Fluid injecting nozzle having spaced projections

• US 5,474,439 A
• Filed: 04/13/1994
• Issued: 12/12/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Caco Pacific Corporation
• Original Assignee: Caco Pacific Corporation
• Inventors: McGrevy, Alan N.
• Primary Examiner(s): HEITBRINK, TIMOTHY W
• Application Number:
  US08/227,003
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 425/549, 425/568, 425/572, 264/328.15
• US Class Current: 425/549
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/2735 for non-coaxial gates, e.g. for edge gates

Abstract

A nozzle body has a runner, a passage and an orifice, all communicating with one another to provide for fluid flow into and through the body. The fluid is heated during its flow through the nozzle body by an electrical heater on such body and by a heat conductive plug (e.g. copper) extending through the nozzle. A cap made from a heat insulating material (e.g. titanium) and disposed in a tight fit on the nozzle body has a gate well for receiving the fluid in the orifice and for injecting such fluid into a mold. The cap is constructed so that fluid cannot leak into the area around the cap when heated fluid flows through the gate well. The cap is also constructed so that the article formed in the mold from the fluid injected into the article will shear to provide a smooth peripheral surface when the article is ejected from the mold after solidifying. Fluid leakage is prevented by forming a first peripheral portion in the cap around the orifice and by disposing the cap so that the first portion is close to, but separated from, the mold when cold and expands with heat into even closer, but spaced, relationship with the mold. Second portions displaced along the cap periphery from the first portion are contiguous to the mold with the cap cold and abut the mold with the cap hot. Indentations in the cap periphery between the first and second portions insulate the second portions from the first portion.

Claims

1. A nozzle for transporting molten material to a cavity in a mold through an opening in the mold, including,

a nozzle body,

there being a runner in the nozzle body for the introduction of the molten material into the nozzle body,

there being an orifice in the nozzle body in communication with the runner in the nozzle body,

a heat insulating cap on the nozzle body, the heat insulating cap having a gate well communicating with the orifice in the nozzle body for the flow of the molten material through the orifice and the gate well,

the heat insulating cap being constructed to provide a shearing of the article from the mold with a smooth surface at the shearing position after the solidification of the article in the mold,

means extending between the nozzle body and the cap for aligning the nozzle body and the cap to provide for the communication between the gate well in the cap and the orifice in the nozzle body, and

means for heating the molten material in the passage.

2. A nozzle as set forth in claim 1, including,

the heat insulating cap having a body and at least a first peripheral surface extending from the body in a first direction, the orifice extending through the heat insulating cap to the first peripheral surface, the first peripheral surface being disposed at spaced positions in a displaced position from the mold when cold and being expansible to abut the mold after increases in the temperature of the cap as a result of the formation of the article in the mold,

the heat insulating cap having a second peripheral surface extending from the body in the first direction and being displaced from the first peripheral surface along the mold in a second direction transverse to the first direction, the second surface being disposed to provide an air gap between the first peripheral surface and the second peripheral surface even after increases in the temperature of the cap as a result of the formation of the article in the mold, the second peripheral surface being disposed closer to the gate well in the cap than the first peripheral surface.

3. A nozzle as set forth in claim 2, including,

the first and second peripheral surfaces being disposed in the first direction to provide a spacing between each of the first and second peripheral surfaces and the mold when the molten material in the passage is not being heated.

4. A nozzle as set forth in claim 1, including,

the molten material flowing in a particular direction into the opening in the mold through the gate well in the cap,

the heat insulating cap having a plurality of peripheral surfaces displaced from one another in a direction transverse to the particular direction to provide for the formation of the article in the mold with an extension only at the position of the gate well and to provide for the breakage of the article from the mold at the position of the gate well with a configuration corresponding to the configuration of the mold.

5. A nozzle as set forth in claim 4, including,

means for heating the nozzle body, and

a heat conductive member disposed in the nozzle body and extending to the molten material flowing from the runner through the orifice in the nozzle body to heat the molten material as the molten material flows from the runner into the orifice.

6. A nozzle for transporting molten material to a cavity in a mold through an opening in the mold, including,

a nozzle body,

a runner in the nozzle body,

there being a passage in the nozzle body in communication with the runner,

there being an orifice in the nozzle body in communication with the passage,

means disposed on the nozzle body for introducing heat into the nozzle body,

means disposed in the nozzle body for directing to the passage the heat introduced into the nozzle body, and

heat insulating means disposed on the nozzle body and including a gate well in communication with the orifice in the nozzle body for passing the molten material from the orifice in the nozzle body to the opening in the mold, the heat insulating means being constructed and disposed relative to the mold for providing a communication of the molten material between the nozzle body and the mold substantially only through the gate well in the heat insulating means and the opening in the mold to provide for a shearing of the article in the mold from the nozzle body, after solidification of the molten material, at substantially only the gate well in the heat insulating means,

the heat insulating means being provided with a pair of spaced projections disposed on opposite sides of the opening in the mold and contiguous to, but separated from, the mold when cold and expansible into abutting relationship with the mold when heated.

7. A nozzle as set forth in claim 6, including,

the heat insulating means being constructed and disposed relative to the mold in the portion of the heat insulating means between the spaced projections to prevent leakage of the molten material in the area around the gate well in the heat insulating means as the molten material passes from the gate well in the heat insulating means to the opening in the mold.

8. A nozzle as set forth in claim 7, including,

means disposed relative to the passage for heating the molten material in the passage, the heating means including a heater and including a heat conductive member disposed in the nozzle body and extending to the passage for transferring heat from the heating means to the passage.

9. A nozzle for transporting molten material to a cavity in a mold through an opening in the mold, including,

a nozzle body,

a runner in the nozzle body,

there being a passage in the nozzle body in communication with the runner,

there being in the nozzle body an orifice in communication with the passage,

means disposed on the nozzle body for introducing heat into the nozzle body,

means disposed in the nozzle body for directing to the passage the heat introduced into the nozzle body,

heat insulating means disposed on the nozzle body and including a gate well in communication with the orifice in the nozzle body for passing the fluid from the nozzle body to the gate well in the mold, the heat insulating means being constructed and disposed relative to the mold for providing a communication of the fluid between the nozzle body and the mold of the fluid after solidification substantially only through the gate well in the heat insulating means and the orifice in the mold to provide for a shearing of the article in the mold from the nozzle body at substantially only the gate well in the heat insulating means, and

means extending between the heat insulating means and the nozzle body for aligning the nozzle body and the heat insulating means to provide for the communication between the orifice in the nozzle body and the gate well in the cap.

10. A nozzle for transporting molten material to a cavity in a mold through an opening in the mold, including,

a nozzle body,

a runner in the nozzle body,

there being a passage in the nozzle body in communication with the runner,

there being in the nozzle body an orifice in communication with the passage,

heating means disposed on the nozzle body for introducing heat into the nozzle body, and

heat insulating means disposed on the nozzle body and including a gate well in communication with the orifice in the nozzle body for passing the molten material from the nozzle body to the opening in the mold, the heat insulating means having a periphery with a first portion displaced from the mold for preventing the molten material from leaking along the periphery of the heat insulating means during the transfer of the molten material from the orifice in the heat insulating means to the opening in the mold and having second portions disposed on opposite sides of the first portion and separated from the mold when cold and expansible into abutting relationship with the mold when heated.

11. A nozzle as set forth in claim 10, including,

the periphery of the heat insulating means also including third portions each disposed between the first portion and an individual one of the second portions along the periphery of the heat insulating means and shaped to heat insulate the heat insulating means from the mold.

12. A nozzle as set forth in claim 10, including,

the third portions defining air gaps between the heat insulating means and the mold.

13. A nozzle as set forth in claim 11, including,

the first portion being displaced from the mold even when heated and the third portions defining air gaps between the heat insulating means and the mold even when heated.

14. A nozzle as set forth in claim 11, including,

the first portion being constructed to be spaced from the mold when the heat insulating means is at ambient temperatures and to become displaced into closer, but spaced, relationship with the mold when the heat insulating means becomes heated.

15. A nozzle as set forth in claim 12, including,

the first portion being constructed to be spaced from the mold when the nozzle body is at ambient temperatures and to become displaced into closer, but spaced, relationship with the mold when the injection nozzle becomes heated.

16. A nozzle as set forth in claim 11, including,

heat conductive means extending from the heating means to the passage to introduce heat to the molten material flowing through the passage.

17. A nozzle for transporting molten material to a cavity in a mold through an opening in the mold, including,

a nozzle body,

there being a runner in the nozzle body,

means for applying heat to the nozzle body,

there being an orifice in the nozzle body in communication with the runner in the nozzle body and in communication with the opening in the mold,

a plug extending through the nozzle body to heat the molten material in the runner, the plug being made from a heat conductive material, and

a cap made from a heat insulating material, the cap being disposed on the nozzle body at the end opposite the runner and being provided with a gate well in communication with the orifice, the gate well being disposed in the cap to inject into the opening in the mold the molten material flowing through the gate well,

the cap being provided with spaced portions contiguous to, but separated from, the mold when cold and expansible into abutting relationship with the mold when heated.

18. A nozzle as set forth in claim 17, including,

the plug being made from copper, and

the cap being made from titanium,

the portion of the cap contiguous to the gate well being disposed in contiguous, but spaced, relationship with the mold when cold and when heated.

19. A nozzle as set forth in claim 17, including,

the cap being formed to dispose the cap in contiguous, but spaced, relationship to the mold at the position of the orifice in the cap upon the passage of heated fluid through the gate well and the opening in the orifice and to provide heat insulation between the mold and the cap at positions displaced along the cap from the gate well,

the cap being separated from the mold at positions between the orifice and the spaced portions to define heat insulating portions for controlling the heat passing to the spaced portions.

20. A nozzle as set forth in claim 17, including,

the cap being formed at positions between the spaced portions, and being disposed relative to the mold at the positions between such spaced portions, to prevent the molten material passing through the gate well into the opening in the mold from leaking along the periphery of the cap past positions on the cap around the gate well and to provide for a shearing of the article in the mold, after hardening of the molten material, only at the position of the gate well.

21. A nozzle as set forth in claim 17, including,

the cap being disposed in contiguous, but spaced, relationship to the mold in the vicinity of the opening in the mold when cold and when heated and being indented relative to the mold at positions between the opening in the mold and the spaced portions to provide heat insulation.

22. A nozzle for transporting molten material to a cavity in a mold through an opening in the mold, including,

a nozzle body,

there being a runner in the nozzle body,

means for applying heat to the nozzle body,

there being an orifice in the nozzle body in communication with the runner in the nozzle body,

a plug extending through the nozzle body to heat the fluid in the runner, the plug being made from a heat conductive material, and

a cap made from a heat insulating material, the cap being disposed on the nozzle body at the end opposite the runner and being provided with a gate well in communication with the orifice, the gate well being disposed in the cap to inject into the mold the fluid flowing through the orifice,

the cap being formed and being disposed relative to the mold to prevent fluid passing through the gate well from leaking along the periphery of the cap past positions on the cap around the gate well and to provide for a shearing of the article in the mold, after hardening of the molten fluid, only at the position of the gate well,

the cap being formed to dispose first portions of the cap around the gate well in contiguous, but spaced, relationship with the mold before the heating of the molten material in the passage and in abutting relationship with the mold after heating of the cap and to provide second portions of the cap with a heat insulating relationship between the cap and the mold, the second portions of the cap being displaced from the mold in a second direction transverse to the first direction.

23. A nozzle as set forth in claim 22, including

the cap being formed with third portions further displaced from the gate well than the second portions of the cap, the third portions being displaced from the mold when cold and being expansible into abutting relationship with the mold when heated.

24. A nozzle as set forth in claim 23, including,

means associated with the cap and the nozzle body for providing for the disposition of the cap on the nozzle body with the gate well in the cap in alignment with the passage in the nozzle body, and

means extending through the cap into the nozzle body for removably holding the cap in fixed relationship to the nozzle body in the aligned relationship between the gate well and the nozzle.

25. A nozzle for transporting molten material to a cavity in a mold through an opening in the mold, including,

a nozzle body,

there being a runner in the nozzle body,

means for applying heat to the nozzle body,

there being an orifice in the nozzle body in communication with the runner in the nozzle body,

a plug extending through the nozzle body to heat the fluid in the runner, the plug being made from a heat conductive material,

a cap made from a heat insulating material, the cap being disposed on the nozzle body at the end opposite the runner and being provided with a gate well in communication with the orifice, the gate well being disposed in the cap to inject into the mold the fluid flowing through the orifice,

the cap being formed and being disposed relative to the mold to prevent fluid passing through the gate well from leaking along the periphery of the cap past positions on the cap around the gate well and to provide for a shearing of the article in the mold, after hardening of the molten fluid, only at the position of the gate well,

positioning means extending through the cap into the nozzle body for positioning the cap on the nozzle body with the gate well in alignment with the passage, and

means extending through the cap into the nozzle body for removably holding the cap in fixed relationship to the nozzle body in alignment between the gate well and the nozzle body.

26. A nozzle as set forth in claim 25, including,

the plug being made from copper, and

the cap being made from titanium.