Blow molding apparatus and system

1. A mold clamping apparatus for opening and closing a pair of blow molds, the mold clamping apparatus comprising:

a first inner platen coupled to a first outer platen so as to be movable therewith;

a second inner platen coupled to a second outer platen so as to be movable therewith; and

an actuator coupled between the first inner platen and the second inner platen for opening and closing a first mold clamp defined between opposing sides of the first inner platen and the second outer platen while simultaneously opening and closing a second mold clamp defined between opposing sides of the second inner platen and the first outer platen,

wherein the actuator includes a body, a drive shaft coupled to the body for rotation about a drive shaft axis that is fixed relative to the body, and a crank coupled with the drive shaft for rotation by the drive shaft about the drive shaft axis to open and close the first mold clamp and the second mold clamp.

2. A blow molding system comprising:

an extruder having an extruder centerline; and

a blow mold clamping assembly having a clamping assembly centerline, and a first mold clamp having a first mold clamp centerline located on a one side of the clamping assembly centerline and a second mold clamp having a second mold clamp centerline located on the opposite side of the clamping apparatus centerline, the blow mold clamping assembly positioned relative to the extruder such that the clamping assembly centerline is parallel with the extruder centerline.

3. The mold clamping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator further comprises a first connecting bar that interconnects the crank and the first inner platen, and a second connecting bar that interconnects the crank and the second inner platen on an opposite side of the drive shaft axis from the first connecting bar.

4. The mold clamping apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the crank includes first and second arm portions which are arranged in rotational symmetry at 180 degrees with respect to the drive shaft.

5. The mold clamping apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first and second connecting bars are respectively rotatably connected to the distal ends of the first and second crank arm portions through proximal connecting pins.

6. The mold clamping apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the actuator further comprises first and second clevis that are respectively rotatably connected to the distal ends of the first and second connecting bars through distal connecting pins.

7. The mold clamping apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the distal connecting pins are aligned vertically with the drive shaft axis when the first and second mold clamps are in the closed and opened positions.

8. The mold clamping apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first and second connecting bars are aligned when the first and second mold clamps are closed and the first and second connecting bars are misaligned with each other in a rotationally symmetric manner relative to the drive shaft axis when the first and second mold clamps are in the opened position.

9. The mold clamping apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drive shaft axis is aligned with a clamping apparatus centerline.

10. The blow molding system of claim 2 , wherein the first mold clamp centerline and the second mold clamp centerline are each arranged parallel with the clamping assembly centerline.

11. The blow molding system of claim 10 , wherein the blow mold clamping assembly further includes an actuator for opening and closing the first mold clamp while simultaneously opening and closing the second mold clamp, and wherein the actuator includes a body arranged to lie in a fixed position relative to the first and second mold clamps, a drive shaft coupled to the body for rotation about a drive shaft axis that is fixed relative to the body, and a crank coupled with the drive shaft for rotation by the drive shaft about the drive shaft axis to open and close the first mold clamp and the second mold clamp.

12. The blow molding system of claim 11 , wherein the drive shaft axis is aligned with the clamping apparatus centerline.

13. A blow molding system comprising:

an extruder having an extruder centerline; and

a blow mold clamping assembly having a clamping assembly centerline, and a first mold clamp having a first mold clamp centerline located on a one side of the clamping assembly centerline and a second mold clamp having a second mold clamp centerline located on the opposite side of the clamping apparatus centerline,

wherein the extruder is positioned entirely above the blow mold clamp assembly.

14. The blow molding system of claim 13 , wherein the blow mold clamping assembly further includes an actuator for opening and closing the first mold clamp while simultaneously opening and closing the second mold clamp, and wherein the actuator includes a body, a drive shaft coupled to the body for rotation about an axis that is fixed relative to the body, and a crank coupled with the drive shaft for rotation by the drive shaft about the axis to open and close the first mold clamp and the second mold clamp.

15. The blow molding system of claim 14 , wherein the first mold clamp includes a first inner platen and a first outer platen coupled to the first inner platen so as to be movable therewith, the second mold clamp includes a second inner platen and a second outer platen coupled to the second inner platen so as to be movable therewith, and wherein the actuator further comprises a first connecting bar that interconnects the crank and the first inner platen, and a second connecting bar that interconnects the crank and the second inner platen on an opposite side of the drive shaft axis from the first connecting bar.

16. The blow molding system of claim 15 , wherein the crank includes first and second arm portions which are arranged in rotational symmetry at 180 degrees with respect to the drive shaft.

17. The blow molding system of claim 16 , wherein the first and second connecting bars are respectively rotatably connected to the distal ends of the first and second crank arm portions through proximal connecting pins.

18. The blow molding system of claim 17 , wherein the actuator further comprises first and second clevis that are respectively rotatably connected to the distal ends of the first and second connecting bars through distal connecting pins.

19. The blow molding system of claim 18 , wherein the distal connecting pins are aligned vertically with the drive shaft axis when the first and second mold clamps are in the closed and opened positions.

20. The blow molding system of claim 14 , wherein the drive shaft axis is aligned with the clamping apparatus centerline.