Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus – With factory structure feature
Reexamination Certificate
2003-04-17
2004-03-02
Heitbrink, Tim (Department: 1722)
Plastic article or earthenware shaping or treating: apparatus
With factory structure feature
C425S144000, C425S572000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06699026
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Applications No. 2002-116175, filed Apr. 18, 2002; No. 2002-116176, filed Apr. 18, 2002; No. 2002-116177, filed Apr. 18, 2002; No. 2002-116178, filed Apr. 18, 2002; No. 2002-116179, filed Apr. 18, 2002; No. 2002-116180, filed Apr. 18, 2002; No. 2003-075129, filed Mar. 19, 2003; No. 2003-075130, filed Mar. 19, 2003; No. 2003-075131, filed Mar. 19, 2003; No. 2003-075132, filed Mar. 19, 2003; No. 2003-075133, filed Mar. 19, 2003; and No. 2003-075134, filed Mar. 19, 2003, the entire contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an injection molding apparatus provided with a plurality of injection molding machine units.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in setting a plurality of injection molding machines in a plant, peripheral apparatuses, such as material supply systems and temperature control piping systems, are arranged independently for the individual machines in accordance with the respective positions of material feeders, heat medium supply piping, power sources, etc. in the plant.
If a plurality of conventional injection molding machines are set in a plant, therefore, they and their peripheral apparatuses occupy a very wide space in the plant. Since the peripheral apparatuses including the temperature control piping and material supply pipes are not arranged intensively, moreover, their maintenance operation is not easy. Further, the respective operating parts of the injection molding machines cannot be operated with ease, since they are located at distances from one another. In transporting the injection molding machines, furthermore, they must be handled separately. Therefore, the transportation entails high cost.
Conventionally, product discharge chutes of the injection molding machines are also arranged individually for the machines. If a plurality of injection molding machines are set in the plant, therefore, their respective chutes are separated from one another, so that products cannot be collected with ease. Possibly, therefore, the respective product discharge chutes of the injection molding machines may be joined together so that the products can be taken out through one outlet. If this is done, however, the products cannot be sorted for each injection molding machine. If the products require sorting, therefore, sorting operation is very troublesome.
The inventors hereof had an idea of unitizing a plurality of injection molding machines by arranging them cubically in the vertical direction. If this is done, however, the whole unit is too tall for its width, and therefore, is unstable. In order to prevent the unit from falling down during transportation, in particular, it must be bound securely. If each injection molding machine is transported independently in a truck or any other vehicle, moreover, the transportation requires a lot of vehicles and entails high cost.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an injection molding apparatus capable of compactly intensively incorporating a plurality of injection molding machine units. Another object of the invention is to provide an injection molding apparatus in which the respective outlets of product discharge chutes of injection molding machine units can be arranged to suit collection of products. Still another object of the invention is to provide an injection molding apparatus capable of being easily transported in a stable posture.
An injection molding apparatus according to an aspect of the invention comprises: cell assemblies comprising tiered frames having lower unit storage sections and upper unit storage sections; injection molding machine units arranged individually in the respective unit storage sections of the cell assemblies and comprising a die clamping unit and a injection unit each; temperature controllers which control the respective die temperatures of the injection molding machine units; material supply means which supply a material to the injection molding machine units; and operating parts for operating the injection molding machine units. Peripheral apparatuses, such as piping of the temperature controllers and the material supply means, are arranged in a layout space on the side opposite from the operating side of the cell assemblies.
According to this configuration, peripheral apparatuses, such as the temperature control piping and the material supply means of the injection molding machine units, are arranged on the back portion of the common tiered frame. Thus, the respective peripheral apparatuses of the injection molding machine units can be located intensively in the layout space on the side opposite from the operating side. According to the injection molding apparatus of the invention, therefore, the apparatus layout can be made compact and simple.
In an injection molding apparatus according to another aspect of the invention, first and second cell assemblies, which are constructed in the same manner as the aforesaid cell assembly, are arranged side by side so that a space accessible to a maintenance man or woman is secured between the respective back portions of the first and second cell assemblies. This space may be also used as a layout space in which the peripheral apparatuses of the injection molding machine units can be located.
According to this configuration, peripheral apparatuses, such as temperature control piping and material supply means of the injection molding machine units, can be arranged intensively in the layout space behind the common tiered frame. Thus, the apparatus layout can be made compact and simple, and a working space can be secured between the respective back portions of the first and second cell assemblies, so that maintenance operation or the like can be carried out more easily.
An injection molding apparatus according to the invention comprises: cell assemblies comprising tiered frames having lower unit storage sections and upper unit storage sections; and injection molding machine units arranged individually in the respective unit storage sections of the cell assemblies and comprising a die clamping unit and a injection unit each.
According to this configuration, the injection molding machine units can be arranged cubically in the lower and upper unit storage sections, so that a limited space in a plant can be utilized effectively, and the floor area for installation can be reduced. Further, temperature control piping and peripheral apparatuses of the injection molding machine units can be arranged intensively in the common tiered frame, and the operating efficiency and maintainability of the injection molding machine units can be improved.
Preferably, according to the invention, the cell assemblies are provided with operating parts capable of independently starting and stopping the operation of the injection molding machine units.
According to this configuration, the operating parts of the cell assemblies can independently control the start and stop of the operation of the injection molding machine units. Thus, a desired one of the injection molding machine units of one injection molding apparatus can be efficiently operated as required.
Preferably, according to the invention, the cell assemblies are provided with operating parts for operating the injection molding machine units, temperature controllers which control the respective die temperatures of the injection molding machine units, material supply means which supply a material to the injection molding machine units, and a cover member which covers the injection molding machine units.
According to this configuration, the common tiered frame may be provided with the temperature controllers, material supply means, cover member, etc. Thus, the use of the common tiered frame is conducive to the compactness, simple construction, and low-cost manufacture of the apparatus.
An injection molding apparatus
Katoh Fumiyuki
Kitamura Hajime
Koike Jun
Maru Tatsuhiko
Nishizawa Makoto
Heitbrink Tim
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
Toshiba Machine Co. Ltd.
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