Casting process, upper mold assembly and method of securing core to upper mold

Abstract

Disclosed is a casting process with use of a lower mold 10 having a hollow corresponding to a partial profile of a casting, and an upper mold 22 supporting a core 24 and defining a mold cavity 12 in cooperation with the lower mold. The process includes: pouring a necessary minimum amount of a molten metal for obtaining a casting into the hollow; moving downwardly the upper mold at a predetermined first speed to a predetermined height level; further moving downwardly the upper mold assembly, from the predetermined height level, at a predetermined second speed by changing the descending speed of the upper mold; detecting a status information of the upper mold in a state when the upper mold is superimposed on the lower mold; and stopping the descending movement of the upper mold after detecting that the status information comes at a predetermined state.

1 . A casting process with use of lower and upper molds, which are produced by a casting mold forming method with use of molding sand, the lower mold having a hollow corresponding to a partial profile of a casting, and the upper mold supporting a core and defining a mold cavity in cooperation with the lower mold, wherein the casting process comprises the steps of:
 preparing an upper mold assembly by securing a core to an upper mold;   pouring a necessary minimum amount of a molten metal for obtaining a casting in the hollow of the lower mold;   moving downwardly the upper mold assembly at a predetermined first speed to a predetermined height level just before the upper mold assembly comes into contact with a surface of the molten metal in the hollow of the lower mold;   further moving downwardly the upper mold assembly, from the predetermined height level, at a predetermined second speed by changing the descending speed of the upper mold assembly from the first speed to the second speed;   detecting a status information of the upper mold assembly in a state when the upper mold assembly is superimposed on the lower mold, or arrived at the lower mold; and   stopping the descending movement of the upper mold assembly after detecting that the status information comes at a predetermined state.   
   
   
       2 . (canceled) 
   
   
       3 . (canceled) 
   
   
       4 . The upper mold assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the core is secured to the upper mold by a mechanical means. 
   
   
       5 . The upper mold assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the core is secured to the upper mold by an adhesive. 
   
   
       6 . The upper mold assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the core ( 24 A) is secured to the upper mold by frictional fitting relationship between a projection ( 24   a ) formed on the core and a recess ( 22   a ) formed in the upper mold. 
   
   
       7 . The upper mold assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the core ( 24 C) is secured to the upper mold by an engagement relationship between an engaging projection ( 24   c ) formed on the core and a stamped molding sand of the upper mold. 
   
   
       8 . The upper mold assembly according to any one of  claims 4  to  7 , wherein a plurality of cores are secured to the upper mold. 
   
   
       9 . A method of securing a core to an upper mold with use of a frictional force,
 wherein a casting mold consisting of the upper mold and a mating lower mold is used, which upper and lower molds are prepared by foundry molding, respectively, and which are superimposed on each other so as to define a mold cavity having a product profile for obtaining a casting,   wherein the core has a partial profile of the casting,   wherein the method comprises steps of:   preparing the upper mold having a recess for securing the core therein and the core having a projection to be fitted into the recess; and   press-fitting the projection of the core into the recess of the upper mold by relatively moving a core supporter for supporting the core to the upper mold such that with use of an information value of securing the core to the upper mold, the press-fitting operation is effected until the information value meets a predetermined information value of securing the core to the upper mold, and   wherein the information value of securing the core to the upper mold has been predetermined such that with use of a core model without a projection, the core supporter supporting the core model is moved relatively to the upper mold so as to bring the core model into contact with the upper mold, whereby the information value of securing the core to the upper mold is a travel distance of the core supporter from an initial position when a pressure applied to the core model from the upper mold meets the predetermined information value.   
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the core has one or more projections, and the upper mold has one or more recesses for receiving the one or more projections, wherein the projections and the recesses are so formed that at least a deep region of each of the recesses has an inner diameter smaller than an outer diameter of a complementary contact part of each of the projections. 
   
   
       11 . (canceled)