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Injection molding flow control apparatus and method

  • US 10,173,356 B2
  • Filed: 04/06/2017
  • Issued: 01/08/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow of a fluid mold material from an injection molding machine to a cavity of a mold, the apparatus comprising:

  • a manifold receiving the injected fluid mold material, the manifold having a delivery channel that delivers the fluid mold material to a gate to the mold cavity;

    an actuator interconnected to a valve pin having a tip end, the actuator moving the valve pin upstream along a path of travel between a downstream gate closed position and one or more intermediate upstream gate open positions, the downstream gate closed position being a position wherein the tip end of the valve pin obstructs the gate to prevent fluid material from flowing into the mold cavity, the one or more intermediate upstream gate open positions being predetermined positions between the downstream gate closed position and a fully open, end of stroke position upstream of the intermediate upstream gate open positions at which the fluid mold material flows at a maximum rate through the gate, wherein the gate is partially open when the valve pin is in the one or more intermediate upstream gate open positions;

    a position sensor that senses position of the valve pin,a controller interconnected to the actuator and to the position sensor that controls movement of the actuator at least in part according to instructions that instruct the actuator to drive the valve pin upstream at one or more selected intermediate velocities over the course of travel of the valve pin through the one or more intermediate upstream gate open positions in response to receipt by the controller of a signal from the position sensor that the valve pin is disposed in the one or more intermediate upstream gate open positions,the valve pin being drivable at a maximum upstream velocity, the one or more selected intermediate velocities being less than the maximum velocity.

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