 of) the trimming part 4 is adjusted to be an integral multiple (twice or more) of the feeding pitch of the resin sheet S.

In order to adjust the distance between the forming section 3 and the trimming section 4 as described above, the trimming section 4, which includes the cutting die 41, the receiving member 42, the press device 43, etc., can be slid in the sheet conveyance direction A. It is said that In the present embodiment, a support frame 11 that supports (a component of) the trimming section 4 is attached to the structure (base frame) 10 of the thermoforming apparatus 1 so as to be slidable in the sheet conveyance direction A. The unit 4 slides in the sheet conveyance direction A. Note that the mechanism for sliding the trimming section 4 (the support frame 11 supporting the trimming section 4) in the sheet conveying direction A includes, for example, a rotary drive source such as a servo motor, and a ball that converts the rotational motion of the rotary drive source into linear motion. A combination of a motion conversion mechanism such as a screw can be used.

The trimming section 4 includes a suction mechanism 46 for holding (adsorbing) and separating the molded product Sa punched out by the cutting blade 44 as the cutting die 41 moves downward. As shown in FIG. 3, the suction mechanism 46 includes, for example, a plurality of intake holes 41b whose one end opens into the internal space 41a of the cutting die 41, and an air pump connected to the other end of each intake hole 41b via an air hose or the like. A device equipped with an air source 47 such as the above is used. As the air source 47, the air source used when vacuum forming the molded product Sa in the molding section 3 can be utilized. By this suction mechanism 46, the molded product Sa punched out by the cutting blade 44 is suction-held on the cutting mold 41 and accommodated in the internal space 41a of the cutting mold 41.

The trimming section 4 further includes a cutting die moving mechanism 48 that moves the cutting die 41 sucking and holding the punched molded product Sa toward the accumulation section 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the cutting die moving mechanism 48 slides the cutting die 41 in the width direction B of the resin sheet S, which is a horizontal direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction A. The cutting die 41 is slid between two positions: a position for punching the molded product Sa, and a delivery position for delivering the molded product Sa to (the molded product conveyance mechanism that constitutes) the stacking section 5. This cutting type moving mechanism 48 is configured with an electric actuator that combines a rotational drive source such as a servo motor and a motion conversion mechanism such as a ball screw that converts the rotational motion of the rotational drive source into horizontal linear motion. be able to. Note that the cutting die moving mechanism 48 moves up and down together with the cutting die 41. That is, the cutting die moving mechanism 48 is supported together with the cutting die 41 by a movable member of the press device 43 that can be raised and lowered.

As shown in FIGS. 1A, 4, and 5A and 5B, the stacking section 5 includes a molded product conveyor 51 as a molded product transport mechanism and a stacking table 52. The molded product conveyor 51 includes a first conveyor 51A disposed directly below the moving end of the cutting die 41 moved toward the stacking section 5 by the cutting die moving mechanism 48, and a first conveyor 51A and a stacking table 52. and a second conveyor 51B disposed between the two. Both the first conveyor 51A and the second conveyor 51B have conveyance surfaces extending in the sheet conveyance direction A. The first conveyor 51A is provided so as to be movable up and down with the lowering limit set when its conveyance surface (upper end surface) is located on substantially the same plane as the conveyance surface of the second conveyor 51B [see FIG. 5(b)]. It can be stopped at any position in the height direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 4, the stacking section 5 having the above configuration is located outside in the width direction B of the resin sheets S that are intermittently fed by the sheet conveyance section 2, and on the side of the trimming section 4. It is placed on the side. In this embodiment, the first conveyor 51A constituting the molded product conveyor 51 is located at approximately the same position as the trimming section 4 (the mold 41, the receiving member 42, etc. constituting it) in the sheet conveyance direction A. The stacking section 5 is arranged on the side of the trimming section 4, and the relative position of the trimming section 4 and the stacking section 5 in the sheet conveyance direction A remains unchanged. In other words, the stacking section 5 is movable in the sheet conveyance direction A integrally with the trimming section 4 (the support frame 11 that slidably supports the trimming section 4). Therefore, when the installation position of the trimming section 4 in the sheet conveying direction A (the distance between the forming section 3 and the trimming section 4) is changed due to the mold exchange of the molding die in the forming section 3, the sheet conveying direction of the accumulating section 5 is changed. The installation position at A is also changed.

The operation mode of the trimming section 4 and the accumulation section 5 of the thermoforming apparatus 1 having the above configuration, that is, the embodiment of the punching operation to accumulation (carrying out of the apparatus) operation of the molded product Sa thermoformed on the resin sheet S. will be explained below.

First, when the molded product Sa thermoformed on the resin sheet S is carried into the trimming section 4 (placed between the cutting die 41 and the receiving member 42), the press device 43 is activated to move the cutting die 41 downward. . Along with this, the cutting blade 44 attached to the cutting die 41 penetrates the resin sheet S, whereby the molded product Sa is completely punched out from the resin sheet S. When the molded product Sa is punched out by the cutting blade 44, the suction mechanism 46 is activated, and the punched molded product Sa is sucked and held by the cutting mold 41. When the cutting die 41 holding the molded product Sa by suction moves upward, the cutting die moving mechanism 48 is activated. As a result, the cutting die 41 and the like holding the molded product Sa by suction move horizontally in the width direction B of the resin sheet S toward (the first conveyor 51A thereof) the stacking section 5. Note that when the cutting mold 41 holding the molded product Sa by suction moves upward, the sheet conveying section 2 is driven and the subsequent molded product Sa is arranged between the cutting mold 41 and the receiving member 42 .

When the cutting die 41 holding the molded product Sa by suction moves to the moving end on the stacking section 5 side (a position directly above the first conveyor 51A), the suction state of the molded product Sa by the suction mechanism 46 is released. Thereby, the molded product Sa is separated from the cutting mold 41, falls, and is delivered to the first conveyor 51A. When the molded product Sa is separated from the cutting die 41, the first conveyor 51A is set to be positioned (standby) at a predetermined amount above the lowering limit and receive the molded product Sa [Fig. 5(a) ), the standby position shifts to a lower position as the number of stacked molded products Sa increases. When the delivery of the molded product Sa to the first conveyor 51A is completed, the cutting die moving mechanism 48 is activated to move the cutting die 41 backward toward the punching position of the molded product Sa.

Thereafter, by repeatedly performing the operations described above, a stacked product Sb consisting of a predetermined number of molded products Sa stacked on the conveyance surface of the first conveyor 51 is formed, as shown in FIG. 5(b). As shown, the first conveyor 51A moves downward to its lower limit. Thereafter, the first transport conveyor 51A and the second transport conveyor 51B are driven synchronously, so that the stacked products Sb placed on the transport surface of the first transport conveyor 51A are transferred to the stacking table via the second transport conveyor 51B. 52 (see the black arrow shown in FIG. 4 for the conveyance path of the punched molded product Sa punched out by the trimming section 4). The stacked products Sb transported to the stacking table 52 are transported to the outside of the thermoforming apparatus 1 manually by an operator or by a transporting means (not shown).

In the thermoforming apparatus 1 of this embodiment, while the sheet conveying section 2 is stopped, the heating device 3A provided in the forming section 3 heats and softens the resin sheet S, and the forming section 3 The thermoforming of the molded product Sa into the resin sheet S by the device 3B and the punching of the molded product Sa by the cutting die 41 provided in the trimming section 4 are carried out in parallel, and while the sheet conveyance section 2 is operating. , the winding of the scrap sheet S' by the scrap winder 23, and the movement of the cutting die 41 by the cutting die moving mechanism 48 are performed in parallel.

In the thermoforming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment described above, a molded product after punching is placed on the outside in the width direction B of the belt-shaped resin sheet S that is intermittently transported by the sheet transport section 2 (horizontal transport section 22 of the sheet transport section 2). An accumulating section 5 for accumulating Sa is arranged, and a cutting die 41 holding (adsorbing and holding) the molded product Sa after punching can be moved in the width direction B of the resin sheet S toward the accumulating section 5 in the trimming section 4. A cutting type moving mechanism 48 is provided. As a result, even if the trimming section 4 movable in the sheet conveyance direction A is placed at any position in the sheet conveyance direction A, the cutting die 41 holding the punched molded product Sa can be moved in the width direction B of the resin sheet S. By moving the molded product Sa a predetermined distance, the molded product Sa can be moved to the outside of the resin sheet S (outside in the width direction B) and transported to the stacking section 5. In short, in the thermoforming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, regardless of the size of the molded product Sa to be thermoformed in the molding section 3, the cutting die 41 is Since the moving distance can be kept constant and shortened, the cycle time for molding the molded product Sa can be shortened.

Furthermore, in the conventional thermoforming apparatus, the molding section, the trimming section, the molded product conveyance section, and the accumulation section are arranged in order along the sheet conveyance direction, so the overall length of the apparatus tends to increase. On the other hand, in the thermoforming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, since the accumulation section 5 is arranged outside the resin sheet S in the width direction B, the accumulation section 5 is placed on the side of the trimming section 4 in parallel with the trimming section 4. can be placed. Therefore, it is also possible to realize a compact thermoforming device 1 with a shortened overall length.

Furthermore, if the amount of movement of the cutting die 41 can be reduced, the cutting die moving mechanism 48 for moving the cutting die 41 can be downsized, so that the cutting die 41 and the cutting die moving mechanism 48 can be raised and lowered. The press device 43 supported by the press device 43 and, by extension, the trimming section 4 can be downsized as a whole. Thereby, further compactness of the thermoforming apparatus 1 can also be realized.

Although the thermoforming apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 6 shows a schematic plan view for explaining the constituent members and parts of a thermoforming apparatus 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The main difference between the thermoforming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 6 and the thermoforming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 etc. is that the thermoforming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. A sheet cutting section 6 is provided for cutting the resin sheet S into a predetermined length (cutting the resin sheet S along its width direction B). The sheet cutting section 6 is also referred to as a "shear device" or the like. When cutting the resin sheet S into a predetermined length using the sheet cutting section 6, the trimming section 4 that punches out the molded product Sa and the accumulation section 5 that collects the punched molded product Sa are not operated (used). Therefore, the scrap winder 23 that winds up the perforated resin sheet S (scrap sheet S') from which the molded product Sa has been punched is also not used.

The reason why the sheet cutting section 6 can be installed is that in the thermoforming device 1 according to the present invention, the stacking section 5 is arranged outside the resin sheet S in the width direction B. This is because the area downstream of the trimming section that had been installed has become empty. Although the sheet cutting section 6 does not necessarily need to be installed, it is advantageous in increasing the versatility of the thermoforming apparatus 1. That is, if the sheet cutting section 6 is provided, the molded product Sa thermoformed on the resin sheet S can be punched using the trimming section 4 of the thermoforming device 1 described above, or the thermoforming device 1 can be It can be selected each time whether to use a separately provided punching press device (also referred to as a "die press" or the like).

Here, if the trimming section 4 punches out the molded product Sa, it becomes possible to perform the work of assembling the molded products Sa after punching fully automatically without any manual intervention. When it is necessary to produce a large amount of (when the production lot is large), it is convenient because the molded product Sa can be obtained efficiently. However, when actually using the trimming part 4, a relatively expensive cutting die 41 having a cutting blade 44 corresponding to the shape and size of the molded product Sa, and having a suction function for the molded product Sa, is used. 41, and adjusting the installation position of the trimming part 4 (cutting die 41). For example, if the production lot of the molded product Sa is small, the trimming part 4 is used. This may lead to a decrease in the production efficiency (equipment operating rate) of the molded product Sa and an increase in the production cost of the molded product Sa. Therefore, when the production lot of the molded product Sa is small, the resin sheet S on which the molded product Sa has been molded is cut into a predetermined length by the sheet cutting section 6, and then the press machine installed separately from the thermoforming device 1 ( It is more advantageous to punch out the molded product Sa using a die press) in order to improve the production efficiency and reduce the production cost of the molded product Sa.

Although the scrap winder 23 is not shown in FIG. 6, the trimming section 4 punches out the molded product Sa thermoformed on the resin sheet S, and the punched molded product Sa is accumulated in the stacking section 5. In order to quickly switch between the operation mode and the operation mode in which the trimming section 4 and the accumulation section 5 are not operated (not used) and the resin sheet S is cut into a predetermined length by the sheet cutting section 6, the scrap winder 23 is preferably permanently installed. Although not shown, when the sheet cutting section 6 is arranged adjacent to the trimming section 4 on the downstream side as shown in FIG. 6, the scrap winder 23 is arranged downstream of the sheet cutting section 6.

Although the thermoforming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it is possible to make appropriate changes to the thermoforming apparatus 1 without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, the heating device 3A that heats and softens the resin sheet S to a molding temperature in the molding section 3 includes either the upper heater 31 or the lower heater 32 instead of the upper heater 31 and the lower heater 32. Good as a thing.

Furthermore, the molded product conveyor 51 as a molded product conveyance mechanism provided in the stacking section 5 includes two (first and second) conveyors 51A and 51B arranged in series in the sheet conveyance direction A, as shown in the illustrated example. In addition to this configuration, it is also possible to configure it with one conveyor or three or more conveyors arranged in series in the sheet conveyance direction A. The stacking section 5 may be configured substantially only with the stacking table 52 without the molded product conveyor 51.

1 Thermoforming device 2 Sheet conveying section 3 Molding section 3A Heating device 3B Molding device 4 Trimming section 5 Accumulating section 6 Sheet cutting section 22 Horizontal conveying section 41 Cutting die 48 Cutting die moving mechanism 51 Molded article conveyor (molded article conveying mechanism)
52 Accumulation table A Length direction of resin sheet (sheet conveyance direction)
B Resin sheet width direction S Resin sheet Sa Molded product Sb Accumulated product

Claims (3)

It has a molding section that thermoforms the molded product on the resin sheet, a cutting die that is movable up and down, and a trimming section that punches out the molded product thermoformed on the resin sheet as the cutting die moves downward, and a punching section. a stacking section for stacking subsequent molded products, the resin sheet is intermittently conveyed in the length direction to the molding section and the trimming section, and the trimming section is provided movably in the conveying direction of the resin sheet. In the thermoforming equipment,
The accumulation section is arranged on the outer side in the width direction of the resin sheet,
A cutting die moving mechanism is provided in the trimming portion to move a cutting die holding a molded product after punching in the width direction of the resin sheet,
Thermoforming characterized in that the molded product after punching is conveyed to the stacking section via the cutting die that moves in the width direction of the resin sheet toward the stacking section while holding the molded product. Device. The accumulating unit receives the molded product that has fallen when the holding state of the cutting die is released at the moving end of the cutting die that has moved toward the accumulating unit, and collects the molded product along the conveyance direction of the resin sheet. 2. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a molded product transport mechanism for transporting the molded product. 2. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sheet cutting section for cutting the resin sheet into a predetermined length into a predetermined length, the resin sheet being thermoformed into a molded article, provided on the front side of the trimming section in the conveying direction of the resin sheet.

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