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US 11,534,948 B2Granted
Cooling plate assembly for an injection molding machine
AssigneeNiigon Machines Ltd.
InventorsRobert D. Schad, Roberto Sicilia
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cooling plate for an injection molding machine includes a plate body, a plurality of sockets in the plate body for receiving respective spigot portions of a plurality of cooling tubes, and a cooling fluid conduit system in the plate body for cooling the cooling tubes. The cooling plate further includes an air conduit system in the plate body for providing air flow communication with the cooling tubes. Each socket forms a blockable flow passage between the cooling fluid conduit system and the air conduit system.
Claims19
A method of producing injection molded articles in an injection molding machine, comprising:
- a) closing a mold to form enclosed cavities of a shape corresponding to the articles to be manufactured;
- b) injecting melt into the cavities;
- c) opening the mold and transferring the articles from the cavities to a plurality of cooling tubes mounted to a cooling plate,
- i. the plurality of cooling tubes arranged in a first group of first cooling tubes connected in series to a first cooling line, and at least a second group of second cooling tubes connected in series to a second cooling line, and
- ii. each cooling fluid line having a respective inlet end connected to a supply header and a respective outlet end connected to an evacuation header, the first and second cooling lines isolated from each other between the respective inlet ends and outlet ends;
- d) supplying a flow of cooling fluid to the supply header in the cooling plate, the cooling fluid flowing to the evacuation header via a first flow through the first cooling fluid line to draw heat away from the first cooling tubes and via a second flow through the second cooling line to draw heat away from the second cooling tubes;
- and
- e) withdrawing the flow of cooling fluid from the cooling plate via the evacuation header.
5 more elements
A method of producing injection molded articles in an injection molding machine, comprising:
- a) closing a mold to form enclosed cavities of a shape corresponding to the articles to be manufactured;
- b) injecting melt into the cavities;
- c) opening the mold and transferring the articles from the cavities to a plurality of cooling tubes mounted to a cooling plate, the cooling tubes arranged in a first group of first cooling tubes and at least a second group of second cooling tubes;
- d) passing a first flow of cooling fluid sequentially through cooling conduits of the first cooling tubes via a first cooling line connecting the first cooling tubes together in series;
- and
- e) in parallel with step d), passing a second flow of cooling fluid sequentially through cooling conduits of the second cooling tubes via a second cooling line connecting the second cooling tubes together in series.
3 more elements
A method of producing injection molded articles in an injection molding machine, comprising:
- a) closing a mold to form enclosed cavities of a shape corresponding to articles to be manufactured;
- b) injecting melt into the cavities;
- c) opening the mold and transferring the articles from the cavities to a plurality of cooling tubes mounted to a cooling plate,
- i. the plurality of cooling tubes including a first group of the cooling tubes connected to a first cooling line downstream of a first inlet end of the first cooling line and upstream of a first outlet end of the first cooling line, and at least a second group of the cooling tubes connected to a second cooling line downstream of a second inlet end of the second cooling line and upstream of a second outlet end of the second cooling line;
- ii. the first inlet end of the first cooling line connected to a supply header and the first outlet end of the first cooling line connected to an evacuation header, with all of the cooling tubes that are connected to the first cooling line being arranged in series between the first inlet end and the first outlet end;
- and
- iii. the second inlet end of the second cooling line connected to the supply header and the second outlet end of the second cooling line connected to the evacuation header, with all of the cooling tubes that are connected to the second cooling line being arranged in series between the second inlet end and the second outlet end;
- d) supplying a flow of cooling fluid to the supply header in the cooling plate, the cooling fluid flowing to the evacuation header via a first flow through the first cooling line to draw heat away from the cooling tubes of the first group and via a second flow through the second cooling line to draw heat away from the cooling tubes of the second group;
- and
- e) withdrawing the flow of cooling fluid from the cooling plate via the evacuation header.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.