Actuator cooling apparatus and method

An injection molding apparatus comprising a clamp plate (80), a heated manifold (20), an actuator (10) interconnected to a valve pin (17) having an axis (A), a mold (300) wherein, when assembled, the clamp plate (80) is mounted upstream of the mold (30), the manifold (20) being disposed between the clamp plate and the mold,

• the actuator (10) comprising a rotor driven by a drive device that consumes electrical energy that generates heat, the rotor and drive device being housed within a heat conductive housing in an arrangement such that the heat generated by the electrical energy is communicated to the heat conductive housing, the rotor being interconnected to the valve pin (17) in an arrangement such that the valve pin (17) is drivable along the axis (A) between an upstream fully gate open position and a downstream gate closed position,
• the mold having a mold cavity,
• a thermally conductive mount (600) to which the actuator (10) is mounted on an upstream side (USM) of the mount,
• the mount being mounted on a downstream side (DSM) in an arrangement in thermal communication with the manifold, the mount being mounted in relation to the manifold such that heat (607) generated by the manifold is conducted from the manifold to the mount,
• the mount including a wing (610) extending laterally or radially away (RADI) from the mount and having a wing engagement surface (620) that engages a complementary surface (80cs) of the clamp plate (80) such that heat (607) conducted from the manifold to the mount is further conducted via the wing mechanism to the clamp plate upon assembly of the mount together with the clamp plate, manifold, mold and actuator into an operating condition where the manifold is brought to elevated operating temperature.

An injection molding apparatus (5) comprising a clamp plate (80), a heated manifold (20), an actuator (10) interconnected to a valve pin (17) having an axis (A), a mold (300) and a cooling device (500) that cools the actuator (10) wherein, when assembled, the clamp plate (80) mounted upstream of the mold (30), the manifold (20) being disposed between the clamp plate and the mold, wherein the actuator (10) comprises a housing body (12) that is mounted in thermally conductive contact along the axis (A) to one or more actuator mounts (50, 60, 803) that are mounted downstream in heat conductive communication with or contact with or on the manifold along the axis (A),

• the actuator (10) comprising a rotor driven by a drive device (174) that consumes electrical energy (187) that generates heat (197), the rotor and drive device being housed within a heat conductive housing (12) in an arrangement such that the heat (197) generated by the electrical energy (187) is communicated to the heat conductive housing (12), the rotor being interconnected to the valve pin (17) in an arrangement such that the valve pin (17) is drivable along the axis (A) between an upstream fully gate open position and a downstream gate closed position,
• wherein the cooling device (500) comprises:
• a heat transmitter comprising a proximal arm or member (504) comprised of a heat conductive material and a distal arm or member (502) comprised of a thermally conductive material, the distal arm or member (502) being mounted by a spring loadable interconnection or engagement (506) on or to the proximal base or member (504), the distal arm or member (502) having a distal end surface (502a) for engaging the clamp plate (80, 80a) under a spring load and a proximal surface (502b) for transmitting heat from the proximal surface to the distal end surface (502a),
• the housing body (12) having a lateral surface (12ls) that is spaced laterally (12ld) from the axis (A), the proximal base or member (504) being mounted in heat conductive contact with and to the lateral surface (12ls) such that the proximal base or member (504) is spaced laterally apart from contact with the one or more actuator mounts (50, 60, 803),
• the clamp plate, the mold (300), the manifold, the actuator and the heat transmitter being assemblable together in an arrangement wherein the spring loadable interconnection 506 is loaded urging the distal end surface (502a) of the distal arm or member (502) into compressed engagement with the clamp plate (80), (80a) at least when the manifold is heated to an elevated operating temperature,
• the proximal exterior surface (502b) being adapted to be engaged and slidable against the lateral surface (12ls,12as) of the housing body (12, 12a) of the actuator 10 such that heat (197) generated by the electrical energy (187) is conducted from the actuator housing (12) to the distal end surface (502a) by contact of the proximal exterior surface (502b) of the distal arm or member (502) on the lateral surface (12ls, 12as) of the actuator.

An injection molding apparatus (5) comprising a clamp plate (80), a heated manifold (20), an actuator (10) interconnected to a valve pin (17) having an axis (A), a mold (300) wherein, when assembled, the clamp plate (80) is mounted upstream of the mold (300), the manifold (20) being disposed between the clamp plate and the mold,

• an actuator (10) comprising a rotor driven by a drive device (174) that consumes electrical energy (187) that generates heat (197), the rotor and drive device being housed within a heat conductive housing (12) in an arrangement such that the heat (197) generated by the electrical energy (187) is communicated to the heat conductive housing (12), the rotor being interconnected to the valve pin (17) in an arrangement such that the valve pin (17) is drivable along the axis (A) between an upstream fully gate open position and a downstream gate closed position,
• a thermal conductor (500) comprised of a thermally conductive material having first (500f) and second (500s) heat conductive surfaces disposed between the clamp plate (80) and the heat conductive housing (12) of the actuator, the heat conductive housing (12) being mounted in thermal communication with the first conductive surface (500f) via a spring (SPR) exerting a spring force (SF) between the actuator (10) and the thermal conductor (500) and conducting heat (197) generated by the electrical energy (187) to the thermal conductor (500),
• the clamp plate (80) being mounted in thermal communication with the second conductive surface (500s),
• the second conductive surface (500s) of the thermal conductor being urged into contact with the clamp plate (80) under the spring force (SF) exerted between the actuator (10) and the thermal conductor (500),
• the heat (197) generated by the electrical energy (187) being conducted from the actuator housing (12) to the clamp plate (80) via conduction of the heat (197) from the first conductive surface (500f) to the second conductive surface (500s) and contact of the second conductive surface (500s) with the clamp plate (80).

An injection molding apparatus (5) comprising a clamp plate (80), a heated manifold (20), an actuator (10) interconnected to a valve pin (17) having an axis (A), a mold (300) and a cooling device (500) that cools the actuator (10) wherein, when assembled, the clamp plate (80) mounted upstream of the mold (300), the manifold (20) being disposed between the clamp plate and the mold,

• wherein the actuator (10) comprises a rotor driven by a drive device that consumes electrical energy that generates heat, the rotor and drive device being housed within a heat conductive housing (12) in an arrangement such that the heat generated by the electrical energy is communicated to the heat conductive housing (12), the rotor being interconnected to the valve pin (17) in an arrangement such that the valve pin (17) is drivable along the axis (A) between an upstream fully gate open position and a downstream gate closed position,
• the heat conductive housing (12) being mounted in thermally conductive contact along the axis (A) to one or more actuator mounts (50, 60, 803) that are mounted downstream in heat conductive communication with or contact with or on the manifold along the axis (A),
• wherein the cooling device (500) comprises:
• a heat transmitter comprising a proximal arm or member (504) comprised of a heat conductive material and a distal arm or member (502) comprised of a thermally conductive material, the distal arm or member (502) being mounted by a spring loadable interconnection or engagement (506) on or to the proximal base or member (504), the distal arm or member (502) having a distal end surface (502a) for engaging the clamp plate (80, 80a) under a spring load and a proximal exterior surface (502b) for transmitting heat from the proximal surface to the distal end surface (502a),
• the housing body (12) having a surface (12ls) that is spaced laterally (12ld) from the axis (A), the distal arm or member (502) being mounted such that the proximal exterior surface (502b) of the distal arm or member (502) is disposed in thermal communication with the laterally spaced surface (12ls) enabling conduction of heat generated by the electrical energy from the heat conductive housing to the distal arm or member (502),
• the proximal base or member (504) being mounted in heat conductive contact with and to the lateral surface (12ls) such that the proximal base or member (504) is spaced laterally apart from contact with the one or more actuator mounts (50, 60, 803) in an arrangement wherein the distal end surface (502a) of the distal arm or member (502) is movable through the spring loadable interconnection (506) toward and away from the actuator (10),
• the clamp plate, the mold (300), the manifold, the actuator and the heat transmitter being assemblable together in an arrangement wherein the spring loadable interconnection (506) is loaded urging the distal end surface (502a) of the distal arm or member (502) into compressed engagement with the clamp plate (80, 80a) at least when the manifold is heated to an elevated operating temperature.

An injection molding apparatus (5) comprising a clamp plate (80), a heated manifold (20), an actuator (10) interconnected to a valve pin (17) having an axis (A), a mold (300) and a cooling device (500) that cools the actuator (10) wherein, when assembled, the clamp plate (80) is mounted upstream of the mold (300), the manifold (20) being disposed between the clamp plate and the mold (300),

• wherein the actuator (10) comprises a rotor driven by a drive device that consumes electrical energy that generates heat, the rotor and drive device being housed within a heat conductive housing (12) in an arrangement such that the heat generated by the electrical energy is communicated to the heat conductive housing (12), the rotor being interconnected to the valve pin (17) in an arrangement such that the valve pin (17) is drivable along the axis (A) between an upstream fully gate open position and a downstream gate closed position,
• wherein the cooling device (500) comprises:
• a heat transmitter comprising a proximal base or member (504) comprised of a heat conductive material and a distal arm or member (502) comprised of a thermally conductive material, the distal arm or member (502) being mounted by one or more spring loadable interconnections (506) on or to the proximal base or member (504), the distal arm or member (502) having a distal end surface (502a) for engaging the clamp plate (80, 80a) under a spring load and a proximal surface (502b) for transmitting heat from the proximal surface to the distal end surface (502a), the spring or spring loadable interconnection (506) has an amount or degree of mass that renders the spring (506) substantially non-heat conductive between the proximal (504) and distal (502) members,
• the distal member (502) has a proximal exterior surface (502b) that is adapted to be engaged and slidable against a complementary surface (12ls,12as) of the housing body (12, 12a) of the actuator (10) such that heat generated by the electrical energy thermally conducts from the housing body (12, 12a) to the distal arm or member (502),
• the clamp plate, the mold (300), the manifold, the actuator and the heat transmitter being assemblable together in an arrangement wherein the spring loadable interconnection (506) is loaded urging the distal end surface (502a) of the distal arm or member (502) into compressed engagement with the clamp plate (80, 80a) at least when the manifold is heated to an elevated operating temperature.

An injection molding apparatus (5) comprising a clamp plate (80), a heated manifold (20), an actuator (10), a mold (300) and a cooling device (500) that cools the actuator (10), wherein when assembled the clamp plate (80) and the mold (300) are interconnected and spaced apart from each other, the manifold (20) is disposed between the clamp plate and the mold and the actuator (10) is mounted in thermally conductive communication with the manifold (20),

• wherein the actuator (10) comprises a rotor driven by a drive device that consumes electrical energy that generates heat, the rotor and drive device being housed within a heat conductive housing (12) in an arrangement such that the heat generated by the electrical energy is communicated to the heat conductive housing (12), the rotor being interconnected to the valve pin (17) in an arrangement such that the valve pin (17) is drivable along the axis (A) between an upstream fully gate open position and a downstream gate closed position, the housing (12, 12a) being mounted in thermal communication with the manifold (20),
• wherein the cooling device (500) comprises:
• a heat transmitter comprising a distal arm or member (502) and a proximal base or member (504), the distal arm or member (502) being mounted by a spring loadable interconnection or engagement (506) to or with the proximal base or member (504), the distal arm or member (502) being comprised of a thermally conductive material having a distal end surface (502a) for engaging the clamp plate (80, 80a) under a spring load,
• the proximal base or member (504) being mounted to the housing body (12) of the actuator (10) in an arrangement wherein the distal end surface (502a) of the distal arm or member (502) is movable through the spring loadable interconnection (506) toward and away from the actuator (10),
• wherein the spring or spring loadable interconnection (506) has engagement surfaces (506es) that engage against complementary opposing engagement surfaces (504us, 502us) of proximal (504) and distal (502) members having a selected area of engagement that renders spring (506) substantially non-heat conductive between the proximal and distal arms or members,
• the distal member (502) has a proximal exterior surface (502b) that is adapted to be engaged and slidable against a complementary surface (12ls,12as) of the housing body (12, 12a) of the actuator (10) such that heat generated by the electrical energy thermally conducts from the housing body (12, 12a) to the distal arm or member (502),
• the clamp plate, the mold (300), the manifold, the actuator and the heat transmitter being assemblable together in an arrangement wherein the proximal surface (502b) slides along the complementary surface (12ls, 12as) and the spring loadable interconnection (506) is loaded urging the distal end surface (502a) of the distal arm or member (502) into compressed engagement with the clamp plate (80, 80a) at least when the manifold is heated to an elevated operating temperature.