GB2212099A

GB2212099A - Roller driving apparatus of mold exchange device

Info

Publication number: GB2212099A
Application number: GB8829301A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kanji Shirai
Original assignee: Toshiba Machine Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shibaura Machine Co Ltd
Priority date: 1987-12-22
Filing date: 1988-12-15
Publication date: 1989-07-19
Also published as: KR910005184B1; GB8829301D0; JPH0436851B2; JPH01165416A; KR890009573A

Abstract

The apparatus of metal mold conveying rollers utilized in an injection molding machine (21), comprises a source of drive (28) for a roller (26) on a mold conveying carriage (27). A motion transmitting gear (30) driven by the roller is normally contained in the carriage, and at the time of exchanging the mold between the injection molding machine and the carriage the motion transmitting gear is swung to drive a gear (24) rotating the mold conveying rollers in the machine. With this construction only one motor is necessary for driving the roller on the mold conveying carriage, and when exchanging the mold between the injection mold and the carriage, the motion transmitting gear is swung to drive the rollers in the injection molding machine. <IMAGE>

Description

ROLLER DRIVING APPARATUS OF A METAL MOLD EXCHANGING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to driving apparatus of metal mold conveying rollers of a metal mold exchanging device utilized in an injection molding machine.

In the past, there has been known a method wherein a metal mold 12 is pushed out by an oil pressure cylinder 11 or the like mounted on a metal mold conveying carriage 10 and the metal mold 12 is conveyed on conveyor rollers 13 so as to transfer the metal mold onto rollers 16 mounted on a metal mold supporting disc 15 of an injection molding machine 14 as shown in Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings, or a method wherein conveyor rollers 13 are driven by a source of drive 17 for conveying metal mold 12 to the injection molding machine 14.

According to the former method, however, it is necessary to provide a hook or the like for pulling out the metal mold from the injection molding machine. Then the metal mold must be constructed to receive the hook whereby the machining of the metal mold becomes troublesome. Moreover, it is necessary to provide an extra space for storing the metal molds. According to the latter method, after transferring the metal mold from the carriage to the injection molding machine, use of a source of drive is necessary for moving the metal mold to a predetermined position. Where the size of the metal mold is large, use of the source of drive is essential.

As a consequence, the source of drive must be provided for each injection molding machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved driving apparatus of a metal mold exchanging device utilized in an injection molding machine capable of transferring a metal mold from a metal mold conveying carriage to a predetermined position in the injection molding machine without providing for the molding machine a source of drive for driving rollers adapted to convey the metal mold.

According to this invention there is provided a driving apparatus of metal mold conveying rollers of a metal mold exchanging device utilized in an injection molding machine, comprising a plurality of drive rollers mounted on a metal mold conveying carriage, the rollers being disposed in the direction of metal mold exchange, a source of drive provided for the carriage for driving the plurality of drive rollers, a plurality of rollers disposed in the injection molding machine for guiding a metal mold when it is exchanged between the carriage and the injection molding machine, power transmitting means for driving a drive gear mounted on one of the plurality of rollers disposed in the injection molding machine so as to drive the plurality of rollers, a motion transmitting gear connected to the source of drive adapted to drive the plurality of rollers mounted on the carriage, and means normally containing the motion transmitting gear in the carriage, but moving the motion transmitting gear to cause it to mesh with the drive gear mounted on one of the plurality of rollers in the injection molding machine at the time of exchanging the metal mold.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a side view showing one embodiment of the roller driving device of a metal mold exchanging apparatus embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view showing various parts bounded by dot and dash ;Lines II shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view showing a modification of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing another modification of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a side view showing a prior art roller driving device of a metal mold exchanging apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of this invention will now be described with reference to Figs. 1 through 4. The injection molding machine 21 shown in Fig. 1 comprises a metal mold supporting disc 20, four tie bars 21a and a plurality of rollers 22 for transferring a metal mold 23 to the inside of the injection molding machine. As shown in Fig. 2, when a drive gear 24 is rotated by an electric motor, not shown, for example, a plurality of rollers 22a, 22b, ... are driven by a power transmission device 25 constituted by an endless chain and a sprocket wheel so as to move the metal mold 23 in injection molding machine 21 to a predetermined position.A metal mold conveying carriage 27 is provided with a plurality of drive rollers 26 driven by a source of drive 28 through a power transmission device 31 constituted by an endless chain and a sprocket wheel for exchanging metal mold 23 between the carriage 27 and the injection molding machine 21. A plurality of rollers 22 and 26 are disposed on the same plane for facilitating smooth movement of the metal mold. As shown in Fig. 1, the carriage 27 is supported by wheels 50 running along rails, not shown, to be movable in parallel with the molding machine 21 between the metal mold storing station, not shown, and a position shown in Fig. 1 at which the metal mold is exchanged.

As shown in Fig. 1, a motion transmission gear 30 is connected to the source of drive 28 through a belt or endless chain 31 or an intermediate gear 32 as shown in Fig. 3. Normally, gear 30 is contained in the metal mold conveying carriage 27, but at the time of transferring the metal mold 23 into the injection molding machine 21, the gear 30 is swung from the stored position A to the transferring position B to engage driving gear 24 of the power transmitting device 25 for driving rollers 22a, 22b, ..., installed in the injection molding machine 21.

As shown in Fig. 2, the gear 30 is supported by the spindle of one of the rollers 26 through a lever 52 so that by rotating the spindle, manually or automatically, or by swinging lever 52 from position A to B, the gear 30 is caused to mesh with gear 24.

The roller driving mechanisms are not limited to those shown in Figs. 2 and 3, but a modified roller driving mechanism shown in Fig. 4 can also be used. In Fig. 4, a gear 37 corresponding to driving gear 24 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 is supported by a spindle 34 of a roller 35 corresponding to roller 22a shown in Fig. 2 or roller 23 shown in Fig. 3 through needle bearings 36.

As above described, according to this invention, a metal mold exchanged between a metal mold conveying carriage and an injection molding machine is moved to a predetermined position in the molding machine by a source of drive provided for the carriage without providing independent source of drive for metal mold transferring rollers in the injection molding machine.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A driving apparatus of metal mold conveying rollers of a metal mold exchanging device utilized in an injection molding machine, comprising: a plurality of drive rollers mounted on a metal mold conveying carriage; said rollers being disposed in a direction of metal mold exchange; a source of drive provided for said carriage for driving said plurality of drive rollers; a plurality of rollers disposed in said injection molding machine for guiding a metal mold when it is exchanged between said carriage and said injection molding machine; power transmitting means for driving a drive gear mounted on one of said plurality of rollers disposed in said injection molding machine so as to drive said plurality of rollers; a motion transmitting gear connected to said source of drive adapted to drive said plurality of rollers mounted on said carriage; and means normally containing said motion transmitting gear in said carriage but moving said motion transmitting gear to cause it to mesh with said drive gear mounted on one of said plurality of rollers in said injection molding machine at the time of exchanging said metal mold.

2. The driving apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said motion transmitting gear is supported by one of said plurality of rollers mounted on said carriage driven by said source of drive by a lever.

3. The driving apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said motion transmitting gear is driven by said one of said plurality of rollers mounted on said carriage through an endless belt or chain.

4. The driving apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said motion transmitting gear is driven by said one of said plurality of rollers mounted on said conveyors through an intermediate gear.

5. The driving apparatus according to claim 2 which further comprises means for swinging said lever about an axis of said one of said plurality of rollers mounted on said carriage.