Patent attributes
Principal components of injection molding apparatus include a U-frame, a carrier plate remotely affixable to the U-frame, preferably two cavity blocks remotely affixable to the carrier plate, a corresponding pair of core blocks, and a hot runner assembly remotely affixable to rear faces of the core blocks. These components are placed in a hydraulic press. In a molding operation, the U-frame, carrier plate and cavity blocks move as a unit relative to the hot runner assembly and the core blocks affixed thereto. To quickly change out one or both block pairs, a subassembly comprising the carrier plate and all core and cavity blocks is remotely released from the U-frame and the hot runner assembly and is removed as a unit. Face clamps in the front face of the carrier plate, the rear face of the cavity blocks, the rear face of the core blocks and the front face of the cavity blocks speed the changeout process and obviate potential damage to the molding geometry. A hot runner nozzle cap seat in each core block has a rear-facing bevel which receives a beveled hot runner nozzle cap tip.
