Method and apparatus for mold temperature control using air

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling the temperature of an injection mold passes pressurized air contained in an air supply tube through an orifice into an exhaust channel, wherein the pressure of the air in the exhaust channel is lower than the pressure of the air in the air supply tube. As the pressurized air is released through the orifice, cooling is produced that can be applied to a portion of an injection mold where cooling is desired, in order to control the temperature of that portion of the injection mold.

1 . A method of cooling a portion of an injection mold comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing an orifice member having a first side and a second side, wherein the orifice member is in thermal communication with a portion of an injection mold;    (b) supplying a gas at a first pressure to the first side of the orifice member; and    (c) providing a gas exhaust channel containing the gas at a second pressure on the second side of the orifice member, wherein the second pressure is lower than the first pressure; and    (d) releasing the gas from the first side of the orifice member through the orifice member to the second side of the orifice member into the gas exhaust channel,    thereby cooling the portion of the injection mold.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the gas includes air.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of adjusting the magnitude of the pressure of the gas supplied on the first side of the orifice member.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of adjusting the magnitude of the pressure of the gas in the gas exhaust channel.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of providing a gas supply valve operably coupled to the first side of the orifice member for adjusting the flow rate of the gas supplied on the first side of the orifice member.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of providing a gas exhaust valve operably coupled to the gas exhaust channel for adjusting the flow rate of the gas in the gas exhaust channel.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of measuring the temperature of at least one portion of the injection mold and adjusting the magnitude of the pressure of the gas supplied on the first side of the orifice member.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of measuring the temperature of at least one portion of the injection mold and adjusting the magnitude of the pressure of the gas in the gas exhaust channel.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of measuring the temperature of at least one portion of the injection mold and adjusting the flow rate of the gas supplied on the first side of the orifice member.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of measuring the temperature of at least one portion of the injection mold and adjusting the flow rate of the gas in the gas exhaust channel.  
   
   
       11 . A method of cooling a portion of an injection mold comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing a gas supply tube containing a gas at a pressure above atmospheric pressure;    (b) providing an orifice member having a first side operably coupled to the gas supply tube and a second side containing the gas at a pressure no greater than atmospheric pressure, wherein the orifice member is in thermal communication with a portion of an injection mold; and    (c) releasing the gas from the first side of the orifice member through the orifice member to the second side of the orifice member,    thereby cooling the portion of the injection mold.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the step of adjusting the magnitude of the pressure of the gas in the gas supply tube.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the step of adjusting the flow of the gas through the gas supply tube.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the steps of measuring the temperature of at least one portion of the injection mold and adjusting the magnitude of the pressure of the gas in the gas supply tube.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the steps of measuring the temperature of at least one portion of the injection mold and adjusting the flow of the gas through the gas supply tube.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the orifice member has one or more apertures comprising an orifice having an effective size, and further comprising the step of adjusting the effective size of the orifice.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the orifice member has one or more apertures comprising an orifice having an effective size, and further comprising the steps of measuring the temperature of at least one portion of the injection mold and adjusting the effective size of the orifice.  
   
   
       18 . An orifice assembly for cooling an injection mold, comprising: 
 (a) a pipe having a first end, a second end, and a midpoint along its length;    (b) an orifice member located at the second end of the pipe; and    (c) an insulating jacket extending from a point between the first end of the pipe and the midpoint of the pipe to a point between the midpoint of the pipe and the second end of the pipe.    
   
   
       19 . The orifice assembly of  claim 18  wherein the orifice member includes a disk having one or more holes whose combined cross-sectional area is less than 50% of the cross-sectional area of the second end of the pipe.  
   
   
       20 . The orifice assembly of  claim 18  wherein the orifice member includes a porous plug having a plurality of pores, wherein the combined area of the pores is less than 50% of the cross-sectional area of the second end of the pipe.  
   
   
       21 . The orifice assembly of  claim 18  further comprising an exhaust channel having a closed end, wherein the second end of the pipe has a peripheral edge, and at least a portion of the peripheral edge of the second end of the pipe is in thermal contact with the closed end of the exhaust channel.  
   
   
       22 . The orifice assembly of  claim 21  wherein the peripheral edge of the second end of the pipe includes at least one notch.  
   
   
       23 . The orifice assembly of  claim 21  wherein the second end of the pipe has one or more sides, and wherein the pipe includes at least one hole in a side of the second end of the pipe adjacent to the peripheral edge.