Active valve for mixing and dispensing control
AssigneenScrypt, Inc.
InventorKenneth H. Church
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An assembly for performing an additive manufacturing process includes a first material feed for dispensing a first material, a second material feed for dispensing a second material, a material combiner chamber, a first entry channel fluidly connecting the first material feed and the material combiner chamber, and a second entry channel fluidly connecting the second material feed and the material combiner chamber. The assembly further includes a pen tip for dispensing a material in the additive manufacturing process, the material comprising the first material and the second material, a valve having a rod, a first seal between the material combiner and the pen tip, and a first actuator for moving the rod back and forth along a longitudinal axis to open and close the first seal.
Claims22
An assembly for performing an additive manufacturing process, comprising:
- a first material feed for dispensing a first material;
- a second material feed for dispensing a second material;
- a material combiner chamber;
- a first entry channel fluidly connecting the first material feed and the material combiner chamber;
- a second entry channel fluidly connecting the second material feed and the material combiner chamber;
- a pen tip for dispensing a material in the additive manufacturing process, the material comprising the first material and the second material, the pen tip below the material combiner chamber and having an opening therein;
- a valve having a rod;
- a first seal on an end of the rod between the material combiner chamber and the pen tip;
- a second seal for the material combiner chamber positioned along the rod and above the first seal wherein a position of the second seal in the material combiner chamber and a position of the first seal in the material combiner chamber define a mixing area within the material combiner chamber, the mixing area between the first seal and the second seal;
- a first actuator for moving the rod back and forth along a longitudinal axis extending through the mixing area to open and close the first seal such that moving the rod sufficiently back along the longitudinal axis closes the first seal and moving the rod sufficiently forward along the longitudinal axis opens the first seal.
A system for performing an additive manufacturing process, comprising:
- a first material feed for dispensing a first material;
- a second material feed for dispensing a second material;
- a material combiner chamber;
- a pen tip having an outlet for dispensing a material in the additive manufacturing process, the material comprising the first material and the second material;
- a valve having a mixing rod and a first seal positioned at an end of the mixing rod between the material combiner chamber and the pen tip;
- a first actuator;
- a second actuator;
- wherein the first actuator is configured to move the mixing rod and the second actuator back and forth along a longitudinal axis to open and close the first seal such that the first seal is moved away from the pen tip to close the first seal and towards the pen tip to open the first seal;
- the second actuator operatively connected to the mixing rod for spinning the mixing rod such that the mixing rod mixes the material;
- a control system operatively connected to the first actuator, and the second actuator wherein the control system measures current to drive the second actuator and determines viscosity of material within the material combiner chamber using the current.
A system for performing an additive manufacturing process, the system comprising:
- a first material feed for dispensing a first material;
- a second material feed for dispensing a second material;
- a material combiner chamber;
- a pen tip having an outlet for dispensing a material in the additive manufacturing process, the material comprising the first material and the second material;
- a valve having a mixing rod and a first seal positioned at an end of the mixing rod between the material combiner chamber and the pen tip;
- a first actuator;
- a second actuator for rotating the mixing rod;
- wherein the first actuator is configured to move the mixing rod and the second actuator back and forth along a longitudinal axis to open and close the first seal such that the actuator moves the mixing rod extends downwardly towards the pen tip to open the first seal and upwardly away from the pen tip to close the first seal;
- a second actuator operatively connected to the mixing rod for spinning the mixing rod, and
- a control system operatively connected to the first actuator, and the second actuator wherein the control system measures current to drive the second actuator and determines viscosity of material within the material combiner chamber using the current.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.