Husky Injection Molding Systems Limited

Niigon Machines Ltd.

Athena Automation Ltd.

Other

Ing, Ronald

Schad, Robert D.

Domodossola, Robert

Catoen, Bruce

Sicilia, Roberto

Roberto Domenic Sicilia

Robert D Schad

Bruce Catoen

Robert Domodossola

Ronald Ing

Nicholas W Serniuck

Janet Lee

A cooling plate for an injection molding machine includes a plate body, a plurality of sockets in the plate body for receiving respective spigot portions of a plurality of cooling tubes, and a cooling fluid conduit system in the plate body for cooling the cooling tubes. The cooling plate further includes an air conduit system in the plate body for providing air flow communication with the cooling tubes. Each socket forms a blockable flow passage between the cooling fluid conduit system and the air conduit system.

Cooling plate assembly for an injection molding machine

An injection molding machine includes a machine base extending along a horizontal machine axis; a stationary platen fixed to the base; a moving platen supported by the base; a center section supported by the base axially intermediate the stationary and moving platens; at least one mold stroke actuator for translating the moving platen and the center section along the machine axis between a mold-open position and a mold-closed position; a two-stage first injection unit supported by the base behind the stationary platen for injecting a first resin through the stationary platen; and a two-stage second injection unit supported by the base behind the moving platen for injecting a second resin through the moving platen. The second injection unit is translatable along the machine axis to accommodate translation of the moving platen during movement between the mold-open and mold-closed positions.

Injection molding machine for molding preforms

A method for receiving and ejecting molded articles includes: (a) drawing air from a cooling tube cavity into an air channel through a plate bore to draw at least a portion of a molded article into the cavity; (b) moving a valve within the plate bore from a first position for conducting air from the cavity to the air channel to a second position for reducing air flow through the plate bore relative to the first position; and (c) when the valve is in the second position, urging pressurized air from the air channel to the cavity through the plate bore to assist ejection of the molded article from the cavity.

A cooling plate assembly includes (a) a cooling plate having a plate front surface; (b) an air channel extending within a thickness of the cooling plate; (c) a plate bore extending into the cooling plate from the plate front surface for providing fluid communication between the air channel and a cavity of a cooling tube mountable to the cooling plate; and (d) a valve within the plate bore. The valve is movable between a first position in which a first air flow passage extending within the plate bore is open for conducting air from the cavity to the air channel, and a second position in which the first air flow passage is obstructed to reduce air flow between the cavity and the air channel, and in which a second air flow passage extending within the plate bore is open for conducting air from the air channel to the cavity.

A retaining pin for handling injection molded preforms includes a body including an internal body flow channel, and a plunger coupled to the body and movable relative to the body between advanced and retracted positions. The plunger includes an internal plunger flow channel. The plunger further includes a plunger abutment surface directed away from the body. The plunger is biased toward the advanced position and movable to the retracted position by engagement of the plunger abutment surface with an inner surface of a closed end of a preform when the preform and retaining pin are moved toward each other. The body flow channel and the plunger flow channel are in fluid communication when the plunger is in the retracted position. Fluid communication between the plunger flow channel and the body flow channel is inhibited when the plunger is in the advanced position.

Post-mold retaining apparatus and method

A cooling plate assembly for an injection molding machine includes a cooling plate and a cooling fluid conduit system in the cooling plate. The cooling fluid conduit system includes a cooling fluid line extending between a cooling fluid inlet and a cooling fluid outlet. A socket is open to a front face of the cooling plate and intersects the first cooling fluid line. A cooling tube is mounted to the cooling plate, and includes a molded-article-receiving nest for receiving and cooling an injection molded article, a spigot received in the socket and blocking the first cooling fluid line, and a cooling tube conduit adjacent the molded-article-receiving nest. The cooling tube conduit extends between a cooling tube fluid inlet connected to the first cooling fluid line upstream of the socket, and a cooling tube fluid outlet connected to the first cooling fluid line downstream of the socket.

A hot runner apparatus for a mold assembly of an injection molding machine includes a hot runner plate assembly having a first end portion and a second end portion and a machine axis extending therebetween. At least one insert coupling having an axial bore is secured to the first end portion of the hot runner plate assembly, for separable sealed engagement with a gate insert affixed to a cold half of the mold assembly. The insert coupling includes a coupling interface for contacting a mating interface of the gate insert in sealed contact during an injection cycle of the injection molding machine. The coupling interface includes a primary side surface that is inclined relative to the machine axis.

Hot runner apparatus for an injection molding machine

Apparatus and method whereby coinjection molding shooting pot actuation structure is configured to be installed in a coinjection hot runner with a coinjection nozzle, the coinjection nozzle having at least two melt channels ending at the same gate. The shooting pot is preferably disposed in one of a mold cavity half and a mold core half. A shooting pot piston is configured to discharge a melt from the shooting pot. A transmission structure is configured to (i) extend through one of the mold cavity half and the mold core half, and (ii) to transmit a force to the shooting pot piston. Actuation structure is disposed on the opposite side of the mold cavity half from the coinjection hot runner, and is configured to provide the force to the transmission structure. This configuration conserves space in the mold.

Method for actuation of injection molding shooting pots

An injection molding machine and a mold are used to form batches of hallow parts, such as PET preforms. An end of arm tool transfers the molded preforms from the mold to a temperature conditioning station having a conveyor. The batch of molded preforms is received and retained on the end of arm tool by an array of cooling tubes that are attached to a number of identical cooling tubes carrier devices. The conveyor is adapted to receive the carrier devices and the cooling tubes loaded with molded preforms from the end of arm tool. The conveyor is also adapted to transfer rapidly the carrier devices and the empty cooling tubes into the end of arm tool before the end of arm tool is moved back into the molding area to receive subsequent batches of molded preforms.

Injection molding and temperature conditioning apparatus

Method whereby coinjection molding shooting pot actuation structure is configured to be installed in a coinjection hot runner with a coinjection nozzle, the coinjection nozzle having at least two melt channels ending at the same gate. The shooting pot is preferably disposed in one of a mold cavity half and a mold core half. A shooting pot piston is configured to discharge a melt from the shooting pot. A transmission structure is configured to (i) extend through one of the mold cavity half and the mold core half, and (ii) to transmit a force to the shooting pot piston. Actuation structure is disposed on the opposite side of the mold cavity half from the coinjection hot runner, and is configured to provide the force to the transmission structure. This configuration conserves space in the mold.

Coinjection molding system control apparatus and method preferably includes flow control structure and/or steps configured to reduce pressure on a second melt, preferably causing a relatively small portion of a first melt to flow from a distal portion of a first melt channel in the coinjection nozzle into a distal end of a second melt channel in the coinjection nozzle. This prevents substantial amounts of the second melt from being dragged into the mold cavity when the next shot of the first melt is injected.

Control system for dynamic feed coinjection process

Apparatus and method for actuation of injection molding shooting pots

An injection molding shooting pot shot size control apparatus is configured to be installed in a coinjection hot runner with a coinjection nozzle, the coinjection nozzle having at least two melt channels ending at the same gate includes a valve inlet and a valve outlet. An adjustable melt control mechanism, preferably in the form of a hydraulically actuated wedge, is configured to (i) be disposed in a cavity plate adjacent to a hot runner assembly, and allow the shot size position to be set while the mold is open, and (ii) permit the charged shooting pot cylinder to decompress the melt when the wedge is pulled away from the shooting pot piston.

Apparatus and method for injection molding shooting pot wedge feature

A shooting pot actuator for an injection molding machine having two plates carrying pusher rods for pushing against injection plungers within the shooting pots. The plates are mounted outside the mold and the clamp unit, and the pushers extend through bores in the stationary platen of the clamp unit to reach the injection plungers. The actuator reduces the cost and complication of mold design and production, and permits simplified adjustment of the injection plunger stroke.

Growing community of inventors

Mississauga, Canada

Roberto Domenic Sicilia