Vacuum sealed molding process for producing molds having a deep concave portion or a convex portion

Claim 1

A process of making a mold composed of an internal and external complimentary mold halves respectively having a high convex portion and a deep concave portion comprising: a. making the internal mold having a deep concave portion of an external pattern, the shape of the surface of said external pattern being complimentary to that of the high convex portion of the internal mold comprising providing a synthetic resin film; softening said film by heating; positioning said film between said external pattern and an auxiliary convex member which has a convex surface facing the film generally complimentary to that of the concave portion of the external pattern; moving said auxiliary convex member toward the bottom of the external pattern with the peripheral portion of the film contacting the edge portion of the concave portion of the external pattern such that the film is deformed around said auxiliary convex member in a shape similar to the shape of the concave surface of the external pattern; applying a negative pressure to the outer surface of the film through the wall of the external pattern to bring the film into tight contact with the concave surface of the external pattern; removing the auxiliary convex member from within the external pattern; assembling the external pattern with the film thereon and a molding flask; positioning a cup shaped frame with an opening formed in the bottom thereof in the molding flask; placing a heat resistant particulate material in the space between the bottom portion of the cup shaped frame and the bottom portion of the external pattern through the opening; covering the opening with a film; releasing the negative pressure on the outer surface of the film; applying a negative pressure to the inner surface of the film through the particulate material to bring the film in tight contact with the particulate material; and removing the external pattern from the molding flask, thereby forming the internal mold; b. making the external mold having a high convex portion of an internal pattern, the shape of the surface thereof being complimentary to that of the deep concave portion of the external mold comprising providing a synthetic resin film; softening said film by heating; positioning said film between said internal pattern and an auxiliary external hollow frame member, the bottom inner edge portion of said frame being kept parallel to the film and the inner space of said frame being large enough to cover a substantial portion of the convex portion of the internal pattern; pushing said film with said frame toward the convex portion of said internal pattern until the film is deformed similar to the shape of the convex surface of the internal pattern; applying a negative pressure to the inside surface of the film through the wall of the internal pattern to bring the film into tight contact with the convex portion; removing the auxiliary external frame member from the internal pattern; assembling the internal pattern with the film thereon and a molding flask; placing a heat resisting particulate material onto the film; releasing the negative pressure on the inner surface of the film; applying a negative pressure to the outer surface of the film through the particulate material to bring the film into tight contact with the particulate material; and removing the internal pattern from the molding flask, thereby forming the external mold; and c. assembling the internal and external molds.