Patents by Inventor Vince Ciccone

Vince Ciccone has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230023482
    Abstract: An injection molding nozzle system for delivering molten material from a manifold to a nozzle is disclosed. The manifold and nozzle are disposed within pocket of a manifold plate. The nozzle is secured to a melt-transfer bushing disposed within the manifold via a collar. The collar is secured to the bushing such that it is centered about the axis of the outlet of the bushing. A support ring supports the nozzle within the pocket such that the nozzle is centered about the axis of the pocket. In a cold state, the outlet of the bushing and the inlet of the nozzle are misaligned. In operation, thermal expansion of the components bring the outlet of the bushing and the nozzle into alignment. The melt-transfer bushing and the connection of the nozzle to the manifold, via the releasable connection between the collar and the bushing facilitates manufacture and assembly of the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventor: Vince CICCONE
  • Patent number: 10023363
    Abstract: A thermoplastic container assembly includes an improved means of attachment between lid, base and container which meets paint industry drop test standards and includes tamper evidence, a transparent lid and improved means to prevent leakage between the base, lid and container. The container includes an upper extending tubular wall element extending from the perimeter of a bottom wall to an upper rim, the upper rim including an annular inward facing cavity formed by a reduced thickness area, which includes an annular inward facing upper bead positioned above the inward facing cavity. A base includes an annular portion having an outwardly directed resilient exterior annular wall which engages the inward facing cavity of the rim of the tubular element in snap fit engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: INJECTNOTECH, INC.
    Inventor: Vince Ciccone
  • Patent number: 8865048
    Abstract: A manifold, in a first pocket, defines a manifold orifice to supply material to a nozzle in a second pocket. A support ring in the second pocket maintains the nozzle stationary within the second pocket. A bushing extends between the pockets, fixedly attached to the manifold and laterally movable with respect to the pockets and the nozzle. At ambient temperature, the centers of the nozzle and manifold orifices are laterally offset from one another, a preload is defined between the nozzle and the bushing, another preload is defined between the manifold and the nozzle, and a gap is defined between the support ring and the pocket. In operation, when the various components thermally expand, the manifold moves laterally within the first pocket, and the nozzle remains substantially stationary within the second pocket, such that the centers of the nozzle and manifold orifices are laterally aligned, and the gap is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Injectnotech Inc.
    Inventor: Vince Ciccone
  • Publication number: 20140183790
    Abstract: A manifold, in a first pocket, defines a manifold orifice to supply material to a nozzle in a second pocket. A support ring in the second pocket maintains the nozzle stationary within the second pocket. A bushing extends between the pockets, fixedly attached to the manifold and laterally movable with respect to the pockets and the nozzle. At ambient temperature, the centers of the nozzle and manifold orifices are laterally offset from one another, a preload is defined between the nozzle and the bushing, another preload is defined between the manifold and the nozzle, and a gap is defined between the support ring and the pocket. In operation, when the various components thermally expand, the manifold moves laterally within the first pocket, and the nozzle remains substantially stationary within the second pocket, such that the centers of the nozzle and manifold orifices are laterally aligned, and the gap is closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Injectnotech, Inc.
    Inventor: Vince Ciccone
  • Publication number: 20140076899
    Abstract: A thermoplastic container assembly includes an improved means of attachment between lid, base and container which meets paint industry drop test standards and includes tamper evidence, a transparent lid and improved means to prevent leakage between the base, lid and container. The container includes an upper extending tubular wall element extending from the perimeter of a bottom wall to an upper rim, the upper rim including an annular inward facing cavity formed by a reduced thickness area, which includes an annular inward facing upper bead positioned above the inward facing cavity. A base includes an annular portion having an outwardly directed resilient exterior annular wall which engages the inward facing cavity of the rim of the tubular element in snap fit engagement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Inventor: Vince Ciccone
  • Patent number: 8308465
    Abstract: A wedge-lock system for injection molds, using a protrusion on one side of the mold and a mating opening and sets of wedges which act together upon mold closing to provide and maintain accurate centering of the core and cavity halves in reference to each other, to prevent core shifts and compensate for uneven thermal expansion of mold components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Injectnotech Inc.
    Inventor: Vince Ciccone
  • Patent number: 8128397
    Abstract: A crossover nozzle system for transferring molten plastic from an inlet at the center of the stationary platen of an injection machine to the main manifold of the molding chambers of the stack molds of the injection molding machine. The crossover nozzle system incorporates liquid cooling to create a high viscosity viscous seal from molten plastic at a parting line between moveable components. Accordingly, no other seal is required between the components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Injectnotech Inc.
    Inventors: Vince Ciccone, John M. Plut, Petrica Maran
  • Publication number: 20120040045
    Abstract: A wedge-lock system for injection molds, using a protrusion on one side of the mold and a mating opening and sets of wedges which act together upon mold closing to provide and maintain accurate centering of the core and cavity halves in reference to each other, to prevent core shifts and compensate for uneven thermal expansion of mold components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Inventor: Vince Ciccone
  • Publication number: 20110186572
    Abstract: A container for a material, wherein the container has a body, a base, and a lid is presented. The base may be with or without a tamper-evident feature, depending on requirements, while the lid is made preferably of a clear, transparent plastic. The body has a bottom and a tubular element defining sides of the body and extending upwardly from a periphery of the bottom. An upper portion of the tubular element forms an aperture of the body. The base has an externally directed annular protrusion which engages a recess in the aperture-forming portion of the tubular element of the body. In this way, a permanent seal is made at the top of the body after filling with the material. A lid is adapted to removably engage a top portion of the base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Inventors: Vince Ciccone, Maxwell Bushby
  • Patent number: 7972127
    Abstract: A wedge-lock system for injection molds, using a protrusion on one side of the mold and a mating opening and sets of wedges which act together upon mold closing to provide and maintain accurate centering of the core and cavity halves in reference to each other, to prevent core shifts and compensate for uneven thermal expansion of mold components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Top Grade Molds Ltd.
    Inventor: Vince Ciccone
  • Patent number: 7942663
    Abstract: A valve gate system for an injection molding machine, having a valve gate unit configured to be in contact with a manifold of an injection molding machine for delivering a molten plastic flow from a hot runner system to an injection chamber. The valve gate unit has a valve pin for controlling the flow of the molten plastic from a hot runner system to an injection chamber and an activating unit coupled with the valve gate unit. The activating unit is configured to be mounted external to a mold unit that houses the injection chamber. In addition, the activating unit has an element that extends through the mold unit to engage the valve pin, so as to control the molten plastic flow from a runner system to an injection chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Injectnotech Inc.
    Inventor: Vince Ciccone
  • Publication number: 20110086124
    Abstract: A crossover nozzle system for transferring molten plastic from an inlet at the center of the stationary platen of an injection machine to the main manifold of the molding chambers of the stack molds of the injection molding machine. The crossover nozzle system incorporates liquid cooling to create a high viscosity viscous seal from molten plastic at a parting line between moveable components. Accordingly, no other seal is required between the components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: Injectnotech Inc.
    Inventors: Vince Ciccone, John M. Plut, Petrica Maran
  • Patent number: 7802982
    Abstract: An improved mold assembly for producing an article and for use with an air source is disclosed. The mold assembly is of the type including at least two mold portions configurable to form a mold having an interior mold cavity in the shape of said article, one or more of said mold portions each including an interior conduit for delivering air from said air source in use. The improvement comprises, for each of said one or more mold portions, a pair of mold parts each having an abutment surface, one of said abutment surfaces having defined therein a groove. The pair of mold parts is disposed in an operative configuration whereat they define at least in part said each mold portion, whereat the abutment surfaces lie flush against one another and whereat the groove defines at least part of the interior conduit in said each mold portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Top Grade Molds, Ltd.
    Inventors: Vince Ciccone, Jerko Knezovic, Albert Wong
  • Publication number: 20100166908
    Abstract: A crossover nozzle system for transferring molten plastic from an inlet at the center of the stationary platen of an injection machine to the main manifold of the molding chambers of the stack molds of the injection molding machine. The crossover nozzle system relies on molten plastic pressure within the system to actuate the primary sprue shut-off valve, and thus to open and close the flow of molten plastic to the molds. Therefore, a drool-free valve mechanism is created without needing an external actuation of the shut-off valve like, for instance, a hydraulic or a pneumatic cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: Injectnotech Inc.
    Inventors: Vince Ciccone, John M. Plut, Petrica Maran
  • Patent number: 7658607
    Abstract: A crossover nozzle system for transferring molten plastic from an inlet at the center of the stationary platen of an injection machine to the main manifold of the molding chambers of the stack molds of the injection molding machine. The crossover nozzle system relies on molten plastic pressure within the system to actuate the primary sprue shut-off valve, and thus to open and close the flow of molten plastic to the molds. Therefore, a drool-free valve mechanism is created without needing an external actuation of the shut-off valve like, for instance, a hydraulic or a pneumatic cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Injectnotech Inc.
    Inventors: Vince Ciccone, John M. Plut, Petrica Maran
  • Publication number: 20090041886
    Abstract: A crossover nozzle system for transferring molten plastic from an inlet at the center of the stationary platen of an injection machine to the main manifold of the molding chambers of the stack molds of the injection molding machine. The crossover nozzle system relies on molten plastic pressure within the system to actuate the primary sprue shut-off valve, and thus to open and close the flow of molten plastic to the molds. Therefore, a drool-free valve mechanism is created without needing an external actuation of the shut-off valve like, for instance, a hydraulic or a pneumatic cylinder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Applicant: Injectnotech Inc.
    Inventors: Vince Ciccone, John M. Plut, Petrica Maran
  • Publication number: 20090026404
    Abstract: A valve gate system for an injection molding machine, having a valve gate unit configured to be in contact with a manifold of an injection molding machine for delivering a molten plastic flow from a hot runner system to an injection chamber. The valve gate unit has a valve pin for controlling the flow of the molten plastic from a hot runner system to an injection chamber and an activating unit coupled with the valve gate unit. The activating unit is configured to be mounted external to a mold unit that houses the injection chamber. In addition, the activating unit has an element that extends through the mold unit to engage the valve pin, so as to control the molten plastic flow from a runner system to an injection chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Applicant: INJECTNOTECH INC.
    Inventor: Vince Ciccone
  • Publication number: 20080311236
    Abstract: A wedge-lock system for injection molds, using a protrusion on one side of the mold and a mating opening and sets of wedges which act together upon mold closing to provide and maintain accurate centering of the core and cavity halves in reference to each other, to prevent core shifts and compensate for uneven thermal expansion of mold components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Applicant: TOP GRADE MOLDS LTD.
    Inventor: Vince Ciccone
  • Patent number: 7452201
    Abstract: A valve gate system for an injection molding machine, having a valve gate unit configured to be in contact with a manifold of an injection molding machine for delivering a molten plastic flow from a hot runner system to an injection chamber. The valve gate unit has a valve pin for controlling the flow of the molten plastic from a hot runner system to an injection chamber and an activating unit coupled with the valve gate unit. The activating unit is configured to be mounted external to a mold unit that houses the injection chamber. In addition, the activating unit has an element that extends through the mold unit to engage the valve pin, so as to control the molten plastic flow from a runner system to an injection chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2008
    Assignee: Injectnotech Inc.
    Inventor: Vince Ciccone
  • Patent number: 7427197
    Abstract: A crossover nozzle system for transferring molten plastic from an inlet at the center of the stationary platen of an injection machine to the main manifold of the molding chambers of the stack molds of the injection molding machine. The nozzle system has a sprue bar, a sprue bar extension adjustably connected with the sprue bar, the sprue bar extension having a transfer chamber. The nozzle system also has symmetrically placed inlet apertures located in the sprue bar, the apertures are configured to be in fluid communication centrally with the transfer chamber in the sprue bar extension, and a shut-off surface configured to seal the transfer chamber from the inlet apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: Injectnotech Inc.
    Inventors: Vince Ciccone, John M. Plut, Petrica Maran