Injection molding machine with self-connecting ejection device
OwnerKarl Hehlinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ejection device in a die closing unit of an injection molding machine in which the ejector piston rod, reaching from behind through the movable die carrier and into an engagement cavity in the back plate of the movable die half, is automatically engaged with, or disengaged from, the ejector plate, in the course of the movement of a die assembly into and out of the operating position, in conjunction with a mechanized die exchange procedure. A connecting socket at the extremity of the piston rod cooperates with a connecting plug on the back side of the ejector plate. A brief interruption of the transfer movement, obtained by means of a stop-start mechanism responsive to the die assembly transfer movement, allows for the piston rod to be extended into, or retracted from, the engagement cavity.
Claims10
In a die closing unit of an injection molding machine which comprises a stationary die carrier plate and a movable die carrier plate adapted for the attachment thereto of the stationary and movable die halves of one of a plurality of interchangeable die assemblies, and which further comprises a die changing mechanism for the mechanical insertion of said die assembly into, and its removal from, the die closing unit in transfer movements along a transfer path which is oriented transversely to the center axis of the die closing unit along which the movable die carrier plate and an associated movable die half execute die opening and closing movements, and wherein the die changing mechanism includes transfer drive means for producing said transfer movements, and the movable die carrier plate and its associated movable die half define a device for ejecting the injection-molded parts from the movable die half in the open position of the die closing unit, said parts ejecting device including an ejection actuator and an ejector rod which are associated with the movable die carrier plate and arranged on the axially outer side thereof, the ejector rod being guided for ejection movements parallel to the center axis of the die closing unit and having a drive extremity pointing axially inwardly towards the movable die half, and wherein the parts ejection device further includes an ejector member forming part of the movable die half and being movable axially in relation thereto;
- in such a die closing unit, a mechanism for connecting the ejector member of said movable die half to the drive extremity of the ejector rod of the ejection actuator, said connecting mechanism comprising in combination:
- stop-start means defined by the transfer drive means of the die changing mechanism for interrupting the transfer movements of a die assembly in a stop position which is located at a distance from an inserted position in which the die halves of the die assembly are transversely aligned with, and attachable to, their respective die carrier plates;
- a transverse mounting face on the axially inner side of the movable die carrier plate and a cooperating transverse mounting face on the axially outer side of the associated movable die half, said mounting faces being arranged to remain substantially contiguous during the transfer movements of the die assembly;
- an axial opening in the movable die carrier plate through which the ejector rod is movable from a retracted position in which its drive extremity is located axially outside said contiguous mounting faces to a connection position in which the drive extremity is located axially inside said contiguous mounting faces;
- an axial recess in the mounting face of the associated movable die half so shaped that it accommodates the drive extremity of the ejector rod in its connection position, while permitting the die assembly to execute transfer movements between its stop position and its inserted position;
- a first connecting member defined by the drive extremity of the ejector rod;
- a second connecting member attached to the ejector member of the associated movable die half, said second connecting member being arranged within the axial recess of the movable die half and aligned axially with the first connecting member of the ejector rod, when the die assembly is in its inserted position;
- and wherein
- the first and second connecting members are shaped to engage each other to produce an axial drive connection between the ejector rod and the ejector member of the movable die half, when the ejector rod is in its connection position and the die assembly moves from its stop position to its inserted position;
- and
- the first and second connecting members disengage from each other, when the die assembly moves from its inserted position to its stop position.
In a die closing unit of an injection molding machine which comprises a stationary die carrier plate and a movable die carrier plate adapted for the attachment thereto of the stationary and movable die halves of one of a plurality of interchangeable die assemblies, and which further comprises a die changing mechanism for the mechanical insertion of said die assembly into, and its removable from, the die closing unit in transfer movements along a transfer path which is oriented transversely to the center axis of the die closing unit along which the movable die carrier plate and an associated movable die half execute linear die opening and closing movements, and wherein the die changing mechanism includes transfer drive means for producing said transfer movements, and the movable die carrier plate and its associated movable die half define a device for ejecting the injection-molded parts from the movable die half in the open position of the die closing unit, said parts ejecting device including an ejection actuator with an ejector rod associated with the movable die carrier plate and arranged on the axially outer side thereof, the ejector rod being guided for ejection movements parallel to the center axis of the die closing unit and including a drive extremity pointing axially inwardly in the direction of the movable die half, and wherein the parts ejection device further includes an ejector member forming part of the movable die half and being movable axially in relation thereto;
- in such a die closing unit, a mechanism for connecting the ejector member of the movable die half to the drive extremity of the ejector rod of the ejection actuator, said connecting mechanism comprising in combination:
- a transverse mounting face on the axially inner side of the movable die carrier plate and a cooperating transverse mounting face on the axially outer side of the associated movable die half, said mounting faces being arranged to remain substantially contiguous during the transfer movements of the die assembly;
- an axial opening in the movable die carrier plate through which the ejector rod is movable from a retracted position in which its drive extremity is located axially outside said contiguous mounting faces to a connection position in which the drive extremity is located axially inside said contiguous mounting faces;
- an axial recess in the mounting face of the associated movable die half so shaped that it accommodates the drive extremity of the ejector rod in its connection position, while permitting the die assembly to execute at least an end portion of the die transfer movement which includes, as one end point thereof, the inserted position of the die assembly in which its two die halves are transversely aligned with, and attachable to, their respective die carrier plates;
- a first connecting member defined by the drive extremity of the ejector rod;
- a second connecting member attached to the ejector member of the associated movable die half, said second connecting member being arranged within the axial recess of the movable die half and aligned axially with the first connecting member of the ejector rod, when the die assembly is in its inserted position;
- and wherein
- the first and second connecting members are shaped to engage each other to produce an axial drive connection between the ejector rod and the ejector member of the movable die half, when the ejector rod is in its connection position and the die assembly executes said end portion of the die transfer movement at the end of the die insertion movement;
- and
- the first and second connecting members disengage from each other, when the die assembly executes said end portion of the die transfer movement at the beginning of the die removal movement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.