Cable transmission of actuator control for injection molding system

An injection molding apparatus (100) comprising an injection molding machine (IMM), a heated manifold (206), a mold (203, 207) having a cavity (212), a downstream flow channel (220c) receiving a selected injection fluid from the heated manifold (206), the downstream flow channel routing the received selected injection fluid to a gate (215) that communicates with the cavity (212) of the mold, a valve pin (216, 218, 301, 501, 708, 808, 1222) adapted to be controllably driven upstream and downstream (LM) within the downstream flow channel (220c) between gate open and gate closed positions,

• a rotor (240, 252, 2202) having a rotor axis (A), the rotor being controllably drivable or driven to controllably rotate (R) the rotor (2202) around the rotor axis (A),
• the rotor being interconnected to a distal end (DE) of one or more elongated cables (235, 237, 248, 249) in an arrangement such that the one or more elongated cables are controllably rotatably (R, R2, R3) drivable via controlled driven rotation (R) of the rotor around the rotor axis,
• wherein the one or more elongated cables (235, 237, 248, 249) have a cable axis (CA) and are flexibly bendable along at least a portion of their axis (CA) into a curved or curvilinear configuration (CF),
• a rotary to linear motion converter (228, 230, 300, 700, 800, 1200, 1201, 2208) interconnected to a proximal end (PE) of the one or more elongated cables,
• wherein the rotary to linear motion converter includes a drive member (304, 504, 704, 1224, 1506, 1606) that is controllably driven along a path of linear movement (LM) by controllably driven rotation (R) of the rotor,
• the rotary to linear motion converter being interconnected to an upstream end of the valve pin (216, 218, 301, 501, 708, 808, 1222) such that the valve pin is controllably drivable by the drive member along the linear path of movement (LM) between the gate closed and gate open positions.

An injection molding apparatus (100) comprising an injection molding machine (IMM), a heated manifold (206), a mold (203, 207) having a cavity (212), a downstream flow channel (220c) receiving a selected injection fluid from the heated manifold (206), the downstream flow channel routing the received selected injection fluid to a gate (215) that communicates with the cavity (212) of the mold, a valve pin (216, 218, 301, 501, 708, 808, 1716, 1222) adapted to be controllably driven upstream and downstream along a linear path of movement (LM) within the downstream flow channel (220c) between gate open and gate closed positions,

• a rotor (1754, 1754r) having a rotor axis (A), the rotor being controllably drivable or driven to controllably rotate (R) the rotor (174, 1754r) around the rotor axis (A),
• the rotor being directly rotatably interconnected to a rotary to linear motion converter (BS, FR) that is interconnected to a distal end (DE) of one or more elongated cables (1735, 1737, 1748, 1749) having a cable axis (CA) in an arrangement wherein the one or more elongated cables are controllably drivable linearly or in a linear back and forth motion (LCD) along the cable axis (CA) via controlled driven rotation (R) of the rotor (1754, 1754r) around the rotor axis (A),
• wherein a proximal end (PE) of the one or more elongated cables (1735, 1737, 1748, 1749) is interconnected to an upstream end of the valve pin (216, 218, 301, 501, 708, 808, 1716, 1222) in an arrangement such that the valve pin is controllably drivable along the linear path of movement (LM) in unison with the linear back and forth motion (LCD) between the gate closed and gate open positions.

An injection molding apparatus (100) comprising an injection molding machine, a heated manifold (206, 1706), a mold (110, 203, 207, 1703, 1705) having a cavity (212, 1712), a downstream flow channel (220c, 1720c) receiving a selected injection fluid from the heated manifold (206, 1706), the downstream flow channel (220c, 1720c) routing the received selected injection fluid to a gate (215, 1715) that communicates with the cavity (212, 1712) of the mold (110, 203, 207, 1703, 1705), a valve pin (216, 218, 301, 501, 708, 808, 1222, 1716, 1718) adapted to be controllably driven upstream and downstream within the downstream flow channel (220c, 1720c) between gate open and gate closed positions,

• a rotor (244, 254, 1744, 1752, 2202) having a rotor axis (A), the rotor being controllably drivable or driven to controllably rotate (R) the rotor (244, 254, 1744, 1752, 2202) around the rotor axis (A),
• the rotor (244, 254, 1744, 1752, 2203) being interconnected to a first actuator (240, 252, 1740, 1752) including a drive member that is controllably driven by controllably driven rotation of the rotor (244, 254, 1744, 1752, 2203),
• the first actuator (240, 252, 1740, 1752) being interconnected to a proximal end of one or more elongated cables (235, 237, 248, 249, 1735, 1737, 1748, 1749, 2206) in an arrangement such that the one or more elongated cables (235, 237, 248, 249, 1735, 1737, 1748, 1749, 2206) are controllably drivable via controlled movement of the first actuator (240, 252, 1740, 1752),
• a second actuator (228, 230, 1728, 1730, 300, 500, 700, 800, 1200, 1201, 2208) interconnected to a distal end of the one or more elongated cables (235, 237, 248, 249, 1735, 1737, 1748, 1749, 2206),
• wherein the second actuator (228, 230, 1728, 1730, 300, 500, 700, 800, 1200, 1201, 2208) includes a drive member that is controllably driven by controllably driven movement of the first actuator (240, 252, 1740, 1752),
• the second actuator (228, 230, 1728, 1730, 300, 500, 700, 800, 1200, 1201, 2208) being interconnected to an upstream end of the valve pin (216, 218, 301, 501, 708, 808, 1222, 1716, 1718) such that the valve pin (216, 218, 301, 501, 708, 808, 1222, 1716, 1718) is controllably drivable by the drive member along a linear path of pin movement between the gate closed and gate open positions.

An injection molding apparatus (100) comprising an injection molding machine, a heated manifold (206, 1706), a mold (110, 203, 207, 1703, 1705) having a cavity (212, 1712), a downstream flow channel (220c, 1720c) receiving a selected injection fluid from the heated manifold (206, 1706), the downstream flow channel (220c, 1720c) routing the received selected injection fluid to a gate that communicates with the cavity (212, 1712) of the mold (110, 203, 207, 1703, 1705), a valve pin (216, 218, 301, 501, 708, 808, 1222, 1716, 1718) adapted to be controllably driven upstream and downstream within the downstream flow channel (220c, 1720c) between gate open and gate closed positions,

• a rotor (244, 254, 1744, 1752, 2203) having a rotor axis (A), the rotor being controllably drivable or driven to controllably rotate (R) the rotor (244, 254, 1744, 1752, 2202) around the rotor axis (A),
• the rotor (244, 254, 1744, 1752, 2203) being interconnected to a first linear actuator (1740, 1752) including a drive member that is controllably driven along a path of linear movement by controllably driven rotation of the rotor (244, 254, 1744, 1752, 2203),
• the first linear actuator (1740, 1752) being interconnected to a proximal end of one or more elongated cables (235, 237, 248, 249, 1735, 1737, 1748, 1749, 2206) in an arrangement such that the one or more elongated cables (235, 237, 248, 249, 1735, 1737, 1748, 1749, 2206) are controllably drivable via controlled movement of the first linear actuator (1740, 1752),
• a second linear actuator (1728, 1730) interconnected to a proximal end of the one or more elongated cables (235, 237, 248, 249, 1735, 1737, 1748, 1749, 2206),
• wherein the second linear actuator (1728, 1730) includes a drive member that is controllably driven along a path of linear movement by controllably driven linear movement of the first linear actuator (1740, 1752),
• the second linear actuator (1728, 1730) being interconnected to an upstream end of the valve pin (216, 218, 301, 501, 708, 808, 1222, 1716, 1718) such that the valve pin (216, 218, 301, 501, 708, 808, 1222, 1716, 1718) is controllably drivable by the drive member along a linear path of pin movement between the gate closed and gate open positions.