Abstract:
Discloses is an apparatus for injection molding permitting movement of the injection molding machine in multiple planes. The apparatus has a frame and an injection molding machine mounted within the frame. Located on both the frame and the injection molding machine are a plurality of interlocking rails and rail bearings. The movement of the rails in the rail bearings permits the injection molding machine to move relative to the frame. The frame is a two piece interlocking frame, the two pieces being capable of movement relative to each other.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an injection molding apparatus. Specifically, the injection molding apparatus is constructed to permit the injector to introduce molding material into a mold along either a vertical mold line or a horizontal mold line. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Injection molding machines for injecting molding materials into molds are well known in the manufacturing industry. The injection molding machine is designed to inject the molding material into an associated mold. The injection direction occurs in either the horizontal direction or the vertical direction, the direction being determined by the construction of the machine. The mold to be used in combination with the injection machine is designed to coordinate with the injection direction of the machine. 
     However, it is not always possible for the mold configuration to coordinate with the injection direction of the machine. Due to the mass and weight of the injection molding machine and the relatively greater ease of modifying the mold, in such circumstances, modifications are made to the mold. Such modifications usually include providing additional flow channels to the mold, thereby increasing the distance the molding material must travel before entering the mold. Increasing the distance between the injection nozzle and the mold cavity is not always desirable depending upon the molding material cure characteristics. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to an injection molding machine permitting movement of the injection molding machine in multiple planes. 
     The disclosed apparatus has a frame and an injection molding machine mounted within the frame. Located on both the frame and the injection molding machine are a plurality of interlocking rails and rail bearings. The movement of the rails in the rail bearings permits the injection molding machine to move relative to the frame. 
     The frame in which the molding machine is mounted is a two piece frame. The two frame structures are interlocking and are also capable of movement relative to each other. 
     In one aspect of the disclosed invention, the injection molding machine is moveably mounted within a first of the two interlocking frame structures. The first frame structure is moveably mounted within the second frame structure. The movement of the injection molding machine within the first frame structure differs from the movement of the first frame structure within the second frame structure. If the injection molding machine moves in a vertical direction within the first frame structure, then the first frame structure moves in a horizontal direction within the second frame structure. 
     In another aspect of the invention, the apparatus has at least one power means to move the injection molding machine in the desired direction of movement. The power means is a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder. 
     In another aspect of the invention, the injection molding machine has an injection nozzle and an injection extension block is mounted onto the injection nozzle. The injection extension block has a bent flow channel within it so that any material flowing out of the injection nozzle exits the extension block in a different plane than it entered the extension block. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mounted injection molding machine; 
     FIG. 2 is the top moving structure; 
     FIG. 2 a  is a cross sectional view along line  2   a — 2   a  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 2 b  is a cross sectional view along line  2   b — 2   b  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 2 c  is a cross section view along line  2   c — 2   c  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the injection molding machine; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the mounted injection molding machine; 
     FIG. 5 is the base structure; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the molding extension block; 
     FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the molding extension block; 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an injection molding machine employing horizontal plane injection. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 illustrates an injection molding machine  10  mounted in a two piece frame  12  which permits the position of the injection molding machine  10  to be readily altered. The injection molding machine  10  is mounted in a vertical position for vertical injection molding. The injection molding machine  10  is a two-stage machine with the internal cavity  14 , the associated plunger  16  that shoots the molding material into the mold, and the nozzle  18  through which the molding material flows mounted at a zero degree angle relative to the vertical plane. The injection molding machine  10  illustrated is similar to the machine disclosed in a commonly assigned patent application, DN2001126, filed the same day as this application. The use of this particular injection molding machine is merely exemplary; other constructions of injection molding machines may be employed in the present invention. 
     The injection molding machine  10  is mounted within a first piece of the two piece frame  12 , the top moving structure  20  which is itself mounted on the base structure  22 . Extending from support plates  24  on the base structure  22  to an upper position on the injection molding machine  10  are a pair of flexible tracks  26  through which any necessary supply lines for the injection molding machine  10  may be run. 
     The top moving structure  20  is more clearly illustrated in FIGS. 2,  2   a ,  2   b , and  2   c.  The top moving structure  20  has a pair of side plates  28 , a brace plate  30 , and a base plate  32 . The side plates  28  have a quasi-triangular shape with cut outs  34  to reduce the overall weight of the plates  28 . The plates  28  may have any suitable configuration such as a square, rectangle, triangle, or other polygon. Along the lower most edge and on the outer sides of the side plates  28  are pairs of linear rail bearings  36 . A single continuous rail bearing  36  may be provided as opposed to the two bearings illustrated. The rail bearings  36  have a central groove  38  running along the length of the rail bearing with a central convex tang  40  along both sides of the groove  38 , see FIG. 2 c.    
     Located on the inside of the plates  28  are vertical rails  42 . The rails  42  extend at least the majority of the height of the plate  28 , and preferably, are continuous along the total height of the plate  28 . A concave groove  44  runs along both sides of the rails  42 , see FIG. 2 a . When the injection molding machine  10  is mounted onto the structure  12 , the rail bearings  36  travel on rails  42  mounted on both sides of the injection molding machine  10 , see FIG.  3 . The rail bearings  36  are similar to the rail bearings  36  on the lower edges of the side plates  28 . The convex tang  40  on both sides of the central groove  38  fit into the concave grooves  44  along both sides of the rails  42 . The interaction of the rails  42  and the rail bearings  36  permits the injection molding machine  10  to move in the vertical plane. 
     The brace plate  30  extends between the two side plates  38 , providing support to the top moving structure  20 . Similar to the side plates  38 , the brace plate  30  may have cut outs  46  to reduce the overall weight of the plate  30 . The total cross-sectional area of the cut outs  46  should be such that the strength of the plate  30  and the support it provides are not comprised. The cut outs  46  also provide access to the injection molding machine  10  mounted in the top moving structure  20 . 
     The base plate  32  extends between the side plates  28 . Mounted within the base plate  32  is a hydraulic cylinder  48  for vertically moving the injection molding machine  10 . At the lower end of the hydraulic cylinder  48  is a linear variable displacement transducer (lvdt)  50  that provides input to the operator as to the position of the hydraulic cylinder  48  and thus the position of the injection molding machine  10 . The hydraulic cylinder  48  has an inner cylinder  52  which is fixedly secured to the leading face  54  of the injection molding machine  10 , see FIG.  4 . 
     The exact position of the hydraulic cylinder  48  in the base plate  32  is dependant on the injection molding machine  10 . The inner cylinder  52  is mounted as close as possible to the nozzle to reduce the twisting load on the machine  10 . Because of the weight being born by the cylinder  48 , the mounted cylinder  48  is braced along the underside of the base plate  32 . 
     The top moving structure  20  is mounted onto the base structure  22 . The base structure  22  has pair of side plates  56  and a back plate  58 , see FIG.  5 . The plates  56 ,  58  have cut-outs  60  to reduce the weight of the structure  22 , but without compromising the strength integrity of the structure  22 . Each side plate  56  has a horizontally extending rail  62  along the inside edge of the plate  56 . The rail  62  has a concave groove  64  along each side. The concave grooves  64  are complimentary to the convex tang  40  of the linear rail bearings  36  on the outside of the top moving structure side plates  28 . 
     Mounted along the upper edge of the back plate is a hydraulic cylinder  66 . An lvdt  68  provides input to the operator as to the position of the hydraulic cylinder  66  and the horizontal position of the injection molding machine  10 . The leading edge  70  of the inner cylinder  66  is secured to the vertical extension  72  of the base plate  32  of the top moving structure  20 , see FIG.  4 . The interaction between the rails  62 , the linear rail bearings  36 , and the action of the cylinder  66  move the injection molding machine  10  horizontally. 
     The rails  42 ,  62  and the rail bearings  36  are all illustrated as being mounted onto the plates  28 ,  56  and the injection molding machine  10 . However, the rails  42 ,  62  or the rail bearings  36  may be formed as part of the plate. 
     While the cylinders  48 ,  66  are referenced as hydraulic cylinders, they may also be other conventional types of cylinders such as pneumatic cylinders. If need be, the injection molding machine  10  may be moved within the top structure  20  by hand or the top structure  20  may be moved within the base structure  22  by hand. 
     The cylinders  48 ,  66  and the different sets of rails  42 ,  62  and linear rail bearings  36  permit movement of the injection molding machine  10  in both the horizontal and the vertical plane. Movement in both directions enables the use of molds having any size and configurations. Depending on the nozzle configuration of the machine  10 , the injection molding direction may be either vertical or horizontal. 
     While the injection molding machine is illustrated as being mounted with its main axis oriented in a vertical direction, it may be mounted with its main axis oriented in the horizontal direction. In such case, the same movement would be achieved when the injection molding machine  10  is mounted movable within a first piece of the two piece frame  12  for movement in a first direction, and then the first piece is mounted moveable within the second piece of the two piece frame  12  for movement in the second direction. 
     If an incompatibility between the injection direction of the machine  10  and the configuration of the mold cannot be avoided, an extension of the injection molding machine nozzle  18  may be secured to the machine  10 . The nozzle extension block  74 , see FIGS. 6 and 7, alters the molding material flow from vertical to horizontal or vise versa depending on the primary orientation of the molding machine  10 . 
     The nozzle extension block  74  has an entry sized to correspond with the injection nozzle  18 . A passage  76  through the block  74  bends to alter the flow direction of any material traveling through the block  74 . An injection nozzle  78  is located at the passage exit. When the block  74  is mounted onto the machine  10 , by means of extensions  80 , heat is supplied to the block  74  via passageways  82  through the block  74 . Similar to the machine  10 , the block  74  is insulated to prevent heat loss. 
     When the block  74  is mounted onto the illustrated injection molding machine  10 , see FIG. 8, the injection direction is now horizontal, as opposed to the vertical injection direction, see FIG.  1 . As can also be seen in FIG. 8, the machine  10  is at an extreme horizontal position and can be moved forward so that the injection nozzle  78  may contact a mold. 
     Variations in the present invention are possible in light of the description of it provided herein. While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the subject invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the subject invention. It is therefore to be understood that changes can be made in the particular embodiments described which will be within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the following appended claims.