Platen mounted post mold cooling apparatus and method
View Patent ↗Platen-mounted, post-mold cooling apparatus and method includes structure and/or steps for handling molded parts in an injection molding machine having a fixed platen, a moving platen, a core half, and a cavity half. A take off device coupled to the fixed platen is configured to remove molded parts from either the core half or the cavity half. A cooling device coupled to the moving platen is configured to cool the molded parts carried by the take off device. Preferably, the take off device extracts the just molded parts from the mold's core half and then moves linearly outboard of the mold halves. The subsequent movement of the moving platen to close the mold in the next molding cycle causes the cooling device's pins to engage the molded parts in the take off device part carriers. When the moving platen opens again, the molded parts are extracted from the part carriers by the cooling device pins. When the moving platen is fully open, the cooling device is rotated to eject the cooled parts from the machine.
1. Molded part handling apparatus for an injection molding machine having a fixed platen and a moving platen, the molded part handling device comprising:
a take off device coupled to the fixed platen and configured to remove molded parts from between the fixed platen and the moving platen; and
a cooling device coupled to the moving platen and configured to (i) move together with the moving platen, and (ii) cool the molded parts carried by said take off device.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said cooling device is further configured to remove the molded parts from said take off device.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said take off device is configured to move in a bi-directional linear fashion only.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said cooling device is configured to move only rotationally with respect to the moving platen.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said take off device includes a plurality of carriers which maintain a constant orientation.
6. Apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said plurality of carriers support multiple sets of molded parts, each set obtainable from a single molding shot.
7. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said cooling device includes one of a plurality of treatment A cooling pins and a plurality of treatment B cooling pins.
8. Apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said cooling device includes one of a plurality treatment A cooling pins and a plurality of treatment B cooling pins, and wherein said cooling device is configured to subject each molded part to a cooling treatment from a treatment A pin and to a cooling treatment from a treatment B pin.
9. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when the moving platen moves toward the fixed platen the cooling device engages the take off device.
10. Apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein, when the moving platen moves away from the fixed platen the cooling device is configured to remove molded parts from the take off device.
11. An injection molding machine, comprising:
a fixed platen;
a moving platen;
a take off device coupled to said fixed platen and configured to extract freshly molded parts from between the fixed platen and the moving platen;
a take off device actuator configured to linearly move said take off device to a position outboard of said fixed platen after said take off device has extracted the freshly molded parts from between the fixed platen and the moving platen;
a cooling device coupled to said movable platen and configured to (i) move together with the movable platen, (ii) extract molded parts carried by said take off device, and (iii) eject the molded parts from said cooling device at an ejection station; and
a cooling device actuator configured to rotate said cooling device about an axis to eject the molded parts.
12. An injection molding machine according to claim 11 , wherein the movement of said moving platen causes:
the cooling device to engage with the take off device when in its outboard position; and
the core half to extract freshly molded parts from the cavity half, and simultaneously the cooling device to extract parts from the outboard take off device.
13. An injection molding machine according to claim 11 , wherein said cooling device includes at least two different types of cooling structures.
14. An injection molding machine according to claim 11 , wherein said takeoff device includes multiple sets of carriers, each set of carriers being configured to hold the freshly molded parts from one molding operation.
15. An injection molding machine according to claim 14 , wherein said cooling device includes multiple sets of cooling pins, each set of cooling pins being configured to hold the freshly molded parts from one molding operation.
16. An injection molding machine according to claim 15 , further comprising vacuum channels disposed in said cooling device for extracting the molded parts from said take off device and for ejecting the molded parts.
17. An injection molding machine according to claim 11 , wherein said take off device is coupled to a top of said fixed platen.
18. An injection molding machine according to claim 11 , wherein said take off device coupled to a side of said fixed platen.
19. An injection molding machine according to claim 11 , further comprising a moveable carrier coupled to and supporting said cooling device.
20. An injection molding machine according to claim 19 , further comprising a releasable linkage releasably coupling said cooling device to said movable platen.
21. An injection molding machine according to claim 20 , wherein said movable carrier is configured to be coupled to a conveyor.
22. Molded part transfer apparatus for an injection molding machine having a fixed platen and a moving platen, comprising:
a take off device coupled to the fixed platen and configured to extract molded parts from the injection molding machine; and
a cooling device coupled to the moving platen and configured to (i) move together with the moving platen, and (ii) cool the parts carried by said take off device.
23. Molded part transfer apparatus for an injection molding machine having a fixed platen, a movable platen, comprising:
a take off device coupled to the fixed platen;
a rotatable frame mounted on the moving platen;
cooling pin/part removal device mounted on said rotatable frame; and
control structure which causes (i) the simultaneous movement of the moving platen with respect to the fixed platen, and said cooling pin/part removal device with respect to said take off device, and (ii) the rotation of said rotatable frame to eject parts from said cooling pin/part removal device.
24. Molded part transfer apparatus for an injection molding machine having a fixed platen, a movable platen, a core half, and a cavity half, comprising:
a take off device coupled to the fixed platen, said take off device having a plurality of sets of molded part carriers, each set of molded part carriers corresponding to a number of molded parts molded in one molding operation; and
a cooling device coupled to and movable together with the moving platen, said cooling device having a plurality of sets of cooling fixtures, each set of cooling fixtures corresponding to a number of molded parts molded in one molding operation, at least one of said sets of cooling fixtures being different from another set of cooling fixtures.