Hot runner nozzle with melt sealing
AssigneeMold-Masters Limited
InventorGeorge Olaru
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A modular hot runner nozzle having a variable length includes a first nozzle portion and a second nozzle portion provided in series between a manifold and a mold gate of an injection molding apparatus. The first nozzle portion and the second nozzle portion having respective nozzle channels for delivering the melt stream from the manifold to a mold cavity. A nozzle tip is provided at a forward end of the hot runner nozzle. The nozzle tip and the manifold are generally fixed within the injection molding apparatus so that axial thermal expansion is taken up by a telescoping or a slidable connection that is provided between the first nozzle portion and the second nozzle portion.
Claims23
An injection molding apparatus comprising:
- a manifold having a manifold channel for receiving a melt stream of moldable material under pressure;
- a nozzle having a first nozzle portion and a second nozzle portion provided in series between said manifold and a mold gate, said first nozzle portion and said second nozzle portion having respective nozzle melt channels for delivering the melt stream from said manifold to a mold cavity;
- a nozzle tip attached to a forward end of said second nozzle portion for delivering the melt stream to the mold cavity;
- and
- a telescoping connection provided between said first nozzle portion and said second nozzle portion to allow for a continuous flow of melt therebetween, said telescoping connection including an extended portion integral with one of said first and second nozzle portions that is slidable within the other of said first and second nozzle portions;
- wherein thermal expansion during operation of said injection molding apparatus is absorbed by said telescoping connection.
An injection molding apparatus comprising:
- an injection manifold having a melt channel;
- at least one injection nozzle having a nozzle head portion, a nozzle flange, a first nozzle body portion including a first nozzle melt channel in communication with said manifold melt channel, and a second nozzle body portion, said second nozzle body portion having a second nozzle melt channel located along the same axis as said first nozzle melt channel;
- a nozzle connection located between said first nozzle body portion and said second nozzle body portion, said nozzle connection having a connection melt channel and a wall section surrounding said connection melt channel, whereby said wall section is slidable within one of said first and second nozzle melt channels;
- and
- a nozzle tip attached to said second nozzle body portion, said nozzle tip having a nozzle tip melt channel in communication with said second nozzle melt channel and a mold gate.
An injection molding apparatus comprising:
- a manifold having a manifold channel for receiving a melt stream of moldable material;
- a nozzle having a first nozzle body and a second nozzle body, said first nozzle body having a first nozzle body melt channel for receiving the melt stream from said manifold melt channel and said second nozzle body having a second nozzle body melt channel for receiving the melt stream from the first nozzle body melt channel;
- and
- a nozzle tip attached to said second nozzle body, said nozzle tip having a nozzle tip melt channel in communication with said second nozzle body melt channel and a mold gate of a mold cavity,
- wherein said first nozzle body includes a reduced diameter downstream portion that is slidably received within an aperture in an upstream portion of said second nozzle body such that a gap exists between a forward end surface of said reduced diameter downstream portion and an opposing surface of said aperture to accommodate for thermal expansion of said first and second nozzle bodies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.