Apparatus and method for two stage ejection of a molded preform from a mold

A moveable lock ring apparatus for use in an injection mold, the lock ring apparatus comprising:

• an inner sidewall surface including an area for sealing and aligning with a complementary surface on a mold core;
• and
• an upper surface including an area for sealing and aligning with a complementary surface on a neck ring, and having a lifting surface for lifting a lower portion of a molded article,
• said lock ring being configured for lifting a preform from the mold core during a first lifting operation, and configured to separate from the neck ring during a second lifting operation, said neck ring being configured so that at least a portion thereof (i) maintains non-sliding contact with the preform during the first lifting operation, and (ii) moves in a direction substantially transverse to the lifting direction a predetermined period of time greater than zero after said second lifting operation has begun.

A moveable lock ring apparatus for use in an injection mold, the lock ring apparatus comprising:

• an inner sidewall surface including an area for sealing and aligning with a complementary surface on a mold core;
• an upper surface including an area for sealing and aligning with a complementary surface on a neck ring, and having a lifting surface for lifting a lower portion of a molded article,
• said lock ring being configured for lifting a preform from the mold core during a first lifting operation, and configured to separate from the neck ring during a second lifting operation, said neck ring being configured so that at least a portion thereof moves in a direction substantially transverse to the lifting direction after said second lifting operation has begun;
• a first lifting structure configured to move said lock ring and neck ring a first distance in a lifting direction;
• and
• a second lifting structure configured to allow said lock ring to remain stationary and to move said neck ring a second distance in the lifting direction from said lock ring.

An ejection apparatus for use in an injection mold, said ejection apparatus comprising:

• a lock ring including an inner surface with an area for sealing and aligning with a complementary surface of a core, and an upper surface with an area for sealing and aligning with a complementary surface on a neck ring, said upper surface including a lifting structure for lifting a portion of a molded article;
• and
• a neck ring including a contoured inner surface, wherein said neck ring comprises at least two neck ring portions,
• said lock ring being configured for lifting a molded article from the core during a first lifting operation, and configured to separate from the neck ring during a second lifting operation by the neck ring,
• at least one of said neck ring portions being configured to (i) maintain non-sliding contact with the molded article during the first lifting operation, and (ii) be movable in a direction non-parallel to the lifting direction a predetermined distance greater than zero after the beginning of the second lifting operation.

A preform ejecting apparatus provided in an injection mold, said preform ejecting apparatus comprising:

• an injection mold core comprising structure complementary to an inner surface of a lock ring;
• said lock ring including inner surface structure for sealing and aligning with said core, and including an upper surface structure complementary to a lower surface on a neck ring, said upper surface structure including a lifting structure for lifting a portion of a molded article;
• and
• said neck ring including lower surface structure for sealing and aligning with said lock ring, and including a contoured inner surface,
• said lock ring being configured to be translated with respect to the injection mold core during a first translation, and said neck ring being configured to be translated in first and second different directions with respect to the lock ring during a second translation, thereby removing the molded article from the injection mold, said neck ring being configured to be in non-sliding contact with the molded article during the second translation.

An injection mold assembly comprising:

• a cavity insert provided in a cavity plate;
• an injection mold core including structure complementary to an inner surface of a lock ring;
• a lock ring including an inner surface structure for sealing and aligning with said core, and including an upper surface structure complementary to a lower surface on a neck ring, said upper surface structure including a lifting structure for lifting a portion of a molded article;
• and
• a neck ring including a lower surface structure for sealing and aligning with said lock ring, said neck ring being mounted on movable slides;
• a core plate;
• an ejector plate;
• a stripper plate that supports said movable slides;
• a first actuating apparatus for equally displacing said ejector plate and said stripper plate with respect to said core plate, while said core plate remains stationary, said neck ring maintaining non-sliding contact with the molded article during the equal displacement;
• and
• a second actuating apparatus for displacing said stripper plate with respect to said ejector plate, and for moving at least a portion of said neck ring in a direction transverse to a lifting direction of said stripper plate a predetermined period of time greater than zero after said stripper plate has begun to displace with respect to said ejector plate.

A control apparatus for ejecting a preform from an injection mold, comprising:

• at least one piston configured to move an ejector plate with respect to a core plate, causing an inner surface of a lock ring sealed and aligned with respect to a mold core to be displaced relative to said mold core, while a lifting surface on an upper surface of the lock ring engages a lower surface of the preform, causing the preform to be displaced relative to said mold core;
• at least one connecting rod configured to move a stripper plate with respect to said ejector plate, causing a lower surface of a neck ring sealed and aligned with respect to the lock ring to be displaced relative to said lock ring, while an inner surface of said neck ring non-slidingly engages a contoured surface of the preform, causing the preform to be further displaced relative to the mold core;
• and
• a control assembly for regulating the actuation of the at least one piston and the at least one connecting rod, and for causing at least a portion of the neck ring to move in a direction substantially parallel to the lifting surface, so as to eject the preform from the injection mold.

An injection mold stack assembly comprising:

• a cavity insert;
• an injection mold core including structure complementary to an inner surface of a lock ring;
• a lock ring having an inner surface structure for sealing and aligning with said core, and having an upper surface structure complementary to a lower surface on a neck ring, said upper surface structure including a lifting structure for lifting a portion of a molded article;
• a neck ring having a lower surface structure for sealing and aligning with said lock ring;
• and
• movement structure configured to move (i) the lock ring and the neck ring together in a lifting direction while the neck ring maintains non-sliding contact with the molded article;
• (ii) the neck ring from the lock ring in the lifting direction, and (iii) two halves of the neck ring in a direction non-parallel to the lifting direction after the beginning of the movement of the neck ring from the lock ring.