Co-injection machine

An injection apparatus for injecting separate and distinct streams of plasticated material that are introduced into an injection mold to provide an injected product, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a machine base including a base slide support and a mold element support;
• (b) a base slide, mounted to said base slide support, for movement along a base slide axis, said base slide including first and second injection unit supports;
• (c) an injection manifold mounted to said base slide, said injection manifold including first and second injection site means for receiving plasticated material, and manifold nozzle means for discharging plasticated material;
• (d) base slide means for selectively and automatically moving said injection manifold and base slide, with respect to said mold element support, along said base slide axis, between a manifold injecting position, proximal said mold element support, and a manifold purging position, distal said mold element support;
• (e) a first injection unit, mounted to said first injection unit support, for movement along a first axis, said first injection unit including a first injection nozzle;
• (f) a second injection unit mounted to said second injection unit support, for movement along a second axis, said second injection unit including a second injection nozzle, said first and second axes forming an angle therebetween and lying in a common plane;
• (g) first means for selectively and automatically moving said first injection unit with respect to said injection manifold, along said first axis, between a first injecting position where said first injection nozzle is received in fluid communication with said first injection site, and a first purging position where said first injection nozzle is separated from said first injection site;
• (h) second means for selectively and automatically moving said second injection unit with respect to said injection manifold, along said second axis, between a second injecting position where said second injection nozzle is received in fluid communication with said second injection site, and a second purging position where said second injection nozzle is separated from said second injection site;
• and
• (i) computer means for controlling said base slide means, said first means, and said second means.

An injection apparatus for injecting separate and distinct streams of plasticated material that are separately introduced into an injection mold to provide an injected product, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a machine base including a base slide support and a mold element support;
• (b) a base slide, mounted to said base slide support, for movement along a base slide axis, said base slide including first and second injection unit supports;
• (c) an injection manifold mounted to said base slide, said injection manifold including first and second injection sites for receiving a predetermined quantity of plasticated material, and at least one manifold nozzle for discharging said predetermined quantity of plasticated material;
• (d) base slide means for selectively and automatically moving said injection manifold and base slide, with respect to said mold element support, along said base slide axis, between a manifold injecting position, proximal said mold element support, and a manifold purging position, retracted from said mold element support, and for providing a manifold biasing force for holding said manifold in said injecting position;
• (e) a first injection unit, mounted to said first injection unit support, for movement along a first axis, said first injection unit including a first injection nozzle and means for purging said first injection nozzle with a first portion of plasticated material;
• (f) a second injection unit mounted to said second injection unit support, for movement along a second axis, said second injection unit including a second injection nozzle and means for purging said second injection nozzle with a second portion of plasticated material, said first and second axes forming an angle therebetween and lying in a common plane;
• (g) first means for selectively and automatically moving said first injection unit with respect to said injection manifold, along said first axis, between a first injecting position where said first injection nozzle is received in fluid communication with said first injection site, and a first purging position where said first injection nozzle is separated from said first injection site, and for providing a first nozzle biasing force for holding said first injection unit in said first injecting position;
• h) second means for selectively and automatically moving said second injection unit with respect to said injection manifold, along said second axis, between a second injecting position where said second injection nozzle is received in fluid communication with said second injection site, and a second purging position where said second injection nozzle is separated from said second injection site, and for providing a second nozzle biasing force for holding said second injection unit in said second injecting position;
• (i) means for monitoring said manifold nozzle biasing force;
• (j) means for monitoring said first nozzle biasing force;
• (k) means for monitoring said second nozzle biasing force;
• and
• (l) computer means for controlling said base slide means, said first means, and said second means.

A method for operating an apparatus for injecting separate and distinct streams of plasticated material into an injection mold to provide an injected product, comprising the following steps:

• (a) providing a machine base including a mold element support;
• (b) providing a injection manifold having first and second injection site means for receiving plasticated material and manifold nozzle means, including at least one manifold nozzle, for discharging plasticated material;
• (c) providing a first injection unit, including a first injection nozzle;
• (d) providing a second injection unit, including a second injection nozzle;
• (e) biasing said first and second injection nozzles into respective first and second injection site means;
• and
• (f) simultaneously moving said injection manifold and said first and second injection units, in unison, with respect to said mold element support.

A method for operating an apparatus for injecting separate and distinct streams of plasticated material into an injection mold to provide a injected product, comprising the following steps:

• (a) providing a machine base having a base slide support and a mold element support;
• (b) mounting a mold element to said mold element support;
• (c) mounting a base slide to said base slide support, for movement along a base slide axis, said base slide including first and second injection unit supports;
• (d) mounting an injection manifold to said base slide, said injection manifold including first and second injection sites for receiving plasticated material, and a manifold nozzle for discharging plasticated material;
• (e) selectively and automatically moving said injection manifold and base slide, with respect to said mold element, along said base slide axis, between a manifold injecting position, proximal said mold element, and a manifold purging position, distal said mold element;
• (f) mounting a first injection unit to said first injection unit support, for movement along a first axis, said first injection unit including a first injection nozzle;
• (g) mounting a second injection unit to said second injection unit support, for movement along a second axis, said second injection unit including a second injection nozzle;
• (h) arranging said first and second axes in a common plane;
• (i) selectively and automatically moving said first injection unit with respect to said injection manifold, along said first axis, between a first injecting position where said first injection nozzle is received in fluid communication with said first injection site, and a first purging position where said first injection nozzle is separated from said first injection site;
• and
• (j) selectively and automatically moving said second injection unit with respect to said injection manifold, along said second axis, between a second injecting position where said second injection nozzle is received in fluid communication with said second injection site, and a second purging position where said second injection nozzle is separated from said second injection site.