IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0132450
(2005-05-19)
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등록번호 |
US-7291305
(2007-11-06)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Vanderploeg,James A.
- Kalemba,Jacek
- Seston,Nicholas
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출원인 / 주소 |
- Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd.
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대리인 / 주소 |
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
9 인용 특허 :
24 |
초록
▼
Servo side shuttle apparatus and method for a molding machine includes structure and/or steps whereby a shuttle plate has a portion always disposed inboard of a perimeter of a first mold half of the molding machine. Drive structure is preferably configured to drive the shuttle plate only in one pla
Servo side shuttle apparatus and method for a molding machine includes structure and/or steps whereby a shuttle plate has a portion always disposed inboard of a perimeter of a first mold half of the molding machine. Drive structure is preferably configured to drive the shuttle plate only in one plane across a molding face of the first mold half. A plurality of gripping structures are coupled to the shuttle plate and are respectively configured to remove a corresponding plurality of molded articles from a corresponding plurality of mold cavities (or cores). The drive structure is also configured to drive the shuttle plate to cause the plurality of gripping structures to be moved in a direction which is diagonal with respect to an array direction of the plurality of mold cavities (or cores).
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. Molding machine side shuttle apparatus, comprising: a shuttle plate having a portion always disposed inboard of a perimeter of a first mold half of the molding machine; a drive structure configured to drive said shuttle plate only in one plane across a molding face of the fir
What is claimed is: 1. Molding machine side shuttle apparatus, comprising: a shuttle plate having a portion always disposed inboard of a perimeter of a first mold half of the molding machine; a drive structure configured to drive said shuttle plate only in one plane across a molding face of the first mold half; and a plurality of gripping structures coupled to said shuttle plate and respectively configured to remove a corresponding plurality of molded articles from a corresponding plurality of mold cavities, said drive structure being configured to drive said shuttle plate to cause the plurality of gripping structures to be moved in a direction which is diagonal with respect to an array direction of the plurality of mold cavities. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drive structure is configured to drive said shuttle plate to cause the plurality of gripping structures to be sequentially moved in two orthogonal directions. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drive structure is configured to cause said plurality of gripping structures to simultaneously release the plurality of gripped molded articles into a single drop chute. 4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said shuttle plate is configured to perform a further operation of applying a work piece to at least one of a mold core and a mold cavity. 5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said shuttle plate is configured to perform a further operation of moving a lid on at least one of the molded articles. 6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said shuttle plate is configured to perform a further operation of applying an insert to at least one of a molded article and a mold cavity. 7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said shuttle plate has a portion that is always disposed inboard of a second mold half of the molding machine. 8. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plastic injection molding machine. 9. Molded article removal apparatus, comprising: a plate coupled to a first mold half of a molding machine and having a portion always disposed inboard of a perimeter of the first mold half, said plate including a removal device that is configured to grasp the molded article from at least one of a mold core and a mold cavity; and drive structure configured to be coupled to the plate, and configured to drive said plate (i) such that said plate is driven simultaneously in two orthogonal coplanar linear directions, and (ii) such that said removal device removes the molded article from the at least one of the mold core and the mold cavity. 10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said plate comprises a plurality of shuttle plates each coupled to the mold half such that a portion of each shuttle plate is always disposed within a perimeter of the mold half. 11. Apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a single drop chute configured to receive molded articles from each of said plurality of shuttle plates. 12. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein at least one of said plurality of shuttle plates is always completely disposed within the perimeter of the mold portion. 13. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said drive structure comprises: a servo motor; a drive shaft coupled to said servo motor; a gear coupled to said drive shaft; a geared linear rail coupled between said drive shaft and said shuttle plate and configured to move in a first direction as said shaft rotates; and a rack device coupled to said drive shaft and configured to move in a second direction as said shaft rotates. 14. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the mold half comprises at least one of (i) a mold core plate having a plurality of cores disposed thereon, and (ii) a mold cavity plate having a plurality of cavities disposed thereon, and wherein said plate includes a plurality of arms disposed to access one of the plurality cores and the plurality of cavities. 15. Apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising: a suction cup coupled to each said arm; and a vacuum channel configured to provide low pressure air to each said suction cup. 16. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said plate includes a label application device that is configured to apply a label to an inside surface of the mold cavity. 17. Apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a floating plate device having: a first floating plate disposed on a first side of said plate and having an article suction member for grasping a just-molded article from the mold core; a second floating plate disposed on a second side of said plate and having a label attraction member for grasping the label; and biasing structure disposed between said plate and at least one of said first and second floating plates, and configured to allow said first and second floating plates to move in a direction orthogonal to a plane of said plate as the mold core and the mold cavity move with respect to each other. 18. Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said drive structure is configured to move in a first direction to (i) move the article suction member to a position adjacent a just-molded article on the mold core, and (ii) move the label attraction member, which is holding the label, to a position adjacent the mold cavity, and wherein after the article is stripped from the mold core, said drive structure is configured to move in a second direction to (iii) move the article suction member to a position to eject the just-molded article from the mold, and (iv) move the label attraction member to a position adjacent a label feed location. 19. Apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising retention structure disposed adjacent the mold cavity and configured to retain the label within the mold cavity after the mold has closed. 20. Molded article removal apparatus, comprising: a first shuttle plate configured to be coupled to a mold portion, and including a first plurality of molded article gripping devices that are configured to remove a corresponding first plurality of molded articles from one of (i) a first plurality mold cores and (ii) a first plurality of mold cavities; a second shuttle plate configured to be coupled to the mold portion, and including a second plurality of molded article gripping devices that are configured to remove a corresponding second plurality of molded articles from one of (i) a second plurality mold cores and (ii) a second plurality of mold cavities; and drive structure configured to be coupled to the mold portion, and configured to drive said first and second plates in opposite directions, each opposite direction being diagonal to an array direction of one of (i) the first plurality mold cores and (ii) the first plurality of mold cavities. 21. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said drive structure is configured to drive said first and second plates such that the first plurality of molded article gripping devices and the second plurality of molded article gripping devices are substantially co-linear over a drop chute. 22. Apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said drive structure comprises: first and second servo motors; first and second drive shafts respectively coupled to said first and second servo motors; first and second rail devices, respectively coupled to said first and second drive shafts, and configured to respectively drive said first and second shuttle plates in opposite directions; and first and second rack devices, respectively coupled to said first and second drive shafts, and configured to respectively drive said first and second shuttle plates toward each other. 23. A injection molding machine, comprising: a mold cavity plate having a plurality of mold cavities; a mold core plate having a plurality of mold cores; a driver for opening and closing the mold core plate and the mold cavity plate with respect to each other; injection structure configured to inject molten plastic into said plurality of mold cavities; molded part evacuation structure configured to evacuate molded articles from the injection molding machine; and a shuttle device configured to move linearly between the mold core plate and the mold cavity plate when they are separated by a predetermined clearance, said shuttle device being configured to extract a plurality of molded articles from the plurality of cavities or the plurality of cores, said shuttle device having at least a portion thereof inboard of a periphery of the mold cavity plate when the mold core plate and the mold cavity plate are in the closed position, said shuttle device configured to move diagonally with respect to an array direction of said plurality of mold cavities. 24. An injection molding machine according to claim 23, further comprising lid-closing structure coupled to said shuttle device and configured to close a lid of a molded article when the molded article is resident on either the corresponding mold cavity or the corresponding mold core. 25. Molding machine side shuttle apparatus, comprising: shuttle means having a portion always disposed inboard of a perimeter of a first mold half of the molding machine, for shuttling between the first mold half and a second mold half when the mold halves are in an open position; drive means for driving said shuttle means linearly, whereby said shuttle means is moved only linearly across the molding face of the first mold half; and operation means coupled to said shuttle means and configured to remove a molded article from one of a mold core and a mold cavity said drive means also for driving said operation means in a direction diagonal to an array direction of the one of a mold core and a mold cavity. 26. In a molding machine having a first mold half presenting a row of mold surfaces substantially aligned with each other and configured to form molded articles thereon, a molded article shuttling apparatus, comprising: a shuttle body configured to have a portion always disposed inboard of a perimeter of the first mold half of the molding machine, and to remove a row of molded articles, each molded article being located on a respective mold surface of the row of mold surfaces; and a drive structure configured to drive the shuttle body having the removed row of molded articles only in one plane across a molding face of the first mold half and along a direction diagonally aligned with respect to the alignment of the row of mold surfaces. 27. Apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the each mold surface is formed within a respective mold cavity. 28. Apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the each mold surface is formed on a respective mold core. 29. Apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said shuttle body is configured to perform a further operation of moving a lid on at least one of the molded articles. 30. Apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said shuttle body is configured to perform a further operation of applying an insert to at least one of a molded article or the mold surface. 31. Apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising: a second shuttle body configured to remove a second row of molded articles from the first mold half; and a single drop chute configured to receive molded articles from each of said shuttle body and said second shuttle body. 32. Molded article shuttling apparatus comprising: a shuttle body configured to: (i) have a portion always disposed inboard relative to a perimeter of a first mold half of a molding machine, the first mold half having a row of mold surfaces substantially aligned with each other and configured to form molded articles thereon; and (ii) remove a row of molded articles, each molded article being located on a respective mold surface of the row of mold surfaces; and a drive structure configured to drive the shuttle body having the removed row of molded articles only in one plane across a molding face of the first mold half and along a direction being diagonally aligned with respect to the alignment of the row of mold surfaces. 33. Apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the each mold surface is formed within a respective mold cavity. 34. Apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the each mold surface is formed on a respective mold core. 35. Apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said shuttle body is configured to perform a further operation of moving a lid on at least one of the molded articles. 36. Apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said shuttle body is configured to perform a further operation of applying an insert to at least one of a molded article or the mold surface. 37. Apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising: a second shuttle body configured to remove a second row of molded articles from the first mold half; and a single drop chute configured to receive molded articles from each of said shuttle body and said second shuttle body. 38. A method of removing a plurality of molded articles from one of (i) an array of mold cavities, and (ii) an array of mold cores, comprising the steps of: driving a shuttle plate in between a mold core half and a mold cavity half to a position where a plurality of grippers coupled to the shuttle plate may remove the plurality of molded articles from the one of (i) the array of mold cavities, and (ii) the array of mold cores; using the grippers to grip the molded articles and remove them from the one of (i) the array of mold cavities, and (ii) the array of mold cores; and driving the shuttle plate in a direction diagonal to an array direction of the one of (i) the array of mold cavities, and (ii) the array of mold cores, to a substantially co-linear position over a single drop chute.
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