Patent ID: 9339957
Filing Date: 2016-05-17
CPC Classification: B29C,B29L

Claim Text:
1. An injection molding machine, comprising: a) a base; b) a stationary platen fixed to the base for holding a first mold section; c) a moving platen for holding a second mold section, the moving platen slidably supported on a platen slide surface fixed to the base and moveable along a machine axis between a mold closed position, in which the moving platen is drawn towards the stationary platen, and a maximum daylight position, in which the moveable platen is spaced axially apart from the stationary platen by a platen opening; and d) a carriage support structure slidably supporting a stack mold carriage for holding a mold center section, the carriage support structure spaced apart from the platen slide surface, the stack mold carriage translatable parallel to the machine axis between a carriage advanced position and a carriage retracted position spaced axially apart from the carriage advanced position; and e) a fluid manifold with at least one inlet port connectable by a flexible inlet conduit to a source of fluid fixed relative to the base, and at least one delivery port, the manifold releasably mountable in a deployed position having the manifold releasably secured to the carriage by a carriage-manifold mounting structure wherein fluid communication between the inlet port and the mold center section is provided via a delivery conduit attached to the delivery port, and a stowed position having the manifold releasably secured to the base of the machine by a machine base-manifold mounting structure wherein the flexible inlet conduit remains connected to the at least one inlet port, and the delivery port is in fluid isolation from the mold center section.