Apparatus, system and method for removing parts from a mold
AssigneeHusky Injection Molding Systems Ltd.
InventorsAndrea Lucille Diamond, Paul Fedor Kresak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Lightweight part retention apparatus is arranged on a removal tool plate. A low pressure air supply is supplied to the apparatus to induce an area of reduced pressure in a channel formed in a passage therein, the reduced pressure being formed by a jet pump action within the channel. The reduced pressure draws a part to be removed from a mold or the like into the apparatus and retains it therein until a separate device removes it and/or the air supply is interrupted. Due to the relatively low mass of the retention apparatus, the tool plate and retention apparatus, with the molded part retained therein, can then be rapidly withdrawn from the open mold to permit early closing of the mold so that a new molding cycle may begin.
Claims18
A method of removing a part from a mold comprising the steps of:
- (i) opening a mold containing at least one part to be removed, said part being on a mold core;
- (ii) moving a removal tool plate with at least one part retention apparatus mounted thereon into said mold such that said part retention apparatus is adjacent to and aligned with a respective said mold core;
- (iii) ejecting said part from said mold core such that at least a portion of said part enters said part retention apparatus;
- (iv) supplying pressurized air to said at least one part retention apparatus to induce at least one area of reduced pressure between said part and said apparatus, said area drawing said part into said apparatus and retaining said part therein;
- (v) moving said removal tool plate out of said mold to a part unloading position and closing said mold;
- (vi) removing said at least one part from said apparatus;
- and
- (vii) repeating steps (i) through (vi) for each injection operation.
A part retention apparatus comprising:
- a body including at least one passage extending through said body and said passage including an inner surface, at least a portion of which is complementary in shape to a part to be retained;
- and
- at least one channel formed in the inner surface of said passage, said channel comprising a converging port extending from a first end of said at least one passage at which said part is received and a diverging port connected to said converging port and extending to a second end of said passage opposite said first end and said at least one channel further comprising at least one nozzle operable to inject air supplied thereto into said diverging port wherein, upon entry of a part into said at least one passage, an area of reduced pressure is formed in said channel about the connection between said converging port and said diverging port by said injected air and said area of reduced pressure acts to draw said part into said passage and to retain said part therein.
A part removal system for a molding machine comprising:
- a removal tool plate;
- at least one part retention apparatus mounted to said removal tool plate and comprising a body including at least one passage extending through said body and said passage including an inner surface, at least a portion of which is complementary in shape to a part to be retained and at least one channel formed in the inner surface of said passage, said channel comprising a converging port extending from a first end of said at least one passage at which said part is received and a diverging port connected to said converging port and extending to a second end of said passage opposite said first end and said at least one channel farther comprising at least one nozzle operable to inject air supplied thereto into said diverging port wherein, upon entry of a part into said at least one passage, an area of reduced pressure is formed in said channel about the connection between said converging port and said diverging port by said injected air and said area of reduced pressure acts to draw said part into said passage and to retain said part therein;
- means to move said removal tool plate into and out of an open mold;
- means to supply said pressurized air to said at least one part retention apparatus to draw in and maintain a part therein;
- and
- means to remove a part from said retention apparatus when said removal tool plate is out of said mold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.