Injection molding of thin-walled plastic products

Abstract

A mold for injection molding a plastic product having a thin-walled area includes a first mold part and a second mold part defining a mold cavity therebetween, encompassed by a parting line, for forming the plastic product, and further defining a gate for admitting injected molten plastic into the cavity. The mold parts define a thin cavity region for defining the thin-walled area of the plastic product; and first and second flow channels which are portions of the mold cavity that are thicker than the thin cavity region, for directing the injected molten plastic from the gate into the thin cavity region, whereby the molten plastic directed from the first flow channel joins with the molten plastic directed from the second flow channel. The mold parts further define a meld chamber, which is a portion of the mold cavity that is thicker than the thin cavity region to enhance the melding of plastic flowing from different directions into and joining together in the meld chamber, wherein the thickest portion of the meld chamber is displaced from the gate and the flow channels by the thin cavity region. The meld chamber is at least partially located extensively between the flow channels where molten plastic directed into the thin cavity region by the first flow channel joins molten plastic directed into the thin cavity region by the second flow channel.