Patent ID: 7481649

Claim:
An injection molding assembly, comprising: a hot runner that includes an injection nozzle comprising a tip and having an outer periphery; a mold secured to said hot runner and including: a mold cavity; and a nozzle-receiving cavity in fluid communication with said mold cavity and receiving a portion of said injection nozzle, said nozzle-receiving cavity including a sealing surface and a tip region receiving said tip of said injection nozzle; and a nozzle sleeve surrounding said outer periphery of at least a portion of said injection nozzle and secured to the injection molding apparatus independently of said injection nozzle, said nozzle sleeve including a nozzle sealing opening receiving a portion of said injection nozzle therethrough and configured to form a seal with said injection nozzle at least when said injection nozzle and said nozzle sleeve are at an operating temperature, said nozzle sleeve springingly urged between said hot runner and said sealing surface so as to seal said tip region relative to said nozzle-receiving cavity.