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Injection molding flow control apparatus and method

  • US 9,682,507 B2
  • Filed: 02/19/2015
  • Issued: 06/20/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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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:

  • 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;

    the valve system comprising a source of valve drive fluid that pumps the drive fluid at a maximum drive rate, a first valve interconnected to the source that is selectively adjustable to adjust rate of flow of the drive fluid from the source to a selected less than maximum drive rate and a second valve controllably movable between a first position where the second valve is directly interconnected to the source and a second position where the second valve is interconnected to the first valve, the second valve enabling maximum flow of drive fluid received from either the source or the first valve;

    a 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 second valve to move from the second position to the first position on receipt by the controller of a signal that is indicative of the valve pin having reached the second position or an elapse of a predetermined amount of time.

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