Three dimensional printing system adaptable to varying resin types
Assignee3D Systems, Inc.
InventorsRodney Hill, Keaton Jonathan Daniel Snyder
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A kit enables an efficient and contamination-free method of changing a resin used in a three dimensional printer from a first resin to a second resin. The three dimensional printer includes a print engine and a receptacle. The kit includes a conduit assembly and a resin container. The conduit assembly includes a fluid inlet configured to be affixed in the receptacle in an upward orientation, a pump head configured to be coupled to a motorized pump actuator in the receptacle, a first conduit coupling the fluid inlet to the pump head, a fluid outlet configured to supply resin to the print engine, and a second conduit coupling the pump head to the fluid outlet.
Claims18
A method of changing resin in a three dimensional printing system which includes a print engine, a used resin container installed in a receptacle, and a used conduit assembly fluidically coupling the used resin container to the print engine, the method including:
- removing the used resin container from the receptacle;
- disconnecting and removing the used conduit assembly from the printing system;
- installing a new conduit assembly into the printing system;
- installing a new resin container into the receptacle thereby coupling the new resin container to the new conduit assembly, the new conduit assembly fluidically couples the new resin container to the print engine, the new resin container and the new conduit assembly provide a sealed fluid path to the print engine to allow changing resins without contamination from the old resin, the conduit assembly includes:
- a fluid inlet configured to be affixed in the receptacle in an upward orientation to receive a downwardly extending fluid outlet from the resin container;
- a pump head configured to be mounted to a pump motor system in the printing system;
- a first conduit coupling the fluid inlet to the pump head;
- a fluid outlet configured to supply resin to the print engine;
- and
- a second conduit coupling the pump head to the fluid outlet,
- the pump motor system includes a mounting surface and a motorized actuator, the pump head includes an outer housing containing a rotary roller, the method includes mounting the outer housing to the mounting surface and extending and coupling the motorized actuator to the rotary roller.
A kit for changing a three dimensional printer from a first resin to a second resin, the three dimensional printer including a print engine, a pump motor system, and a receptacle, the pump motor system including a mounting surface and a motorized actuator, the kit comprising:
- a conduit assembly configured to be installed as a unit into the three dimensional printer including:
- a fluid inlet configured to be affixed in the receptacle in an upward orientation;
- a pump head configured to be coupled to a motorized pump actuator in the receptacle, the pump head including an outer housing containing a rotary roller, installing the conduit assembly includes mounting the outer housing of the pump head to the mounting surface of the pump motor system and coupling the motorized actuator of the pump motor system to the rotary roller of the pump head;
- a first conduit coupling the fluid inlet to the pump head;
- a fluid outlet configured to supply resin to the print engine;
- and
- a second conduit coupling the pump head to the fluid outlet, and;
- a resin container having a leading end and a trailing end relative to a direction of installation into the receptacle, the leading end including a fluid outlet that couples to the fluid inlet of the conduit assembly when the container is releasably mounted in the receptacle the resin container and the conduit assembly provide a sealed disposable fluid path for the resin and the first resin does not contaminate the second resin.
A method of changing resin in a three dimensional printer which includes a print engine located above a receptacle, a used resin container installed in the receptacle, a used conduit assembly fluidically coupling the used resin container to the print engine, and a controller, the receptacle including a lower interface portion and a motorized actuator, the method including:
- removing the used resin container from the receptacle thereby disconnecting the used resin container from the used conduit assembly;
- disconnecting and removing the used conduit assembly from the printing system;
- installing a new conduit assembly into the printing system, the new conduit assembly an assembled unit and separate from the three dimensional printer before installation and including:
- a fluid inlet;
- a pump head;
- a first conduit coupling the fluid inlet to the pump head;
- a fluid outlet configured to supply resin to the print engine;
- and
- a second conduit coupling the pump head to the fluid outlet, and;
- wherein installing the new conduit assembly includes:
- latching the fluid inlet into the receptacle in an upward orientation;
- and
- coupling the pump head to the motorized actuator;
- and
- installing a new resin container downwardly into the receptacle, the resin container including a leading and trailing end relative to the direction of installation including a downwardly extending fluid outlet, installing the new resin container downwardly causes coupling of the container fluid outlet to the conduit assembly fluid inlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.