Pump for additive manufacturing
AssigneeSciperio, Inc
InventorsPaul I. Deffenbaugh, Michael W. Owens, Kenneth H. Church, Joshua Goldfarb, Emily Sassano
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus may include a pressurized source of viscous material for dispensing onto a substrate. The apparatus may include a progressive cavity pump configured to meter and force material from the material source onward through the apparatus. The apparatus may include a valve operatively connected to the progressive cavity pump and configured to turn on and off flow of material from the progressive cavity pump. Moreover, the device may include an output nozzle for directing the viscous material to the substrate when the valve is in an open position.
Claims21
An apparatus for additive manufacturing comprising:
- a pressurized source of viscous material for dispensing onto a substrate;
- a progressive cavity pump comprising a helical rotor within a pump housing, the progressive cavity pump configured to meter and force material from the pressurized source of the viscous material onward through the apparatus;
- a valve operatively connected to the progressive cavity pump and configured to turn on and off flow of material from the progressive cavity pump;
- and
- an output nozzle for directing the viscous material to the substrate when the valve is in an open position;
- wherein the progressive cavity pump is servo-controlled and provides positive displacement of a fixed volume of the viscous material per revolution of the helical rotor.
An apparatus for additive manufacturing comprising:
- a pressurized source of viscous material for dispensing onto a substrate;
- a servo-controlled progressive cavity pump comprising a helical rotor within a pump housing, the servo-controlled progressive cavity pump configured to meter and force material from the material source onward through the apparatus;
- a servo-motor-controlled valve operatively connected to the progressive cavity pump and configured to turn on and off flow of material from the progressive cavity pump;
- an output nozzle for directing the viscous material to the substrate when the valve is in an open position;
- a control system operative connected to the servo-controlled progressive cavity pump and the servo-controlled valve configured to control amount of material dispensed from the output nozzle before, during, and ending each segment of feature written with the viscous material onto the substrate;
- wherein the servo-controlled progressive cavity pump provides positive displacement of a fixed volume of the viscous material per revolution of the helical rotor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.