Valve gated nozzle having a valve pin with a sensor
View Patent ↗An injection molding apparatus includes a manifold for delivering a melt stream of moldable material to a nozzle melt channel of a nozzle. A valve pin extends through the nozzle melt channel and is axially movable to selectively open a gate to allow communication with a mold cavity. A sensor is coupled to a forward end of the valve pin. The sensor may be a pressure sensor and/or temperature sensor in direct contact with the melt stream to provide pressure and/or temperature information to a controller.
1. An injection molding apparatus comprising:
a manifold including a first manifold melt channel for delivering a first melt material and a second manifold melt channel for delivering a second melt material;
an injection molding nozzle having a first melt channel for receiving the first melt material from the first manifold melt channel and having a second melt channel for receiving the second melt material from the second manifold melt channel;
a valve pin having a valve pin body with a segment that slidably extends through the first melt channel of the nozzle, the valve pin being axially movable for controlling the flow of the first and second melt materials;
a processing sensor coupled to and positioned at least partially within the segment of the valve pin body that extends within the first melt channel; and
a mold cavity in fluid communication with the nozzle via a respective mold gate, wherein the valve pin has a downstream end portion for selectively opening and closing the mold gate.
2. The injection molding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at a first axial position of the valve pin the processing sensor measures a pressure of the first melt material.
3. The injection molding apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at a second axial position of the valve pin the processing sensor measures a pressure of the second melt material.
4. The injection molding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when the end portion of the valve pin is seated within the mold gate in the closed position the processing sensor measures a pressure of the melt material in the mold cavity.
5. The injection molding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said processing sensor is a thermocouple.
6. The injection molding apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the thermocouple is positioned within the end portion of the valve pin.
7. The injection molding apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:
at least one thermocouple coupled to the nozzle.
8. The injection molding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said processing sensor is a pressure sensor.
9. The injection molding apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller for communicating with the processing sensor.
10. The injection molding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing sensor has a melt contacting surface that is flush with an end surface of the valve pin.
11. The injection molding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing sensor has a melt contacting surface that is downstream of an end surface of the valve pin.
12. The injection molding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing sensor includes a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor.
13. The injection molding apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the manifold is comprised of a first manifold including the first manifold melt channel and a second manifold including the second manifold melt channel.
14. An injection molding apparatus comprising:
an injection molding nozzle having a first melt channel for receiving a first melt material from a first melt source and having a second melt channel for receiving a second melt material from a second melt source;
a valve pin having a body segment that slidably extends within the first melt channel of the nozzle, the body segment including a downstream end portion of the valve pin being axially movable for controlling the flow of the first and second melt materials;
a pressure sensor coupled to and disposed at least partially within the body segment of the valve pin; and
a mold cavity in fluid communication with the nozzle via a respective mold gate, wherein the valve pin end portion is selectively positionable for opening and closing the mold gate.
15. The injection molding apparatus of claim 14 , wherein at a first axial position of the valve pin within the first melt channel the pressure sensor measures a pressure of the first melt material.
16. The injection molding apparatus of claim 15 , wherein at a second axial position of the valve pin within the first melt channel the pressure sensor measures a pressure of the second melt material.
17. The injection molding apparatus of claim 14 , wherein when the end portion of the valve pin is seated within the mold gate in the closed position the pressure sensor measures a pressure of the melt material in the mold cavity.
18. The injection molding apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:
at least one thermocouple coupled to the valve pin and axially movable therewith.
19. The injection molding apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising:
at least one thermocouple coupled to the nozzle.
20. The injection molding apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:
at least one thermocouple coupled to the nozzle.
21. The injection molding apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:
a controller for communicating with the pressure sensor.
22. The injection molding apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the second melt channel is annular and is radially displaced from the first melt channel.
23. The injection molding apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the pressure sensor is at least partially embedded within the end portion of the valve pin.
24. The injection molding apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the pressure sensor is embedded within the end portion of the valve pin such that a melt contacting surface of the pressure senor is flush with a downstream end surface of the valve pin.
25. The injection molding apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the pressure sensor is positioned within the end portion of the valve pin.