Snap on flange for injection molding nozzle

A nozzle for an injection molding apparatus, comprising:

• a nozzle body having a nozzle melt channel for receiving a melt stream from a manifold melt channel;
• a collar removably mounted on the nozzle body;
• and
• one of the nozzle body and the collar having a shoulder formed therein and the other of the nozzle body and collar having a radially disposed protrusion for engaging the shoulder to act against separation of the collar from the nozzle body, wherein the collar, nozzle body, shoulder and protrusion are respectively dimensioned to permit a limited amount of relative axial and radial movement between the collar and the nozzle body to account for differing thermal expansion properties of the collar and the nozzle body.

An injection molding apparatus, comprising:

• a manifold having a manifold melt channel for receiving a melt stream of moldable material;
• a mold plate spaced apart from the manifold and having a mold plate recess formed therein in alignment with a gate leading to a mold cavity;
• a nozzle including
• (i) a nozzle body with an upstream end coupled to the manifold and defining a nozzle melt channel for receiving the melt stream from the manifold melt channel, a portion of the nozzle body being received in the mold plate recess;
• and
• (ii) a locating collar removably mounted to the nozzle body and having a surface engaging the mold plate for locating the nozzle body relative to the mold plate;
• wherein one of the nozzle body and the collar have a shoulder formed therein and the other of the nozzle body and collar have a radially disposed protrusion for engaging the shoulder to act against separation of the collar from the nozzle body,
• wherein the nozzle includes a flange formed on the upstream end of the nozzle body, the flange having an upper surface contacting the manifold and a lower opposing surface, such that the collar extends from the lower surface of the flange to the mold plate, and wherein the flange and collar cooperating to align the nozzle melt channel with the manifold melt channel.