JP2021062527A - Molding machine coupling device - Google Patents

Abstract

To adopt only one set of a coupler plate and drive unit in a structure of the coupling device for temperature control, and enable the mold, a coupler mounting member and the coupler plate to be transferred between a mold preparation station and an injection molding machine for loading and unloading while the coupler plate, to which multiple hoses are connected, is connected to the coupler mounting member.SOLUTION: When a position of a coupler plate (21A, 21B) is switched from a separation position to a connection position where it is connected to a coupler mounting member (20A, 20B) at a mold preparation station (2A), a mold (6) can be transferred between the mold preparation station (2A) and an injection molding machine (1) by mold transferring means (16) in a state where the coupler plate (21A, 21B) is connected to the coupler mounting member (20A, 20B), while a female or male part of multiple couplers on the coupler plate (21A, 21B) is connected to the multiple hoses in a state where the coupler plate (21A, 21B) is separated from a drive unit (22A, 22B).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a coupling device of a molding machine, and makes it possible to shorten the connection time of a temperature control fluid supply system that supplies a temperature control fluid to a mold, particularly when the mold is replaced.

As shown in Patent Document 1, the injection molding machine has a fixed platen and a movable platen, and the mold is carried into the mold introduction space between the fixed platen and the movable platen and fixed to both platens for molding. Do. In order to carry in the mold, a mold transfer carriage is arranged in front of the injection molding machine, and a transfer frame with a roller for conveying the mold is arranged between the mold introduction space and the mold transfer carriage.
After the used mold is taken out from the mold introduction space onto the mold transfer trolley, the mold to be used on the mold transfer trolley is carried into the mold introduction space via the transfer frame.

As shown in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to adjust the temperature of the mold to an appropriate temperature when molding is performed by an injection molding machine. Therefore, a temperature controller is provided near the injection molding machine, and the temperature controller supplies the temperature control fluid (for example, water) to the mold, and the temperature control fluid whose temperature has risen in the mold is used as the temperature controller. To circulate and cool. Therefore, a plurality of fluid passages are formed in the mold, and are connected to the temperature controller via a plurality of hoses.
Moreover, in the preparatory stage before the mold is carried into the injection molding machine, a temperature control fluid (for example, hot water) is supplied from the temperature controller to the mold waiting at the preparation station to preheat the mold in advance. There is also.

Conventionally, the temperature control fluid supply system proposed by the applicant of the present application is as follows.
The mold is equipped with a coupler mounting member to which a female portion or a male portion of a plurality of couplers connected to a plurality of fluid passages in the mold via a passage member is attached.
A coupler plate equipped with male or female portions of a plurality of couplers that can be connected to the female or male portions of the plurality of couplers of the coupler mounting member is provided in the mold preparation station, and a coupler plate similar to this is provided. It is installed near the injection molding machine.

A plurality of hoses of the temperature control fluid are connected to the male part or the female part of the plurality of couplers of the coupler plate of the mold preparation station via another plurality of coupler members. A plurality of hoses of the temperature control fluid connected to the coupler plate of the mold preparation station can be connected to the male part or the female part of the plurality of couplers on the coupler plate on the injection molding machine side. The coupler plate is moved and driven to a connection position where the coupler plate is brought close to the coupler mounting member to connect a plurality of couplers and a separation position where the coupler plate is separated from the coupler mounting member to separate the plurality of couplers. A possible drive unit is provided in the mold preparation station, and a drive unit similar to this is provided in the vicinity of the injection molding machine.
The drive unit of the mold preparation station is inseparably connected to the coupler plate, and the drive unit on the injection molding machine side is indivisiblely connected to the coupler plate.

At the mold preparation station, when preheating the mold, the coupler plate is held at the connection position, multiple couplers are connected, and the temperature control fluid is supplied to the fluid passage in the mold to prepare the mold. Preheat.
When this preheated mold is carried into the mold introduction space of the injection molding machine, the coupler plate of the mold preparation station is switched to the separation position by the drive unit, and then the mold equipped with the coupler mounting member is used as the mold. Multiple hoses carried into the introduction space and removed from the coupler plate of the mold preparation station are connected to the coupler plate on the injection molding machine side, the coupler plate is switched to the connection position by the drive unit, and the temperature control fluid is gold. Make it ready for supply in the mold.

Jikkai Sho 64-11713 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-284793

The above temperature control fluid supply system has the following problems. Since the coupler plate and the drive unit are provided on the mold preparation station and the injection molding machine side, the equipment cost becomes high due to the double equipment, and it is disadvantageous in terms of space.

In the mold preparation station, a plurality of hoses are manually separated from the coupler plate via the coupler member, and the plurality of hoses are manually connected to the coupler plate on the injection molding machine side via the plurality of coupler members. It takes a lot of effort.
For example, in the case of a large mold, there is a hose with a large diameter of about 2 inches as a hose to supply the temperature control fluid, and since the hose also contains the temperature control fluid and is heavy, multiple hoses It takes a lot of effort and time to connect. As a result, the time required for mold replacement becomes long, and the productivity of injection molding decreases.

An object of the present invention is to make it possible to adopt a set of a coupler plate and a drive unit, and to mold a mold, a coupler mounting member, and a coupler plate while connecting a coupler plate to which a plurality of hoses are connected to a coupler mounting member. It is to make it possible to carry in and out between the preparation station and the molding machine.

The coupling device of the molding machine of the present invention is a mold capable of transporting a mold between a mold introduction space between a fixed platen and a movable platen and a mold preparation station on the side of the mold introduction space. In a coupling device of a molding machine having a conveying means, a coupler mounting member equipped with a male portion or a female portion of a plurality of couplers mounted on a mold and connected to a fluid passage in the mold via a passage member. , A coupler plate equipped with a plurality of couplers that can be connected to the male or female parts of the plurality of couplers of the coupler mounting member and are connected to a plurality of hoses extending from the temperature control fluid supply source. A connection position equipped in the mold preparation station and bringing the coupler plate close to the coupler mounting member to connect a plurality of couplers, and a plurality of couplers separated from the coupler mounting member. A drive unit that can be moved and driven to a separated position and can be separated from the coupler plate is provided, and the coupler plate is moved from the separated position to the connection position at the mold preparation station. With the coupler plate separated from the drive unit, with the male or female parts of the plurality of couplers connected to the plurality of hoses, and with the coupler plate connected to the coupler mounting member, the mold is attached to the mold. It is characterized in that it is configured to be transported to the mold introduction space by the mold transport means.

According to the above configuration, it is not necessary to provide a coupler plate and a drive unit on both the molding machine side and the mold preparation station, and only one set of the coupler plate and the drive unit may be provided. It is advantageous.
At the mold preparation station, connect multiple hoses to the coupler plate, switch the coupler plate to the connection position, connect it to the coupler mounting member, and separate the coupler mounting member, coupler plate, and mold from the drive unit. Since the hose is transported to the molding machine side, the work of manually connecting a plurality of hoses to the coupler plate on the molding machine side can be omitted, so that the labor for mold replacement can be reduced and the time can be shortened.

When carrying out a used mold from the molding machine to the mold preparation station, connect multiple hoses to the coupler plate, and with the coupler plate connected to the coupler mounting member, the coupler mounting member, coupler plate, and mold. Since the hose can be transported to the mold preparation station, the labor for mold replacement can be reduced and the time can be shortened.

When connecting multiple hoses to the mold or separating multiple hoses from the mold at the mold preparation station, the coupler mounting member and the coupler plate can be efficiently connected and separated by the drive unit. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time and save energy.

The present invention can have various forms as follows.
In the first embodiment, when the coupler plate is set to the connection position, a first positioning mechanism for positioning the position of the coupler mounting member with respect to the coupler plate is provided.
Since the mold is movable and its position fluctuates, positioning by the first positioning mechanism enables smooth connection of the coupler plate to the coupler mounting member.

In the second embodiment, with the coupler plate in the connecting position, a first connecting mechanism for detachably connecting the coupler plate to the coupler mounting member is provided.
Since the first connecting mechanism is provided, the coupler plate can be held in a connected state and conveyed to the coupler mounting member, or the coupling can be released to separate the coupler plate from the coupler mounting member.

In the third embodiment, a second positioning mechanism for positioning the position of the coupler plate with respect to the drive unit is provided.
Since the position changes when the coupler plate is switched to the separated position, the coupler plate and the drive unit can be smoothly connected by positioning the coupler plate by the second positioning mechanism.

In the fourth embodiment, a second connecting mechanism for detachably connecting the coupler plate to the drive unit is provided.
By the second connecting mechanism, the coupler plate in the separated position can be held in the connected state to the drive unit, and the above-mentioned connected state can be released after the coupler plate is switched to the connected position.

In the fifth embodiment, the mold has a movable side mold and a fixed side mold, and a coupler mounting member, a coupler plate, and a drive unit corresponding to the fixed side mold are provided, and the movable side mold is provided. Corresponding coupler mounting members, coupler plates and drive units were provided.
The number of passage members connecting the male or female portions of the plurality of couplers of one coupler mounting member to the fluid passage in the mold can be reduced as much as possible, and the length of these passage members can be shortened as much as possible.

The present invention exhibits various effects as described above.

It is a top view of the injection molding machine, the mold transport carriage, the mold, and the coupling device (coupler plate separation position) according to the Example of this invention. It is a top view of an injection molding machine, a mold transport carriage, a mold, and a coupling device (coupler plate connection position). It is a top view of an injection molding machine, a mold transport carriage, a mold, and a coupling device (coupler plate connection release position). It is a top view of an injection molding machine, a mold carrier, a mold (in a state of being carried into the mold introduction space), and a coupling device (coupler plate connection position). It is a top view of the coupling device (coupler plate separation position). It is a front view of the coupling device (coupler plate separation position). It is a perspective view of the coupling device (coupler plate separation position). It is a left side view of a coupler plate. It is a top view of the coupling device (coupler plate connection position). It is a front view of the coupling device (coupler plate connection position). It is a perspective view of the coupling device (coupler plate connection position). It is a top view of the coupling device (coupler plate connection position and division position). It is a front view of the coupling device (coupler plate connection position and division position). It is a left side view of a drive unit. It is a perspective view of the coupling device (coupler plate connection position and division position). It is sectional drawing of the 1st positioning mechanism and 1st connection mechanism (connection release state). It is sectional drawing of the 1st positioning mechanism and 1st connection mechanism (connection state).

A mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In FIGS. 1 to 4, the reference numerals F, B, R, and L indicate front, rear, right, and left, respectively.
1 to 4 show a horizontal injection molding machine 1, a mold transport trolley 2, a mold transport trolley 2, a mold transport means 16 for transporting a mold between the mold transport trolley 2 and the injection molding machine 1, and a mold transport trolley. Two sets of coupling devices 5A, 5B and the like included in the temperature control fluid supply system mounted on the 2 are illustrated.

The injection molding machine 1 drives the fixed platen 10 and the clamp plate 10a attached to the surface thereof, the movable platen 11 and the clamp plate 11a attached to the surface thereof, the injection unit 12 including the injection nozzle 12a, and the movable platen 11. It is a general one having a part 13 (which includes an ejector mechanism) and the like. The clamp plates 10a and 11a have a structure capable of clamping the mold 6 (fixed mold 6A, movable mold 6B) by magnetic force. A plurality of clamp devices may be used instead of the clamp plates 10a and 11a.

In the mold 6, the fixed mold 6A and the movable mold 6B are integrally connected, and the fixed mold 6A is introduced into the mold introduction space 14 between the fixed platen 10 and the movable platen 11 of the injection molding machine 1. And the movable mold 6B are disconnected. A plurality of idler rollers 15 capable of supporting the mold substrates 6a and 6b of the mold 6 are attached to the lower portions of the clamp plates 10a and 11a, respectively.

Two sets of molds 6 (pre-use and post-use molds) can be placed on the mold carrier 2, but only one set of pre-use molds 6 is shown in the drawing. .. A mold preparation station 2A including a transfer roller 3 is provided on the mold transfer carriage 2, and coupling devices 5A and 5B of a fluid supply system for temperature control are provided in front of the mold preparation station 2A. ..

The mold transporting means 16 for transporting the mold 6 between the mold preparation station 2A and the mold introduction space 14 includes transfer rollers 3a and 3b mounted on the mold transfer carriage 2 and an injection molding machine 1. It is composed of transport roller frames 4a and 4b between the mold transport trolleys 2 and a plurality of idle rollers 15 below the clamp plates 10a and 11a. The transport roller 3 has a narrow transport portion 3a on the right side and a wide transport portion 3b on the left side, and a plurality of rollers of both the transport portions 3a and 3b are driven by the driving force of an electric motor, and the mold 6 is molded. It supports the mold substrates 6a and 6b and can be transported back and forth.

A narrow transport roller frame 4a is arranged behind the narrow transport portion 3a, and a wide transport roller frame 4b is arranged behind the wide transport portion 3b. The plurality of rollers of the transport roller frames 4a and 4b are driven by the driving force of the electric motor in synchronization with the plurality of rollers of the transport portions 3a and 3b.

The coupling device 5A for the fixed mold 6A is a separation position separated from a coupler mounting member 20A fixed to the fixed mold 6A via a connecting member 7a and a connection position connected to the coupler mounting member 20A. It has a coupler plate 21A that can be switched to, and a drive unit 22A that can move and drive the coupler plate 21A to a connection position and a separation position.
The coupling device 5B for the movable mold 6B is a separation position separated from a coupler mounting member 20B fixed to the movable mold 6B via a connecting member 7b and a connection position connected to the coupler mounting member 20B. It has a coupler plate 21B that can be switched to, and a drive unit 22B that can move and drive the coupler plate 21B to a connection position and a separation position.

The two sets of coupling devices 5A and 5B corresponding to the fixed mold 6A and the movable mold 6B have a symmetrical configuration. Therefore, in the following description, the coupling device 5A for the fixed mold on the right side is mainly used. The coupler mounting member 20A, the coupler plate 21A, and the drive unit 22A provided in the above will be described.

To the coupler mounting member 20A, male portions 23a (or female portions) of a plurality of couplers connected to the fluid passage in the fixed mold 6A via the passage member 25 are vertically mounted on the right side surface of the coupler mounting member 20A. Has been done. The coupler plate 21A has a plurality of hoses 24 that can be connected to the male portion 23a (or female portion) of the plurality of couplers of the coupler mounting member 20A and are connected to a plurality of hoses 24 extending from a temperature control fluid supply source (not shown). A female portion 23b (or male portion) of the coupler is provided on the left side surface of the coupler plate 21A in a protruding manner (see FIG. 5).

The drive unit 22A is fixedly mounted on the mold preparation station 2A, and the drive unit 22A has a connection position in which the coupler plate 21A is brought close to the coupler mounting member 20A to connect a plurality of couplers, and the coupler plate 21A. Is configured to be movable and driveable to a separation position where the coupler mounting member 20A is separated from the coupler mounting member 20A to separate a plurality of couplers. Further, the drive unit 22A can be switched between a state of being connected to the coupler plate 21A and a state of being divided.

In the mold preparation station 2A, the female portion 23b (or male portion) of the plurality of couplers is connected to the coupler member (or the male portion) in a divided state in which the coupler plate 21A is switched from the separation position to the connection position and the coupler plate 21A is disconnected from the drive unit 22A. While connected to a plurality of hoses 24 via (not shown), the mold 6 is conveyed to the mold introduction space 14 by the mold conveying means 16 with the coupler plate 21A connected to the coupler mounting member 20A for injection molding. Provide (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

After the completion of the above injection molding, the mold 6 is molded with the coupler plate 21A connected to the coupler mounting member 20A in the same state as when it was carried into the mold introduction space 14 before the start of the molding. The mold transfer means 16 transfers the coupler plate 21A from the mold introduction space 14 to the mold preparation station 2A, and the drive unit 22A switches the coupler plate 21A to a separation position separated from the coupler mounting member 20A so that the coupler plate 21A is connected to the drive unit 22A. The used mold 6 is transferred to the storage location after the coupler mounting members 20A and 20B are connected or the coupler mounting members 20A and 20B are separated.

The coupler mounting member 20A and the coupler plate 21A may be commonly used for a plurality of molds 6, but the coupler mounting member 20A and the coupler plate 21A changed according to the mold 6 may be adopted. .. However, the drive unit 22A can be commonly used for a plurality of molds 6.

Next, the operation of the coupling device 5A at the time of carrying in the mold will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. In FIG. 1, the coupler mounting member 20A is connected to the fixed mold 6A via the connecting member 7a and protrudes forward of the fixed mold 6A. The coupler plate 21A is in a connected state separated from the coupler mounting member 20A and connected to the drive unit 22A. The female portion 23b (or male portion) of the plurality of couplers of the coupler plate 21A is connected to a plurality of hoses 24 extending from the temperature control fluid supply source via a coupler member (not shown). The above is the same for the coupling device 5B on the movable mold 6B side (see FIG. 5).

In FIG. 2, the coupler plate 21A is driven toward the coupler mounting member 20A by the drive unit 22A, and the female portion 23b (or female portion) of the plurality of couplers is the male portion 23a (or the female portion) of the plurality of couplers of the coupler mounting member 20A. It has been switched to the connection position connected to the female part). However, the coupler plate 21A is in a connected state in which it is connected to the drive unit 22A. The above is the same for the system constituent devices on the movable mold 6B side.
In FIG. 3, the coupler plate 21A is in a divided state in which the connection is disconnected from the drive unit 22A. The above is the same for the system constituent devices on the movable mold 6B side.

In FIG. 4, the fixed mold 6A in which the coupler mounting member 20A to which the coupler plate 21A is connected is connected and the movable mold 6B in which the coupler mounting member 20B to which the coupler plate 21B is connected are connected are integrated. The mold 6 is transported from the mold preparation station 2A to the mold introduction space 14 by the mold transporting means 16 in a state of being specifically connected. At this time, the plurality of hoses 24 convey the mold 6 while being connected to the coupler plates 21A and 21B.

Next, the coupler mounting member 20A, the coupler plate 21A, and the drive unit 22A will be supplementarily described. In the coupling device 5A shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the coupler mounting member 20A is connected to the fixing mold 6A via the connecting member 7a. The coupler plate 21A is in a separated position separated from the coupler mounting member 20A and in a connected state connected to the drive unit 22A. FIG. 5 shows a coupling device 5A for a fixed mold in the state of FIG. 1 in which the mold 6 to be used is inserted into the mold preparation station 2A.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, the coupler mounting member 20A includes a male portion 23a (or female portion) and a fixing metal of a plurality of couplers connected to the fluid passage in the fixing mold 6A via the passage member 25. An electric connector 27 to which harnesses 26 connected to a plurality of sensors provided in the mold 6A are connected, and an electric connector 27 electrically connected to the electric connector 27 and projecting to the right side surface of the coupler mounting member 20A (not shown). An electrical connector is provided.

The coupler plate 21A is electrically connected to the female portion 23b (or male portion) of the plurality of couplers to which the male portion 23a (or female portion) of the plurality of couplers can be connected and the electrical connector (not shown) described above. An electrical connector 28 is provided. A plurality of hoses 24 extending from the temperature control fluid supply source are connected to the female portion 23b (or male portion) of the plurality of couplers of the coupler plate 21A via a coupler member (not shown), and are connected to the electric connector 28. A harness 24e extending from the temperature control fluid supply source is connected.

When the coupler plate 21A is brought close to the coupler mounting member 20A by the drive unit 22A to a connection position in which a plurality of couplers are connected, a first positioning mechanism 31 for positioning the position of the coupler mounting member 20A with respect to the coupler plate 21A is provided. ing. The first positioning mechanism 31 detachably engages with a pair of positioning pins 32 attached to the coupler mounting member 20A so as to project horizontally from the right side surface of the coupler mounting member 20A. It has a pair of engaging members 33 provided on the coupler plate 21A as described above.

A first connecting mechanism 34 is provided that detachably connects the coupler plate 21A to the coupler mounting member 20A with the coupler plate 21A in the connecting position. The first connecting mechanism 34 includes the above-mentioned pair of positioning pins 32 and a pair of engaging members 33. The first positioning mechanism 31 and the first connecting mechanism 34 will be described later.

As shown in FIGS. 7, 11, and 15, the drive unit 22A sets the coupler plate 21A at the connection position to connect a plurality of couplers, or sets the coupler plate 21A at a separation position to separate the plurality of couplers. It is for doing things. Moreover, the drive unit 22A is configured to be switchable between a connected state connected to the coupler plate 21A in the connected position and a divided state in which the connection is released, and the coupler plate 21A is in the connected position and in the divided state. Then, the mold 6 is transferred from the mold preparation station 2A to the mold introduction space 14.

The drive unit 22A includes a base plate 35, a pair of vertical plates 36 erected at the front and rear portions of the base plate 35, and a pair of cylinder mounting members 37 fixed to the vertical plates 36, respectively. Four double-acting air cylinders 38 attached to these two pairs of cylinder mounting members 37 in the left-right direction, and vertical support plates 39 attached to the piston rods 38a of the two air cylinders 38 corresponding to the top and bottom. And a receiving member 40 or the like which is fixed to the tip of the piston rod 38a of the air cylinder 38 and protrudes from the left side surface of the support plate 39. The air cylinder 38 is connected to the pressurized air supply source by an air hose (not shown).

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a second positioning mechanism 41 for positioning the coupler plate 21A with respect to the drive unit 22A is provided. The second positioning mechanism 41 detachably engages with a pair of positioning pins 42 attached to the coupler plate 21A so as to project horizontally from the right side surface of the coupler plate 21A. It has a pair of engaging members 43 provided on a pair of support plates 39.

A second connecting mechanism 44 is provided which connects the coupler plate 21A to the drive unit 22A so as to be releasable. The second connecting mechanism 44 includes the above-mentioned pair of positioning pins 42 and a pair of engaging members 43. The second positioning mechanism 41 and the second connecting mechanism 44 will be described later. The engaging member 43 is attached so as to project from the left side surface of the middle stage portion of the support plate 39.

The coupling device 5A shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 shows a state in which a plurality of hoses 24 and a harness 24e extending from a temperature control fluid supply source are connected to the fixed mold 6A in order to preheat the fixed mold 6A. is there. The coupler plate 21A is switched to a connection position by extending the piston rod 38a of the air cylinder 38 of the drive unit 22A, and the coupler mounting member 20A and a plurality of couplers provided on the coupler plate 21A are in a connected state, and the temperature control fluid is connected. The temperature control fluid can be supplied from the supply source to the fixed mold 6A. In this state, the first and second connecting mechanisms 34 and 44 maintain the connected state, and the coupler plate 21A is connected to the coupler mounting member 20A and the drive unit 22A.

The coupling device 5A shown in FIGS. 12 to 15 shows a state in which the preheated mold 6 can be transferred from the mold preparation station 2A to the mold introduction space 14 of the injection molding machine 1. The coupler plate 21A is held at the connecting position by maintaining the first connecting mechanism 34 in the connected state, retracts the piston rod 38a of the air cylinder 38 of the drive unit 22A, and disconnects the second connecting mechanism 44. As a result, the coupler plate 21A is in a separated state separated from the drive unit 22A. A plurality of hoses 24 extending from a temperature control fluid supply source are connected to the female portion 23b (or male portion) of the plurality of couplers of the coupler plate 21A, and a harness 24e is connected to the electric connector 28. In this state, the mold transfer means 16 is driven to transfer the mold 6 (fixed mold 6A and movable mold 6B) to the mold introduction space 14.

Next, the first positioning mechanism 31 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the first positioning mechanism 31 has a pair of positioning pins 32 provided on the coupler mounting member 20A and a pair of engaging members 33 provided on the coupler plate 21A. Have. The base end portion of the positioning pin 32 is screwed into the coupler mounting member 20A, and the flange portion 32a thereof is in contact with the coupler mounting member 20A. At the tip of the positioning pin 32, a tapered portion 32b having a smaller diameter toward the coupler plate 21A side is formed. The engaging member 33 is fixed to the coupler plate 21A by fitting the step portion 51 into the left end portion of the mounting hole 50 of the coupler plate 21A. The engaging member 33 has an engaging hole 33a into which the positioning pin 32 can be inserted tightly, and the left end portion of the engaging hole 33a is formed in a tapered hole 33b capable of guiding the positioning pin 32.

When the coupler plate 21A is brought closer to the coupler mounting member 20A and switched to the connection position, the positioning pin 32 engages with the engagement hole 33a while the tapered portion 32b at the tip of the positioning pin 32 is guided by the taper hole 33b. When the left end of the engaging member 33 comes into contact with the flange portion 32a, the coupler mounting member 20A is three-dimensionally positioned with respect to the coupler plate 21A.

The first connecting mechanism 34 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the first connecting mechanism 34 is provided on a pair of connecting pins 32 (same member as the positioning pin 32) provided on the coupler mounting member 20A and on the coupler plate 21A. It also has a pair of engaging members 33 (which are the same members as the engaging members 33 of the first positioning mechanism 31).

An annular groove 32c into which a plurality of steel balls 52 can be partially engaged is formed at a portion near the tip of the connecting pin 32. The engaging member 33 has a tubular portion 53 that is a tubular portion 53 that extends horizontally into the coupler plate 21A and has a rear end wall 53a formed at the rear end. Four steel ball receiving holes 54 are formed in the vicinity of the left end of the tubular portion 53, and the steel balls 52 having a diameter larger than the wall thickness of the tubular portion 53 are movably accommodated in the steel ball receiving holes 54.
A cap member 55 is externally screwed to the right end portion of the cylinder portion 53, a movable cylinder 56 is movably mounted inside the cylinder portion 53 in the left-right direction, and the movable cylinder 56 is urged to the left by a compression spring 57. Has been done.

The bolt 58 that regulates the left movement of the movable cylinder 56 penetrates the back end wall 56a of the movable cylinder 56 and the back end wall 53a of the cylinder portion 53 and is screwed into the back wall 55a of the cap member 55, and the bolt 58 The head is locked to the back end wall 56a of the movable cylinder 56. A tapered hole 56b is formed in the left end portion of the movable cylinder 56 with which the tapered portion 32b of the connecting pin 32 is engaged, and when the movable cylinder 56 is in the left limit position, four steel ball receiving holes are formed by the left end portion of the movable cylinder 56. The inner surface of 54 is closed. When the connecting pin 32 is fully inserted into the engaging hole 33a, the movable cylinder 56 retracts to the right so that the annular groove 32c of the connecting pin 32 is in a position where the four steel balls 52 can be partially received.

The outer cylinder member 59 is slidably fitted to the cylinder portion 53 and the cap member 55 in the left-right direction, and the lid member 60 is internally fitted and screwed to the right end portion of the outer cylinder member 59. An air chamber 61 is formed between the cap member 55 and the lid member 60, and the air chamber 61 can supply pressurized air from the air supply port 60a formed in the lid member 60, and the pressurized air can be supplied. It is supplied from a pressurized air supply source (not shown) by an air hose 33p.

An annular portion 59a slidably fitted to the tubular portion 53 is formed at the left end portion of the outer cylinder member 59, and four steel balls 52 are partially missed at the inner peripheral portion of the left end portion of the annular portion 59a. An annular relief groove 59b is formed for this purpose, and a compression spring 62 is mounted between the annular portion 59a and the left end of the cap member 55 inside the outer cylinder member 59, and the outer cylinder member 59 is left by the compression spring 62. In a state of being urged toward the direction and discharging pressurized air from the air chamber 61, as shown in FIG. 17, the outer cylinder member 59 moves to the left limit position and the annular portion 59a pushes the four steel balls 52. It is pushed toward the inner diameter side to engage with the annular groove 32c.

When the coupler mounting member 20A and the coupler plate 21A are connected by the first connecting mechanism 34, pressurized air is supplied to the air chamber 61, and the outer cylinder member 59 moves to the right as much as possible as shown in FIG. The locking portion 59c is received by the cap member 55, and the four steel balls 52 are partially engaged with the relief groove 59b so as not to project to the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 53.

In this state, when the connecting pin 32 is inserted into the engaging hole 33a, the four steel balls 52 are partially received by the annular groove 32c of the connecting pin 32, and the pressurized air in the air chamber 61 is discharged. , The outer cylinder member 59 moves to the left to be in the state shown in FIG. 17, and the connecting pin 32 is locked to the cylinder portion 53 via the four steel balls 52 engaged with the annular groove 32c of the connecting pin 32. Become in a state.

When the above-mentioned connection state is released, when pressurized air is supplied to the air chamber 61, as shown in FIG. 16, the outer cylinder member 59 moves to the right, and the four steel balls 52 have escape grooves 59b. Since it is partially received by the steel, the connecting pin 32 can be pulled out from the engaging hole 33a to bring it into a disconnected state (divided state).

Next, the second positioning mechanism 41 and the second connecting mechanism 44 will be described.
The second positioning mechanism 41 has a positioning pin 42 attached to the coupler plate 21A and an engaging member 43 attached to the drive unit 22A, but the positioning pin 42 has the same structure as the positioning pin 32. The engaging member 43 and its accessory mechanism have the same structure as the engaging member 33 and its accessory mechanism, and the second positioning mechanism 41 has the same structure as the first positioning mechanism 31. Is omitted.

The second connecting mechanism 44 has the same connecting pin 42 as the positioning pin 42 and the same engaging member 43 as the engaging member 33, but the second connecting mechanism 44 has the same structure as the first connecting mechanism 34. The engaging member 43 and its accessory mechanism have the same structure as the engaging member 33 and its accessory mechanism, and the second connecting mechanism 44 has the same structure as the first connecting mechanism 34. The above description will be omitted.

Next, the actions and effects of the injection molding machine 1 and the coupling devices 5A and 5B will be described.
It is not necessary to provide the coupler plates 21A and 21B and the drive units 22A and 22B on both the injection molding machine 1 side and the mold preparation station 2A, and one set of coupler plates 21A and 21B and the drive units 22A and 22B may be provided. Therefore, it is advantageous in terms of equipment cost and space.

At the mold preparation station 2A, the coupler plate 21A. Coupler mounting members 20A in a state where a plurality of hoses 24 and harnesses 24e are connected to 21B, the coupler plates 21A and 21B are switched to connection positions, connected to the coupler mounting members 20A and 20B, and separated from the drive units 22A and 22B. , 20B, coupler plates 21A, 21B and mold 6 are transported to the injection molding machine 1 side, so that a plurality of hoses 24 and harness 24e are manually connected to the coupler plates 21A, 21B on the injection molding machine 1 side. Since the work can be omitted, the labor for mold replacement can be reduced and the time can be shortened.

When the used mold 6 is carried out from the injection molding machine 1 to the mold preparation station 2A, a plurality of hoses 24 and harnesses 24e are connected to the coupler plates 21A and 21B, and the coupler plates 21A and 21B are attached to the coupler mounting members. Since the coupler mounting members 20A and 20B, the coupler plates 21A and 21B and the mold 6 can be transported to the mold preparation station 2A while connected to the 20A and 20B, the labor for mold replacement can be reduced and the time can be shortened. it can.

In the mold preparation station 2A, when connecting a plurality of hoses 24 to the mold 6 or separating a plurality of hoses 24 from the mold 6, the coupler mounting members 20A and 20B and the coupler plates 21A and 21B are connected and separated. Can be efficiently performed by the drive units 22A and 22B, so that time can be shortened and energy saving can be achieved.

When the coupler plates 21A and 21B are set to the connection positions, since the first positioning mechanism 31 for positioning the positions of the coupler mounting members 20A and 20B with respect to the coupler plates 21A and 21B is provided, the coupler mounting members 20A of the coupler plates 21A and 21B are provided. , 20B can be connected smoothly.

With the coupler plates 21A and 21B in the connection position, the coupler mounting members 20A and 20B are provided with the first connecting mechanism 34 for detachably connecting the coupler plates 21A and 21B to the coupler mounting members 20A and 20B. The coupler plates 21A and 21B can be held in a connected state and transported, or the coupler plates 21A and 21B can be separated from the coupler mounting members 20A and 20B by disconnecting the coupler plates 21A and 21B.

Since the second positioning mechanism 41 for positioning the positions of the coupler plates 21A and 21B with respect to the drive units 22A and 22B is provided, the coupler plates 21A and 21B can be positioned with the coupler plates 21A and 21B by positioning the coupler plates 21A and 21B with the second positioning mechanism 41. The connection with the drive units 22A and 22B can be smoothly performed.

Since the second connecting mechanism 44 for detachably connecting the coupler plates 21A and 21B to the drive units 22A and 22B is provided, the coupler plates 21A and 21B in the separated positions are held in the connected state with the drive units 22A and 22B. It is also possible to release the above-mentioned connection state after switching the coupler plates 21A and 21B to the connection position.

The mold 6 has a movable side mold 6B and a fixed side mold 6A, and a coupling device 5A including a coupler mounting member 20A, a coupler plate 21A, and a drive unit 22A corresponding to the fixed side mold 6A is provided. A coupling device 5B including a coupler mounting member 20B corresponding to the movable mold 6B, a coupler plate 21B, and a drive unit 22B was provided. Therefore, the number of passage members 25 for connecting the male portion 23a or the female portion of the plurality of couplers of one coupler mounting member 20A and 20B to the fluid passage in the mold 6 is reduced as much as possible, and the length of the passage member 25 is reduced. It can be made as short as possible.

An example of partially changing the ecology of the above implementation will be described.
1) The case where the mold preparation station 2A is provided on the mold carrier 2 has been described, but the mold preparation station 2A may be provided on a fixedly provided stage.

2) The mold transporting means is not limited to that of the above-described embodiment, and various existing mold transporting means can be adopted.
3) The coupling device of the present invention can be similarly applied to a die casting machine and a press machine in addition to an injection molding machine.
4) In addition, those skilled in the art can carry out the embodiment in which various modifications are added to the above-described embodiment, and the present invention also includes such modified embodiments.

The present invention can be applied to various injection molding machines, die casting machines and press machines, and can increase the productivity of molding work.

1 Injection molding machine 2 Die transfer cart 2A Die preparation station 5A, 5B Coupling device 6 Die 6A Fixed mold 6B Movable mold 10 Fixed platen 11 Movable platen 14 Die introduction space 16 Die transfer means 20A, 20B Coupler mounting members 21A, 21B Coupler plates 22A, 22B Drive unit 23a Male part 23b Female part 24 Hose 25 Passage member 31 First positioning mechanism 34 First connecting mechanism 41 Second positioning mechanism 44 Second connecting mechanism

Claims (6)

Coupling of a molding machine having a mold transporting means capable of transporting a mold between a mold introduction space on the molding machine side into which a mold is introduced and a mold preparation station on the side of the mold introduction space. In the device
A coupler mounting member equipped with a male portion or a female portion of a plurality of couplers mounted on the mold and connected to a fluid passage in the mold via a passage member, and a coupler mounting member.
A coupler plate equipped with a plurality of couplers that can be connected to the male or female parts of the plurality of couplers of the coupler mounting member and is connected to a plurality of hoses extending from the temperature control fluid supply source. ,
A connection position equipped in the mold preparation station and bringing the coupler plate close to the coupler mounting member to connect a plurality of couplers, and separating the coupler plate from the coupler mounting member to separate the plurality of couplers. It is equipped with a drive unit that can be moved and driven to a separated position to be in a state and that can be separated from the coupler plate.
At the mold preparation station, the female part or the male part of the plurality of couplers is connected to the plurality of the hoses in a state where the coupler plate is switched from the separation position to the connection position and the coupler plate is separated from the drive unit. A coupling device for a molding machine, characterized in that the mold is conveyed to the mold introduction space by the mold conveying means with the coupler plate connected to the coupler mounting member. The coupling device for a molding machine according to claim 1, further comprising a first positioning mechanism for positioning the position of the coupler mounting member with respect to the coupler plate when the coupler plate is set to the connection position. The molding machine according to claim 1, wherein a first connecting mechanism for detachably connecting the coupler plate to the coupler mounting member is provided with the coupler plate in the connecting position. Coupling device. The coupling device for a molding machine according to claim 1, further comprising a second positioning mechanism for positioning the position of the coupler plate with respect to the drive unit. The coupling device for a molding machine according to claim 1, further comprising a second connecting mechanism for detachably connecting the coupler plate to the drive unit. The mold has a movable side mold and a fixed side mold,
Claim 1 is characterized in that a coupler mounting member, a coupler plate, and a drive unit corresponding to the fixed-side mold are provided, and a coupler mounting member, a coupler plate, and a drive unit corresponding to the movable-side mold are provided. The coupling device of the molding machine described in 1.

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