US 12,030,231 B2
Injection molding apparatus with a thermal bridge
Thanh Huu Nguyen, North Billerica, MA (US); and Cheryl Ann Sayer, Lowell, MA (US)
Assigned to Milacron LLC, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Appl. No. 17/612,729
Filed by Milacron LLC, Cincinnati, OH (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 6, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/054339
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 19, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/071797, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 15, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/912,158, filed on Oct. 8, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0234269 A1, Jul. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 45/28 (2006.01); B29C 45/27 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 45/2806 (2013.01) [B29C 45/2725 (2013.01); B29C 45/2737 (2013.01); B29C 2045/2762 (2013.01); B29C 45/278 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A hot runner system comprising:
a manifold having a manifold channel for receiving material from a source, and the manifold channel extending between a manifold inlet and a manifold outlet;
a cooled mold plate;
a nozzle for delivering molding material to a mold cavity, the nozzle having a nozzle channel in fluid communication between the manifold channel and the mold cavity, and a valve pin seal at an upstream end of the nozzle;
a valve pin slidably received in the valve pin seal, the valve pin extending through the manifold and the nozzle;
an actuator connected to the valve pin for translating the valve pin between an open position and a closed position; and
a thermal bridge in conductive thermal communication with the valve pin seal and the cooled mold plate, wherein:
the thermal bridge includes a proximal portion in conductive thermal communication with the valve pin seal and a distal portion that is spaced apart from the proximal portion and is in conductive thermal communication with the cooled mold plate,
the thermal bridge includes another distal portion, the another distal portion is spaced apart from the proximal portion and is spaced apart from the distal portion, and
a surface area of a heat transfer interface between the distal portion and the cooled mold plate is different than the surface area of another heat transfer interface between the another distal portion and the cooled mold plate.