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US 11,718,005 B2Granted
Flow control of an injection molding system
AssigneeIncoe Corporation
InventorsAnton Jorg, Scott Greb, Christian Striegel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An actuator system for an injection molding system includes a double acting pressurized fluid actuator having a piston drive movable in a cylinder space, a flow control valve for regulating a flow rate of pressurized fluid to and/or from the cylinder space, a flow sensor for detecting the flow rate of pressurized fluid to and/or from the cylinder space, and an electronic controller for controlling the flow control valve to regulate the flow rate of pressurized fluid to and/or from the cylinder space depending on the flow rate detected by the flow sensor.
Claims23
An injection molding system comprising:
- a first actuator system including:
- a first piston drive having at least two pressure line connectors to drive a piston to open or close a molding nozzle;
- first pressure lines connected to a changeover valve having at least two changeover pressure line connectors, wherein the first changeover valve pressure line connector is connected to a first pressure line and the second changeover valve pressure line connector is connected to a second pressure line, wherein the second pressure line is connected to the first pressure line connector of the first piston drive;
- an electronically adjustable flow control valve having a first pressure line connector and a second pressure line connector, wherein the first pressure line connector of the adjustable flow control valve is connected to the first pressure line to allow a connection to the first pressure line connector of the changeover valve, and the second pressure line connector of the adjustable flow control valve is connected to a third pressure line which establishes a connection to the second pressure line connector of the piston drive;
- a first electronic flow sensor for sensing flow rate in the first, second and/or third pressure lines;
- a controller connected to the adjustable flow control valve and to the first electronic flow sensor, configured to electronically adjust the flow control valve depending on information of the first electronic flow sensor, and controlling timing and speed of the movement of the piston;
- a second actuator system, including:
- a second piston drive having at least two pressure line connectors to drive another piston to open or close a molding nozzle;
- second pressure lines connectable to one or more changeover valves having a pressure line connector and a tank line connector and at least two changeover pressure line connectors, wherein the first changeover valve pressure line connector is connectable to a first pressure line and the second changeover valve pressure line connector is connectable to a second pressure line, wherein the second pressure line is connected to one of the two pressure line connectors of the second piston drive, and wherein the first pressure line is connected to the other one of the two pressure line connectors of the piston drive;
- a second electronic flow sensor for sensing the flow rate in the first or second pressure line of the second actuator system;
- and
- wherein the controller is connected additionally to the second electronic flow sensor of the second actuator system wherein the first and the second actuator systems are configured to be controlled in a cascade, and wherein the flow control valve is also configured to be controlled by the information of the second electronic flow sensor of the second actuator system.
9 more elements
Injection molding system comprising:
- at least one first actuator-system, the first actuator system comprising:
- at least one piston drive having at least two pressure line connectors to drive a piston to open or close a molding nozzle;
- pressure lines connectable to a changeover valve having a pressure line connector and tank line connector and at least two changeover pressure line connectors, wherein the first changeover valve pressure line connector is connectable to a first pressure line and the second changeover valve pressure line connector is connectable to a second pressure line, wherein the second pressure line is connected to the second pressure line connector of the piston drive;
- an electronically adjustable flow control valve having a first pressure line connector and a second pressure line connector, wherein the first pressure line connector of the adjustable flow control valve being connected to the first pressure line to allow a connection to the first pressure line connector of the changeover valve, and the second pressure line connector is connected to a third pressure line which establishes a connection to the second pressure lien line connector of the piston drive;
- at least one electronic flow sensor for sensing flow rate in the first, second and/or third pressure lines;
- a controller connected to the adjustable flow control valve and to the at least one electronic flow sensor, configured to electronically adjust the flow control valve, depending on information of the at least one electronic flow sensor, controlling thereby the timing and the speed of the movement of the piston and the molding nozzle;
- and
- further comprising several first actuator systems, and their respective sensors and their respective flow control valves are connected to the controller and the controller, which is configured to control one or more of the flow control valves based on one or more of the information of the sensors and wherein the several actuator systems are configured to be controlled in a cascade, and wherein the flow control valves of one actuator system is also configured to be controlled by the information of the at least one sensor of a different actuator system.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.