Patent ID: 6840758

Claim:
A valve bushing assembly for use in an injection molding apparatus, said injection molding apparatus including a manifold block, a valve pin, and an actuator block, said manifold block having at least one melt channel therein, said manifold block having an exterior surface that faces said actuator block and a manifold pass-through extending from said exterior surface to said at least one melt channel, said manifold pass-through having a manifold sealing surface therein, wherein said manifold pass-through permits said valve pin to pass therethrough, said actuator block having an actuator attached thereto, wherein said actuator is operatively connected to said valve pin, said valve bushing assembly comprising: a bushing, wherein said bushing is adapted to be received in said manifold pass-through, said bushing has a bushing pass-through that is adapted to align with said manifold pass-through and said bushing pass-through is adapted to slidably receive said valve pin, said bushing has a bushing sealing surface that is adapted to cooperate with said manifold sealing surface to inhibit melt leakage therebetween and said bushing has a bushing shoulder; and a spacer, wherein said spacer is positioned between said manifold block and said actuator block to space said manifold block and said actuator block from each other, said spacer has a first spacer surface that is adapted to contact said actuator block and said spacer has a second spacer surface that is adapted to contact said bushing shoulder, and said spacer is adapted to be substantially free of contact with said manifold block.