Cooling device attached to index machine

• US 6,113,834 A
• Filed: 03/05/1999
• Issued: 09/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Husky Injection Molding Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: Husky Injection Molding Systems Limited
• Inventors: Kozai, Michael T, Jacovich, William J, Domodossola, Robert, Ing, Ronald, Saggese, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): HEITBRINK, TIMOTHY W
• Application Number:
  US09/263,393
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 425/546, 425/547, 425/552, 425/556, 425/437, 264/297.2, 264/328.8, 264/335, 264/336, 264/538
• US Class Current: 264/335
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/7207 of the moulded articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/253 Preform

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for cooling molded parts and for transporting the molded parts from a receiving position to a holding/ejecting position. The device of the present invention has particular utility with an index molding machine having a rotary turret block with at least two movable mold halves thereon. The cooling device includes a cooling station assembly having a plurality of blowing tubes for applying a cooling fluid to external surfaces of molded parts, a take-off plate having a plurality of holders for receiving cooled molded parts and a connecting plate connecting the take-off plate and the cooling station assembly. The connecting plate is connected to the take-off plate by a pivotable connection and is connected to the cooling station assembly by a rigid connection. The connecting plate is movable along an axis substantially parallel to one of the faces upon which the molded parts to be cooled and removed are positioned. The device further includes a linkage assembly for causing the take-off plate to move between a receiving position and a holding/ejecting position and vice versa. Movement of the take-off plate causes the connecting means to move along the first axis which in turn causes the cooling station assembly to move from a non-cooling position to a cooling position and vice versa. A process for using the device of the present invention as part of a process for molding parts is also described.

Claims

1. A device for use with a machine having a rotary turret block mounted within support means, said rotary turret block having at least two faces each of said faces having means for holding at least one molded part, said device comprising:

means for cooling said at least one molded part on a respective one of said faces when said respective one of said faces is in a cooling position;

means for receiving said at least one molded part from said respective one of said faces after said at least one molded part has been cooled by said cooling means;

said receiving means being movable to a first position wherein said at least one molded part is received by said receiving means and to a second position with respect to said first position;

means for connecting said receiving means and said cooling means;

said connecting means being movable along a first axis substantially parallel to said respective one of said faces when said respective one of said faces is in said cooling position; and

said connecting means causing said cooling means to move from a non-cooling position to a molded part cooling position as said receiving means moves from said first position to said second position.

2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising said connecting means causing said cooling means to move from said cooling position to said non-cooling position when said receiving means moves from said second position to said first position.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one molded part received by said receiving means is in a substantially vertical orientation when said receiving means is in said second position.

4. The device according to claim 1, further comprising means for causing said receiving means to move from said first position to said second position.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said means for causing said receiving means to move comprises a pivot arm, a linkage arm connecting said pivot arm to said receiving means, and an actuator means for causing said pivot arm to rotate about a second axis, which second axis is substantially perpendicular to said first axis.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said receiving means comprises a take-off plate having a plurality of holders for receiving molded parts.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein at least one holder is aligned with said at least one molded part on a first face during a first part of a molding cycle and wherein at least one other holder is aligned with said at least one molded part on a second face during a second part of a molding cycle.

8. The device according to claim 6, wherein said cooling means comprises a cooling assembly having a plurality of means mounted to a surface of said assembly for applying a cooling fluid to a surface of said molded parts and said connecting means comprises a connecting plate connected to said take-off plate and said cooling assembly.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein said connecting plate is attached to a rear surface of said take-off plate by two link members pivotally connected together and to a rear surface of said cooling assembly by a rigid connection.

10. The device according to claim 8, further comprising:

a support for said device;

linear guide means attached to a surface of said support; and

said connecting plate being movable along said linear guide means.

11. The device according to claim 8, wherein said blowing means comprises means for blowing cooling air onto each said molded part on a respective one of a first face and a second face.

12. The device according to claim 6, wherein said take-off plate includes means for cooling each said molded part resident in said holders.

13. An injection molding machine comprising:

a first platen carrying a first mold half having one of at least one mold cavity and at least one mold core;

a second platen in association with said first platen, said second platen comprising turret means rotatable on a central axis of rotation for rotating at least two movable mold halves into alignment with said first mold half;

each of said movable mold halves having one of at least one mold cavity and at least one mold core and being movable between a first molding position where it is aligned with said first mold half to form at least one molded part and a second cooling position where it is not aligned with said first mold half;

a device for cooling each said molded part and for receiving cooled parts from said movable mold halves, said device comprising;

means for cooling said at least one molded part on a respective one of said movable mold halves when said respective one of said movable mold halves is in said cooling position;

means for receiving said at least one molded part from said respective one of said movable mold halves after said at least one molded part has been cooled by said cooling means;

said receiving means being movable to a first receiving position wherein said at least one molded part is received by said receiving means and to a second holding/ejecting position with respect to said first position;

means for connecting said receiving means and said cooling means;

said connecting means being movable along a first axis substantially parallel to said respective one of said movable mold halves when said respective one of said movable mold halves is in said cooling position; and

said connecting means causing said cooling means to move from a non-cooling position to a molded part cooling position as said receiving means moves from said first receiving position to said second holding/ejecting position.

14. The injection molding machine according to claim 13, further comprising:

means for moving said rotatable turret block means to bring a first one of said movable mold halves into a mold closed position;

means for injecting plastic material into a mold formed by said first mold half and said first one of said movable mold halves and thereby forming at least one molded part;

said moving means further comprising means for moving said rotatable block means and said first one of said movable mold halves to a mold open position where said at least one molded part is resident on said first one of said movable mold halves; and

means for rotating said turret block means to cause said first one of said movable mold halves to rotate from said mold open position to said second cooling position and to cause a second one of said movable mold halves to move to said first molding position.

15. The injection molding machine according to claim 14, wherein said rotating means causes said rotary turret block means to rotate 180 degrees to move said first one of said movable mold halves from said first molding position to said second cooling position and said second one of said movable mold halves from said second cooling position to said first molding position.

16. The injection molding machine according to claim 13, further comprising said connecting means causing said cooling means to move from said cooling position to said non-cooling position when said receiving means moves from said second holding/ejecting position to said first receiving position.

17. The injection molding machine according to claim 16, wherein said at least one molded part within said receiving means is in a substantially vertical orientation when said receiving means is in said second holding/ejecting position.

18. The injection molding machine according to claim 13, wherein said cooling device further comprising means for causing said receiving means to rotate from said first receiving position to said second holding/ejecting position and said means for causing said receiving means to rotate comprising a pivot arm, a linkage arm connecting said pivot arm to said receiving means, and an actuator means for causing said pivot arm to rotate about a second axis, which second axis is substantially perpendicular to said first axis.

19. The injection molding machine according to claim 13, wherein said receiving means comprises a take-off plate having a plurality of holders for receiving molded parts and means for cooling said molded parts within said plurality of holders.

20. The injection molding machine according to claim 19, wherein at least one of said holders is aligned with at least one molded part on said first movable mold half during a first part of a molding cycle and wherein at least one other of said holders is aligned with at least one molded part on said second movable mold half during a second part of a molding cycle.

21. The injection molding machine according to claim 19, wherein said cooling means comprises a cooling assembly having a plurality of means for blowing air mounted to a surface of said assembly and said connecting means comprises a connecting plate connected to said take-off plate and said cooling assembly.

22. The injection molding machine according to claim 21, wherein said connecting plate is attached to a rear surface of said take-off plate by two link members pivotally connected together and to a rear surface of said cooling assembly by a rigid connection.

23. The injection molding machine according to claim 22, further comprising a support for said device and linear guide means attached to a surface of said support and said connecting plate being movable along said linear guide means.

24. A process for forming cooled molded parts comprising the steps of:

providing an index molding machine having a first platen carrying a first mold half having at least one of a mold core and a mold cavity and a second platen comprising rotatable turret block means rotatable on a central axis of rotation for rotating at least two movable mold halves into alignment with said first mold half, each of said movable mold halves having at least one of a mold core and a mold cavity;

moving said rotatable turret block means to bring a first one of said movable mold halves into alignment with said first mold half and then into a mold closed position with said first mold half;

clamping said first mold half and said first one of said movable mold halves;

injecting molten material into a mold formed by said clamped first mold half and said first one of said movable mold halves to form a first molded part set comprising at least one molded part;

holding said first one of said movable mold halves in said mold closed and clamped position while cooling said first molded part set;

moving said rotatable turret block means to a mold open position where said first molded part set is positioned on said first one of said movable mold halves;

rotating said turret block to bring said first molded part set to a cooling position;

providing a device adjacent said cooling position, said device including a cooling assembly having means for applying a cooling fluid to each molded part in said first molded part set, means for receiving each molded part in said first molded part set, and means connecting said cooling assembly and said receiving means;

moving said cooling assembly into a cooling position aligned with said first molded part set and applying a cooling fluid to said first molded part set;

translating said cooling assembly along a translation axis substantially perpendicular to said central axis of rotation and thereby moving said receiving means into a first position aligned with said first molded part set;

transferring each said molded part forming said first set from said first one of said movable mold halves to said receiving means;

moving said receiving means so as to move said receiving means from said first receiving position to a second holding/ejecting position; and

said receiving means moving step causing said connecting means to translate along said translation axis and thereby causing said cooling assembly to move to said cooling position.

25. The process according to claim 24, wherein said receiving means moving step comprises rotating said receiving means until said first set of molded parts is in a substantially vertical orientation.

26. The process according to claim 24, further comprising moving said receiving means from said second holding/ejecting position to said first receiving position so that said receiving means is positioned to receive a second set of molded parts from said second one of said movable mold halves and thereby causing said connecting means and said cooling assembly to move along said translation axis.