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.

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.

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.