Injection molding nozzle with self-supporting actuating mechanism

Claim 1

In an elongated heated valve gated injection molding nozzle having a main body portion which extends into a well in a cooled mold core, the main body portion having a rear end, a forward end and a side face adjacent the rear end and a central bore extending from the rear end to the forward end in alignment with a gate through the mold core to a cavity, an elongated valve member having a driven rear end and a forward end received in the central bore, the driven rear end of the valve member being operatively connected to an actuating mechanism having a cylinder assembly to reciprocate the valve member longitudinally between a retracted open position and a forward closed position wherein the forward end of the valve member is sealed in the gate, the cylinder assembly of the actuating mechanism including a piston which is mounted in a cylinder, the piston being connected to the driven end of the valve member which extends into the cylinder whereby the piston reciprocates in the cylinder to reciprocate the valve member between the open and closed positions, the main body portion having a melt passage extending therethrough to convey melt from an inlet on the side face to an outlet at the forward end, the melt passage having a lateral portion which extends from the inlet to a longitudinal portion which extends in the central bore around the valve member to the outlet, the improvement wherein; the valve member has a portion which extends rearwardly from the rear end of the main body portion, a rearwardly facing flange portion surrounding the valve member and extending rearwardly from the rear end of the main body portion, a forwardly facing flange portion surrounding the valve member and extending forwardly from the cylinder assembly, and the forwardly facing flange portion is removably secured to the rearwardly facing flange portion by clamping means, the clamping means including first and second opposed portions which are tightened together over said flange portions by laterally extending tightening means, whereby the actuating mechanism is securely mounted on the rearwardly facing flange portion to engage the driven end of the valve number to reciprocate the valve member between the open and closed positions.