Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
156 words
In an injection molding screw for plasticating heat sensitive polymeric materials for use in forming beverage containers while avoiding the release of objectionable constituents of said polymeric materials through thermal decomposition, said screw including an inlet end, a discharge end, means for mounting a backflow valve on said discharge end and a flighted section for applying high shear and high compression to said polymeric material, the improvement comprising: a flighted screw section disposed between said high shear and high compression section and said discharge end of said screw, said screw section having an available volume per unit length for receiving said polymeric material that is greater than the corresponding available volume per unit length of said high shear and high compression section and having means for pumping said polymeric material to said discharge end of said screw at a rate at least equal to the pumping rate of said zone of high shear and high compression.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
156 words
In an injection molding screw for plasticating heat sensitive polymeric materials for use in forming beverage containers while avoiding the release of objectionable constituents of said polymeric materials through thermal decomposition, said screw including an inlet end, a discharge end, means for mounting a backflow valve on said discharge end and a flighted section for applying high shear and high compression to said polymeric material, the improvement comprising: a flighted screw section disposed between said high shear and high compression section and said discharge end of said screw, said screw section having an available volume per unit length for receiving said polymeric material that is greater than the corresponding available volume per unit length of said high shear and high compression section and having means for pumping said polymeric material to said discharge end of said screw at a rate at least equal to the pumping rate of said zone of high shear and high compression.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The improvement recited in claim 1 wherein: said screw section has a channel depth and helix angle substantially greater than the channel depth and helix angle present in said high shear and high compression section.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The improvement recited in claim 2 wherein: said screw section has a plurality of flights.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
The improvement recited in claim 2 wherein: the average width of the flights of said screw section is substantially less than the average width of the flights of said high shear and high compression section.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
148 words
In the process of plasticating a heat sensitive polymeric material in an injection molding machine which process includes the steps of feeding said heat sensitive polymeric material in particulate form to the inlet end of a plasticating screw, conveying said heat sensitive polymeric material along said screw from a zone of low average shear and low compression progressively to a zone of high shear and high compression, metering the flow of said polymeric material from said zone of high shear and high compression, discharging said polymeric material from said plasticating screw, and preventing the backflow of said discharged material onto said screw, the improvement comprising: decompressing said polymeric material following said metering step but before said discharge step while pumping said material along said screw at a rate at least equal to the pumping rate of said polymeric material in said zone of high shear and high compression.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
148 words
In the process of plasticating a heat sensitive polymeric material in an injection molding machine which process includes the steps of feeding said heat sensitive polymeric material in particulate form to the inlet end of a plasticating screw, conveying said heat sensitive polymeric material along said screw from a zone of low average shear and low compression progressively to a zone of high shear and high compression, metering the flow of said polymeric material from said zone of high shear and high compression, discharging said polymeric material from said plasticating screw, and preventing the backflow of said discharged material onto said screw, the improvement comprising: decompressing said polymeric material following said metering step but before said discharge step while pumping said material along said screw at a rate at least equal to the pumping rate of said polymeric material in said zone of high shear and high compression.