Pulp suction mold for molded pulp forming machine

Abstract

A pulp suction mold for a molded pulp forming machine includes lower and upper molds. The forming machine includes a pulp tank. The pulp suction mold is configured to slidably move in and out of the pulp tank. The upper and lower molds cooperatively define at least one mold cavity and at least one mold opening. The upper mold defines an upper air chamber, and is formed with a plurality of upper passage holes, and an upper connecting port configured for suction airflow to suck pulp in the pulp tank into the mold cavity through the mold opening and to suck air in the mold cavity and liquid in the pulp into the upper air chamber through the upper passage holes and then discharge out the upper air chamber through the upper connecting port.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pulp suction mold for a molded pulp forming machine, the molded pulp forming machine including a pulp tank for containing pulp, said pulp suction mold being configured to slidably move in and out of the pulp tank and comprising:
 a lower mold; and   an upper mold cooperating with said lower mold to define at least one mold cavity for receiving the pulp and at least one mold opening communicating said at least one mold cavity with the outside, said upper mold defining an upper air chamber located above said at least one mold cavity, and being formed with a plurality of upper passage holes communicating with said at least one mold cavity and said upper air chamber, and an upper connecting port communicating said upper air chamber with the outside and located adjacent to an end of said at least one mold cavity in an up-down direction, said upper connecting port being configured for suction airflow to suck the pulp in the pulp tank into said at least one mold cavity through said at least one mold opening and to suck air in said at least one mold cavity and liquid in the pulp into said upper air chamber through said upper passage holes and then discharge out of said upper air chamber through said upper connecting port.   
     
     
         2 . The pulp suction mold as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said upper connecting port extends in a horizontal direction transverse to the up-down direction. 
     
     
         3 . The pulp suction mold as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said lower mold has a lower mold surface, and said upper mold has an upper mold surface cooperating with said lower mold surface to define said at least one mold cavity and said at least one mold opening. 
     
     
         4 . The pulp suction mold as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said upper mold includes an upper distal to said at least one mold cavity, a lower wall opposite to said upper wall and having said upper mold surface, and a peripheral wall between said upper wall and said lower wall, wherein said upper wall, said lower wall and said peripheral wall cooperatively define said upper air chamber, said upper connecting port being formed in said peripheral wall, being spaced apart from said upper wall by a first distance, and being spaced apart from said lower wall by a second distance that is smaller than said first distance. 
     
     
         5 . The pulp suction mold as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein a ratio between said first distance and said second distance ranges from 9:1 to 6:4. 
     
     
         6 . The pulp suction mold as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said lower wall has a generally inverted V-shaped cross section. 
     
     
         7 . The pulp suction mold as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said lower mold defines a lower air chamber located below said at least one mold cavity, and is formed with a plurality of lower passage holes communicating with said at least one mold cavity and said lower air chamber, and a lower connecting port located below said lower air chamber and communicating said lower air chamber with the outside, said lower connecting port being configured for suction airflow to suck the pulp in the pulp tank into said at least one mold cavity through said at least one mold opening and to suck the air in said at least one mold cavity and the liquid in the pulp into said lower air chamber through said lower passage holes and then discharge out of said lower air chamber through said lower connecting port. 
     
     
         8 . The pulp suction mold as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said lower mold includes an upper wall adjacent to said at least one mold cavity and having said lower mold surface, and a lower wall that is distal to said at least one mold cavity and that is opposite to and that cooperates with said upper wall of said lower mold to define said lower air chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The pulp suction mold as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said lower wall has a generally V-shaped cross section.