Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article – To produce composite – plural part or multilayered article
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-13
2003-04-15
Davis, Robert (Department: 1722)
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article
To produce composite, plural part or multilayered article
C425S126100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06548006
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention is related to the field of injection molding plastic material articles.
More specifically, the invention is related to a plastic material injection molding machine comprising a mold having at least two mold portions and a handling system adapted to be inserted between the mold portions when the mold is in its open position, for transferring an article between the handling system and a predetermined mold portion, the handling system, moreover, comprising a transfer plate supported loosely therein, the handling system, further, being adapted to approach the predetermined mold portion such that prior to the transfer of the article a first reference means on the predetermined mold portion can be brought into a registering position with a second reference means on the transfer plate.
The invention is, further, related to a handling system having means for transferring an article between a handling system and a predetermined position, the handling system comprising a transfer plate supported loosely therein and being adapted to approach the predetermined position such that prior to the transfer of the article a first reference means on the predetermined position can be brought into a registering position with a second reference means on the transfer plate.
The invention, moreover, is related to a method for transferring an article between a handling system and a predetermined mold portion of a plastic material injection molding machine having a mold with at least two mold portions, the handling system being adapted to be inserted between the mold portions when the mold is in its open position, the handling system, moreover, comprising a transfer plate supported loosely therein, the handling system, further, being adapted to approach the predetermined mold portion such that prior to the transfer of the article a first reference means on the predetermined mold portion can be brought into a registering position with a second reference means on the transfer plate.
Finally, the invention is related to a method for transferring an article between a handling system and a predetermined position, the handling system comprising a transfer plate supported loosely therein, the handling system, further, being adapted to approach the predetermined position such that prior to the transfer of the article a first reference means on the predetermined position can be brought into a registering position with a second reference means on the transfer plate.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A plastic material injection molding machine, a handling system as well as methods of the types specified before are known in the art.
In connection with the plastic material injection molding machines, so-called handling systems are used which, when the mold is open, are inserted between the mold portions which are then at a distance from each other, for executing various objectives.
The most important objective of a handling system is to pick up the finished injection-molded plastic material articles from the hollow cavities of the mold after the opening of the mold, when the plastic material articles are ejected from the hollow cavities by means of ejector pins. For that purpose the handling systems are provided with an arm adapted to be inserted between the mold portions, the arm being equipped with corresponding receiving means. The receiving means may be configured mechanically, pneumatically or otherwise.
These configurations are basically independent of how the mold of the injection molding machine is configured in detail, i.e. whether the mold consists only of two mold portions or whether the mold is configured as a so-called stack mold comprising a center platen and laterally adjoining mold portions. For these various applications the handling system needs only to be configured correspondingly by multiplication or otherwise.
A further objectives of handling systems consists to insert certain parts into the hollow cavities of the mold prior to the beginning of the injection cycle. These parts or devices are subsequently immersed in liquid plastic material when the mold is closed so that the finished plastic material articles are provided with inserts embedded therein.
Such inserts may be so-called “labels” as are utilized as cover surfaces for smart cards or the like. Inserts, however, may also be electrical connector elements, i.e. contact pins or the like, as an example being embedded into a socket of an electrical component during the injection process. Moreover, such inserts may be reinforcing devices, hinges, mechanical fasteners or the like. Insofar, the invention is in now way restricted.
With all these objectives of handling systems a basic problem exists in that during the insertion of the handling system or of the handling system arm, respectively, between the mold portions a coordination in position between the handling system or the arm, respectively, on the one hand and that predetermined mold portion on the other hand must be established that shall be approached by the handling system. Considering that handling systems, in particular as used in connection with highly complex injection molding machines with corresponding external dimensions have correspondingly long cantilevered arms, it is not always possible to achieve a precise coordination of the movements even if precise position drives are utilized.
The afore-mentioned problems also arise outside of the mold when the handling system with its arm is displaced into a position outside the plastic material injection molding machine. At this external position, for example, those finished injection-molded plastic material articles that had been unloaded from the mold before, are transferred to further stations or, in the case of inserting parts, these inserts are picked up at those external positions for being subsequently transferred into the hollow cavities of the mold. In any event, it is necessary to approach that position outside of the mold exactly when it is in a station outside of the machine. However, even there is no such station outside of the machine, a precise positioning is also mandatory because a precise initial position for the arm of the handling system must be established in order to enable a precise displacement towards its end position between the mold portions.
The afore-discussed problems are also of importance for handling systems as used in general applications, i.e. as are used outside the field of plastic material injection molding machines. The invention is, hence, not limited to this particular application but is related to all conceivable applications of handling systems irrespective of the particular technical field.
It is known in the art to provide the predetermined mold portion on the one hand and its opposed side of the handling system on the other hand with a reference means or mark which have to be brought into engagement with one another in order to ensure that during the transfer of the article an exact relative positioning between the handling system and the mold portion prevails. This, too, is independent of whether the term “transfer of the article” is to be understood to mean the un-loading of a finished injection-molded plastic material article or the deposition of an insert or the like.
In the simplest case the reference means on the mold portion on the one hand and on the handling system on the other hand are complementary mechanical elements, for example a bore and a pin. Preferably, the bore is provided with a canted or beveled insertion surface and the pin is pointed at its front tip. When the handling system is inserted between the mold portions in a radial direction (relative to the axis of the injection molding machine) and then approaches the predetermined mold portion in an axial direction and, further, when the reference means are not exactly flush with one another, the afore-mentioned canted or beveled insertion surface of the bore or the also above-mentioned pointing of the pin effects that the pin will be inserted into the bore even if there is a certain off
Davis Robert
Hekuma Herbst Maschinenbau GmbH
Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP
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