JP7300773B1 - thermoforming equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to shorten the cycle time of a thermoforming apparatus. A trimming unit (4) having a cutting die (41) arranged above a resin sheet (S) so as to be able to move up and down, and punching out a molding (Sa) thermoformed on the resin sheet (S) as the cutting die (41) moves downward. , and a stacking unit 5 for stacking the molded products Sa after punching, the resin sheet S is intermittently conveyed in the length direction A, and the trimming unit 4 is arranged in the length direction (conveyance direction) A of the resin sheet S. In the movably provided thermoforming device 1, the stacking unit 5 is arranged outside the width direction B of the resin sheet S, and the trimming unit 4 moves the cutting die 41 in the width direction B of the resin sheet S for cutting. A die moving mechanism 48 is provided. The molded product Sa after punching is transported to the stacking unit 5 through a cutting die 41 that moves in the width direction B of the resin sheet S toward the stacking unit 5 while holding it. [Selection drawing] Fig. 4

Description

The present invention relates to thermoforming apparatus.

Containers and trays for storing food, electronic parts, daily necessities, pharmaceuticals, etc., and lid materials for such containers, obtained by trimming (punching) a molded product thermoformed on a resin sheet from a resin sheet. is widely used. The above-mentioned "thermoforming" means that a resin sheet that has been heated and softened to an appropriate temperature for molding is brought into close contact with the mold using vacuum suction, compressed air supply, or both, so that the resin sheet corresponds to the uneven shape of the mold. It is a technical means for obtaining a molded article having a concave and convex shape, and is a concept including so-called vacuum forming, pressure forming, vacuum pressure forming, and the like.

For example, in Patent Document 1 below, a sheet conveying unit that intermittently conveys a belt-shaped resin sheet in its length direction, and a resin sheet (a portion of which is heated and softened to an appropriate molding temperature) are thermoformed. a molding part, a trimming part having a cutting die for punching out the molded product, and a stacking part for stacking the stamped molded product, wherein the molding part, the trimming part, and the stacking part are aligned in the length direction of the resin sheet ( In a thermoforming device arranged in order along the resin sheet conveying direction (hereinafter also referred to as "sheet conveying direction"), the molded product after punching is directed between the trimming section and the stacking section toward the stacking section. A thermoforming apparatus is disclosed in which a molded article conveying section (e.g., a conveyer) is provided for conveying by means of a cutting die, and the molded article after punching is conveyed to the molded article conveying section by means of a cutting die. In the thermoforming apparatus having such a configuration, the molded product after punching is conveyed to the accumulating section via the cutting die and the molded article conveying section.

In addition, in the thermoforming apparatus of Patent Document 1, the trimming unit is slidable in the sheet conveying direction, and the size of the molded product to be thermoformed in one shot along with the change of the mold (especially in the sheet conveying direction) length) is changed, the arrangement position of the trimming portion in the sheet conveying direction, that is, the interval between the forming portion and the trimming portion is adjusted accordingly. With such a configuration, the thermoforming apparatus of Patent Document 1 can accurately produce molded products of various sizes.

JP-A-2002-225123

In the thermoforming apparatus of Patent Document 1, since the trimming section is movable in the sheet conveying direction, the gap between the forming section and the trimming section in the sheet conveying direction can be easily adjusted, while the forming section and the molded product can be easily adjusted. The distance between the carriages is essentially constant. Therefore, for example, when the size of the molded product to be thermoformed in the molding unit is small and the trimming unit is arranged at a position close to the molding unit, a cutting die for conveying the molded product after punching to the molded product conveying unit is used. The longer the reciprocating distance, the longer the cycle time of the cutting die and the longer the cycle time for molding the molded product, and the lower the productivity (production efficiency) of the molded product.

In view of such circumstances, a main object of the present invention is to realize a thermoforming apparatus capable of efficiently producing molded products of various sizes.

The present invention, which has been devised to achieve the above objects,
A trimming unit that has a molding unit that thermoforms a molded product on a resin sheet and a cutting mold that is arranged to be able to move up and down. The resin sheet is intermittently conveyed to the molding section and the trimming section in its length direction, and the trimming section is provided movably in the conveying direction of the resin sheet. in
arranging the stacking portion on the outside in the width direction of the resin sheet,
The trimming unit is provided with a cutting die moving mechanism that moves the cutting die holding the molded product after punching along the width direction of the resin sheet,
The molded article after punching is conveyed to the collecting section through a cutting die that moves in the width direction of the resin sheet toward the collecting section while holding the molded article.

In the thermoforming apparatus according to the present invention, when the molded article thermoformed on the resin sheet is punched as the cutting die moves downward, the molded article after punching is cut in the same manner as in the thermoforming apparatus of Patent Document 1. It is conveyed toward the stacking section while being held by the mold. However, in the thermoforming apparatus according to the present invention, the accumulating portion for accumulating the punched molded products is arranged outside the resin sheet in the width direction, and the cutting die holding the punched molded products is placed in the accumulating portion. By providing a cutting-type movement mechanism capable of moving in the width direction of the resin sheet toward , the trimming unit movable in the length direction (conveyance direction) of the resin sheet can be arranged at any position in the sheet conveyance direction. Even in the case where the molded product after being punched is moved by a predetermined distance in the width direction of the resin sheet, the molded product can be moved to the outside of the resin sheet and conveyed to the stacking section. In short, in the thermoforming apparatus according to the present invention, regardless of the size of the molded article to be thermoformed in the molding section, the moving distance of the cutting die when conveying the molded article after punching toward the stacking section is constant and As a result, the cycle time of the cutting die and thus the cycle time for forming the part can be shortened.

In addition, in the conventional thermoforming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the molding section, the trimming section, the molded product conveying section, and the stacking section are arranged in order (in series) along the sheet conveying direction. is easy to grow. On the other hand, in the thermoforming apparatus according to the present invention, since the accumulating portion is arranged on the outside in the width direction of the resin sheet, the accumulating portion can be arranged on the side of the trimming portion in parallel with the trimming portion. Therefore, it is possible to realize a compact thermoforming device with a shortened overall length.

In the above configuration, the accumulating portion receives the molded product that has fallen due to the release of the holding state by the cutting mold at the moving end of the cutting mold that has moved toward the accumulating portion, and transports the molded product in the conveying direction of the resin sheet. A molded article transport mechanism may be provided for transporting along.

As described above, in the thermoforming apparatus according to the present invention, the stacking section is arranged on the outer side in the width direction of the resin sheet. Although it can be an empty space, the above area is provided with, for example, a sheet cutting unit that cuts the resin sheet in which the molded product is thermoformed into a predetermined length (cuts the resin sheet along its width direction). can also By installing such a sheet cutting section, the versatility of the thermoforming apparatus according to the present invention can be enhanced.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a thermoforming apparatus capable of efficiently producing molded products of various sizes.

FIG. 1(a) is a schematic plan view for explaining the arrangement of members/parts constituting a thermoforming apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1(b) is a schematic side view of the thermoforming apparatus. It is a schematic sectional drawing of a shaping|molding part. It is a schematic sectional drawing of a trimming part. 1 is a partial schematic plan view of a thermoforming apparatus; FIG. FIG. 5 is a side view of the accumulating section as seen from the direction of arrow Z2 in FIG. It is a figure which shows. FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view for explaining the arrangement of members/parts constituting a thermoforming apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to 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 apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view [a view taken along line Z1-Z1 in FIG. 1(a)]. A thermoforming apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) is used for mass-producing molded articles used as containers or trays for storing foods, electronic parts, daily necessities, pharmaceuticals, etc., or lid materials for containers. A sheet conveying unit 2 for intermittently conveying a strip-shaped long resin sheet S in its length direction, and a resin sheet S (partial region in the length direction) at an appropriate molding temperature. A molding section 3 that heats and softens and molds (thermoforms) a molded article Sa having a predetermined shape in the softened portion, a trimming section 4 that completely punches out the molded article Sa from the resin sheet S, and a molded article Sa after punching. and an accumulating unit 5 for accumulating. The molding unit 3 and the trimming unit 4 are arranged in the length direction of the resin sheet S indicated by an arrow A in FIGS. are arranged in order (in series) along the Hereinafter, the terms "downstream side" and "upstream side" may be used for convenience in describing directionality, but "downstream side" means the front side in the sheet conveying direction A (see FIG. 1). 1), and the "upstream side" is the rear side in the sheet conveying direction A (left side of the sheet of FIG. 1).

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the sheet conveying unit 2 has a frame 21 that rotatably supports the sheet roll SR and a strip-shaped resin sheet S fed out from the sheet roll SR in a horizontal posture (substantially horizontal). posture), and a scrap winder 23 that rolls up the perforated resin sheet S (scrap sheet S') from which the molded product Sa is punched in the trimming unit 4 into a roll. The horizontal conveying 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 not shown in detail, the horizontal conveying unit 22 includes, for example, an endless chain having a plurality of clamps attached at predetermined intervals for clamping the resin sheet S in its thickness direction, and a A resin sheet S in which rotation driving portions 22a for rotating around a vertical axis so as to rotate the endless chain in a horizontal plane are arranged on both sides of the resin sheet S in the width direction is adopted. In the horizontal conveying unit 22 having such a configuration, both the rotation driving units 22a are synchronously operated while gripping the ends of the resin sheet S on one side and the other side in the width direction with a plurality of clamps attached to each endless chain. When the two endless chains are driven to rotate in opposite directions, the resin sheet S is conveyed in the longitudinal direction A by rotating the endless chains in opposite directions at the same speed. The horizontal conveying section 22 and the scrap winder 23 are synchronously driven intermittently. 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 intermittently conveyed by the sheet conveying section 2 is set to the length in the sheet conveying direction A of the molded product Sa molded in one molding operation of the molding section 3 . Therefore, when the size (especially the length in the sheet conveying 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 unit 3, the resin sheet S is changed accordingly. is also changed (adjusted). The resin sheet S transported by the horizontal transport section 22 is in a state of tension in both the length direction A and the width direction B thereof. That is, in the thermoforming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, there is no area between the molding section 3 and the trimming section 4 where the resin sheet S is loosened.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the molding unit 3 includes a heating device 3A that heats and softens the resin sheet S (part of the area in the sheet conveying direction A) to an appropriate molding temperature, and a heating device 3A that heats the resin sheet S. and a molding device 3B for molding the molded product Sa in the softened portion. The heating device 3A and the forming device 3B are arranged in order from the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction A toward the downstream side.

The heating device 3A includes an upper heater 31 and a lower heater 32 that are arranged above and below the resin sheet S conveyed by the horizontal conveying unit 22, and the upper heater 31 and the lower heater 32 can move up and down. are attached to the upper holding member 33 and the lower holding member 34, respectively. During normal operation of the thermoforming apparatus 1, the upper holding member 33 and the lower holding member 34 are positioned at the bottom dead center and the top dead center, respectively, and are in contact with the opposing holding member, causing a portion of the resin sheet S to extend in the longitudinal direction. The area (the 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 forming apparatus 3B includes a forming die having an upper die 35 and a lower die 36 arranged above and below the resin sheet S, and an elevating mechanism for elevating the upper die 35 and the lower die 36 . As conceptually shown in FIG. 2, the upper mold 35 of the present embodiment is a female mold provided with a concave portion 35a corresponding to the shape of the molded product Sa to be molded on the resin sheet S, and the lower mold 36 is The male mold is provided with a convex portion 36a for pushing the resin sheet S into the concave portion 35a when the mold is clamped. The upper die 35 is provided with numerous air holes 35b, one end of which opens into the recess 35a, and the other end of the air holes 35b is connected to an air source (not shown) such as an air pump through an air hose or the like.

With the above configuration, after the upper mold 35 is moved downward and the lower mold 36 is moved upward to clamp the forming molds, the upper mold 35 is interposed between the dies 35 and 36 through the ventilation holes 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 concave portion 35a, and the molded article Sa having a predetermined shape is molded into the resin sheet S (vacuum molding). The molded article Sa may be formed by the above-described vacuum forming using vacuuming, air pressure forming using compressed air supply, or vacuum pressure forming using both vacuuming and compressed air supply. Contrary to the illustrated example, the upper mold 35 may be the male mold and the lower mold 36 may be the female mold depending on the shape of the molded product Sa.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the trimming unit 4 includes a cutting die 41 arranged above the resin sheet S, a receiving member 42 arranged below the resin sheet S, and a press device 43 .

As shown enlarged 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 formed by forming a thin band-shaped blade called a Thomson blade into an annular shape corresponding to the contour shape of the molded product Sa, and has a size, shape, etc. corresponding to the size, shape, etc. of the molded product Sa. What has 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. As a result, it is possible to prevent the tip 44a of the cutting blade 44 from being chipped at an early stage due to the punching of the molded product Sa.

The cutting die 41 is attached to a movable member of a press device 43 which is provided so as to be able to move up and down. As described above, since the cutting blade 44 has a size, shape, etc. corresponding to the size, shape, etc. of the molded product Sa, the cutting mold 41 equipped with the cutting blade 44 is basically It is replaced when the mold is replaced. Since the feeding pitch of the resin sheet S is changed when the size of the molded product Sa to be thermoformed (especially the length in the sheet conveying direction A) is changed due to the change of the mold, Unless the interval between the molding portion 3 and the trimming portion 4 in the sheet conveying direction A is changed, the molded product Sa thermoformed on the resin sheet S cannot be punched out accurately. Therefore, the distance between (the molding die of) the molding section 3 and (the cutting die 41 of the trimming section 4) is adjusted to be an integral multiple (twice or more) of the resin sheet S feeding pitch.

In order to adjust the distance between the molding section 3 and the trimming section 4 as described above, the trimming section 4 equipped with the cutting die 41, the receiving member 42, the pressing device 43, etc. is slidable in the sheet conveying direction A. It is said that In this embodiment, a support frame 11 supporting (a constituent member of) the trimming unit 4 is attached to a structural body (base frame) 10 of the thermoforming apparatus 1 so as to be slidable in the sheet conveying direction A. The portion 4 slides in the sheet conveying direction A. The mechanism for sliding the trimming unit 4 (supporting frame 11 supporting the trimming unit 4) in the sheet conveying direction A includes, for example, a rotary drive source such as a servomotor and a ball for converting the rotary motion of the rotary drive source into linear motion. A combination with a motion converting mechanism such as a screw can be used.

The trimming unit 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 the adsorption mechanism 46, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of intake holes 41b, one end of which 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. or the like is used. As the air source 47, the air source used when the molded article Sa is vacuum-molded in the molding section 3 can be utilized. The molded product Sa punched out by the cutting blade 44 is held by the cutting die 41 by the adsorption mechanism 46 , and accommodated in the internal space 41 a of the cutting die 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 stacking 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 the horizontal direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction A. More specifically, The cutting die 41 is slidably moved between two positions, ie, a punching position for the molded product Sa and a transfer position for transferring the molded product Sa to (a molded product transport mechanism constituting) the accumulating unit 5 . The cutting-type moving mechanism 48 is composed of, for example, an electric actuator that combines a rotary drive source such as a servomotor and a motion conversion mechanism such as a ball screw that converts the rotary motion of the rotary drive source into horizontal linear motion. be able to. 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 the movable member of the press device 43 that can move up and down.

The stacking unit 5 includes a molded product transport conveyor 51 as a molded product transport mechanism and a stacking table 52, as shown in FIGS. The molded article transport conveyor 51 includes a first transport conveyor 51A arranged directly below the moving end of the cutting die 41 moved toward the stacking section 5 by the cutting die moving mechanism 48, and the first transport conveyor 51A and the stacking table 52. It has a second transport conveyor 51B arranged between. Both the first conveyer 51A and the second conveyer 51B have conveying surfaces extending in the sheet conveying direction A. As shown in FIG. The first conveyer 51A is provided so as to be able to move up and down with its lower limit being the lower limit when its conveying surface (upper end surface) is positioned substantially on the same plane as the conveying surface of the second conveyer 51B (see FIG. 5(b)). and can be stopped at any position in the height direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 4, the stacking unit 5 having the above configuration is located outside the resin sheet S intermittently fed by the sheet conveying unit 2 in the width direction B and on the side of the trimming unit 4. placed on the side. In the present embodiment, the first conveyer 51A constituting the molded product conveyer 51 is positioned substantially at the same position in the sheet conveying direction A as the trimming unit 4 (the molding die 41 and the receiving member 42 constituting the trimming unit 4). The stacking section 5 is arranged on the side of the trimming section 4, and the relative positions of the trimming section 4 and the stacking section 5 in the sheet conveying direction A remain unchanged. That is, the stacking unit 5 can move in the sheet conveying direction A integrally with the trimming unit 4 (the support frame 11 that slidably supports the trimming unit 4). Therefore, when the installation position of the trimming unit 4 in the sheet conveying direction A (the interval between the forming unit 3 and the trimming unit 4) is changed due to the mold exchange in the forming unit 3, the sheet conveying direction of the stacking unit 5 is changed. The installation position in A is also changed.

The operation mode of the trimming part 4 and the stacking part 5 of the thermoforming apparatus 1 having the above configuration, that is, the embodiment of the punching work to the stacking (carrying out of the apparatus) work of the molded product Sa thermoformed on the resin sheet S. are described below.

First, when the molded product Sa thermoformed on the resin sheet S is carried into the trimming unit 4 (arranged between the cutting die 41 and the receiving member 42), the press device 43 operates 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 held by the cutting die 41 by suction. When the cutting die 41 sucking and holding the molded product Sa moves upward, the cutting die moving mechanism 48 is activated. As a result, the cutting die 41 and the like sucking and holding the molded product Sa move horizontally in the width direction B of the resin sheet S toward (the first conveyer 51A of) the stacking section 5 . When the cutting die 41 sucking and holding the molded product Sa moves upward, the sheet conveying unit 2 is driven to place the following molded product Sa between the cutting die 41 and the receiving member 42 .

When the cutting die 41 sucking and holding the molded product Sa moves to the moving end on the side of the stacking unit 5 (the position directly above the first conveyor 51A), the sucking state of the molded product Sa by the suction mechanism 46 is released. As a result, the molded article Sa is separated from the cutting die 41, dropped, and delivered to the first conveyor 51A. When the molded product Sa is separated from the cutting die 41, the first conveyer 51A is set so as to receive the molded product Sa at a position (waiting) above the descent limit by a predetermined amount [Fig. )], the standby position shifts to a lower position as the number of stacked molded products Sa increases. When the transfer of the molded article Sa to the first conveyor 51A is completed, the cutting die moving mechanism 48 operates to move the cutting die 41 backward toward the punching position of the molded article Sa.

After that, the operation described above is repeatedly performed, and when the accumulated product Sb is formed by stacking a predetermined number of the molded products Sa on the conveying surface of the first conveyer 51, as shown in FIG. As shown, the first transport conveyor 51A moves downward to the lower limit. After that, the first conveyor 51A and the second conveyor 51B are synchronously driven, so that the stack Sb placed on the conveyor surface of the first conveyor 51A is transferred to the stacking table via the second conveyor 51B. 52 (see the black arrows shown in FIG. 4 for the conveying path of the punched molded product Sa punched by the trimming unit 4). The stacked products Sb transported to the stacking table 52 are carried out of the thermoforming apparatus 1 manually by an operator or by unillustrated carrying-out means.

In addition, in the thermoforming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, while the sheet conveying section 2 is stopped, the resin sheet S is heated and softened by the heating device 3A provided in the forming section 3, and the molding provided in the forming section 3 is performed. Thermoforming of the molded product Sa into the resin sheet S by the device 3B and punching of the molded product Sa by the cutting die 41 provided in the trimming unit 4 are performed in parallel, and while the sheet conveying unit 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 carried out in parallel.

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

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

Further, 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 made smaller. The press device 43 supported on the rim and the trimming unit 4 can be downsized as a whole. As a result, the thermoforming apparatus 1 can be made even more compact.

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 constituent members/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 is provided with a sheet cutting section 6 for cutting the resin sheet S into a predetermined length (cutting the resin sheet S along the width direction B). The sheet cutting unit 6 is also called a "shear device". When the sheet cutting unit 6 is used to cut the resin sheet S into a predetermined length, the trimming unit 4 for punching the molded product Sa and the stacking unit 5 for stacking the punched molded product Sa are not operated (used). Therefore, the scrap winder 23 for winding the perforated resin sheet S (scrap sheet S') from which the molded product Sa is punched is not used either.

The reason why the sheet cutting section 6 can be installed is that in the thermoforming apparatus 1 according to the present invention, the accumulating section 5 is arranged outside the resin sheet S in the width direction B. This is because the area on the downstream side of the installed trimming section became an empty space. The sheet cutting section 6 does not necessarily need to be installed, but it is advantageous in enhancing the versatility of the thermoforming apparatus 1 and the like. That is, if the sheet cutting unit 6 is provided, the molded product Sa thermoformed on the resin sheet S is punched using the trimming unit 4 of the thermoforming apparatus 1 described above, or the thermoforming apparatus 1 It is possible to select whether or not to use a separately provided punching press device (also referred to as a "die press").

Here, if the trimming unit 4 is configured to punch out the molded product Sa, it becomes possible to fully automatically perform the work of accumulating the molded product Sa after punching without human intervention. When it is necessary to mass-produce (when the production lot is large), it is possible to efficiently obtain the molded product Sa, which is convenient. However, when the trimming unit 4 is actually used, a relatively expensive cutting die 41 having a cutting edge 44 corresponding to the shape and size of the molded product Sa, which has a suction function for the molded product Sa, is used. 41 and adjusting the installation position of the trimming unit 4 (cutting die 41). This may lead to a decrease in the production efficiency (apparatus 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 is formed is cut to a predetermined length by the sheet cutting unit 6, and then a press device ( It is more advantageous to punch out the molded product Sa by a die press in terms of improving the production efficiency of the molded product Sa and reducing the production cost.

Although illustration of the scrap winder 23 is omitted in FIG. In order to be able to quickly switch between a mode and an operation mode in which the trimming unit 4 and the stacking unit 5 are not operated (not used) and the resin sheet S is cut to a predetermined length by the sheet cutting unit 6, a scrap winder is provided. 23 is preferably permanently installed. Although not shown, when the sheet cutting section 6 is arranged downstream of the trimming section 4 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, the thermoforming apparatus 1 can be appropriately modified without departing from the gist of the present invention.

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

A molded product conveying conveyor 51 as a molded product conveying mechanism provided in the stacking unit 5 is composed of two (first and second) conveying conveyors 51A and 51B arranged in series in the sheet conveying direction A as shown in the figure. In addition to the configuration, it is also possible to configure with one conveyer, or with three or more conveyers arranged in series in the sheet conveying direction A. FIG. The accumulating section 5 may be configured substantially only by the accumulating table 52 without the molded product conveying conveyor 51 .

1 Thermoforming Device 2 Sheet Conveying Section 3 Molding Section 3A Heating Device 3B Forming Device 4 Trimming Section 5 Stacking Section 6 Sheet Cutting Section 22 Horizontal Conveying Section 41 Cutting Die 48 Cutting Die Moving Mechanism 51 Molded Product Transport Conveyor (Molded Product Transport Mechanism)
52 stacking table A Length direction of resin sheet (sheet conveying direction)
B Width direction of resin sheet S Resin sheet Sa Molded product Sb Stacked product

Claims (3)

A trimming unit that has a molding unit that thermoforms a molded product on a resin sheet, and a cutting mold that is arranged to be able to move up and down. a accumulating section for accumulating subsequent molded products, the resin sheet being intermittently conveyed to the molding section and the trimming section in the longitudinal direction thereof, and the trimming section being provided movably in the conveying direction of the resin sheet. In a thermoforming device with
The stacking portion is arranged on the outside in the width direction of the resin sheet,
The trimming unit is provided with a cutting die moving mechanism for moving the cutting die holding the molded product after punching in the width direction of the resin sheet,
The molded product after punching is transported to the stacking unit through the cutting die that moves in the width direction of the resin sheet toward the stacking unit while holding the molded product ,
The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stacking section is provided integrally with the trimming section so as to be movable in the conveying direction of the resin sheet . The accumulating unit receives the molded product that has fallen due to the release of the holding state by the cutting mold at the moving end of the cutting mold that has moved toward the accumulating unit, and distributes the molded product along the conveying direction of the resin sheet. 2. A thermoforming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a molded article conveying mechanism for conveying the molded article. 2. The thermoforming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a sheet cutting section for cutting the resin sheet on which the molded article is thermoformed into a predetermined length is provided on the forward side in the conveying direction of the resin sheet from the trimming section.

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