Patent ID: 7845936

Claim:
An injection molding system comprising: a manifold having a melt channel for receiving a melt stream of moldable material; a nozzle disposed within an opening in a mold plate and having a melt channel in fluid communication with the manifold melt channel, the nozzle having a first outer diameter that extends along a first length of the nozzle to define a nozzle body portion and a second, reduced outer diameter that extends along a second length of the nozzle to define a spigot portion such that a shoulder is defined between the nozzle body portion and the spigot portion of the nozzle; a plurality of nozzle tips radially extending from the nozzle body portion, wherein each nozzle tip is in fluid communication with a respective mold cavity; and a spacer element having an upstream surface that contacts and seals against a downstream surface of the manifold and having a downstream end disposed within an annular seat in the mold plate, the spacer element having a bore with at least a first portion having a first inner diameter and a second portion having a second, reduced inner diameter such that a planar surface is defined between the first and second portions of the bore, wherein the second outer diameter of the nozzle spigot portion is sized to be slidably received within the spacer element bore second portion such that in the cold condition when the nozzle is fit within the spacer element bore a gap G exists between the shoulder of the nozzle and the planar surface of the spacer element bore, and wherein the spacer element and the nozzle tips are axially fixed in position such that under operating conditions thermal expansion of the nozzle is accommodated by the gap.