Platen with integrated rotary plate

A platen apparatus for supporting a mold portion in an injection molding machine, the apparatus comprising:

• a) a platen body;
• b) a plate rotatably mounted to the platen body for supporting a mold half, the plate rotatable relative to the platen body about an axis, and translatable relative to the platen body along the axis among a retracted position, a mold break position, and an advanced position intermediate the mold break and retracted positions;
• and
• c) a plate actuator biasing the plate toward the advanced position, the plate actuator comprising a mold break spring urging the plate from the mold break position to the advanced position, and an advancement spring urging the plate from the retracted position to the advanced position.

A platen apparatus for supporting a mold portion in an injection molding machine, the apparatus comprising:

• a) a platen body;
• b) a plate disposed at a front of the platen body,
• the plate having a plate front surface defining at least a central portion of a mold mounting face of the platen apparatus for supporting a mold half, and the plate having a plate back surface opposite the plate front surface and directed towards a front abutment surface of the platen body,
• the plate translatable relative to the platen body between retracted and advanced positions spaced apart along a platen axis, the plate back surface bearing against the front abutment surface when in the retracted position, and the plate back surface spaced apart from the front abutment surface by an advancement clearance gap when in the advanced position, and
• the plate rotatable relative to the platen body about the platen axis at least when in the advanced position;
• c) an advancement spring axially captive between an advancement first abutment surface and an advancement second abutment surface spaced axially apart from and rotatably fixed relative to the advancement first abutment surface, the advancement first abutment surface axially locked relative to the platen body and the advancement second abutment surface axially locked relative to the plate during translation of the plate between the retracted and advanced positions, the advancement spring urging the advancement first abutment surface and the advancement second abutment surface axially apart to urge the plate from the retracted position to the advanced position;
• and
• d) a spindle rotatably mounted in the platen body, the plate affixed to the spindle, wherein the advancement spring is generally annular and coaxial with the spindle, and includes a central opening through which the spindle passes.