U.S. patent number 3,807,086 [Application Number 05/205,989] was granted by the patent office on 1974-04-30 for bending figure.
Invention is credited to Friedrich Schleich.
United States Patent |
3,807,086 |
Schleich |
April 30, 1974 |
BENDING FIGURE
Abstract
A bending figure of flexible thermoplastic material is made in
two moulded parts. One part has a metal frame for retaining the
figure in the bent position. Negative imprints of the retaining
means for the frame on one side of the part are covered over by the
second part which is injection-moulded over the first from the
frame side of the first part to complete the figure.
Inventors: |
Schleich; Friedrich (7071
Herlikofen, DT) |
Family
ID: |
22764516 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/205,989 |
Filed: |
December 8, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/374 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H
3/04 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63H
3/00 (20060101); A63H 3/04 (20060101); A63h
013/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;46/115,162,156 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Mancene; Louis G.
Assistant Examiner: Cutting; Robert F.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A bending figure made of flexible thermoplastic material
comprising:
two moulded parts joined together along a dividing plane,
the first part having plastic coating material integral therewith
which covers a frame substantialy over its whole length save those
areas used for holding the frame in a mould serving to mould the
first part, said first part also having a metal frame in the form
of an insert arranged and adapted to be retained in place by said
coating material,
the ends of the frame being located some distance from the outer
surface of the figure,
the plane dividing the two parts passing approximately through the
frame, and
the second part being injection moulded on to the first part on the
frame side of the first part so as to complete the figure.
2. A bending figure as claimed in claim 1, in which said coating
material in the sections of the frame between said areas has a
thickness which is less than the thickness of the second part at
these sections and said coating material extends above the dividing
plane of the two moulded parts.
3. A bending figure as claimed in claim 1, in which the frame
passes through the centers of said areas and the frame lies on a
base which also passes through said areas.
4. A bending figure as claimed in claim 1, in which the face of one
of the moulded parts lying in the dividing plane of the moulded
parts has indentations thereon.
5. A bending figure as claimed in claim 1, in which the face of one
of the moulded parts lying in the dividing plane of the moulded
parts is provided with lugs which are integral with the
material.
6. A bending figure as claimed in claim 5, in which the lugs are
provided on the periphery of the face.
7. A bending figure as claimed in claim 1, in which the frame is
made of wire.
Description
The invention relates to a bending figure made of a flexible
thermoplastic material and having a metal frame acting as an insert
or reinforcement, the ends of which are located some distance from
the outer side of the bending figure.
In these bending figures the frame usually consists of aluminum
wires which are so rigid that they retain their position, occupied
during bending of the figure, in oppositions to the re-setting
force of the thermoplastic material. The framework is therefore
dimensioned depending on the size of the figure. Often the frame
comprises an approximate copy of the skeleton of the figure and
must therefore be maintained some distance from the side walls of
the injection mould. This supporting means must be very reliable
because the injection pressure which amounts to many atmospheres
acts upon the frame during moulding and tends to force the frame
out of the desired position. An attempt is made to avoid this for
example by guiding the frame outwards and subjecting it to stress,
as described in German Patent Specification 878,776 or German
Patent Specification 1,266,487.
In this case however the ends of the frame in the finished bending
figure emerge e.g. at the fingertips or soles of the feet. Not only
does this look unsightly, but it can also lead particularly to
damage.
Bending figures made with greater care therefore have a frame, the
ends of which are located some distance from the outer side of the
bending figure. Support in the injection mould is effected at
fastening points which consist of two thin and approximately
parallel spring pins projecting into the interior of the injection
mould. The frame is clamped between these spring pins, the mould
closed and then injection moulding effected. However, the negative
imprint of these two spring pins can then be seen on the end
product, and as many pairs of holes as there are fastening points
can also been seen on the finished figure. On the one hand this has
an unsightly appearance and on the other hand the spring pins
cannot be made too large owing to the negative imprints which would
then become even larger. This means that the wire, the metal strips
or the like which are inserted as a frame cannot be too large. The
larger the area of the frame, the greater is the force of injection
pressure which attempts to force the frame out of position.
The problem underlying the invention is to provide a bending
figure, as well as a method and apparatus, which can have any
number of fastening points for the frame, in which the number and
form of fastening points is not restricted in practice although,
when seen from outside, said fastening points leave no marks, and
which can nevertheless be mass-produced.
This problem is solved in accordance with the invention in that the
bending figure consists of two parts, one part of which comprises
the frame and the other part is moulded on to the side of the frame
so as to complete the bending FIGURE.
Other advantages and features of the invention are shown in the
following description of preferred embodiments. In the
drawings:
FIG. 1 shows a side view of that part of a bending figure which
comprises the frame, as seen from the frame side,
FIG. 2 shows a front view of one of a pair of first mould sections
without a moulding channel and without an inserted frame,
FIG. 3 shows a section along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2 together with
the other of the pair of first mould sections,
FIG. 4 shows a section along the line 4--4 in FIG. 1,
FIG. 5 shows a cross-section through a pair of second mould
sections, the part of the bending figure comprising the frame being
inserted into one of these mould sections,
FIG. 6 shows a section through the finished bending figure along
the line 4--4,
FIG. 7 shows a plan view of one part of a bending figure in the
form of an elephant comprising the frame,
FIG. 8 shows a section along the line 8--8 in FIG. 7, the other
part for completing the bending figure being indicated by broken
lines.
As seen in FIG. 1 one part 11 of the bending figure has the outline
of a dachshund. Its lower side 12 (FIG. 4) is flat. The upper side
13 which forms the plane for separating the part 11 from the part
14 (FIG. 4) of the bending figure is provided with an indented or
pitted face 16. Small lugs 17 having a diameter of approximately
1mm extend from the upper side 13. As shown in FIG. 4 they are
substantially lower in height than the part 14 will subsequently
become. They are provided particularly at those points which are
likely to be usually subjected to stress at a later stage, such as
e.g. the nose, breast, feet and tip of the tail. The lugs 17 are
located a short distance from the edge of the part 11 so that even
their outline cannot be subsequently seen from the outside. Two
aluminum wires 18, 19 which are positively connected to the part 11
by injection-moulded coatings 21 are embedded in the part 11. The
injection-moulded coatings 21 extend above the upper side 13, as
shown e.g. in FIG. 4. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the aluminum wires
18, 19 are provided with an injection-moulded coating over the
greater part of their length and are therefore reliably connected
to the part 11. It should be particularly noted that the ends 22,
23, 24, 26 of the aluminum wires are spaced at an adequate distance
from the outer side of the part 11 so that they cannot subsequently
work their way out of the figure. These ends 22, 23, 24, 26 are
covered by injection-moulded coatings 21 on the part 11.
Approximately half of the cross-section of the aluminum wires 18,
19 is located above the upper side 13 and approximately half of the
cross-section below the upper side 13 so that the wires
subsequently belong to both the part 11 and part 14 of the finished
figures. However, the aluminum wires 18, 19 could also be arranged
further inside the part 11, for example when the height of the part
14 is less than that of the part 11 (FIG. 4). In the true-to-scale
view shown in FIG. 1 the aluminum wires 18, 19 have a diameter of
approximately 1.5mm and are bent as shown in FIG. 1. Negative
imprints 27, which have an approximately circular form as shown in
FIG. 1, are penetrated radially by the aluminum wires 18, 19 and
extend to a substantial degree into the part 11, are located
between the tunnel or jacket-like covering 21. FIG. 4 shows that
there are two blind holes separated by a base or socket 28 which
lies below the aluminum wire 18, 19 and is integral with the
material of the part 11. The base 28 supports the transverse
section of the aluminum wires 18, 19 to a certain extent.
An apparatus for manufacturing the part 11 is shown in FIG. 3.
There are provided a pair of first mould sections 29, 31 which form
part of an injection moulding machine (not shown) and can be moved
away from and up to one another in the usual manner. The bottom of
the mould section 29 comprises a level face 32 which corresponds to
the flat lower side 12 of the part 11. A recess 33 which
corresponds to the outline of the part 11 shown in FIG. 2 and can
fully receive the latter is produced in the mould section 31. An
indented face 16 corresponding to the indented face 16 is supported
by the base 34 of the recess 33. Cylindrical pins 36 extend
vertically to the base 34 and are as high as the negative imprints
27 are deep and therefore do not extend through the recess 33. They
are all provided with a slot 37 which is introduced from the front
of the cylinder pins 36 and lies in that direction which will be
subsequently occupied by the aluminum wires 18, 19 at this
point.
The bottom 38 of the slot 37 extends below the base 34 by half the
thickness of a wire in the preferred embodiment. Since the aluminum
wires 18, 19 are circular in cross-section, the base 38 is also
semi-cylindrical so that the aluminum wires 18, 19 can bear fully
against this point. If however it does not bear fully against this
point, but is nevertheless securely held, this has no particular
importance to the outcome. The slot 37 is designed so that the
aluminum wires 18, 19 are rigidly supported and secured at this
point. The base or socket 28 in the part 11 corresponds to the slot
37.
Channels 39 are produced in the base 34 laterally adjacent to the
cylindrical pins 36, said channels being substantially wider than
the slots 37 and lying below the aluminum wires 18, 19 so that the
latter are not supported on the base 34. A gap is then produced
between the aluminum wires 18, 19 and the channels 39 so that the
covering 21 can be subsequently formed at this point during
injection moulding. The base 34 of the mould section 31 is in a
horizontal position so that the aluminum wires 18, 19 can be fully
held in position by gravitational force. The base 34 could also be
brought into a vertical position or into a position lying between
the horizontal and vertical. If however the base 34 is horizontal,
the aluminum wires 18, 19 may be inserted with maximum ease and
left lying in position even if the slot 37 does not retain the
aluminum wires 18, 19 as well as it should as a result of
tolerances.
Two more mould sections 41, 42 are shown in FIG. 5. The mould
section 41 has a level fact 43 corresponding to the face 44 (FIG.
6) of the completed figure. The mould section 42 has a recess 46
with a flat base 47. The part 11 fits exactly in the recess 46.
However, above the part 11 there remains sufficient space for the
part 14, the outline of which is shown by broken lines in FIG. 4.
If the mould sections 41, 42 are closed and thermoplastic material
injection-moulded in this space, the two parts 11, 14 combine to
form a fully homogeneous moulding. With conventional plastics
materials it is a basic requirement that the part 11 should be
introduced into the mould section 42 when hot. The pitted surface
16 also serves to produce the good connection between the parts 11,
14. The lugs 17 are partially melted during the second injection
moulding operation and finally the injected material is also forced
into the negative imprints 27 so that good interlocking is also
effected at this point. If the finished figure is separated from
the mould, a homogeneous body emerges.
In FIGS. 7 and 8 it can be seen that the side faces of the figures
do not always have to be flat, but can also be seen in relief form.
In this connection an aluminum wire extends from the tip of the
trunk through the trunk and as far as the head, and through the
body into the tail. A second aluminum wire passes through the two
feet and the stomach and is U-shaped. The negative imprints and the
lugs 17 can also be seen.
All those bending figures which were previously manufactured by
known methods can be substantially better manufactured in
accordance with the invention. As a result there are no
limitations.
The part 11 does not have to form half of the finished figure. It
is sufficient if this part 11 forms a substantial part of the
finished figure and properly supports the frame on its inwardly
directed side.
* * * * *