The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 06, 1994
Filed:
Sep. 29, 1993
Malcolm K McDougall, Sterling Heights, MI (US);
The Budd Company, Troy, MI (US);
Abstract
A simple yet reliable sealing assembly for a vacuum compression mold. Molding apparatus for compression molding a charge under vacuum includes an upper die having a molding surface and outer side walls. A lower die has a complimentary molding surface and side walls substantially aligned with the side walls of the upper die. A heat source heats the upper and lower dies. A sealing assembly includes a seal plate on each side wall of the upper die. Upper portions of the seal plates are fixed and sealed to the upper die. Lower portions of the seal plates extend downwardly therefrom. The sealing assembly includes flexible sealing tubes on lower portions of the plates. A distance between upper and lower edges of the seal plates is related to a height of the charge to be molded. A moving device moves the upper die towards the lower die to a partially closed position where the tubes of the sealing assembly engage side walls of the lower die to thereby create a vacuum chamber. A vacuum source creates a vacuum in the vacuum chamber. The dies thereafter are fully closed to cause the charge to flow in the mold cavity defined by the molding surfaces of the upper and lower dies. The apparatus thereby provides the relatively simple and cost effective apparatus for compression molding parts under vacuum.