Controller arrangement for injection molding system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10926445-B2
Application number	US-202016797615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2020
Priority date	Jun 1, 2016
Publication date	Feb 23, 2021
Grant date	Feb 23, 2021

Abstract

An injection molding apparatus (10) comprising a signal converter (1500) interconnected to a machine controller (MC) of an injection molding machine (IMM) that generates standardized signals (VPS), the signal converter (1500) receiving and converting the standardized signals (VS) to a command signal (MOPCS, PDCVS) that is compatible with a signal receptor or interface of an electrically powered actuator (940e, 941e, 942e) or a signal receptor, interface or driver of a proportional directional control valve (V, V1, V2) that drives a fluid driven actuator (940p, 941p, 942p) to respectively operate the electrically powered actuator (940e, 941e, 942e) or the proportional directional control valve (V, V1, V2) to move in a direction that operates to either begin an injection cycle and to end an injection cycle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An injection molding apparatus ( 10 ) comprising an injection molding machine (IMM) having a drivably rotatable barrel screw (BS) that generates an injection fluid ( 18 ), a heated manifold ( 40 ) that receives the injection fluid ( 18 ) from the injection molding machine (IMM) and distributes the injection fluid ( 18 ) to one or more gates ( 32 , 34 , 36 ), a mold ( 42 ) having a cavity ( 30 ) communicating with the gates to receive the injection fluid ( 18 ),
the injection molding machine (IMM) including a machine controller (MC) or control unit (HPU) that generates one or more directional control valve compatible signals (VS) compatible for receipt and use by a signal receptor, interface or driver of a standard fluid directional control valve to instruct the standard fluid directional control valve to move to a position that routes a source of drive fluid to flow in a direction that drives an interconnected fluid drivable actuator ( 940 f , 941 f , 942 f ) to move in a direction that operates to begin an injection cycle and to end an injection cycle,
a signal converter ( 1500 ) interconnected to the machine controller (MC) or control unit (HPU), the signal converter ( 1500 ) being adapted to convert the directional control valve compatible signals (VS) to a command signal (MOPCS) that is compatible with a signal receptor or interface of an electrically powered actuator ( 940 e , 941 e , 942 e ),
wherein the command signal (MOPCS) is in a form, frequency, power or format that is usable by the signal receptor or interface of the electrically powered actuator ( 940 e , 941 e , 942 e ) to cause the electrically powered actuator to be driven in a direction that operates to either begin an injection cycle or to end an injection cycle,
the apparatus further including one or more position sensors ( 950 , 951 , 952 ) that detect and generate one or more sensor signals indicative of one or more of: a rotational position of a rotor ( 940 r , 941 r , 942 r ) of the electrically powered actuator, or an axial linear position of an associated valve pin ( 1040 , 1041 , 1042 ) driven by the electrically powered actuator within a fluid channel ( 19 ) of the heated manifold or within a nozzle channel ( 42 , 44 , 46 ),
and wherein the signal convertor ( 1500 ) includes an actuator controller ( 16 ) that receives and uses the one or more sensor signals in a program that instructs the electrically powered actuator to withdraw the associated valve pin ( 1040 , 1041 , 1042 ) upstream at a reduced velocity relative to a maximum velocity over a selected path of upstream travel during the course of an injection cycle wherein the controller ( 16 ) includes instructions that instruct the associated valve pin to be driven at a higher velocity upstream relative to the reduced velocity in response to a signal received from the position sensor indicating that the associated valve pin reached a selected position (COP 2 ).

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the direction that operates to begin an injection cycle is a direction that operates to cause the electrically operated actuator ( 940 e , 941 e , 942 e ) or its associated valve pin ( 1040 , 1041 , 1042 ) to open a gate ( 32 , 34 , 36 ) and the direction that operates to end an injection cycle is a direction that causes the actuator ( 940 e , 941 e , 942 e ) or its associated valve pin ( 1040 , 1041 , 1042 ) to close the gate ( 32 , 34 , 36 ).

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the direction that operates to begin an injection cycle is an upstream direction in which the electrically powered actuator ( 940 e , 941 e , 942 e ) or its associated valve pin ( 1040 , 1041 , 1042 ) moves upstream from a gate closed position to an open gate position ( 32 , 34 , 36 ) and the direction that operates to end an injection cycle is a downstream direction in which the electrically powered actuator ( 940 e , 941 e , 942 e ) or its associated valve pin ( 1040 , 1041 , 1042 ) moves downstream from an open gate position to a closed gate position ( 32 , 34 , 36 ).

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the directional control valve compatible signals (VS) comprise a voltage signal of predetermined voltage or magnitude indicative of a predetermined rotational position of the barrel screw (BS) of the injection molding machine (IMM) that generates pressurized injection fluid ( 18 ) within the apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the actuator controller ( 16 ):
instructs the electrically powered actuator ( 940 e , 941 e , 942 e ) or its associated valve pin ( 1040 , 1041 , 1042 ) to travel during the course of the injection cycle to positions that correspond to a predetermined profile of injection fluid pressures, linear or rotational pin positions, linear actuator or valve pin positions, barrel screw positions, barrel pressures or actuator drive fluid pressures, or
instructs the electrically powered actuator ( 940 e , 941 e , 942 e ) or its associated valve pin ( 1040 , 1041 , 1042 ) such that the valve pin is withdrawn from a closed gate position upstream at a reduced velocity over a selected path of upstream travel, or
instructs the electrically powered actuator ( 940 e , 941 e , 942 e ) or its associated valve pin ( 1040 , 1041 , 1042 ) to travel such that the valve pin is driven downstream at a reduced velocity over a selected path of travel where a distal tip end of the pin travel from upstream of the gate to a gate closed position, or
instructs the actuator ( 940 e , 941 e , 942 e ) or its associated valve pin ( 1040 , 1041 , 1042 ) to travel such that the valve pin is driven upstream or downstream to an intermediate position between a gate closed position and a fully upstream position where the valve pin is maintained in the intermediate position for a selected period of time during the course of the injection cycle wherein, in the intermediate position, the distal tip end of the valve pin restricts flow of injection of the injection fluid to less than a maximum flow.

6. A method of beginning and ending an injection cycle comprising operating an apparatus ( 10 ) according to claim 1 to perform an injection cycle.

7. A signal converter ( 1500 ) for converting signals generated by an injection molding apparatus ( 10 ) that is comprised of an injection molding machine (IMM) having a drivably rotatable barrel screw (BS) that generates an injection fluid ( 18 ), a heated manifold ( 40 ) that receives an injection fluid ( 18 ) from the injection molding machine (IMM) and distributes the injection fluid ( 18 ) to one or more gates ( 32 , 34 , 36 ), a mold ( 42 ) having a cavity ( 30 ) communicating with the gates to receive the injection fluid ( 18 ), wherein the injection molding machine (IMM) includes a machine controller (MC) or a control unit (HPU) that generates one or more directional control valve compatible signals (VS) compatible for use by a signal receptor, interface or driver of a standard fluid directional control valve to instruct the standard fluid directional control valve to move to a position that routes a source of drive fluid to flow in a direction that drives an interconnected fluid drivable actuator ( 940 f , 941 f , 942 f ) to move in a direction that operates to begin an injection cycle and to move in a direction that operates to end an injection cycle,
wherein the signal converter ( 1500 ) is interconnected to the machine controller (MC) or control unit (HPU), the signal converter ( 1500 ) receiving and converting the directional control valve compatible signals (VS) to a command signal (MOPCS) that is compatible with a signal receptor or interface of an electrically powered actuator (

Assignees

• Galati Vito
• Yang Lin
• Feng Ling
• De Oliveira Antunes Sergio Ribeiro
• Synventive Molding Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Galati Vito
• Yang Lin
• Feng Ling
• De Oliveira Antunes Sergio Ribeiro

Classifications

• B29C45/281 Primary

  Drive means therefor · CPC title

• B29C2945/76083

  Position · CPC title

• B29C2945/76568

  Position · CPC title

• B29C2945/76939

  Using stored or historical data sets · CPC title

• B29C2945/76214

  drive means · CPC title