# US 2008/0187771 A1 · Molding-System Clamp

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- Number: US 2008/0187771 A1
- Document ID: US20080187771A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 11/671,092
- Filed: 2007-02-05
- Published: 2008-08-07
- Earliest claimed: 2007-02-05
- Assignees: Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd.
- Inventors: Robert Dietrich SCHAD; Alex TENG
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080187771A1

## CPC

- B29C 45/6728: {the separate element consisting of coupling rods}
- B29C 2045/1792: {Machine parts driven by an electric motor, e.g. electric servomotor}
- B29C 2045/6735: {Rotatable means coaxial with the coupling rod for locking the coupling rod to the mould platen}
- Y10T 428/8305: Miscellaneous [e.g., treated surfaces, etc.]
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

Disclosed are: (i) a clamp of a molding system, (ii) a molding system having a clamp, (iii) a method of a clamp of a molding system, (iv) a molded article manufactured by usage of a clamp of a molding system, (v) a molded article manufactured by usage of a molding system including a clamp, and (vi) a molded article manufactured by usage of a method of a clamp of a molding system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A clamp actuator of a molding system having a rod, the clamp actuator comprising:
a first actuator configured to be interactable with the rod; and
a second actuator configured to be interactable with the first actuator.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The clamp actuator of claim 1, wherein responsive to actuating the first actuator, the rod is drivable between: (i) a home position in which a clamping force is not applicable to the rod, and (ii) a force application position in which the clamping force is applicable to the rod.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The clamp actuator of claim 1, wherein the first actuator includes:
a piston coupled to the rod; and
a housing configured to receive the piston and accommodate sliding movement of the piston and the rod, the piston, the housing and the rod defining, in combination, a chamber, the chamber configured to accommodate a pressurizable fluid that is abuttable against the piston.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The clamp actuator of claim 1, wherein the second actuator includes:
a spring interactable with the first actuator, the spring biasing the first actuator so as to urge the first actuator toward a platen and toward a home position.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The clamp actuator of claim 1, wherein:
the first actuator includes:
a piston coupled to the rod; and
a housing configured to receive the piston and accommodate sliding movement of the piston and of the rod, the piston, the housing and the rod defining, in combination, a chamber, the chamber configured to accommodate a pressurizable fluid that is abuttable against the piston; and
the second actuator includes:
a spring interactable with the first actuator, the spring biasing the first actuator so as to urge the first actuator away from a platen and toward a home position.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The clamp actuator of claim 1, wherein:
the first actuator includes:
a piston coupled to the rod; and
a housing configured to receive the piston and accommodate sliding movement of the piston and the rod, the piston, the housing and the rod defining, in combination, a chamber, the chamber configured to accommodate a pressurizable fluid that is abuttable against the piston; and
the second actuator includes:
a spring interactable with the first actuator, the spring biasing the first actuator so as to urge the first actuator away from the spring and toward a platen,
responsive to the chamber being pressurized by a relatively low amount of fluid pressure, the pressurizable fluid urges the piston toward the spring, and the spring reacts to maintain the piston in a home position.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The clamp actuator of claim 6, wherein responsive to the chamber being pressurized by a relatively high amount of amount of fluid pressure, the pressurizable fluid urges the piston to move along the housing so that the spring is made to store energy, and the spring acts to maintain the piston in a force application position in which a clamping force is applicable to the rod.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The clamp actuator of claim 6, wherein responsive to depressurizing the chamber, the chamber receives the relatively low amount of fluid pressure, stored energy in the spring is released so as to move the piston back to the home position.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The clamp actuator of claim 6, wherein the housing is coupled to a stationary platen.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The clamp actuator of claim 6, further comprising:
a piston stop plate coupled to an entrance of the housing, the piston is abuttable, at least in part, against the piston stop plate;
a reset stop coupled to the piston; and
a reset plate abutting the piston stop plate, the reset plate abutting the reset stop, the reset stop abutting the spring.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The clamp actuator of claim 10, wherein:
the piston is coupled to a distal end of the rod, and
the reset stop is coupled to an end of the rod.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The clamp actuator of claim 6, wherein the spring is receivable, at least in part, in a recess defined by the piston.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

The clamp actuator of claim 6, further comprising:
a fluid input connected to the chamber, the fluid input configured to deliver the pressurizable fluid to the chamber, the pressurizable fluid configured to actuate the piston.

### Claim 14 (depends on 6)

The clamp actuator of claim 6, further comprising:
a piston seal configured to prevent fluid from flowing out of the chamber.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The clamp actuator of claim 1, further comprising:
a tie-bar lock mechanism including:
a lock member associated with the rod; and
a complementary lock member associated with a selected platen selected from platens, the complementary lock member being engageable with the lock member at a position being proximate to a relatively lower flex zone of the selected platen.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The clamp actuator of claim 1, further comprising:
a lock member associated with the rod, the lock member including:
(i) a row of rod-interrupted teeth extending from the rod; and
(ii) a rod groove extending along the row of rod-interrupted teeth; and
a complementary lock member associated with a selected platen selected from platens, the complementary lock member including:
(i) a row of sleeve-interrupted teeth extending from a sleeve, the sleeve coupled to the selected platen; and
(ii) a sleeve groove extending along the row of sleeve-interrupted teeth, the row of rod-interrupted teeth of the lock member being rotatably engageable with the row of sleeve-interrupted teeth of the complementary lock member, the lock member and the complementary lock member being rotatably engageable relative to each other, the complementary lock member being engageable with the lock member at a position being proximate to a relatively lower flex zone of the selected platen.

### Claim 17

A clamp actuator of a molding system having a rod, the clamp actuator comprising:
a first actuator interacting with the rod; and
a second actuator interacting with the first actuator.

### Claim 18

A molding system, comprising:
a rod; and
a clamp actuator including:
a first actuator configured to be interactable with the rod; and
a second actuator configured to be interactable with the first actuator.

### Claim 19

A clamp assembly of a molding system, the clamp assembly comprising:
platens being movable relative to each other;
rods extending between the platens;
tie-bar lock mechanisms supported by a selected platen of the platens, each of the tie-bar lock mechanisms being lockably and unlockably engageable with a selected rod of the rods; and
clamp actuators supported by a preferred platen of the platens, each of the clamp actuators including:
a first actuator configured to be interactable with a preferred rod selected from the rods; and
a second actuator configured to be interactable with the first actuator.

### Claim 20

A molding system, comprising:
a clamp assembly, including
platens being movable relative to each other;
rods extending between the platens;
tie-bar lock mechanisms supported by a selected platen of the platens, each of the tie-bar lock mechanisms being lockably and unlockably engageable with a selected rod of the rods; and
clamp actuators supported by a preferred platen of the platens, each of the clamp actuators including:
a first actuator configured to be interactable with a preferred rod of the rods; and
a second actuator configured to be interactable with the first actuator.

### Claim 21

A method of a clamp actuator of a molding system having a rod, the method comprising:
interacting a first actuator with the rod; and
interacting a second actuator with the first actuator.

### Claim 22

A molded article manufactured by usage of a clamp assembly of a molding system having a rod, the clamp assembly having a clamp actuator, the clamp actuator comprising:
a first actuator configured to be interactable with the rod; and
a second actuator configured to be interactable with the first actuator.

### Claim 23

A molded article manufactured by usage of a molding system, comprising:
a rod; and
a clamp actuator including:
a first actuator configured to be interactable with the rod; and
a second actuator configured to be interactable with the first actuator.

### Claim 24

A molded article manufactured by usage of a molding system, the molding system comprising:
a clamp assembly, including:
platens being movable relative to each other;
rods extending between the platens;
tie-bar lock mechanisms supported by a selected platen selected from the platens, each of the tie-bar lock mechanisms being lockably and unlockably engageable with a selected rod selected from the rods; and
clamp actuators supported by a preferred platen selected from the platens, each of the clamp actuators including:
a first actuator configured to be interactable with a preferred rod selected from the rods; and
a second actuator configured to be interactable with the first actuator.

### Claim 25

A molded article manufactured by usage of a method of a clamp actuator of a molding system having a rod, the method comprising:
interacting a first actuator with the rod; and
interacting a second actuator with the rod.