Actuator cooling apparatus and method
First Claim
1. An injection molding apparatus comprising a clamp plate, a heated manifold, an actuator interconnected to a valve pin having an axis A, a mold and a cooling device that cools the actuator wherein, when assembled, the clamp plate mounted upstream of the mold, the manifold being disposed between the clamp plate and the mold, wherein the actuator comprises a housing body that is mounted in thermally conductive contact along the axis A to one or more actuator mounts that are mounted downstream in heat conductive communication with or contact with or on the manifold along the axis A,wherein the cooling device comprises:
- a heat transmitter comprising a proximal arm or member comprised of a heat conductive material and a distal arm or member comprised of a thermally conductive material, the distal arm or member or member being mounted by a spring loadable interconnection or engagement on or to the proximal base or member, the distal arm or member having a distal end surface for engaging the clamp plate, under a spring load and a proximal surface for transmitting heat from the proximal surface to the distal end surface,the housing body having a surface that is spaced laterally from the axis A, the proximal base or member being mounted in heat conductive contact with and to the lateral surface such that the proximal base or member is spaced laterally apart from contact with the one or more actuator mounts in an arrangement wherein the distal end surface of the distal arm or member is movable through the spring loadable interconnection toward and away from the actuator,the clamp plate, the mold, the manifold, the actuator and the heat transmitter being assemblable together in an arrangement wherein the spring loadable interconnection is loaded urging the distal end surface of the distal arm or member into compressed engagement with the clamp plate at least when the manifold is heated to an elevated operating temperature.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An injection molding apparatus comprising a clamp plate, a heated manifold, an actuator, a mold and a cooling device,
- wherein the cooling device comprises:
- a heat transmitter comprising a distal arm or member and a proximal base or member, the distal arm or member being mounted by a spring loadable interconnection or engagement to or with the proximal base or member,
- the clamp plate, the mold, the manifold, the actuator and the heat transmitter being assemblable together in an arrangement wherein the spring loadable interconnection is loaded urging the distal end surface of the distal arm or member into compressed engagement with the clamp plate.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. An injection molding apparatus comprising a clamp plate, a heated manifold, an actuator interconnected to a valve pin having an axis A, a mold and a cooling device that cools the actuator wherein, when assembled, the clamp plate mounted upstream of the mold, the manifold being disposed between the clamp plate and the mold, wherein the actuator comprises a housing body that is mounted in thermally conductive contact along the axis A to one or more actuator mounts that are mounted downstream in heat conductive communication with or contact with or on the manifold along the axis A,
wherein the cooling device comprises: -
a heat transmitter comprising a proximal arm or member comprised of a heat conductive material and a distal arm or member comprised of a thermally conductive material, the distal arm or member or member being mounted by a spring loadable interconnection or engagement on or to the proximal base or member, the distal arm or member having a distal end surface for engaging the clamp plate, under a spring load and a proximal surface for transmitting heat from the proximal surface to the distal end surface, the housing body having a surface that is spaced laterally from the axis A, the proximal base or member being mounted in heat conductive contact with and to the lateral surface such that the proximal base or member is spaced laterally apart from contact with the one or more actuator mounts in an arrangement wherein the distal end surface of the distal arm or member is movable through the spring loadable interconnection toward and away from the actuator, the clamp plate, the mold, the manifold, the actuator and the heat transmitter being assemblable together in an arrangement wherein the spring loadable interconnection is loaded urging the distal end surface of the distal arm or member into compressed engagement with the clamp plate at least when the manifold is heated to an elevated operating temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An injection molding apparatus comprising a clamp plate, a heated manifold, an actuator, a mold and a cooling device that cools the actuator, wherein when assembled the clamp plate and the mold are interconnected and spaced apart from each other, the manifold is disposed between the clamp plate and the mold and the actuator is mounted in thermally conductive communication with the manifold,
wherein the cooling device comprises: -
a heat transmitter comprising a distal arm or member and a proximal base or member, the distal arm or member being mounted by a spring loadable interconnection to the proximal base or member, the distal arm or member being comprised of a thermally conductive material having a distal end surface for engaging the clamp plate under a spring load and a proximal surface for transmitting heat from the proximal surface to the distal end, the actuator comprising a housing body that is thermally conductive and mounted in thermal communication with the manifold, the proximal base or member being mounted to the housing body of the actuator in an arrangement wherein the distal end surface of the distal arm or member is movable through the spring loadable interconnection toward and away from the actuator, the distal arm or member being mounted to the proximal base or member in an arrangement such that an exterior surface of the distal arm or member is disposed in slidable thermally conductive contact engagement with a complementary surface of the housing body, the clamp plate, the mold, the manifold, the actuator and the heat transmitter being assemblable together in an arrangement wherein the spring loadable interconnection is loaded urging the distal end surface of the distal arm or member into compressed engagement with the clamp plate when the manifold is heated to an elevated operating temperature, the exterior surface of the distal arm or member sliding along the complementary surface of the housing body on assembly of the clamp plate, the mold, the actuator and the cooling device; wherein the housing body is mounted in thermally conductive contact, along an axis A of a valve pin interconnected to the actuator, to one or more actuator mounts that are mounted downstream in heat conductive communication with or contact with or on the manifold along the axis A, and wherein the housing body has a surface that is spaced laterally from the axis A, the proximal base or member being mounted in heat conductive contact with and to the lateral surface such that the proximal base or member is spaced laterally apart from contact with the one or more actuator mounts. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. An injection molding apparatus comprising a clamp plate, a heated manifold, an actuator interconnected to and driving a valve pin along an axis A, a mold and a cooling device that cools the actuator, wherein when assembled the clamp plate and the mold are interconnected and spaced apart from each other, the manifold is disposed between the clamp plate and the mold and the actuator is mounted in thermally conductive communication with the manifold,
wherein the cooling device comprises: -
a heat transmitter comprising a distal arm or member and a proximal base or member, the distal arm or member being mounted by a spring loadable interconnection to the proximal base or member, the distal arm or member being comprised of a thermally conductive material having a distal end surface for engaging the clamp plate under a spring load and a proximal surface for transmitting heat from the proximal surface to the distal end; the actuator comprising a housing body that is thermally conductive and mounted in thermal communication with the manifold; the clamp plate, the mold, the manifold, the actuator and the heat transmitter being assemblable together in an arrangement wherein the spring loadable interconnection is loaded urging the distal end surface of the distal arm or member into compressed engagement with the clamp plate, the distal arm or member and proximal base or member comprising a unitary thermally conductive body in which the spring loadable interconnection comprises a resiliently deformable portion of the unitary body, the clamp plate, the mold, the manifold, the actuator and the heat transmitter being assemblable in an arrangement wherein the resiliently deformable portion of the unitary body is compressed and urges the distal end surface of the distal arm or member into compressed engagement with the clamp plate when the manifold is heated to an elevated operating temperature; wherein the housing body is mounted in thermally conductive contact along the axis A to one or more actuator mounts that are mounted downstream in heat conductive communication with or contact with or on the manifold along the axis A, and wherein the housing body has a surface that is spaced laterally from the axis A, the proximal base or member being mounted in heat conductive contact with and to the lateral surface such that the proximal base or member is spaced laterally apart from contact with the one or more actuator mounts. - View Dependent Claims (23, 25)
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24. An injection molding apparatus comprising a clamp plate, a heated manifold, an actuator, a mold and a cooling device that cools the actuator, wherein when assembled the clamp plate and the mold are interconnected and spaced apart from each other, the manifold is disposed between the clamp plate and the mold and the actuator is mounted in thermally conductive communication with the manifold,
wherein the cooling device comprises: -
a heat transmitter comprising a heat transmissive rod and a proximal base or member, the rod being mounted by a spring loadable interconnection to the proximal base or member, the rod being comprised of a thermally conductive material having a distal end surface for engaging the clamp plate under a spring load, the actuator comprising a housing body that is thermally conductive and mounted in thermal communication with the manifold, the proximal base or member being mounted to or integral with the housing body of the actuator in an arrangement wherein heat is transmitted between the housing body and the proximal base or member, the distal arm or member comprising a rod slidably disposed within a complementary bore disposed within the housing body, the complementary bore and the rod being configured such that an exterior surface of the rod is slidably engagable in thermally conductive contact with and against an interior surface of the complementary bore transmitting heat from the housing body to the distal end surface, the clamp plate, the mold, the manifold, the actuator and the heat transmitter being assemblable together in an arrangement wherein the spring loadable interconnection is loaded urging the distal end surface of the rod into compressed engagement with the clamp plate when the manifold is heated to an elevated operating temperature; wherein the housing body is mounted in thermally conductive contact, along an axis A of a valve pin interconnected to the actuator, to one or more actuator mounts that are mounted downstream in heat conductive communication with or contact with or on the manifold along the axis A, and wherein the housing body has a surface that is spaced laterally from the axis A, the proximal base or member being mounted in heat conductive contact with and to the lateral surface such that the proximal base or member is spaced laterally apart from contact with the one or more actuator mounts.
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26. An injection molding apparatus comprising:
- a clamp plate, a heated manifold, an actuator interconnected to and driving a valve pin along an axis A, a mold and a cooling device that cools the actuator wherein when assembled the clamp plate and the mold are interconnected and spaced apart from each other, the manifold is disposed between the clamp plate and the mold and the actuator is mounted in thermally conductive communication with the manifold,
wherein the cooling device comprises; a heat transmitter comprising a distal arm or member and a proximal base or member, the distal arm or member or member being mounted by a spring loadable interconnection or engagement to or with the proximal base or member, the distal arm or member being comprised of a thermally conductive material having a distal end surface for engaging the clamp plate under a spring load and a proximal surface for transmitting heat from the proximal surface to the distal end surface, wherein one or more heat conductive tubes containing a heat conductive fluid are embedded within one or the other of the proximal or distal members, the actuator comprising a housing body that is thermally conductive and mounted in thermal communication with the manifold, the proximal base or member being mounted to the housing body of the actuator in an arrangement wherein the distal end surface of the distal arm or member is movable through the spring loadable interconnection toward and away from the actuator, the clamp plate, the mold, the manifold, the actuator and the heat transmitter being assemblable together in an arrangement wherein the spring loadable interconnection is loaded urging the distal end surface of the distal arm or member into compressed engagement with the clamp plate; wherein the housing body is mounted in thermally conductive contact along the axis A to one or more actuator mounts that are mounted downstream in heat conductive communication with or contact with or on the manifold along the axis A, and wherein the housing body has a surface that is spaced laterally from the axis A, the proximal base or member being mounted in heat conductive contact with and to the lateral surface such that the proximal base or member is spaced laterally apart from contact with the one or more actuator mounts. - View Dependent Claims (27)
- a clamp plate, a heated manifold, an actuator interconnected to and driving a valve pin along an axis A, a mold and a cooling device that cools the actuator wherein when assembled the clamp plate and the mold are interconnected and spaced apart from each other, the manifold is disposed between the clamp plate and the mold and the actuator is mounted in thermally conductive communication with the manifold,
Specification