Vertical mold clamping device, and vertical injection molding machine

Abstract

To provide a vertical mold clamping device in which, when a fluid supply device is provided, sealing thereof can be easily replaced.SOLUTION: There is provided a vertical mold clamping device (2) that is configured in that: a rotary table (15) is provided on an upper surface of a fixed platen (9) so as to be freely rotatable; in a plurality of tie bars (12 and 12), one serves as a center tie bar (12A) and passes through a center of the rotary table (15); the center tie bar (12A) is attached to an upper movable platen (10) via a detachable sleeve (40) having a predetermined thickness; and in the state, the upper movable platen (10) is fixed by a tie bar nut (63).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vertical mold clamping device provided with a rotary table that rotates around a center tie bar, and a vertical injection molding machine. [Background technology]

[0002] A vertical injection molding machine is equipped with a vertical clamping unit that opens and closes the mold in the vertical direction and an injection unit. The vertical clamping unit has a fixed platen fixed to a frame, an upper movable platen located above the fixed platen, and a lower movable platen located below the fixed platen. The upper and lower movable platen are connected by multiple tie bars, and a clamping mechanism is provided between the lower movable platen and the fixed platen. In the case of a vertical injection molding machine equipped with a rotary table, the rotary table is installed above the fixed platen and rotates around a single tie bar, i.e., a center tie bar.

[0003] A fluid supply device is required to supply a fluid to a mold for purposes such as heating and cooling. In the case of a vertical injection molding machine equipped with a rotary table, the fluid supply device is often installed on the rotary table so that it passes through a center tie bar, as described in Patent Document 1, for example. Such a fluid supply device generally consists of a cylindrical supply tube that is concentrically arranged with the center tie bar and fixed to a fixed platen or an upper movable platen, and a cylindrical distributor tube that is installed outside the supply tube and slides relative to the supply tube. The distributor tube is fixed to the rotary table and rotates together with the rotary table. The supply tube and distributor tube have predetermined flow paths, so that the fluid supplied from the supply tube is sent to the mold via the distributor tube regardless of the rotational position of the rotary table, and the fluid discharged from the mold is returned to the supply tube via the distributor tube. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 7-40119 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Because the fluid supply device rotates relative to the supply cylinder, the sliding surfaces between the supply cylinder and the distribution cylinder are equipped with multiple annular seals to prevent fluid leakage. These seals deteriorate over long periods of operation and therefore must be replaced periodically. Because the annular seals are located between the supply cylinder and the distribution cylinder, which are penetrated by the center tie bar, they are necessarily penetrated by the center tie bar. In other words, when installing a new seal, it is necessary to insert it from the end of the center tie bar so that it penetrates the center tie bar. To insert the seal in this way, the upper movable platen gets in the way, so it is necessary to remove the upper movable platen to expose the end of the center tie bar. In other words, when installing a fluid supply device that is penetrated by the center tie bar in a vertical injection molding machine, seal replacement requires a large amount of work, resulting in high maintenance costs.

[0006] The present disclosure provides a vertical mold clamping unit that allows easy replacement of the seal of a fluid supply unit even when the fluid supply unit is provided.

[0007] Other objects and novel features will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A vertical clamping unit includes a fixed platen, an upper movable platen, and a lower movable platen, the upper and lower movable platen being connected to a plurality of tie bars, and a clamping mechanism being provided between the lower movable platen and the fixed platen. The vertical clamping unit to which the present disclosure relates has a rotatable rotary table provided on the upper surface of the fixed platen. One tie bar is a center tie bar that passes through the center of the rotary table. In the present disclosure, the center tie bar is configured to be attached to the upper movable platen via a detachable sleeve of a predetermined thickness and fixed with a tie bar nut. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The present disclosure allows for easy replacement of the seal of a fluid supply device, if one is provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a vertical injection molding machine according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a part of a vertical mold clamping unit and a fluid supply unit according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an upper movable platen and a sleeve according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3B] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a vertical mold clamping unit according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a vertical mold clamping unit according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4B] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a vertical mold clamping unit according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4C] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a vertical mold clamping unit according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4D] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a vertical mold clamping unit according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5A] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an upper movable platen, a sleeve, and a closing member according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 5B] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a part of an upper movable platen according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 5C] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a part of a vertical mold clamping unit according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a side view of a vertical injection molding machine according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7A] FIG. 10 is a top view of a vertical mold clamping unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7B] FIG. 10 is a top view showing a part of a vertical mold clamping unit according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Specific embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. For clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings have been simplified as appropriate. In each drawing, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary. Furthermore, hatching has been omitted in some areas to avoid cluttering the drawings.

[0012] [First embodiment] <Vertical injection molding machine> As shown in FIG. 1, the vertical injection molding machine 1 according to the first embodiment includes a vertical clamping device, i.e., a vertical clamping device 2, an injection device 3 provided above the vertical clamping device 2, a control device 4 that controls these, and a fluid supply device 5 that supplies fluid to the mold.

[0013] <Vertical mold clamping device> The vertical mold clamping unit 2 includes a fixed platen 9 fixed to the bed 7, an upper movable platen 10 provided above the fixed platen 9, and a lower movable platen 11 provided within the bed 7. In this embodiment, the upper movable platen 10 and the lower movable platen 11 are connected by three tie bars 12A, 12, .... A mold clamping mechanism, that is, a toggle mechanism 14 in this embodiment, is provided between the lower movable platen 11 and the fixed platen 9.

[0014] A rotary table 15 is provided on the fixed platen 9. The rotary table 15 rotates around a single tie bar 12A at the center in FIG. 1. This tie bar 12A is located at the center of the rotary table 15 and is therefore referred to as the center tie bar 12A. The connection structure 17 between the center tie bar 12A and the upper movable platen 10, i.e., the connection structure 17 according to this embodiment, differs from the connection structures 18, 18 between the other tie bars 12, 12 and the upper movable platen 10 and is a characteristic structure of the first embodiment. This will be explained later. A fluid supply device 5 is provided above the fixed platen 9 and rotary table 15, and will also be explained later.

[0015] <Injection device> The injection device 3 is provided on the upper movable platen 10. The injection device 3 includes a heating cylinder 19, a screw 20 provided in the heating cylinder 19, a screw drive mechanism 22 that drives the screw 20, and an elevator 23 that raises and lowers the entire injection device 3. The injection device 3 rotates the screw 20 to melt the injection material, and drives the screw 20 in the axial direction to inject the injection material.

[0016] <Fluid supply device> In this embodiment, the fluid supply device 5 is penetrated by a center tie bar 12A as shown in Fig. 2. As long as the fluid supply device 5 is of the type penetrated by the center tie bar 12A, the effects of the present invention can be achieved regardless of the configuration. Here, the fluid supply device 5 shown in Fig. 2 will be described as an example of the type penetrated by the center tie bar 12A.

[0017] The fluid supply device 5 is generally composed of a cylindrical supply tube 26 that is arranged to surround the center tie bar 12A and fixed to the fixed platen 9, and a cylindrical distribution tube 27 that is arranged outside the supply tube 26 and fixed to the rotary table 15. A fluid supply flow path 29 and a fluid discharge flow path 30 are formed inside the supply tube 26, so that fluid is supplied from the outside and discharged to the outside. Two annular grooves, namely, an annular supply groove 32 and an annular discharge groove 33, are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the supply tube 26. The annular supply groove 32 is connected to the fluid supply flow path 29, and the annular discharge groove 33 is connected to the fluid discharge flow path 30.

[0018] The inner peripheral surface of the distributor cylinder 27 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the supply cylinder 26, and when the rotary table 15 rotates, the distributor cylinder 27 rotates slidably relative to the supply cylinder 26. The distributor cylinder 27 has two fluid supply ports 34, 34 that are through-holes drilled in the radial direction, and two fluid discharge ports 35, 35 that are also through-holes drilled in the radial direction. Regardless of the rotational position of the distributor cylinder 27, the two fluid supply ports 34, 34 always communicate with the annular supply groove 32, and the two fluid discharge ports 35, 35 always communicate with the annular discharge groove 33. Therefore, when a mold (not shown) is placed on the rotary table 15, fluid can be supplied to and discharged from the mold regardless of the rotational position of the rotary table 15.

[0019] A plurality of annular seals 37, 37, ... to prevent liquid leakage are provided between the distribution tube 27 and the supply tube 26. These seals 37, 37, ... deteriorate over long periods of operation and therefore need to be replaced periodically.

[0020] <Connection structure> The following describes the coupling structures 17, 18, 18 that connect the upper movable platen 10 (see FIG. 1) and the tie bars 12A, 12, .... Fig. 3A shows the upper movable platen 10 and a sleeve 40, which is one of the components of the coupling structure 17, and Fig. 3B shows the upper movable platen 10 and the tie bars 12A, 12, ... in a state where they are coupled by the coupling structures 17, 18, 18.

[0021] First, a commonly adopted connecting structure 18 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3A, the upper movable platen 10 has a central recess 42 into which an injection nozzle (not shown) of the injection unit 3 (see FIG. 1) is inserted, and two tie bar holes 43, 43 on the left and right. A plurality of tapped holes 44, 44, ... are formed around these tie bar holes 43, 43. As shown in FIG. 3B, the upper ends of tie bars 12, 12 are inserted into the tie bar holes 43, 43, and tie bar nuts 46, 46 are screwed onto them to provide tie bar covers 47, 47. The tie bar covers 47, 47 and the tie bar nuts 46, 46 have through-holes (not shown) into which bolts 49, 49, ... are inserted and tightened. This secures the tie bars 12, 12 to the upper movable platen 10. The connection structures 18, 18 between the tie bars 12, 12 and the upper movable platen 10 are configured in this manner.

[0022] Next, a connecting structure 17 according to a first embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 3A, a relatively large-diameter through-hole 51 is formed at the tip of the upper movable platen 10. The upper side of this through-hole 51 has an expanded diameter, thereby forming an annular step 52. A plurality of tapped holes 53, 53, ... are formed in this step 52.

[0023] The sleeve 40 is formed from a body portion 55 having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the through-hole 51, and an enlarged flange portion 56 formed on the body portion 55. A tie bar hole 58 is formed in the center of the sleeve 40, and the flange portion 56 has a plurality of tapped holes 59, 59, ... formed radially inward, and a plurality of through bolt holes 60, 60, ... formed radially outward.

[0024] When the sleeve 40 is inserted from above into the through-hole 51 of the upper movable platen 10, the body portion 55 is smoothly inserted into the through-hole 51, and the flange portion 56 is placed on the step portion 52. As shown in FIG. 3B , when the bolts 62, 62, ... are tightened, the sleeve 40 is fixed to the upper movable platen 10.

[0025] The tip of the center tie bar 12A is inserted into the tie bar hole 58 of the sleeve 40, a tie bar nut 63 is screwed onto the center tie bar 12A, and a tie bar cover 64 is provided. Although not shown, the tie bar cover 64 and the tie bar nut 63 have through-holes, and when multiple bolts 65, 65, ... are inserted and tightened, the center tie bar 12A is fixed to the sleeve 40. In other words, the center tie bar 12A is fixed to the upper movable platen 10. The connecting structure 17 according to the first embodiment is configured in this way, and is characterized in that the upper movable platen 10 and the center tie bar 12A are connected via the sleeve 40.

[0026] <How to replace the seal> A method for replacing the seals 37, 37, ... in the fluid supply device 5 (see Figure 2) will be described. In the fluid supply device 5, the distribution tube 27 is released from the rotary table 15. Next, the distribution tube 27 is pulled upward, which separates the distribution tube 27 from the supply tube 26. The seals 37, 37, ... are exposed and can be removed from the distribution tube 27. The seals 37, 37, ... are pierced by the center tie bar 12A, but can be easily removed by cutting them. To install a new seal, it is necessary to pierce the new seal from the tip of the center tie bar 12A and move it near the distribution tube 27. This is done as follows.

[0027] First, as shown in FIG. 4A, the bolts 65, 65, ... are removed from the connecting structure 17 according to the first embodiment. This allows the tie bar cover 64 to be removed. Next, the tie bar nut 63 is loosened, allowing it to be removed as shown in FIG. 4B. The bolts 62, 62, ... securing the sleeve 40 are removed, and the sleeve 40 is pulled out. This creates an annular gap of a predetermined width between the center tie bar 12A and the through hole 51, as shown in FIG. 4C. As shown in FIG. 4D, a new seal 67 is inserted from the top end of the center tie bar 12A. The seal 67 can be moved downward through the annular gap. In a similar manner, multiple new seals are inserted downward along the center tie bar 12A.

[0028] A new seal is attached to the distribution cylinder 27 (see FIG. 2), and the distribution cylinder 27 is inserted into the supply cylinder 26. The distribution cylinder 27 is fixed to the rotary table 15. The seal replacement is complete. To assemble the connecting structure 17 (see FIG. 3B) according to this embodiment and connect the center tie bar 12A and the upper movable platen 10, the above-described steps can be carried out in reverse. In the vertical clamping unit 2 (see FIG. 1) according to the first embodiment, the center tie bar 12A is connected to the upper movable platen 10 by the connecting structure 17 equipped with the sleeve 40 (see FIG. 3A). Therefore, the seal of the fluid supply device 5 can be easily replaced by removing the sleeve 40.

[0029] [Modification of the first embodiment] The first embodiment can be modified in various ways. For example, the connecting structure 17 according to the first embodiment can be modified to form a connecting structure 17' according to a modified example. FIG. 5A shows an upper movable platen 10', a sleeve 40, and a closing member 70 according to a modified example of the first embodiment. The upper movable platen 10' is formed with a slit 71 of a predetermined width that extends from the through-hole 51' to the side surface of the upper movable platen 10'. In other words, the through-hole 51' opens to the side surface of the upper movable platen 10' via the slit 71. Through-hole bolt holes 73, 73, ... are formed near the slit 71.

[0030] The closing member 70 is a member unique to the modified example of the first embodiment, and is a member inserted into the slit 71. The closing member 70 has bolt holes 74, 74. As shown in FIG. 5B, when the closing member 70 is inserted into the slit 71 and fixed to the upper movable platen 10′ with bolts 75, 75, the slit 71 is completely closed. In this state, the through hole 51′ has a configuration substantially equivalent to the through hole 51 in the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. 3A. As will be easily understood by those skilled in the art, a sleeve 40 is inserted into and fixed in the through hole 51′. Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, the center tie bar 12A is inserted, and tie bar nuts 63 and tie bar covers 64 are provided and fixed with bolts 65, 65, ..., thereby connecting the upper movable platen 10′ and the center tie bar 12A.

[0031] In the coupling structure 17' (see FIG. 5A) according to the modified example of the first embodiment, when the sleeve 40 and the closing member 70 are removed, the through-hole 51' opens to the side surface of the upper movable platen 10' via the slit 71, as described above. Then, as shown in FIG. 5C, when a new seal 67 is inserted, there is a gap the width of the slit 71, so that the seal 67 can be easily inserted.

[0032] [Second embodiment] A vertical injection molding machine 80 according to a second embodiment, shown in FIG. 5, will be described. The vertical injection molding machine 80 according to the second embodiment is generally configured as two vertical injection molding machines 1 (see FIG. 1) according to the first embodiment arranged in parallel. That is, it includes a vertical clamping unit 85 according to the second embodiment, which is configured as a single unit by combining two vertical clamping units 2 (see FIG. 1) according to the first embodiment, and two injection units 3, 3 according to the first embodiment. In the vertical injection molding machine 80 according to the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment or the modified example of the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0033] A vertical mold clamping unit 85 according to the second embodiment is configured by combining two vertical mold clamping units 2 according to the first embodiment (see FIG. 1 ), but differs in the following respects. That is, one common rotary table 86 is provided straddling two fixed platens 9, 9. As also shown in FIG. 7A , the rotary table 86 has a relatively large cutout 87 in the center, and two center tie bars 12A, 12A pass through this cutout 87. Therefore, the rotary table 86 is rotatable around the two center tie bars 12A, 12A. In the vertical mold clamping unit 85, the two upper movable platens 10′, 10′ are configured in the same manner as the upper movable platen 10′ according to the modified example of the first embodiment, and are connected to the center tie bars 12A, 12A by connecting structures 17′, 17′ according to the modified example of the first embodiment.

[0034] Although not shown in Fig. 6, when a fluid supply device is provided in the vertical clamping unit 85 according to the second embodiment, it is provided on the rotary table 86. The fluid supply device is passed through by the two center tie bars 12A, 12A. Therefore, when replacing the seal provided in the fluid supply device, it is necessary to insert the new seal while it is passed through these two center tie bars 12A, 12A.

[0035] FIG. 7A shows the disassembled state of the connecting structures 17′, 17′ according to a modified example of the first embodiment for the two upper movable plates 10′, 10′, and FIG. 7B shows an enlarged view of a portion of the disassembled state. In this state, annular gaps are formed between the center tie bars 12A, 12A and the through holes 51′, 51′, and the center tie bars 12A, 12A face each other via the slits 71, 71. In other words, there is no member separating the center tie bars 12A, 12A. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7B, a new seal 89 can be inserted while being penetrated by the two center tie bars 12A, 12A.

[0036] The invention made by the inventor has been specifically described above based on the embodiments, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. The multiple examples described above can also be implemented in appropriate combinations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1 Vertical injection molding machine 2 Vertical mold clamping device 3 Injection unit 4 Control unit 5 Fluid supply device 7 Bed 9 Fixed Plate 10 Upper movable plate 11 Lower movable plate 12 Tie bar 12A Center tie bar 14 Toggle mechanism 15 Rotary table 17 Connection structure 18 Connection structure 19 Heating cylinder 20 Screw 22 screw drive mechanism 23 lifting device 26 Supply tube 27 Distribution tube 29 fluid supply flow path 30 fluid discharge flow path 32 supply annular groove 33 discharge annular groove 34 Fluid supply port 35 Fluid discharge port 37 Seals 40 Sleeve 42 Hollowing 43 Tie bar hole 44 Tap hole 46 Tie bar nut 47 Tie bar cover 51 through hole 52 step 53 Tapped hole 55 Body 56 Flange portion 58 Tie bar hole 59 Tapped holes 60 Bolt holes 62 Bolt 67 Seal 70 Closure member 71 Slit 73 Bolt hole 74 Bolt hole 75 volts 80 Vertical injection molding machine 85 Vertical mold clamping device 86 Rotary table 87 Hollow 89 Seals

Claims

1. A fixed platen and an upper movable platen provided above the fixed platen; a lower movable platen provided below the fixed platen; a plurality of tie bars that pass through the fixed platen, have upper ends fixed to the upper movable platen by tie bar nuts, and have lower ends connected to the lower movable platen; a mold clamping mechanism provided between the fixed platen and the lower movable platen; a rotary table rotatably provided on an upper surface of the fixed platen, One of the tie bars is a center tie bar that passes through the rotary table, The center tie bar is attached to the upper movable platen via a detachable sleeve having a predetermined thickness and is fixed by the tie bar nut.

2. the vertical mold clamping device includes a fluid supply device that supplies a fluid to the mold; The vertical mold clamping apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid supply device is provided above the rotary table and is passed through by the center tie bar.

3. 3. The vertical mold clamping device according to claim 1, wherein the tie bars consist of three pieces.

4. The vertical mold clamping device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sleeve is formed with a flange portion.

5. The vertical mold clamping apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sleeve is fixed to the upper movable platen by fixing the flange portion to the upper movable platen by a predetermined fixing means.

6. 5. The vertical mold clamping device according to claim 4, wherein the through hole in the upper movable platen into which the sleeve is inserted is formed with a stepped portion whose upper portion has an enlarged diameter, and the flange portion is placed on the stepped portion.

7. 3. The vertical clamping device according to claim 1, wherein the through hole in the upper movable platen through which the sleeve is inserted has a slit of a predetermined width formed therein that reaches a side surface of the upper movable platen and opens to the side surface.

8. The vertical mold clamping device according to claim 7, wherein a closing member for closing the slit is detachably provided in the slit.

9. a vertical clamping device; an injection device that is provided above the vertical clamping device and is configured to inject an injection material; The vertical clamping device includes a fixed platen, an upper movable platen provided above the fixed platen; a lower movable platen provided below the fixed platen; a plurality of tie bars that pass through the fixed platen, have upper ends fixed to the upper movable platen by tie bar nuts, and have lower ends connected to the lower movable platen; a mold clamping mechanism provided between the fixed platen and the lower movable platen; a rotary table rotatably provided on an upper surface of the fixed platen, One of the tie bars is a center tie bar that passes through the rotary table, the center tie bar is attached to the upper movable platen via a detachable sleeve having a predetermined thickness and fixed by the tie bar nut.

10. the vertical mold clamping device includes a fluid supply device that supplies a fluid to the mold; 10. The vertical injection molding machine according to claim 9, wherein the fluid supply device is provided above the rotary table and is passed through by the center tie bar.

11. 11. The vertical injection molding machine according to claim 9, wherein the number of tie bars is three.

12. 11. The vertical injection molding machine according to claim 9, wherein the sleeve is formed with a flange portion.

13. 13. The vertical injection molding machine according to claim 12, wherein the sleeve is fixed to the upper movable platen by fixing the flange portion to the upper movable platen by a predetermined fixing means.

14. 13. The vertical injection molding machine according to claim 12, wherein the through hole in the upper movable platen into which the sleeve is inserted is formed with a stepped portion whose upper portion has an enlarged diameter, and the flange portion is placed on the stepped portion.

15. 11. The vertical injection molding machine according to claim 9, wherein the through hole in the upper movable platen through which the sleeve is inserted is formed with a slit of a predetermined width reaching a side surface of the upper movable platen and opening to a side surface thereof.

16. 16. The vertical injection molding machine according to claim 15, wherein a closing member for closing the slit is detachably provided in the slit.

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