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AssigneeNissei Plastic Industrial Co., Ltd.
InventorsYoshio Watanabe, Hirokazu Ihara
Estimating the term…
A mold monitoring apparatus for an injection molding machine captures an image of a cavity portion of an opened mold, and determines the state of the cavity portion by means of image processing. The apparatus includes a light emitting unit, an image capturing unit, and an image processing unit. The light emitting unit projects onto the cavity portion light rays other than visible light rays. The image capturing unit includes an image sensor for capturing reflection light rays that travel from the cavity portion to the image sensor via a filter for blocking visible light rays. The image processing unit determines the state of the cavity portion on the basis of an image signal output from the image sensor and through image processing.
A mold monitoring apparatus for an injection molding machine, which apparatus captures an image of a cavity portion of an opened mold, and determines a state of the cavity portion by means of image processing, the apparatus comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations: measuring, controlling or regulating
Measured parameter: presence, absence of objects
Phase or stage of measurement: mould opening
Phase or stage of measurement: ejection
Term end not estimated
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mold monitoring apparatus for an injection molding machine, which apparatus captures an image of a cavity portion of an opened mold, and determines the state of the cavity portion by means of image processing.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
FIG. 1 is a plan view of an injection molding machine to which a mold monitoring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached;
FIG. 2 is a front view of a light emitting unit of the mold monitoring apparatus;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of an image capturing unit of the mold monitoring apparatus;
An embodiment of the present invention will next be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The accompanying drawings are illustrative of the embodiment and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention. In order to describe the invention clearly, detailed description of known features is omitted.
First, the configuration of a mold monitoring apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.
FIGS. 1 and 4 show a portion of an injection molding machine M to which the mold monitoring apparatus 1 is attached. The injection molding machine M includes a mold clamping apparatus Mc. The mold clamping apparatus Mc includes a stationary platen 11; four tie bars 12 disposed between the stationary platen 11 and an unillustrated pressure receiving platen; and a movable platen 13 slidably supported by the tie bars 12. A stationary mold Cc is attached to the stationary platen 11, whereas a movable mold Cm is attached to the movable platen 13. The stationary mold Cc and the movable mold Cm constitute a mold unit C. By means of an unillustrated drive mechanism, the movable platen 13 is advanced and retracted relative to the stationary platen 11 to thereby close, clamp, and open the mold unit C. Notably, reference letter Mi denotes an injection apparatus; and Cf (FIG. 4, etc.) denotes a cavity of the mold unit C.