Apparatus for fabricating three-dimensional paper-molded products with zero-draft angles

Abstract

An apparatus for fabricating three-dimensional paper-molded products with zero-draft angles is disclosed herein, which comprises at least one conveying rail and at least three sets of mold assemblies for sequentially applying a pre-compression, a first thermo-compression and a second thermo-compression on each semi-finished product. The at least three sets of mold assemblies are collocated, in ascending order of their transversally cross-sectional concave widths, along the at least one conveying rail. By gradually compressing the semi-finished product in sequence of compression operations of the at least three sets of mold assemblies, a specific transversally cross-sectional width of the semi-finished product are gradually and transversally widened to finalize a formation of a three-dimensional paper-molded product having zero-draft angles, thereby enhancing a structural strength of the entire product, shortening its manufacturing time and saving its manufacturing cost.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for fabricating three-dimensional paper-molded products with zero-draft angles, comprising:
 at least one conveying rail;   a paper slurry tank, used for supplying a paper-molded material;   at least three sets of mold assemblies, each consisting of a male mold having a convex portion, and a female mold having a concave portion formed with a transversally cross-sectional concave width and with corresponding to said convex portion;   an absorbing unit, used to absorb a semi-finished product constructed of the paper-molded material, through the respective mold assemblies; and   an ascending/descending mechanism, used to convey the semi-finished product among the respective mold assemblies, along the at least one conveying rail;   wherein the mold assemblies are collocated in ascending order of their transversally cross-sectional concave widths and along an extended direction of the at least one conveying rail, and the mold assemblies respectively and sequentially apply a pre-compression, a first thermo-compression and a second thermo-compression on the semi-finished product conveyed along the at least one conveying rail, to gradually and transversally widen a specific transversally cross-sectional width of the semi-finished product in finalizing a formation of each of the three-dimensional paper-molded products having the zero-draft angles.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus for fabricating the three-dimensional paper-molded products with the zero-draft angles as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the mold assemblies includes a first set of mold assembly, a second set of mold assembly and a third set of mold assembly, and the ascending order of the transversally cross-sectional concave widths of the mold assemblies is that the transversally cross-sectional concave width of the concave portion of the female mold of the second set of mold assembly is larger than the transversally cross-sectional concave width of the concave portion of the female mold of the first set of mold assembly, and the transversally cross-sectional concave width of the concave portion of the female mold of the third set of mold assembly is larger than the transversally cross-sectional concave width of the concave portion of the female mold of the second set of mold assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus for fabricating the three-dimensional paper-molded products with the zero-draft angles as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a cutting unit, connected to the at least one conveying rail and having a cutting mold assembly used to cut the semi-finished product. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus for fabricating the three-dimensional paper-molded products with the zero-draft angles as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the male mold of each of the mold assemblies is formed with pathways extended through the convex portion and respectively communicated with the absorbing unit to reach said semi-finished product, the absorbing unit is used to absorb water vapor contained within the semi-finished product via the pathways and provide the male mold with a capability of grabbing the semi-finished product during the semi-finished product is conveyed. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus for fabricating the three-dimensional paper-molded products with the zero-draft angles as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the absorbing unit is a vacuum pump. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus for fabricating the three-dimensional paper-molded products with the zero-draft angles as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a fourth set of mold assembly collocated along the at least one conveying rail and used to apply a third thermo-compression on the semi-finished product.