Valve stem actuation
AssigneeHusky Injection Molding Systems Ltd.
InventorsStephen Daniel FERENC, William Steven KEIR, Brandon Douglas WHITE
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for actuating a valve stem between an open position and a closed position and for taking one or more valve gated nozzle out of service is disclosed. The hot runner includes a valve gated nozzle having a valve stem, the valve stem coupled to a piston that is held against an actuation plate via pressurized air. When a valve stem becomes stuck in a gate of the hot runner, the actuation plate can continue to move while the piston remains stationary. The valve stem may also be protected from an over force situation such as if the valve stem encounters an obstruction as the actuation plate is moving toward the closed position.
Claims10
A hot runner of an injection molding machine for passing melt into a mold cavity, the hot runner comprising:
- a first valve gated nozzle having a first valve stem;
- a first piston coupled to the first valve stem, the first piston having a passageway arranged to transfer pressurized air to a chamber, the pressurized air biasing the valve stem in a closed position;
- an actuation plate acting on the first piston and configured to move the first valve stem between an open position and a closed position;
- wherein, when the first valve stem encounters an obstruction while being moved towards a closed position, the pressurized air acting on the first piston becomes compressed in the chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.