摘要：
The invention is directed to a mould configuration (1) suited for use in a thermoforming forming station arranged to form one or more objects comprising a mould (2) made from a polymer material by additive manufacturing and provided a mould volume (6) consisting of a recess (6a) corresponding with the shape of the object as an upper zone (6b). A lower zone is divided from the upper zone by a recess wall (8). The lower zone (7) is provided with one or more open spaces (9) which fluidly connect the lower surface (8a) of the recess wall (8) with one or more openings (10) in the bottom (5) of the mould (2), a heat exchanger module (11 ) facing the bottom (5) of the mould (2) comprising cooling means (12) and cooling medium displacement means (13) and cooling medium inlet openings (14) and cooling medium outlet openings (15).
权利要求：
CLAIMS
1. Mould configuration (1) suited for use in a thermoforming forming station
arranged to form one or more objects comprising
a mould (2) made from a polymer material by additive manufacturing and
provided with an upper end (3), side walls (4) and a bottom (5) which is spaced
apart from the upper end (3) defining a mould volume (8), wherein the mould
volume (8) consists of a recess (6a) corresponding with the shape of the object
as an upper zone (6b), a lower zone (7) which extends below the upper zone
(6b) and divided from the upper zone by a recess wall (8), wherein the lower
zone (7) is provided with one or more open spaces (9) which fluidly connect the
lower surface (8a) of the recess wall (8) with one or more openings (10) in the
bottom (5) of the mould (2),
a heat exchanger module (11) facing the bottom (5) of the mould (2) comprising
cooling means (12) and cooling medium displacement means (13) and cooling
medium inlet openings (14) and cooling medium outlet openings (15), wherein
the cooling medium inlet openings (14) and the cooling medium outlet openings
(15) are in fluid communication with the one or more openings (10) in the
bottom (5) of the mould (2).
2. Mould configuration according to claim 1, wherein the open spaces (9), the
openings (10) in the bottom (5) of the mould (2), the cooling medium inlet
openings (14) and cooling medium outlet openings (15) of the heat exchange
module (11), the cooling means (12) and the cooling medium displacement
means (13) are part of one or more cooling medium flow paths (18) for an
cooling medium flow wherein, in use, the cooling medium flow cools the lower
surface (8a) of the recess wall (8a).
3. Mould configuration according to claim 2, wherein the cooling means (12) are
metal fins (16) as present in the one or more cooling medium flow paths (16)
are directly connected to a metal surface (17) and wherein in use the fins are
reduced in temperature by thermal conduction between the relatively warmer
metal fins (16) and a colder metal surface (17).
4. Mould configuration according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the mould (2)
is positioned above the heat exchange module (11) within a single container
(19), wherein the container has a metal bottom (20), side walls (21) and an
open upper end such that the recess (6a) of the mould (2) is accessible from
above.
5. Mould configuration according to claim 4, wherein the container and the mould
(2) are part of a modular configuration allowing replacement of the mould (2) by
a different mould.
6. Mould configuration according to claim 5, wherein the replaceable mould is
removably placed in a mould holder (23) suited to hold one or more moulds and
wherein the mould holder and the one or more moulds are positioned on top of
the heat exchange module (11) within the container (19) thereby fixating the
moulds relative to the heat exchange module.
7. Mould configuration according to any one of claims 4-6, wherein the container
(19) comprising the heat exchange module (11) is designed such that it can be
positioned on a cooled surface (27) of a thermoforming forming station and
wherein in use the metal surface (17) is reduced in temperature by thermal
conduction between the relatively warmer surface (17) and the cooled surface
(27) of the thermoforming forming station.
8. Mould configuration according to claim 7, wherein the thermoforming forming
station and the container (19) are part of a modular configuration allowing
container (19) to be replaced by a different container as described in claims 4-6
in the thermoforming forming station.
9. Mould configuration according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the cooling
medium displacement means (13) are liquid medium displacement means,
preferably pumps.
10. Mould configuration according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the cooling
medium displacement means (13) are gas displacement means, preferably
ventilators, more preferably centrifugal fans (31).
11. Mould configuration according to any one of claims 3-10, wherein the heat
exchange module (11) is comprised of a set (28) of more than one cooling
medium displacement means (13) and metal fins (16) positioned relative to the
cooling medium inlet and cooling medium outlet openings such to create in use
multiple opposing cooling medium flows which set is dimensioned to cool one
mould.
12. Mould configuration according to claim 11, wherein the cooling medium
displacement means are centrifugal fans (31) having an cooling medium outlet
directed upwards towards a row of cooling medium outlet openings (15).
13. Mould configuration according to any one of claims 9 -12, wherein the one or
more spaces (9) are air tight sealed from the upper zone (6b).
14. Mould configuration according to any one of claims 1-13, wherein one heat
exchange module (11) is fluidly connected to the lower end of more than one
moulds (2)
15. Thermoforming forming station comprising a mould configuration (1) according
to any one of claims 1-14.
16. Use of a thermoforming forming station according to claim 15 to form a polymer
sheet by drawing the sheet into the mould and wherein the polymer material of
the mould has a glass transition temperature which is lower than an operating
temperature of the thermoforming forming station and wherein the melting
temperature of the polymer is higher than the operating temperature of the
thermoforming forming station and wherein the operating temperature of the
thermoforming forming station is hereby defined as the temperature of the
polymer sheet as it is drawn into the polymer mould.