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US 7,686,603 B2Granted
Hot runner actuator
AssigneeMold-Masters (2007) Limited
InventorFabrice Fairy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An actuator for a hot runner has a piston and a valve pin holder threadably connected to the piston. The piston can be translated by fluid pressure and rotated by an electric motor. The valve pin holder is rotationally fixed, and therefore moves along the thread when the piston is rotated. A valve pin connected to the valve pin holder moves in response to fluid pressure and also in response to the electric motor rotating the piston.
Claims26
An actuator for a hot runner, comprising:
- a motor having a fixed part and a rotating part that is rotatable about an axis;
- a piston connected to the rotating part and able to rotate with the rotating part;
- a housing disposed around the piston, wherein the fixed part of the motor is fixed to the housing, the housing and piston together defining a fluid chamber, wherein the piston is slidable along the axis in response to fluid pressure applied to the fluid chamber;
- and
- a valve pin holder threadably connected to the piston, the threaded connection aligned with the axis, the valve pin holder rotationally fixed with respect to the housing and free to move along the axis when the piston rotates.
2 more elements
An injection molding system, comprising:
- a manifold having a manifold melt channel;
- a nozzle having a nozzle melt channel in communication with the manifold melt channel;
- an actuator having a housing, a piston, and an electric motor;
- and
- a valve pin threadably connected to the piston for controlling flow of a molding material through the nozzle melt channel, the valve pin rotationally fixed with respect to the housing;
- wherein the electric motor is configured to rotate the piston to thereby translate the valve pin, and the piston is configured to translate in response to fluid pressure to thereby translate the valve pin.
3 more elements
A coinjection molding system comprising:
- a nozzle having a first melt channel and a second melt channel;
- an actuator having a housing, a piston, and an electric motor;
- a first flow control device connected to the piston for controlling flow of a first molding material through the first melt channel;
- and
- a second flow control device threadably connected to the piston for controlling flow of a second molding material through the second melt channel,
- wherein the electric motor is configured to controllably rotate the piston to thereby translate the second flow control device, and the piston is configured to translate in response to fluid pressure to thereby translate the first flow control device and the second flow control device.
3 more elements
A sequential injection molding system comprising:
- a nozzle having a melt channel;
- an actuator having a housing, a piston, and an electric motor;
- a valve pin threadably connected to the piston for controlling flow of molding material through the nozzle melt channel, the valve pin being rotationally fixed with respect to the housing;
- a sensor disposed in a mold cavity in communication with the melt channel;
- and
- a controller connected to the sensor and to the electric motor of the actuator, the controller for controlling rotation of the piston according to measurement of the sensor,
- wherein the electric motor is configured to rotate the piston to thereby translate the valve pin, and the piston is configured to translate in response to fluid pressure to thereby translate the valve pin.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.