Patent ID: 7458795

Claim:
An apparatus for use in a hot runner co-injection molding system, comprising: a gate adaptor body having at least a pair of nozzle passages formed therein, including a first nozzle passage and a second nozzle passage, each of said nozzle passages having a passage outlet in fluid communication with a gate outlet; at least a pair of nozzle assemblies mounted in said adaptor body, each said nozzle assembly having an end in fluid communication with a source of liquid extruded material and a nozzle outlet in fluid communication with an associated one of said nozzle passages an elongated fixed sleeve disposed in said adapter body and having an inside and an outside, said inside of said elongated sleeve being in fluid communication with said first nozzle passage, whereby at least a portion of said second nozzle passage is in fluid communication with said outside of said sleeve; and a valve stem being at least partially disposed in said elongated sleeve, said valve stem being reciprocatingly movable within said elongated sleeve, said valve stem being operable to selectively: i) prevent material flow through each of said first nozzle passage and said second nozzle passage: ii) prevent material flow through said first nozzle passage while allowing material flow through said second nozzle passage: and iii) allow material flow through each of said first nozzle passage and said second nozzle passage to said gate outlet, wherein a length of each of said nozzle passages in said adapter body is selected to minimize heat transfer between the materials in said nozzle passages.