Method of plasticizing molding material and apparatus therefor

Claim 1

A method of plasticizing a molding material by supplying the molding material to a cylinder having a rotatable built-in screw therein for moving the molding material in said cylinder, said cylinder having zones consisting of a supply zone and a compression zone for the molding material, the method comprising the steps of: (a) generating a first ultrasonic-wave vibration having a frequency in the range of 10 Hz to 10 MHz with a first ultrasonic transducer which is energized by a first ultrasonic-wave oscillator; (b) transmitting said first ultrasonic-wave vibration to an ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means mounted on said cylinder in the manner that a part of said ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means constitutes a part of said cylinder and is disposed in one of said zones of said cylinder, said ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means having at least one section outwardly projecting from said cylinder, said projecting section having an end, wherein said first ultrasonic-wave vibration is transmitted through said end of said projecting section; (c) changing the direction of said first ultrasonic-wave vibration transmitted to said ultrasonic-wave vibration direction changing means with said ultrasonic-wave vibration direction changing means by approximately 90 degrees; (d) applying said first ultrasonic-wave vibration to said cylinder in the direction parallel to the moving direction of said molding material; and (e) resonating at least one of said zones of said cylinder by said first ultrasonic-wave vibration at a frequency in the range of 10 Hz to 10 MHz, wherein the resonance is an n wavelength resonance, where n is m/2 and m is one of the integers of 1 to 20.

Claim 2

A method of plasticizing a molding material by supplying the molding material to a cylinder having a rotatable built-in screw therein for moving the molding material in said cylinder, said cylinder having zones consisting of a supply zone and a compression zone for the molding material, the method comprising the steps of: (a) generating a first ultrasonic-wave vibration having a frequency in the range of 10 Hz to 10 MHz with a first ultrasonic transducer which is energized by a first ultrasonic-wave oscillator; (b) transmitting said first ultrasonic-wave vibration to an ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means mounted on said cylinder in the manner that a part of said ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means constitutes a part of said cylinder and is disposed in one of said zones of said cylinder, said ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means having at least one section outwardly projecting from said cylinder, said projecting section having an end, wherein said first ultrasonic-wave vibration is transmitted through said end of said projecting section; (c) changing the direction of said first ultrasonic-wave vibration transmitted to said ultrasonic-wave vibration direction changing means with said ultrasonic-wave vibration direction changing means by approximately 90 degrees; (d) applying said first ultrasonic-wave vibration to said cylinder in the direction parallel to the moving direction of said molding material; and (e) resonating at least one of said zones of said cylinder by said first ultrasonic-wave vibration at a frequency in the range of 10 Hz to 10 MHz, wherein the resonance is an n wavelength resonance, where n is m/2 and m is one of the integers of 1 to 20.

Claim 8

An apparatus for plasticizing a molding material including a cylinder having a screw insertion hole therein and a rotatable built-in screw inserted into said screw insertion hole for moving said molding material in said cylinder, said cylinder having zones consisting of a supply zone and a compression zone for the molding material, said apparatus comprising: (a) an ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means mounted on said cylinder in the manner that a part of said ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means constitutes a part of said cylinder and is disposed in one of said zones of said cylinder, said ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means having at least one section outwardly projecting from said cylinder, said projecting section having an end, said ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means being capable of changing the direction of vibration applied thereto through said end of said projecting section by approximately 90 degrees; (b) a first ultrasonic transducer for generating a first ultrasonic-wave vibration having a frequency in the range of 10 Hz to 10 MHz; (c) a first ultrasonic-wave oscillator for energizing said first ultrasonic transducer; and (d) means for transmitting said first ultrasonic-wave vibration to said ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means through said end of said projecting section of said ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means so that said ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means changes the direction of said first ultrasonic-wave vibration by approximately 90 degrees and said first ultrasonic-wave vibration is applied to said cylinder in the direction parallel to the moving direction of said molding material, wherein at least one of said zones of said cylinder is resonated by said first ultrasonic-wave vibration at a frequency in the range of 10 Hz to 10 MHz, wherein the resonance is an n wavelength resonance, where n is m/2 and m is one of the integers 1 to 20.

Claim 9

An apparatus for plasticizing a molding material including a cylinder having a screw insertion hole therein and a rotatable built-in screw inserted into said screw insertion hole for moving said molding material in said cylinder, said cylinder having zones consisting of a supply zone and a compression zone for the molding material, said apparatus comprising: (a) an ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means mounted on said cylinder in the manner that a part of said ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means constitutes a part of said cylinder and is disposed in one of said zones of said cylinder, said ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means having at least one section outwardly projecting from said cylinder, said projecting section having an end, said ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means being capable of changing the direction of vibration applied thereto through said end of said projecting section by approximately 90 degrees; (b) a first ultrasonic transducer for generating a first ultrasonic-wave vibration having a frequency in the range of 10 Hz to 10 MHz; (c) a first ultrasonic-wave oscillator for energizing said first ultrasonic transducer; and (d) means for transmitting said first ultrasonic-wave vibration to said ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means through said end of said projecting section of said ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means so that said ultrasonic-vibration direction changing means changes the direction of said first ultrasonic-wave vibration by approximately 90 degrees and said first ultrasonic-wave vibration is applied to said cylinder in the direction parallel to the moving direction of said molding material, wherein at least one of said zones of said cylinder is resonated by said first ultrasonic-wave vibration at a frequency in the range of 10 Hz to 10 MHz, wherein the resonance is an n wavelength resonance, where n is m/2 and m is one of the integers 1 to 20.