Clamping apparatus for a tiebarless injection moulding machine

Abstract

A clamping apparatus for a tiebarless injection moulding machine is arranged to absorb all of the clamping forces. The machine has a machine frame supporting a fixed platen and a movable platen which carry mould halves. The movable platen is slidable along linear guide rails as is a force transmission member or second movable platen incorporated in a drive for the movable platen. The drive comprises a hydraulic cylinder and piston unit. A clamping structure has two, parallel clamping frames, each of which is substantially U-shaped so that upstanding clamping arms are defined in each clamping frame. Each clamping arm terminates in a respective force transmission part which has a curved surface and which abuts a respective one of the fixed platen and the second movable platen. When a moulding operation is undertaken, the mould halves carried by the fixed and movable platens are brought into clamping contact. The fixed platen remains contacted by force transmitting parts of the clamping frames and the second movable platen also contacts the force transmitting parts of the clamping frames. When full clamping force is applied to the mould halves, the curved surfaces of the parts receive the reaction forces and transmit those forces to the clamping frames which become deformed due to the absorption of the clamping forces. The absorption of the forces by the clamping frames, protects the machine frame against any deformation by the clamping forces.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.