Drive apparatus for injection molding machine, injection apparatus, and mold clamping apparatus

Abstract

An object is to provide a drive apparatus for an injection molding machine which can generate a large thrust force and can provide short-cycled continuous drive. The drive apparatus includes a housing ( 11 ); a tubular linear motor ( 14 ) including a movable element ( 12 ) disposed within the housing ( 11 ) in a manner capable of advancing and retreating, and a stationary element ( 13 ) attached to the housing ( 11 ), the linear motor ( 14 ) serving as a first drive section; a member-to-be-driven ( 15 ) caused to advance and retreat together with the movable element ( 12 ); and a second drive section attached to the housing ( 11 ) and disposed such that at least a portion of the second drive section overlaps the linear motor ( 14 ) along the axial direction. By merely a slight increase in a radial dimension, the area of a permanent magnet ( 23 ) of the movable element ( 12 ) can be sufficiently increased, and the capacity of the linear motor ( 14 ) can be increased.

1 . A mold clamping apparatus characterized by comprising:
 (a) a first stationary section to which a first mold is attached;   (b) a second stationary section spaced by a predetermined distance apart from the first stationary section;   (c) a connection member extending between the first and second stationary sections;   (d) a movable section disposed in a manner capable of advancing and retreating along the connection member and to which a second mold is attached; and   (e) a tubular linear motor connected to either the movable section or the second stationary section and comprising a stationary element and a movable element disposed in a manner capable of advancing and retreating.   
   
   
       2 . A mold clamping apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the stationary element is fixed to the movable section. 
   
   
       3 . A mold clamping apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein (a) an amplifying mechanism section for amplifying thrust force is disposed between the second stationary section and the movable element; and
 (b) an advancing-retreating member of the amplifying mechanism section is fixed to the movable element.   
   
   
       4 . A mold clamping apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the stationary element is slidably supported by the second stationary section. 
   
   
       5 . A mold clamping apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the stationary element is fixed to the second stationary section. 
   
   
       6 . A mold clamping apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein (a) an amplifying mechanism section for amplifying thrust force is disposed between the movable section and the movable element; and
 (b) an advancing-retreating member of the amplifying mechanism section is fixed to the movable element.   
   
   
       7 . A mold clamping apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the movable element is disposed in a manner capable of advancing and retreating along the connection member. 
   
   
       8 . A mold clamping apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 (a) the linear motor serves as a first drive section; and   (b) a second drive section is disposed such that at least a portion of the second drive section overlaps the first drive section.   
   
   
       9 . A mold clamping apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the second drive section is disposed in an ejector apparatus. 
   
   
       10 . A mold clamping apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the second drive section comprises a linear motor.