Abstract: During injection molding of a thin-wall plastic product, such as a drink cup, the formation of void-based irregularities is prevented in a thin-wall portion of the product formed within a zone of a thin-wall cavity section that is located between adjoining flow chambers, in which zone the thickness of the thin-wall cavity section increases in the general direction of flow within the flow chambers adjoining such zone. Such void-based irregularity formation is prevented by dimensioning the mold cavity so that the thickness increases in such direction at less than a threshold rate. The flow chambers do not extend to a rim portion of the thin-wall cavity section; and the respective inscribed-sphere dimensions of the adjoining flow chambers within a terminal zone of the thin-wall cavity section adjacent a rim portion of the mold cavity are less than the respective inscribed-sphere dimensions of upstream portions of the adjoining flow chambers.

Abstract: During injection molding of a plastic product having a base wall and a sidewall, alignment of the mold parts that shape the mold cavity is maintained by conducting injected plastic material through a sequence of variable-opening throttles in a base-wall-section flow guide of the mold cavity. The openings of the throttles vary in response to variations in the thickness of a region of the sidewall section into which injected plastic material is conducted from the base-wall-section flow guide so that upon an increase in the thickness of such region the openings of the throttles in the base-wall-section flow guide decrease and so that upon a decrease in the thickness of such region the openings of the throttles in the base-wall-section flow guide increase.

Abstract: A system for operating a command-input device for an automated production machine to provide commands to the machine includes a status signal generator; a computer and apparatus for operating the command-input device. Commands for various functions of the machine may be provided to the machine by operation of the command-input device. The status signals indicate functional states of the automated production machine; the computer responds to the status signals by generating control signals; and the apparatus for operating the command-input device of the automated production machine does so in response to the control signals. In an embodiment in which the command-input device is mechanically operated by using a keyboard or a touch screen, a robotic device is used to operate the command-input device in response to the control signals.

Abstract: Articles, such as components of an injection-molded multi-component product, are repositioned within a space, such as the space between mold parts, that is accessible for repositioning only during a series of periods, such as open-mold periods, that are separated by intervals of less accessibility for repositioning, such as closed-mold intervals by (a) moving a first article, such as a first component of a first multi-component product, from a first position within the space to outside of the space during a first such period; and (b) moving a second identical article, such as a first component of a second multi-component, from outside of the space to a second position within the space during the first such period. Both the movement of the first article and the movement of the second article are by means of a common vehicle, such as a common robot arm.

Abstract: In a laryngoscope, a blade for displacing a person's tongue in order to facilitate insertion of an endotracheal tube into the person's trachea includes a distal portion for insertion through the person's mouth and into the person's oropharynx and an elongated portion extending from the distal portion; the elongated portion is substantially wider than the distal portion and includes an inner side that is disposed for contacting and displacing the person's tongue when the distal portion is inserted into the person's oropharynx; and the inner side of the elongated portion is laterally contoured for restraining the person's tongue in a relatively centered position while the tongue is being displaced. The blade and the handle of the laryngoscope are injection molded in the same mold and may be of the same plastic material. Preferably the blade is transparent for transmitting light from a light source in the handle.

Abstract: Various steps in the operation of an insulated runner injection molding system are automated by computer generated responses to various sensing steps or other steps to thereby reduce the performance requirements of the system operator. In automatic response to a manual operation incident to closure of a machine gate after an end-of sequence signal, a computer causes mold-cavity-encasing mold parts to be engaged. In automatic response to sensing such engagement of the mold-cavity-encasing mold parts, the computer causes the molding system to be adjusted to enable disengagement of insulated-runner-channel-encasing mold parts. In automatic response to sensing such adjustment of the molding system, the computer causes channel-encasing mold parts to be disengaged, whereupon a sprue is automatically removed therefrom in response to relative movement of the channel-encasing mold parts.

Abstract: Various steps in the operation of an insulated runner injection molding system are automated by computer generated responses to various sensing steps or other steps to thereby reduce the performance requirements of the system operator. In automatic response to a manual operation incident to closure of a machine gate subsequent to removal of a sprue from channel-encasing mold parts, a computer causes the molding system to be adjusted to enable injection of molten plastic into an insulated runner channel to form the insulated runner and through the insulated runner into mold-cavities. In automatic response to sensing such readjustment of the molding system, the computer causes a predetermined quantity of molten plastic to be metered for injection to form the insulated runner. In automatic response to sensing such metering the computer causes the metered quantity to be injected into the channel.

Abstract: Articles, such as components of an injection-molded multi-component product, are repositioned within a space, such as the space between mold parts, that is accessible for repositioning only during a series of periods, such as open-mold periods, that are separated by intervals of less accessibility for repositioning, such as closed-mold intervals by (a) moving a first article, such as a first component of a first multi-component product, from a first position within the space to outside of the space during a first such period; and (b) moving a second identical article, such as a first component of a second multi-component, from outside of the space to a second position within the space during the first such period. Both the movement of the first article and the movement of the second article are by means of a common vehicle, such as a common robot arm.

Abstract: Balanced injection molding in a multi-cavity mold of a plurality of ridged-wall products having is accomplished by providing mold parts defining therebetween at least two cavities for forming the ridged-wall plastic products, wherein each of at least two cavities defines a plurality of flow channels in which injected plastic material flows within the cavity and in which flow channels the first side strips are formed; wherein the relative disposition of the mold parts is adjustable for adjusting the dimensions of the flow channels in at least two mold cavities separately so that when plastic material is injected approximately simultaneously into the at least two mold cavities the injected plastic material flows within the at least two cavities at respective flow rates that cause the at least two mold cavities to be completely filled approximately simultaneously with the injected plastic material.

Abstract: A hollow stackable injection-molded product includes a generally conically contoured sidewall having a plurality of longitudinal folds of alternating ridges and furrows. Each fold includes a first side strip laterally extending from the top of a first ridge to the bottom of a first furrow and a second side strip laterally extending from the bottom of the first furrow to the top of a second ridge next to the first ridge. Over most of the longitudinal extent of the sidewall, at least a predominant portion of each of the second side strips has an outward approximately conic-section lateral curvature to thereby provide a better fit between like products of such configuration when stacked inside one another and to thereby further reduce their stacking height. The lateral curvature of each second side strip is approximately circular.

Abstract: During operation of a molding apparatus that combines a cavity part having a plurality of cavity sections and a core part having a plurality of cores to define a plurality of mold cavities therebetween, when the cavity part and the core part are first separated from one another following formation of products in the mold cavities, force is applied to the products in order to retain the products in the cavity part. While the cavity part and the core part are being further separated from one another the products are moved from the cavity part to the core part; and the products are ejected from the core part when the cavity part and the core part are still further separated from one another. Alternatively, the products are ejected from the cavity part.

Abstract: In an injection molding apparatus in which first and second mold parts are combined to define therebetween an insulated section of a runner system through which molten plastic material is injected into at least one mold cavity, spring-biased plungers are included in at least one of the first and second mold parts for restraining a shell of plastic material within at least a part of the insulated section of the runner system from contacting any portion of at least one of the mold parts within the insulated section of the runner system other than the plungers when the first and second mold parts are separated from one another.

Abstract: In a multi-cavity molding apparatus that includes a cavity part having a plurality of cavity sections that is combined with a core part having a plurality of cores to define a plurality of mold cavities therebetween, and a plurality of locking rings respectively disposed around a plurality of the cores for engagement with respective cavity sections when the core part is combined with the cavity part, a cavity shield is attached to the cavity part to prevent molded products ejected from the mold cavities from entering spaces between the cavity sections of the cavity part and a core shield is attached to the core part to help prevent the ejected products from entering spaces between the cores of the core part. The cavity shield and the core shield thereby respectively limit obstruction by the cavity part and the core part of removal of the ejected products from the space between the cavity past and the core part. The core shield includes more than the ejection means.