Patent ID: 8690563

Claim:
A hot runner apparatus comprising: a mold plate defining a pocket; a plurality of sub-manifolds; and a bridge manifold positioned in the pocket and between the sub-manifolds, the bridge manifold and the sub-manifolds oriented in a common plane, the bridge manifold for receiving a melt from a melt source, each of the sub-manifolds coupled to the bridge manifold to receive the melt from the bridge manifold via a junction between an opening of a network of melt channels within the bridge manifold and an opening of a network of melt channels within each of the sub-manifolds, the sub-manifolds being urged against the bridge manifold to form a seal therebetween when the bridge manifold and the sub-manifolds thermally expand urging the sub-manifolds against contact regions of a pair of opposing walls of the pocket, the respective opposing walls defining a hollow region separated from the respective contact regions by a wall portion.