Mold runner for prevention of in-mold coating flow
AssigneeOMNOVA Solutions Inc.
InventorJohn A. Thompson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mold runner for a runner or sprue type injection molding apparatus. The mold runner allows the passage of a substrate material from an injection source into a mold cavity and contains a containment shroud which utilizes the relative incompressibility of the substrate material in the containment shroud which prevents an in-mold coating, which is injected into the mold cavity in a subsequent step, from flowing into the injection substrate source thereby contaminating the same.
Claims28
A mold runner having a containment shroud to prevent
- in-mold coating flow, comprising:
- a body member having at least a first end and a second end connected by a passageway;
- and
- a containment shroud, said containment shroud located in said passageway between said first end and said second end, said containment shroud being a barrier which prevents an in-mold coating from traveling from one of said ends to the other of said ends, and said containment shroud extending around the perimeter of the passageway.
An injection mold runner, comprising:
- a) the mold runner having a passageway therein capable of receiving a thermoplastic substrate composition,
- b) a containment shroud located in said passageway, said containment shroud extending around a periphery of said passageway, and having a width along an axial length of said passageway, said shroud capable of terminating the flow of an in-mold coating composition along said passageway when filled with said thermoplastic substrate composition.
An in-mold coated article, comprising:
- a molded article formed of a substrate composition, said molded article including said in-mold coating on at least one surface thereof;
- and
- a sprue connected to said molded article, said sprue having a length extending from said molded article, said sprue being substantially conical, cylindrical, or tapered along said length, said sprue having a projection at a point along its length extending completely around a perimeter of said sprue for prevention of in-mold coating flow from the partial length of the sprue connected to said molded article to the partial length of said sprue opposite said projection.
A method for preventing in-mold coating flow from entering a substrate injection device, said method comprising the steps of:
- injecting a substrate composition above its melting point into a mold cavity through a mold half comprising a mold runner forming a molded article in said mold cavity and a sprue in said mold runner connected to said molded article, said mold runner having a containment shroud located in a passageway of said mold runner between a first end and a second end, said containment shroud extending around the perimeter of the passageway and also filled with said substrate composition;
- and
- injecting an in-mold coating onto a surface of said molded article in said mold cavity, said in-mold coating prevented from flowing by said containment shroud completely through said passageway and into said substrate injection device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.