Non-coaxially mounted electric actuator and transmission
First Claim
Patent Images
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 that receives an injection fluid mold material, the manifold having a delivery channel that delivers the injection fluid mold material under an injection pressure to a gate of a mold cavity disposed within a mold, the gate being controllably opened and closed by a valve pin having a pin axis, the valve pin being slidably mounted for reciprocal upstream and downstream linear movement along the pin axis such that a downstream end of the valve pin is drivable into and out of open and closed positions relative to the gate,an electric actuator comprising an electric motor comprised of a motor housing that houses a drive shaft having a drive gear and a drive axis that is rotatably mounted within the motor housing and is drivably rotatable around the drive axis by a source of electrical power or energy and a transmission comprised of a transmission gear rotatably mounted within a transmission housing, the transmission gear having a gear axis and being drivably rotatable around the gear axis,the drive gear, the transmission gear and the valve pin being drivably interconnected and arranged such that the drive axis and the gear axis are non-coaxially mounted or disposed relative to each other and such that driven rotation of the drive gear around the drive axis rotatably drives the transmission gear around the gear axis and linearly drives the valve pin along the pin axis,wherein one or the other of the motor housing or the transmission housing are removably attached to a top clamping or mounting plate that is mounted upstream of the manifold and fixedly interconnected to the mold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for controlling the rate of flow of fluid mold material comprising:
- a manifold, a valve pin having a pin axis, a pin connector and a stem, the valve pin being drivable into and out of open and closed positions relative to the gate,
- an electric actuator comprising an electric motor comprised of a motor housing that houses a drive shaft having a drive gear and a drive axis, a transmission comprised of a transmission gear having a gear axis, the drive gear, the transmission gear and the valve pin being drivably interconnected and arranged such that the drive axis and the gear axis are non-coaxially mounted or disposed relative to each other and the valve pin is drivable linearly along the pin axis, wherein one or the other of the motor housing or the transmission housing are removably attached to a top clamping or mounting plate that is mounted upstream of the manifold and fixedly interconnected to a mold.
11 Citations
36 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 that receives an injection fluid mold material, the manifold having a delivery channel that delivers the injection fluid mold material under an injection pressure to a gate of a mold cavity disposed within a mold, the gate being controllably opened and closed by a valve pin having a pin axis, the valve pin being slidably mounted for reciprocal upstream and downstream linear movement along the pin axis such that a downstream end of the valve pin is drivable into and out of open and closed positions relative to the gate, an electric actuator comprising an electric motor comprised of a motor housing that houses a drive shaft having a drive gear and a drive axis that is rotatably mounted within the motor housing and is drivably rotatable around the drive axis by a source of electrical power or energy and a transmission comprised of a transmission gear rotatably mounted within a transmission housing, the transmission gear having a gear axis and being drivably rotatable around the gear axis, the drive gear, the transmission gear and the valve pin being drivably interconnected and arranged such that the drive axis and the gear axis are non-coaxially mounted or disposed relative to each other and such that driven rotation of the drive gear around the drive axis rotatably drives the transmission gear around the gear axis and linearly drives the valve pin along the pin axis, wherein one or the other of the motor housing or the transmission housing are removably attached to a top clamping or mounting plate that is mounted upstream of the manifold and fixedly interconnected to the mold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19)
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17. A method of driving a valve pin in 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 that receives an injection fluid mold material, the manifold having a delivery channel that delivers the injection fluid mold material under an injection pressure to a gate of a mold cavity disposed within a mold, the gate being controllably opened and closed by a valve pin having a pin axis, a pin stem and a pin connector, the valve pin being slidably mounted for reciprocal upstream and downstream linear movement along the pin axis such that a downstream end of the valve pin is drivable into and out of open and closed positions relative to the gate, an electric actuator comprising an electric motor comprised of a motor housing that houses a drive shaft having a drive gear and a drive axis that is rotatably mounted within the motor housing and is drivably rotatable around the drive axis by a source of electrical power or energy and a transmission comprised of a transmission gear rotatably mounted within a transmission housing, the transmission gear having a gear axis and being drivably rotatable around the gear axis, the drive gear and the transmission gear being drivably interconnected and arranged such that the drive axis and the gear axis are non-coaxially mounted or disposed relative to each other and such that driven rotation of the drive gear around the drive axis rotatably drives the transmission gear around the gear axis, the transmission gear being interconnected to a pin coupling, the valve pin having a pin connector that is reversibly couplable to and decouplable from the pin coupling in a radial direction relative to the pin axis, the interconnection between the transmission gear and the valve pin being adapted to convert rotation of the transmission gear to linear travel of the valve pin along the pin axis, wherein one or the other of the motor housing or the transmission housing are removably attached to a top clamping or mounting plate that is mounted upstream of the manifold and fixedly interconnected to the mold, the method comprising; decoupling the actuator from the top clamping or mounting plate, radially moving the actuator while the actuator is disposed on or within the top clamping or mounting plate a distance sufficient to decouple the pin connector from the pin coupling. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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20. 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 that receives an injection fluid mold material, the manifold having a delivery channel that delivers the injection fluid mold material under an injection pressure to a gate of a mold cavity disposed within a mold, the gate being controllably opened and closed by a valve pin having a pin axis, the valve pin being slidably mounted for reciprocal upstream and downstream linear movement along the pin axis such that a downstream end of the valve pin is drivable into and out of open and closed positions relative to the gate, an electric actuator comprising an electric motor comprised of a motor housing that houses a drive shaft having a drive axis that is rotatably mounted within the motor housing and is drivably rotatable around the drive axis by a source of electrical power or energy and a screw or a gear mounted within a transmission housing, the screw or gear being interconnected to an upstream end of the valve pin, the drive shaft and the screw or gear being drivably interconnected and arranged such that the drive axis and the pin axis are non-coaxially mounted or disposed relative to each other and such that driven rotation of the drive shaft around the drive axis drives the screw or gear to drive the interconnected valve pin linearly, the interconnection between the drive shaft and the screw or gear being adapted to convert rotation of the drive shaft to linear travel of the valve pin along the pin axis, wherein one or the other of the motor housing or the transmission housing are removably attached to a top clamping or mounting plate that is mounted upstream of the manifold and fixedly interconnected to the mold. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification