# US 10,481,586 B2 · Narrow angle hot end for three dimensional (3D) printer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,481,586 B2 - Document ID: US10481586B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/222,668 - Filed: 2016-07-28 - Published: 2017-03-16 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-09-11 - Assignees: Autodesk, Inc. - Applicants: Autodesk, Inc. - Inventors: James Sherwood Page; Peter J. Schmehl; Cory Mark Bloome; Aljosa Kemperle - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481586B2 ## CPC - B29C 64/106: using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material - G05B 19/4099: Surface or curve machining, making three-dimensional [3D] objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing - B29C 64/118: using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] - B29C 64/209: Heads; Nozzles - B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - G05B 2219/49023: 3-D printing, layer of powder, add drops of binder in layer, new powder - Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A hot end associated with an extruder for a Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) three dimensional (3D) printer includes, in at least one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification: a heater; a temperature sensor coupled with the heater; an FFF material delivery channel; a heat sink coupled with the FFF material delivery channel; a nozzle coupled with the FFF material delivery channel and with the heater, the nozzle having a total included angle of less than or equal to sixty degrees and greater than or equal to ten degrees, with respect to a nozzle target point; and a cooling delivery system for at least the heat sink; where the heat sink, the heater, the temperature sensor, the FFF material delivery channel, the nozzle, and the cooling delivery system are all contained within a volume defined by the total included angle with respect to the nozzle target point. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hot end associated with an extruder for a Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) three dimensional (3D) printer, the hot end comprising: a heater; a temperature sensor coupled with the heater; an FFF material delivery channel; a heat sink coupled with the FFF material delivery channel; a nozzle coupled with the FFF material delivery channel and with the heater, the nozzle having a total included angle of less than or equal to sixty degrees and greater than or equal to ten degrees, with respect to a nozzle target point; and a cooling delivery system for at least the heat sink; wherein the heat sink, the heater, the temperature sensor, the FFF material delivery channel, the nozzle, and the cooling delivery system are all contained within a volume defined by the total included angle with respect to the nozzle target point. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hot end of claim 1, wherein the nozzle is coupled with the FFF material delivery channel through a connector configured to receive different types of nozzles, and the connector is also contained within the volume defined by the total included angle with respect to the nozzle target point. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The hot end of claim 2, comprising a thermal barrier coupled with the heat sink and the FFF material delivery channel, wherein the thermal barrier is also contained within the volume defined by the total included angle with respect to the nozzle target point, and the cooling delivery system comprises air ducting configured and arranged to direct blown air to both the heat sink and material extruded by the nozzle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The hot end of claim 3, wherein the total included angle with respect to the nozzle target point is less than or equal to sixty degrees and greater than or equal to thirty degrees. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The hot end of claim 4, comprising a fan to generate the blown air for the cooling delivery system, wherein the fan is also contained within the volume defined by the total included angle. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The hot end of claim 5, comprising a motor to drive FFF filament into the FFF material delivery channel, wherein the motor is also contained within the volume defined by the total included angle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The hot end of claim 4, wherein the nozzle has an exit orifice with a size, and the volume is the volume of a cone defined by the total included angle and a cone height between fifty times and two hundred and fifty times the size of the exit orifice. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The hot end of claim 1, wherein the total included angle is less than or equal to forty five degrees and greater than or equal to thirty degrees. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The hot end of claim 8, comprising a thermal barrier, wherein the thermal barrier is also contained within the volume defined by the total included angle with respect to the nozzle target point. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The hot end of claim 9, wherein the cooling delivery system comprises air ducting configured and arranged to direct blown air to both the heat sink and material extruded by the nozzle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The hot end of claim 10, wherein the air ducting comprises separate air ducts for the heat sink and the material extruded by the nozzle, the separate air ducts configured and arranged to receive blown air at different flow rates from different fans. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The hot end of claim 9, wherein the cooling delivery system is configured and arranged to cool both the heat sink and the thermal barrier. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The hot end of claim 9, wherein the cooling delivery system comprises a heat pipe. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The hot end of claim 9, wherein the cooling delivery system comprises a liquid cooled system. ### Claim 15 An extruder for a Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) three dimensional (3D) printer comprising: a heat sink; a thermal barrier coupled with the heat sink; a heater coupled with the thermal barrier; a temperature sensor coupled with the heater; an FFF material delivery channel; a motor to drive FFF filament into the FFF material delivery channel; a nozzle coupled with the FFF material delivery channel and with the heater, the nozzle having a total included angle of less than or equal to sixty degrees and greater than or equal to ten degrees, with respect to a nozzle target point; and a cooling delivery system for at least the heat sink; wherein the heat sink, the heater, the temperature sensor, the FFF material delivery channel, the nozzle, and the cooling delivery system are all contained within a volume defined by the total included angle with respect to the nozzle target point. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The extruder of claim 15, wherein the thermal barrier and the motor are also contained within the volume defined by the total included angle with respect to the nozzle target point. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The extruder of claim 16, wherein the total included angle is less than or equal to forty five degrees and greater than or equal to thirty degrees. ### Claim 18 A Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) three dimensional (3D) printer comprising: a build platform; a 3D printer motion system; a carriage coupled with the 3D printer motion system; and a hot end coupled with the carriage; wherein the hot end comprises a heater, a temperature sensor coupled with the heater, an FFF material delivery channel, a heat sink coupled with the FFF material delivery channel, a nozzle coupled with the FFF material delivery channel and with the heater, and a cooling delivery system for at least the heat sink; wherein the nozzle has a total included angle of less than or equal to sixty degrees and greater than or equal to ten degrees, with respect to a nozzle target point; and wherein the heat sink, the heater, the temperature sensor, the FFF material delivery channel, the nozzle, and the cooling delivery system are all contained within a volume defined by the total included angle with respect to the nozzle target point. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The FFF 3D printer of claim 18, wherein the carriage is also contained within the volume defined by the total included angle with respect to the nozzle target point. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The FFF 3D printer of claim 18, wherein the 3D printer motion system has more than three degrees of freedom, and the FFF 3D printer is configured to move the carriage and the hot end along three dimensional tool paths.