US 12,257,751 B2
Hot-runner assembly with internally cooled axially mounted electric actuator
Scott Greb, Washington Township, MI (US); Anton Joerg, Grossostheim (DE); and Christian Striegel, Hessen (DE)
Assigned to Incoe Corporation, Auburn Hills, MI (US)
Filed by Incoe Corporation, Auburn Hills, MI (US)
Filed on Oct. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/975,217.
Application 17/975,217 is a division of application No. 16/599,564, filed on Oct. 11, 2019, granted, now 11,511,469.
Prior Publication US 2023/0052547 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. B29C 45/28 (2006.01); B29C 45/27 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 45/281 (2013.01) [B29C 45/2737 (2013.01); B29C 2045/2824 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of axially coupling or decoupling an electric actuator to a valve pin in an injection manifold apparatus, comprising:
providing an injection molding apparatus comprising a manifold defining a resin channel for conveying liquid resin from an injection molding machine toward a mold cavity; a nozzle for conveying liquid resin from the resin channel to the mold cavity; a valve pin configured for linear movement along a longitudinal axis of the nozzle to control flow of liquid resin through the nozzle; and an electric actuator having a body containing an electric motor and a linear drive shaft, wherein both the electric motor and the linear drive shaft are contained within the body of the electric actuator, and wherein the linear drive shaft has a bore extending along the longitudinal axis of the nozzle, and the body has a bottom drive shaft opening and a top drive shaft opening providing access to opposite ends of the bore; and coupling or decoupling the valve pin directly or indirectly to the linear drive shaft via the bore through the drive shaft openings in the body.