Remotely mounted electric motor driving a valve pin in an injection molding apparatus

An injection molding apparatus comprising an injection molding machine (IMM), a heated manifold (60) having a distribution channel (120) into which injection fluid (9), a mold (70) having a cavity (80) communicating with a fluid delivery channel (130) that receives injection fluid (9) from the distribution channel (120), the fluid delivery channel (130) delivering fluid (9) at a downstream end to a gate (110) that communicates with the cavity (80), the gate (110) being controllably opened and closed to control flow of the fluid (9) into the cavity (80) during the course of an injection cycle, the apparatus including a valve (50) comprised of:

• an actuator (200) having a rotor (12) rotatably driven (R1) at a rotor speed (R1s), the rotor (12) being interconnected to a distal end (22) of an elongated shaft (20) and adapted to drivably transmit rotational motion (R1) of the rotor to rotational motion (R2) of the elongated shaft (20) for rotation at a shaft speed (R2s), the actuator (200) being mounted to one or the other of a top clamp plate (140) or the injection molding machine (IMM),
• the elongated shaft (20) being interconnected at a proximal end (24) to a converter (40), the converter (40) being adapted to transmit rotational motion (R2) of the elongated shaft (20) directly to driven linear motion (A) of a linear drive member (26), the linear drive member (26) being interconnected to a valve pin (100) arranged within the fluid delivery channel for upstream and downstream movement along a linear path of travel (A) between gate closed and gate open positions via the driven linear motion (A) of the linear drive member (26),
• the elongated shaft (20) having a shaft axis (DA), a length or configuration (LC) selected and adapted such that the actuator (200) is mountable on the apparatus in a position or disposition that is isolated, separated or insulated from significant or substantial exposure to or transmission of heat from the heated manifold (60) through air or metal to metal contact between the heated manifold (60) and the actuator (200),
• wherein the converter is mounted to the apparatus such that the converter (40) travels in a direction radially or front to back (FBS), axially (AS) or along another direction relative to the actuator (200) on heating of the manifold (60) or upon assembly of the apparatus, the elongated shaft (20) being interconnected to the converter (40) or the actuator (200) by one or more connectors (15, 30) that are adapted to enable translational movement of the converter (40) in a radial or front to back (FBS), or axial (AS) direction of the converter (40) and maintain a rotational interconnection of the elongated shaft (20) to the actuator (200) and to the converter (40).

An injection molding apparatus comprising an injection molding machine (IMM), a heated manifold (60) having a distribution channel (120) into which injection fluid (9), a mold (70) having a cavity (80) communicating with a fluid delivery channel (130) that receives injection fluid (9) from the distribution channel (120), the fluid delivery channel (130) delivering fluid (9) at a downstream end to a gate (110) that communicates with the cavity (80), the gate (110) being controllably opened and closed to control flow of the fluid (9) into the cavity (80) during the course of an injection cycle, the apparatus including a valve (50) comprised of:

• an actuator (200) having a rotor (12) rotatably driven (R1) at a rotor speed (R1s), the rotor (12) being interconnected to a distal end (22) of an elongated shaft (20) and adapted to drivably transmit rotational motion (R1) of the rotor to rotational motion (R2) of the elongated shaft (20) for rotation at a shaft speed (R2s), the actuator (200) being mounted to one or the other of a top clamp plate (140) or the injection molding machine (IMM),
• the elongated shaft (20) being interconnected at a proximal end (24) to a converter (40), the converter (40) being adapted to transmit rotational motion (R2) of the elongated shaft (20) directly to driven linear motion (A) of a linear drive member (26), the linear drive member (26) being interconnected to a valve pin (100) arranged within the fluid delivery channel for upstream and downstream movement along a linear path of travel (A) between gate closed and gate open positions via the driven linear motion (A) of the linear drive member (26),
• the elongated shaft (20) having a shaft axis (DA), a length or configuration (LC) selected and adapted such that the actuator (200) is mountable on the apparatus in a position or disposition that is isolated, separated or insulated from significant or substantial exposure to or transmission of heat from the heated manifold (60) through air or metal to metal contact between the heated manifold (60) and the actuator (200),
• wherein the converter (40) is mounted to the heated manifold (60) in an arrangement wherein the converter (40) and converter housing (40h) receive heat generated by the heated manifold (60), the apparatus including a cooling device (300) comprised of a heat conductive plate (300p) having a first downstream facing heat conductive undersurface (300s2) mounted onto or into heat conductive engagement with a heat conductive surface (40ss) of the converter (40), the cooling device including heat conductive wings or projections (300w) that laterally extend from the plate (300p) having surfaces (300s1) adapted to engage a heat conductive surface (140ps) of the top clamp plate (140, 140p), the heat conductive plate (300p) transmitting heat received by the converter (40) and the housing (40h) from the heat conductive surface (40ss) through the wings or projections (300w) to the top clamp plate (140, 140p).

An injection molding apparatus comprising an injection molding machine (IMM), a heated manifold (60) having a distribution channel (120) into which injection fluid (9), a mold (70) having a cavity (80) communicating with a fluid delivery channel (130) that receives injection fluid (9) from the distribution channel (120), the fluid delivery channel (130) delivering fluid (9) at a downstream end to a gate (110) that communicates with the cavity (80), the gate (110) being controllably opened and closed to control flow of the fluid (9) into the cavity (80) during the course of an injection cycle, the apparatus including a valve (50) comprised of:

• an actuator (200) having a rotor (12) rotatably driven (R1) at a rotor speed (R1s), the rotor (12) being interconnected to a distal end (22) of an elongated shaft (20) and adapted to drivably transmit rotational motion (R1) of the rotor to rotational motion (R2) of the elongated shaft (20) for rotation at a shaft speed (R2s), the actuator (200) being mounted to one or the other of a top clamp plate (140) or the injection molding machine (IMM), the elongated shaft (20) being interconnected at a proximal end (24) to a converter (40), the converter (40) being adapted to transmit rotational motion (R2) of the elongated shaft (20) directly to driven linear motion (A) of a linear drive member (26), the linear drive member (26) being interconnected to a valve pin (100) arranged within the fluid delivery channel for upstream and downstream movement along a linear path of travel (A) between gate closed and gate open positions via the driven linear motion (A) of the linear drive member (26),
• the elongated shaft (20) having a shaft axis (DA), a length or configuration (LC) selected and adapted such that the actuator (200) is mountable on the apparatus in a position or disposition that is isolated, separated or insulated from significant or substantial exposure to or transmission of heat from the heated manifold (60) through air or metal to metal contact between the heated manifold (60) and the actuator (200),
• wherein the elongated shaft (20) is interconnected between the actuator (200) and the converter (40) by a movement accommodation connector (15, 30) adapted to enable translational movement of the converter (40) relative to the actuator (200) and to simultaneously interconnect the actuator (200), the elongated shaft (20) and the converter (40) such that the elongated shaft (20) and the converter (40) are rotatably drivable by the actuator (200).

An injection molding apparatus comprising an injection molding machine (IMM), a heated manifold (60) having a distribution channel (120) into which injection fluid (9), a mold (70) having a cavity (80) communicating with a fluid delivery channel (130) that receives injection fluid (9) from the distribution channel (120), the fluid delivery channel (130) delivering fluid (9) at a downstream end to a gate (110) that communicates with the cavity (80), the gate (110) being controllably opened and closed to control flow of the fluid (9) into the cavity (80) during the course of an injection cycle, the apparatus including a valve (50) comprised of:

• an actuator (200) mounted to one or the other of a top clamp plate (140) and the injection molding machine (IMM), the actuator (200) having a rotor (12) rotatably driven (R1) at a rotor speed (R1s), the rotor (12) being interconnected to a distal end (22) of an elongated shaft (20) and adapted to drivably transmit rotational motion (R1) of the rotor to rotational motion (R2) of the elongated shaft (20) for rotation at a shaft speed (R2s),
• the elongated shaft (20) being interconnected at a proximal end (24) to a converter (40), the converter (40) being adapted to transmit rotational motion (R2) of the elongated shaft (20) directly to driven linear motion (A) of a linear drive member (26), the linear drive member (26) being interconnected to a valve pin (100) arranged within the fluid delivery channel for upstream and downstream movement along a linear path of travel (A) between gate closed and gate open positions via the driven linear motion (A) of the linear drive member (26),
• the elongated shaft (20) having a length or configuration (LC) selected and adapted such that the actuator (200) is mountable on the apparatus in a position or disposition that is isolated or insulated from significant or substantial exposure to or transmission of heat from the heated manifold (60) through air or through metal to metal contact between the heated manifold (60) and the actuator (200),
• the converter (40) being mounted to the heated manifold (60) in an arrangement wherein the converter (40) and converter housing (40h) receive heat generated by the heated manifold (60), the apparatus including a cooling device (300) comprised of a heat conductive plate (300p) having a first downstream facing heat conductive undersurface (300s2) mounted onto or into heat conductive engagement with a heat conductive surface (40ss) of the converter (40), the cooling device including heat conductive wings or projections (300w) that laterally extend from the plate (300p) having surfaces (300s1) adapted to engage a heat conductive surface (140ps) of the top clamp plate (140, 140p), the heat conductive plate (300p) transmitting heat received by the converter (40) and the housing (40h) from the heat conductive surface (40ss) through the winqs or projections (300w) to the top clamp plate (140, 140p).