Actuator for an injection molding valve gate
AssigneeD-M-E Company
InventorsFrederick G. Steil, Stephen T. Tortis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A valve for controlling the flow of fluent plastic material from an injection molding machine to a mold cavity. The valve includes an axially slidable valve pin that interacts with a material outlet to control flow through the valve selectively. The valve pin is actuated by an eccentric cam arrangement that positively drives the valve pin between positions where it is engaged with or disengaged from the material outlet. The cam acts on the valve pin only in an axial direction to avoid wear occasioned by side loads imposed on a valve pin.
Claims8
A valve for controlling the flow of fluent plastic material to a mold cavity, said valve comprising:
- a valve housing having a material inlet and a material outlet;
- an elongated valve pin axially slidably carried within the valve housing, the pin having an end adjacent the material outlet and adapted to be engaged selectively with the outlet to prevent flow of material through the valve and to be disengaged selectively from the material outlet to permit flow of material through the valve;
- a valve pin guide carried by the valve housing and having an opening for slidably receiving the elongated valve pin for reciprocating axial movement;
- and
- a valve pin actuator including a rotatable eccentric cam that cooperates with the valve pin at a position spaced from the end adjacent the outlet, for moving the valve pin in a direction parallel to the valve pin axis toward and away from the material outlet.
A valve for controlling the flow of fluent plastic material from an injection molding machine to a mold cavity, said valve comprising:
- a valve housing having a material inlet and a material outlet;
- an elongated valve pin slidably carried within the valve housing, the pin having an end adjacent the material outlet and adapted to be engaged selectively with the material outlet to prevent flow of material through the valve, and to be disengaged selectively from the material outlet to permit flow of material through the valve;
- a valve pin guide carried by the housing and having an opening for slidably receiving the elongated valve pin for reciprocating axial movement;
- a valve drive member carried by the valve pin and spaced axially along the valve pin from the end adjacent the outlet, the valve drive member supported for linear movement in a direction parallel to the valve pin axis and restrained by the valve pin guide from movement in a direction transverse to the valve pin axis, the valve drive member including a passageway extending transversely to the valve pin axis;
- a camshaft rotatably supported in the guide housing and having its axis extending transversely to the valve pin axis, the camshaft including an eccentric cam member;
- a cam follower block slidably carried in the passageway of the valve drive member for movement transverse to the valve pin axis, the cam follower block including an interior cam follower surface for receiving and engaging an outer surface of the eccentric cam member;
- and
- means for rotating the camshaft about its axis to impart movement to the valve pin in the direction parallel to the valve pin axis to open and close the valve outlet selectively.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.