Edge-gated injection molding apparatus

An edge-gated hot runner system suitable for delivering opposing streams of molding material to each cavity in a mold having an array of mold cavities, the edge-gated hot runner system comprising:

• a first delivery body in fluid communication with a molding material source, the first delivery body in fluid communication with a tip that points in a first direction;
• a last delivery body in fluid communication with the molding material source, the last delivery body in fluid communication with a tip that points in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction;
• and
• one or more middle delivery bodies in fluid communication with the molding material source, each of the one or more middle delivery bodies being positioned between the first delivery body and the last delivery body, wherein each of the one or more middle delivery bodies is in fluid communication with a respective first tip that points in the first direction and with a respective second tip that points in the second direction,
• wherein each of the one or more middle delivery bodies includes a first inlet and a second inlet, the first inlet being in fluid communication with the respective first tip that points in the first direction, and the second inlet being in fluid communication with the respective second tip that points in the second direction.

An edge-gated injection mold comprising:

• a plurality of cavity inserts arranged in an array, each cavity insert defining a mold cavity having a pair of mold gates that are located on opposite sides of the cavity insert;
• and
• a hot runner system having a manifold including a manifold channel in fluid communication with a molding material source and a plurality of delivery bodies, for each row of the array, the plurality of delivery bodies including,
• a first unidirectional delivery body in fluid communication with the manifold channel of the manifold, the first unidirectional delivery body being positioned outside of a first column of the array, the first unidirectional delivery body having a melt channel in fluid communication with a tip associated with a mold gate of a mold cavity in the first column of the array,
• a second unidirectional delivery body in fluid communication with the manifold channel of the manifold, the second unidirectional delivery body being positioned outside of a last column of the array, the second unidirectional delivery body having a melt channel in fluid communication with a tip associated with a mold gate of a mold cavity in the last column of the array, and
• a middle delivery body in fluid communication with the manifold channel of the manifold, the middle delivery body being positioned between adjacent columns of the array, the middle delivery body having a first melt channel in fluid communication with a first tip associated with a respective mold cavity in one of the adjacent columns of the array on a first side of the middle delivery body and a second melt channel in fluid communication with a second tip associated with a respective mold cavity in the other of the adjacent columns of the array on a second side of the middle delivery body,
• wherein the first tip of the middle delivery body points in a first direction and the second tip of the middle delivery body points in a second direction that is opposite the first direction, and
• wherein the middle delivery body includes a first inlet and a second inlet, the first inlet being in fluid communication with the first tip in the first direction via the first melt channel, and the second inlet being in fluid communication with the second tip in the second direction via the second melt channel.