Patent ID: 7972132

Claim:
An injection molding apparatus comprising: an injection molding nozzle having a heater and a melt channel for receiving melt from a melt source; a nozzle tip coupled to a downstream end of the nozzle, the nozzle tip having a melt channel for receiving melt from the nozzle melt channel; a cooled mold gate component having a mold gate which is in fluid communication with the nozzle tip melt channel for transferring melt from the nozzle to a mold cavity; a valve pin longitudinally extending within the melt channels of the nozzle and nozzle tip, the valve pin being selectively actuated between an open position that allows melt flow through the mold gate into the mold cavity and a closed position that blocks melt flow from entering the mold gate and the mold cavity; a first transition member having a melt channel, the first transition member being in contact with a downstream end of the nozzle tip; and a second transition member having a melt channel, the second transition member being positioned downstream of the first transition member in contact with an upstream surface of the mold gate component, wherein the first transition member and the mold gate component are made from materials which are less thermally conductive than a material of the second transition member, and wherein in the closed position an end portion of the valve pin makes contact with the second transition member.