BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to plastic injection molding.

Plastic injection molding produces parts by injecting molten plastic material into a mold. Parts that are even slightly different require separate molds, or a high-complexity mold with mechanisms to shuttle tools into the mold to form the differing features. One method, referred to as shuttle injection molding, requires two bottom mold halves for one top mold half. While the first bottom mold half is in use, the second bottom mold half can be loaded with inserts. When the press opens, the first bottom mold half shuttles out to eject the part and be reloaded with inserts, while the second bottom mold half shuttles into its place. While this method reduces press time, it requires an expensive second mold half. Another approach using rotational movement called Exjection® combines extrusion and injection molding to manufacture parts with long profiles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides injection-molded parts and methods for producing such parts using mold inserts, such as lead frames, to selectively control material flow during an injection molding process in order to produce different parts in a common mold.

More particularly, in one embodiment, a method of producing multiple insert molded parts using a common mold is provided. The method includes setting a first insert into a mold comprising a mold cavity having at least one cavity feature, injecting a plastic material into the mold cavity and at least partially encapsulating the first insert to form a first part with at least one part feature corresponding to the at least one cavity feature, removing the first part from the mold, setting a second insert into the mold, and injecting a plastic material into the mold cavity and at least partially encapsulating the second insert to form a second part. The second insert blocks flow of the plastic material to the at least one cavity feature, such that the second part lacks the at least one part feature corresponding to the at least one cavity feature.

These and other advantages and features of the invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the description of the current embodiments and the drawings.

