Small pitch molding manifold
View Patent ↗An injection molding apparatus for small pitch molding includes a plurality of mold cavities having a small pitch therebetween. The injection molding apparatus includes a manifold for delivering melt to a sub-manifold. The sub-manifold including at least one upstream manifold plate and a downstream nozzle plate. The upstream manifold plate and/or the nozzle plate includes a heater. At least one unheated nozzle is mounted in the downstream nozzle plate for receiving melt from the sub-manifold and delivering the melt to a mold cavity.
1. An injection molding apparatus comprising:
a main manifold having a manifold melt channel that includes a manifold inlet and a plurality of manifold outlets, wherein said manifold inlet is in fluid communication with a melt source;
a sub-manifold including a sub-manifold plate, a plurality of sub-manifold melt channels and a nozzle plate coupled to said sub-manifold plate, wherein said sub-manifold melt channels include a common inlet in fluid communication with a respective manifold outlet; and
a plurality of unheated nozzles, wherein each nozzle includes a nozzle melt channel that has a nozzle inlet,
wherein said nozzle plate is configured to directly retain said nozzles such that said nozzle inlets are in fluid communication with respective sub-manifold melt channel outlets, and wherein said nozzle plate does not form part of a sub-manifold melt channel.
2. The injection molding apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a sub-manifold heater coupled to said sub-manifold plate.
3. The injection molding apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a nozzle plate heater coupled to said nozzle plate.
4. The injection molding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said sub-manifold includes a further sub-manifold plate, wherein said sub-manifold plate is coupled to an upstream surface of said further sub-manifold plate.
5. The injection molding apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein at least one sub-manifold melt channel includes a first portion and a second portion and said first portion is located in said sub-manifold plate and said second portion is located in said further sub-manifold plate.
6. The injection molding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one nozzle includes a shoulder portion located in a bore provided in said nozzle plate and abutting a step in said bore.
7. The injection molding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sub-manifold melt channel outlets are unevenly distributed with respect to the sub-manifold melt channel inlet.
8. The injection molding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one sub-manifold melt channel has a non-linear path.
9. The injection molding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one nozzle is brazed or press fit in said nozzle plate.
10. The injection molding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said nozzles abut said sub-manifold plate.
11. The injection molding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said nozzle plate is coupled to a single sub-manifold plate.
12. An injection molding apparatus comprising:
a main manifold having a manifold melt channel that includes a manifold inlet and a plurality of manifold outlets, wherein said manifold inlet is in fluid communication with a melt source;
a sub-manifold including a sub-manifold plate, a plurality of sub-manifold melt channels and a nozzle plate, wherein said sub-manifold melt channels include a common inlet in fluid communication with a respective manifold outlet, and the nozzle plate includes a plurality of nozzle bores; and
a plurality of nozzles each received within a respective one of the nozzle bores of the nozzle plate, wherein each nozzle includes a nozzle melt channel that has a nozzle inlet,
wherein the nozzle plates are each configured to retain said nozzles such that said nozzle inlets are in fluid communication with respective sub-manifold melt channel outlets, and wherein an upstream portion of each nozzle abuts said sub-manifold plate.
13. The injection molding apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a sub-manifold heater coupled to said sub-manifold plate.
14. The injection molding apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a nozzle plate heater coupled to said nozzle plate.
15. The injection molding apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said sub-manifold includes a further sub-manifold plate, wherein said sub-manifold plate is coupled to an upstream surface of said further sub-manifold plate.
16. The injection molding apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the sub-manifold melt channel outlets are unevenly distributed with respect to the sub-manifold melt channel inlet.
17. An injection molding apparatus comprising:
a main manifold having a manifold melt channel that includes a manifold inlet and a plurality of manifold outlets, wherein said manifold inlet is in fluid communication with a melt source;
a sub-manifold including a sub-manifold plate, a plurality of sub-manifold melt channels and a nozzle plate coupled to said sub-manifold plate, wherein said sub-manifold melt channels include a common inlet in fluid communication with a manifold outlet; and
a plurality of nozzles, wherein each nozzle includes a nozzle melt channel that has a nozzle inlet;
wherein said nozzle plate is configured to directly retain said nozzles such that said nozzle inlets are in fluid communication with respective sub-manifold melt channel outlets, and wherein said nozzles are distributed about said nozzle plate unevenly with respect to said common inlet of said sub-manifold melt channels, and wherein said nozzle plate does not form part of a sub-manifold melt channel.
18. The injection molding apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising a sub-manifold heater coupled to said sub-manifold plate.
19. The injection molding apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising a nozzle plate heater coupled to said nozzle plate.
20. The injection molding apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said sub-manifold plate includes a first sub-manifold plate and a second sub-manifold plate, wherein said first sub-manifold plate is coupled to an upstream surface of said second sub-manifold plate.
21. The injection molding apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein at least one sub-manifold melt channel includes a first portion and a second portion and said first portion is located in said sub-manifold plate and said second portion is located in said further sub-manifold plate.
22. The injection molding apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein at least one nozzle includes a shoulder portion located in a bore provided in said nozzle plate and abutting a step in said bore.