Method and apparatus for manufacturing molded product having thin film

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a molded product, which has a highly homogeneous thin film, at low cost by operating an injection molding machine and a film forming device at a high rate of operation is provided. A molded product formed by an injection molding machine is conveyed to a temporary stage by a first conveying device. The molded products corresponding to several times of an injection molding step are pooled on the temporary stage by the repetition of an injection molding step. A second conveying device collectively conveys all the molded products, which are pooled on the temporary stage, to a film forming device. Films are formed on the molded products by the film forming device, and the molded products are conveyed to the outside by a third conveying device. The injection molding step is continuously performed while a film forming step is performed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for manufacturing a molded product having a thin film, the method comprising:
 an injection molding step of forming a molded product by an injection molding machine;   a conveying step of conveying the molded product by a conveying device; and   a film forming step of forming a film on the molded product by a film forming device,   wherein the conveying step comprises:
 a first conveying step of conveying the molded product to a predetermined molded product pool area from the injection molding machine whenever the injection molding step is performed one time; 
 a second conveying step of conveying the molded products, which are formed by performing the injection molding step several times and pooled in the molded product pool area, to the film forming device; and 
 a third conveying step of conveying the molded products, on which the films have been formed by the film forming device, to the outside, 
   wherein the second conveying step conveys the molded product to the film forming device before the surface temperature of the molded product falls to 40° C. or less, and   wherein the film forming step collectively forms films on the molded products that are formed by performing the injection molding step several times.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the second conveying step conveys all the molded products, which are pooled in the molded product pool area, to the film forming device.