Patent ID: 6811388
Filing Date: 2004-11-02
Classification: B29C

Abstract:
A mold clamping unit which is used in a molding apparatus and serves to open and close a mold having a movable mold plate and a fixed mold plate, said mold clamping unit comprising:a mold clamping cylinder driven by supply or discharge of a working fluid, said mold clamping cylinder for moving said movable mold plate between a fully open position in which said movable mold plate is separated by a predetermined distance from said fixed mold plate and a closed position in which said movable mold plate is in contact with said fixed plate; mold opening means for applying a mold opening force of a predetermined magnitude to said movable mold plate in the direction from said closed position toward said fully open position and moving said movable mold plate from said closed position to a predetermined half-open position located between said closed position and said fully open position; switching means for switching a mold clamping force generated by said mold clamping cylinder between a first mold clamping force which is larger than said mold opening force and a second mold clamping force which is smaller than said mold opening force by switching the supply pressure of the working fluid supplied to said mold clamping cylinder; and control means for controlling said mold opening means and said switching means, a mounting stand on which said fixed mold plate is mounted; a mounting plate on which said movable mold plate is mounted, wherein said mold opening means comprises an extension and contraction mechanism which is disposed between said mounting stand and said mounting plate and can extend and contract along the mold clamping direction, a drive source for driving said extension and contraction mechanism, and stop means for stopping the extension and contraction motion of said extension and contraction mechanism when said movable mold plate has been moved from said closed position to said half-open position; and a position adjusting tool, disposed between said extension and contraction mechanism and said mounting stand, capable of adjusting the position said of extension contraction mechanism in the mold clamping direction, said position adjusting tool comprising a first block having a first surface and a second surface on the side opposite to the first surface and a second block having a third surface that is slidably in contact with said second surface of said first block and a fourth surface on the side opposite to the third surface and has a configuration, with respect to said first and second blocks, such that the spacing between said first surface and said fourth surface can be adjusted by the mutual wedge effect of said first block and said second block.