Cooled electric actuator controlled injection

An injection molding system (1000) comprising an injection molding machine (500) that injects a flow of injection fluid (400) to a heated manifold (300) that distributes the injection fluid (400) to a flow channel that delivers the injection fluid to a gate (70) of a mold cavity (80), the injection molding system (1000) further comprising:

• an actuator (5) comprised of a rotor (250) having a drive axis (Y) and a driver (100, 200) interconnected to the rotor (250) adapted to drive the rotor around the drive axis (Y),
• a linear travel converter (15) interconnected between the rotor (250) and a valve pin (800) in an arrangement that converts rotation movement of the rotor to linear movement (XX) of the valve pin (800),
• a heated manifold (300) that generates manifold heat,
• the linear travel converter (15) comprising a converter housing (120) comprised of one or more converter walls (120r, 120rb, 120rc, 120ri, 120ro, 120a) that are comprised of a heat conductive material, the converter walls (120r, 120rb, 120rc, 120ri, 120ro, 120a) being mounted to the heated manifold (300) in an arrangement such that the manifold heat is communicated to the converter walls (120r, 120rb, 120rc, 120ri, 120ro, 120a),
• a converter tube or channel (125) surrounded by and in intimate heat conductive contact with the heat conductive material of one or more of the converter walls (120r, 120rb, 120rc, 120ri, 120ro, 120a),
• a source of heat absorptive fluid (125F) sealably interconnected to the converter tube or channel (125) in an arrangement such that the heat absorptive fluid (125f) is routed through the converter tube or channel (125) in a flow that absorbs the manifold heat communicated to the converter walls.

An injection molding system (1000) comprised of an injection molding machine that injects a flow of injection fluid to a heated manifold that distributes the injection fluid to a flow channel that delivers the injection fluid to a gate of a cavity contained in a mold, the injection molding system including:

• a top clamp plate,
• an actuator comprised of an electricity driven device interconnected to a rotor, the electricity driven device being adapted to receive electrical energy, rotatably drive the rotor around a drive axis and generate electric drive heat, the rotor being interconnected to a valve pin having a pin axis in an arrangement wherein the valve pin is driven along a linear path of travel along the pin axis,
• the actuator including heat conductive walls that form a housing removably mounted to one or the other of the manifold and the top clamp plate (1002), the housing mounting the electricity driven device within an enclosed chamber formed in whole or in part by one or more of the heat conductive walls, the heat conductive walls having an interior surface in thermal conductive contact with the electric drive heat generated by the electricity driven device within the enclosed chamber such that the electric drive heat is received by the heat conductive walls,
• a cooler comprised of a tube or channel formed or contained within or in intimate contact with the one or more heat conductive walls, the tube or channel containing a cooling fluid, the tube or channel being adapted to receive the electric drive heat from the one or more heat conductive walls and transmit or conduct the electric drive heat to the cooling fluid contained within the tube or channel,
• wherein the actuator is mounted in thermal communication with the manifold such that heat generated by the heated manifold is received by the housing of the actuator, the tube or channel formed or contained within or in contact with the one or more heat conductive walls in an arrangement wherein the manifold heat received by the one or more heat conductive walls is transmitted or conducted to the cooling fluid.

An injection molding system (1000) comprising an injection molding machine (500) that injects a flow of injection fluid (400) to a heated manifold (300) that distributes the injection fluid (400) to a flow channel that delivers the injection fluid to a gate (70) of a mold cavity (80), the injection molding system (1000) further comprising:

• an actuator (5) comprised of a rotor (250) having a drive axis (Y) and a driver (100, 200) interconnected to the rotor (250) adapted to drive the rotor around the drive axis (Y),
• a linear travel converter (15) interconnected between the rotor (250) and a valve pin (800) in an arrangement that converts rotation movement of the rotor to linear movement (XX) of the valve pin (800),
• a heated manifold (300) that generates manifold heat,
• the linear travel converter (15) comprising a converter housing (120) comprised of one or more converter walls (120r, 120rb, 120rc, 120ri, 120ro, 120a) forming a converter chamber (145) comprised of:
• a first unitary converter body (120r, 120a, 120ri, 120ai) comprised of a heat conductive material having an inner surface (120ris, 120ais, 120riis, 120aiis) disposed in intimate heat conductive contact with an interior space (145s) of the converter chamber (145) and,
• a second unitary converter body (20ro, 20ao) comprised of a heat conductive material that has an inner surface (120rois, 120aois) in intimate heat conductive contact or communication with a heat communicating surface (120rihcs, 120aihcs) of the first unitary converter body (120ri, 120ai) or of one or more intermediate unitary converter bodies that are comprised of a heat conductive material.

An injection molding system (1000) comprising an injection molding machine (500) that injects a flow of injection fluid (400) to a heated manifold (300) that distributes the injection fluid (400) to a flow channel that delivers the injection fluid to a gate (70) of a mold cavity (80), the injection molding system (1000) comprising:

• an actuator (5) comprised of a rotor (250) having a drive axis (Y) and a driver (100, 200) interconnected to the rotor (250) adapted to drive the rotor rotatably around the drive axis, the rotor being interconnected to a valve pin (800) having a pin axis (X) in arrangement such that the valve pin (800) is drivable linearly along the pin axis (x),
• the actuator having a housing (20) comprised of radial (20r, 20ri, 20ro, 20roa, 20rob, 20roc, 20rod) and axial walls (20a, 20ai, 20aue, 20ade) comprised of a heat conductive material,
• the rotor and driver being supported within the chamber by the radial and axial walls (20r, 20ro, 20ri, 20roa, 20rob, 20roc, 20rod, 20a, 20ai, 20aue, 20ade),
• an actuator tube or channel (25) surrounded by and in intimate heat conductive contact with the heat conductive material of one or more of the radial and axial walls (20r, 20ro, 20ri, 20roa, 20rob, 20roc, 20rod, 20a, 20ai, 20aue, 20ade),
• a source (260) of heat absorptive fluid (25f) sealably interconnected to the tube or channel (25) in an arrangement such that the heat absorptive fluid (25f) is routed through the tube or channel (25) in a flow that absorbs heat from the one or heat conductive walls (20r, 20ro, 20ri, 20roa, 20rob, 20roc, 20rod, 20a, 20ai, 20aue, 20ade),
• wherein the housing (20) is mounted in heat conductive communication with the heated manifold (300) such that manifold heat is absorbed by or communicated to the one or more radial and axial walls (20r, 20ro, 20ri, 20roa, 20rob, 20roc, 20rod, 20a, 20ai, 20aue, 20ade) of the housing, the heat absorptive fluid (25f) absorbing the manifold heat absorbed by or communicated to the one or more radial and axial walls (20r, 20ro, 20ri, 20roa, 20rob, 20roc, 20rod, 20a, 20ai, 20aue, 20ade) of the housing.