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US 11,065,861 B2Granted
Methods for composite filament threading in three dimensional printing
AssigneeMarkforged, Inc.
InventorsGregory Thomas Mark, Antoni S. Gozdz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various embodiments related to three dimensional printers, and reinforced filaments, and their methods of use are described. In one embodiment, a void free reinforced filament is fed into an conduit nozzle. The reinforced filament includes a core, which may be continuous or semi-continuous, and a matrix material surrounding the core. The reinforced filament is heated to a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the matrix material and less than a melting temperature of the core prior to applying the filament from the conduit nozzle.
Claims31
A three dimensional printer capable of printing a part, comprising:
- a print head housing a conduit nozzle having a nozzle outlet, the print head configured to receive a reinforced filament having a matrix material impregnating reinforcing strands aligned along the reinforced filament, the conduit nozzle configured to allow the reinforced filament to be both pushed and pulled through the conduit nozzle, and the nozzle outlet configured to fuse the reinforced filament to the part;
- a filament feed path extending through a cold feed zone within the print head that is configured to be cooler than the nozzle outlet and is configured to keep the reinforced filament sufficiently stiff to be pushed through the filament feed path until an unattached terminal end approaches the nozzle outlet;
- a filament feed drive and a part drive for relatively moving the nozzle outlet and the part, the filament feed drive and the part drive configured to translate the reinforced filament to follow the filament feed path and to force the unattached terminal end to abut the part while relatively moving the nozzle outlet and the part, the filament feed drive comprising a slipping mechanism constructed and arranged to permit the reinforced filament to be pulled through the conduit nozzle;
- a nozzle outlet heater configured to heat the nozzle outlet;
- a cutter configured to cut the reinforced filament in a location along the filament feed path to the nozzle outlet;
- and
- a controller configured to control the filament feed drive and the part drive to move the nozzle outlet and the part to deposit a remaining cut segment portion of the reinforced filament to the part,
- wherein the cold feed zone abuts the nozzle outlet and is constructed of a material less thermally conductive than a material of which the nozzle outlet is constructed.
5 more elements
A three dimensional printer capable of printing a part, comprising:
- a print head housing a conduit nozzle having a nozzle outlet, the print head configured to receive a reinforced filament having a matrix material impregnating reinforcing strands aligned along the reinforced filament, the conduit nozzle configured to allow the reinforced filament to be both pushed and pulled through the conduit nozzle, and the nozzle outlet configured to fuse the reinforced filament to the part;
- a first guide tube;
- a second guide tube;
- a receiving tube;
- a filament feed drive and a part drive for relatively moving the nozzle outlet and the part, the filament feed drive and the part drive configured to translate the reinforced filament to follow the second guide tube and to force the unattached terminal end to abut the part while relatively moving the nozzle outlet and the part, the filament feed drive comprising a slipping mechanism constructed and arranged to permit the reinforced filament to be pulled through the conduit nozzle;
- a nozzle outlet heater configured to heat the nozzle outlet;
- a cutter configured to cut the reinforced filament in a location along a filament feed path to the nozzle outlet;
- and
- a controller configured to control the filament feed drive and part drive to move the nozzle outlet and the part to deposit a remaining cut segment portion of the reinforced filament to the part,
- wherein the second guide tube is located downstream of the filament feed drive and is configured to prevent buckling of the reinforced filament until an unattached terminal end approaches the nozzle outlet, the first guide tube is located upstream of the filament feed drive and is configured to facilitate guiding and maintaining alignment of the reinforced filament with the filament feed drive, and the receiving tube is located downstream of the second guide tube and is configured to maintain the reinforced filament at a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the matrix material.
7 more elements
A three dimensional printer capable of printing a part, comprising:
- a print head housing a conduit nozzle having a nozzle outlet, the print head configured to receive a reinforced filament having a matrix material impregnating reinforcing strands aligned along the reinforced filament, the conduit nozzle configured to allow the reinforced filament to be both pushed and pulled through the conduit nozzle, and the nozzle outlet configured to fuse the reinforced filament to the part;
- a filament feed path extending through a cold feed zone within the print head that is configured to be cooler than the nozzle outlet and is configured to keep the reinforced filament sufficiently stiff to be pushed through the filament feed path until an unattached terminal end approaches the nozzle outlet;
- a filament feed drive and a part drive for relatively moving the nozzle outlet and the part, the filament feed drive and the part drive configured to translate the reinforced filament to follow the filament feed path and to force the unattached terminal end to abut the part while relatively moving the nozzle outlet and the part, the filament feed drive comprising a slipping mechanism constructed and arranged to permit the reinforced filament to be pulled through the conduit nozzle;
- a nozzle outlet heater configured to heat the nozzle outlet;
- a cutter configured to cut the reinforced filament in a location along the filament feed path to the nozzle outlet;
- and
- a controller configured to control the filament feed drive and the part drive to move the nozzle outlet and the part to deposit a remaining cut segment portion of the reinforced filament to the part,
- wherein the cold feed zone is downstream of the filament feed drive and is constructed of a material that is less thermally conductive than a material of which the nozzle outlet is constructed.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.