Injection mold apparatus with improved heating and cooling system

Abstract

An injection mold apparatus has an injection mold which includes two mold halves incorporating thinwalled members to define a cavity therebetween. Before injecting plastic material into the cavity, the mold is heated to a temperature above the melting point of the plastic material by circulating a heat carrier flowing through a heating device. During injection of plastic material, the flow of heat carrier is stopped for maintaining the temperature of the mold and for supporting the thinwalled members. After completely filling the cavity, the mold is cooled down to a temperature below the freezing point of the plastic material by suitably circulating the heat carrier which now passes through a cooling device. The circulation of the heat carrier is carried via two separate circulation systems, with one being close to the inner core of the mold and the other one being arranged in proximity of the sprue so that the cooling can be controlled by starting in an area distant to the sprue and progressing toward the sprue in a time-controlled manner.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.