Nozzle Heater

A heating apparatus in an injection molding apparatus comprised of an injection molding machine that injects injection fluid to a heated manifold that distributes the injection fluid to one or downstream nozzles, the heating apparatus comprising:

• a heatable sleeve or jacket comprised of a sheet of highly heat conductive metal material, the sheet or jacket having opposing sheet edges, the sheet or jacket being bendable or formable into a heating cylinder having a central channel having an interior circumferential wall surface and a selected longitudinal length (JL) extending from a downstream end to an upstream end of the heating cylinder,
• the central channel being formed into a configuration wherein a selected nozzle is received within the central channel and the interior circumferential wall surface of the channel engages an outer circumferential wall surface of the selected nozzle,
• the sheet having opposing sheet edges that are disposed in a select arrangement or position relative to each other upon bending or forming of the sheet into the cylinder and reception of the selected nozzle within the central channel,
• a stabilization ring or cylinder having a central ring channel having an inner ring circumferential surface, the stabilization ring or cylinder being adapted to receive a selected longitudinal portion (DL) of the downstream or distal end of the heating cylinder,
• the stabilization ring or cylinder being adapted to engage the inner ring circumferential surface around an outer circumferential surface of the heating cylinder extending along a predetermined length (PDL) of all or a portion of the selected longitudinal portion (DL) that is selected such that the opposing sheet edges are held in fixed position relative to each other along at least a selected portion (SPL, SPL1, SPL2, SPL3) of the longitudinal length (HL) of the heating cylinder extending from the downstream end toward the upstream end.