Injection molding flow control apparatus and method
First Claim
1. An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow of fluid mold material from an injection molding machine to a mold cavity, the apparatus comprising:
- a manifold receiving the injected fluid mold material, the manifold having a delivery channel that delivers the injected fluid material to a first gate leading to the mold cavity;
an actuator interconnected to a valve pin having a tip end drivable along a drive path that extends between a first position where the tip end of the valve pin obstructs the first gate to prevent the injection fluid material from flowing into the cavity, a second position upstream of the first position wherein the tip end of the valve pin restricts flow of the injection fluid through the first gate along at least a portion of the length of the drive path extending between the first position and the second position, and a third position upstream of the second position where the injection fluid material flows freely through the first gate without restriction from the tip end of the pin,the actuator and the valve pin being translationally driven at a controllable rate of travel by a valve system that is controllably adjustable between a start position, one or more intermediate drive rate positions and a high drive rate position,the actuator being driven upstream at one or more intermediate rates of travel when the valve system is in the one or more intermediate drive rate positions and at a higher rate of travel than the one or more intermediate rates of travel when the valve system is in the high drive rate position;
a position sensor and a controller,the position sensor sensing the position of the valve pin and sending a signal indicative of the position of the pin to the controller;
the controller instructing the valve system to drive the actuator and the valve pin continuously upstream from the start position to the second position to the third position;
the controller including instructions that instruct the valve system to move from the start position to the one or more intermediate drive rate positions and subsequently from the one or more intermediate drive rate positions to the high drive rate position on receipt by the controller of a signal from the position sensor that is indicative of the valve pin having reached the second position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow to a mold cavity including a controller instructing a valve system to drive an actuator and a valve pin and including instructions that instruct the valve system to drive an actuator and a valve pin and including instructions that instruct the valve system to move from a start position to one or more intermediate drive rate positions and subsequently from the one or more intermediate drive rate positions to a high drive rate position on receipt by the controller of a signal from a position sensor that is indicative of the valve pin having reached a second position.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow of fluid mold material from an injection molding machine to a mold cavity, the apparatus comprising:
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a manifold receiving the injected fluid mold material, the manifold having a delivery channel that delivers the injected fluid material to a first gate leading to the mold cavity; an actuator interconnected to a valve pin having a tip end drivable along a drive path that extends between a first position where the tip end of the valve pin obstructs the first gate to prevent the injection fluid material from flowing into the cavity, a second position upstream of the first position wherein the tip end of the valve pin restricts flow of the injection fluid through the first gate along at least a portion of the length of the drive path extending between the first position and the second position, and a third position upstream of the second position where the injection fluid material flows freely through the first gate without restriction from the tip end of the pin, the actuator and the valve pin being translationally driven at a controllable rate of travel by a valve system that is controllably adjustable between a start position, one or more intermediate drive rate positions and a high drive rate position, the actuator being driven upstream at one or more intermediate rates of travel when the valve system is in the one or more intermediate drive rate positions and at a higher rate of travel than the one or more intermediate rates of travel when the valve system is in the high drive rate position; a position sensor and a controller, the position sensor sensing the position of the valve pin and sending a signal indicative of the position of the pin to the controller; the controller instructing the valve system to drive the actuator and the valve pin continuously upstream from the start position to the second position to the third position; the controller including instructions that instruct the valve system to move from the start position to the one or more intermediate drive rate positions and subsequently from the one or more intermediate drive rate positions to the high drive rate position on receipt by the controller of a signal from the position sensor that is indicative of the valve pin having reached the second position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow of a fluid mold material from an injection molding machine to a mold cavity, the apparatus comprising:
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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 continuously upstream along a path of travel between a downstream gate closed position and an intermediate upstream gate open position, 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 intermediate upstream gate open position being a predetermined position between the downstream gate closed position and a fully open, end of stroke position upstream of the intermediate upstream gate open position at which the fluid mold material flows at a maximum rate through the gate; a controller interconnected to the actuator that controls movement of the actuator at least in part according to instructions that instruct the actuator to move the valve pin continuously upstream at one or more selected intermediate velocities over the course of travel of the valve pin from the downstream gate closed position to the intermediate upstream gate open position, a sensor that generates one or more signals indicative of the position of the valve pin, the controller carrying out instructions to cause the valve pin to move continuously upstream at the one or more selected intermediate velocities and to adjust upstream velocity of the valve pin based on one or more of the signals generated by the sensor, the instructions causing velocity of the valve pin to be adjusted to a selected higher velocity in response to a signal generated by the sensor having detected and indicating the valve pin has reached the intermediate upstream gate open position, the controller further controlling movement of the actuator continuously upstream from the intermediate upstream gate open position to the fully open, end of stroke position at one or more velocities that are higher than the one or more selected intermediate velocities. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A sequentially gated molding system comprising a mold having first and second gates leading to a common cavity and a manifold having first and second fluid flow channels respectively delivering a fluid material through the first and second gates into the cavity, the system comprising:
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a first valve controlling delivery of the fluid material through the first gate into the cavity beginning at a first time; a second valve controlling delivery of the fluid material through the second gate beginning at a second time subsequent to the first time such that the fluid material has entered the cavity through the first gate and approached the second gate prior to the second time; the second valve comprising an actuator interconnected to a valve pin having a tip end, the actuator moving the valve pin continuously upstream along a path of travel between a downstream gate closed position and an intermediate upstream gate open position, the downstream gate closed position being a position wherein the tip end of the valve pin obstructs the second gate to prevent fluid material from flowing into the mold cavity, the intermediate upstream gate open position being a predetermined position between the downstream gate closed position and a fully open, end of stroke position upstream of the intermediate upstream gate open position; a controller interconnected to the actuator that controls movement of the actuator at least in part according to a sensed position of the pin and instructions that instruct the actuator to move the valve pin continuously upstream at one or more selected increasing velocities over the course of travel of the valve pin from the downstream gate closed position to the intermediate upstream gate open position. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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Specification