Molding system and method for manufacturing modular interlocking articles

Abstract

Described are a mold and molding process for manufacturing devices and containers that are scalable, modular, and lockable laterally and vertically with other like devices or containers. The mold is formed with a cup mold and top end mold sections specially designed to allow for molding and demolding a container with an undercut. The cup mold includes, on a vertical wall, one or more undercuts. Multiple undercuts may further form tongues with undercuts each of which forms a groove with undercuts on the molded article, and/or one or more grooves with undercuts each of which form a tongue with undercuts in the molded article. Molding and Demolding of the article with undercuts is further enabled by utilizing an improved method of molding said article with an undercut, and demolding said article from the mold once it is molded, by improvements to each stage of the molding process, including the preform stage, the conditioning station stage, the blow stage and the release stage.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A mold apparatus, comprising:
 a cup mold comprising at least one undercut formed in a vertical wall.   
     
     
         2 . The mold apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the undercut extends to the height of the cup mold. 
     
     
         3 . The mold apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the undercut angle ranges between 30 degrees and 75 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The mold apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a top end mold comprising sections that are moveable between an open position and closed position, and in a closed position are formed to hold a neck of an article for molding. 
     
     
         5 . The mold apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cup mold comprises a base and wall, the wall being formed vertically perpendicular to the base, without a taper. 
     
     
         6 . The mold apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cup mold comprises a surface treated with a friction-reducing substance. 
     
     
         7 . The mold apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a mold tongue with said undercut formed on the cup mold wall, said mold tongue yielding a groove with an undercut on a molded article, and further comprising a mold groove with said undercut formed in the cup mold wall, said mold groove yielding a tongue with an undercut on a molded article. 
     
     
         8 . The mold apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cup mold further comprises a mold base rising profile that rises at least at high as the total rise of the top end mold section. 
     
     
         9 . The mold apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the mold base profile further comprises a convex dome formed on a top surface of the mold base profile, creating a space on a bottom surface of a molded article that is taller than a hanging dimple formed in the blow mold process. 
     
     
         10 . The mold apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a mold groove with said undercut formed in the cup mold wall, said mold groove yielding a tongue with an undercut on a molded article, wherein a lower end of said mold groove is formed beginning at a point no lower below the highest point of the mold base profile than 25% of the total height of such mold base insert. 
     
     
         11 . A mold apparatus, comprising:
 movable mold sections that engage each other in a closed position to form a top end mold assembly, the top end mold assembly extending to a top end of a cup mold, the cup mold comprising an undercut;   the moveable top end mold assembly engaging and disengaging said cup mold at the top end of the cup mold.   
     
     
         12 . The mold apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of counter-cuts where the top mold meets the body mold. 
     
     
         13 . The mold apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a groove in the cup mold wall, said groove yielding a tongue with an undercut on a molded article. 
     
     
         14 . The mold apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a second groove in the cup mold wall in an opposing location to the first groove, said second groove yielding a second tongue with an undercut on a molded article, wherein a parting line of top end mold assembly sections bisects said opposing grooves. 
     
     
         15 . A method for forming an article, comprising:
 providing a cup mold with an undercut on a vertical wall;   providing a top end mold section;   placing a preform in a cavity created by the cup mold and the top end mold sections;   blowing air into the preform to form an article within the mold cavity;   demolding the formed article by removing the article vertically from the cup mold.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the blowing step comprises forming the article with one or more perpendicular walls without a taper. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the blowing step comprises forming undercuts on a tongue, the undercuts being formed no lower than 25% higher than the bottom of the cup mold. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the demolding step comprises providing countercuts around the top end mold section and decouples the directly opposing top end mold sections. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the molding step comprises a directly opposing action to close the top end section mold parts, and demolding step comprises directly opposing actions to open the top end section mold parts. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the blowing stage comprises conducting a pre-blow process at a first predetermined pressure that partly expands the preform.