Slide retainer for injection molds

Abstract

A conventional injection mold of the type having two half parts, and slides connected to core parts which slide inwardly and outwardly as the mold half parts open and close, have mounted therein slide retainers which lock the slides in position with respect to a slide plate in one of the mold half parts when the mold halves are fully opened. The retainers include a latch portion mounted to the slide and having a camming surface facing away from the core of the mold and a V-shaped notch therein, and a slide lock mounted below the surface of the slide plate and having a plunger with a head which extends upwardly above the flat surface of the slide plate. The head of the plunger is formed in a V-shape to match the V-shaped notch of the latch and is spring biased upwardly to provide a firm engagement between the plunger head and the latch when the slide is in the fully opened position. A stack of bowed, spring loaded washers may be utilized to apply the spring bias against the plunger to drive it upwardly. By mounting the slide lock below the surface of the slide plate and the latch within the slide, very little machining of standard mold parts is required and minimal space within the mold is occupied by these parts, so that the normal operation of the mold is not obstructed and no substantial modification of the mold is required.