Patent ID: 8113817

Claim:
A molding apparatus comprising: a first surface mold tool having a base surface with at least one article molding region formed into the base surface, each article molding region having a body bounded by a perimeter that defines a complete outer edge for a molded article; at least one thermally conductive longitudinally extending port coupled to one article molding region of the first surface mold within the body and away from the base surface, each port comprising a substantially hollow member having an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface defining a shaped passageway wherein molding material flows through said shaped passageway into said article molding region to form a molded article; at least one distribution channel extending to each port for delivering the molding material to the respective port; at least one moveable blocking pin shaped to correspond to the shaped passageway of the at least one port, each pin operatively extending and retracting to alternately prevent the molding material from flowing through the shaped passageway and reaching one article molding region of the first surface mold tool and allow the molding material to flow through the shaped passageway and reach one article molding region of the first surface mold tool, said pin shaped and sized to matingly fill the longitudinal extent of the shaped passageway and to be in thermal communication with the inner surface of the at least one port when the pin is in the extended condition; at least one heat sink comprising a hollow chamber partially defined by the outer surface of the at least one port, the hollow chamber defining a fluid space for holding a cooling fluid, wherein the cooling fluid is supplied via a supply line, directly contacts and circumscribes the outer surface of the at least one port, and exits the chamber via a take-off line thereby cooling the at least one port and also cooling the at least one blocking pin when the at least one blocking pin is in the extended condition; and a second surface mold tool opposing the first surface mold tool and having a base surface with at least one article molding region formed into the base surface and configured to mate with the at least one article molding region of the first surface mold tool to form at least one closed molding cavity within which at least one molded article is formed, the at least one closed molding cavity being formed when the first surface mold tool and second surface mold tool are brought together upon movement of at least one of the first surface mold tool and the second surface mold tool.