# US 12,759,231 B2 · Print head for additive manufacturing system

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- Number: US 12,759,231 B2
- Document ID: US12759231B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 19/086,504
- Filed: 2025-03-21
- Published: 2025-07-03
- Granted: 2026-10-13
- Earliest claimed: 2020-09-11
- Assignees: Continuous Composites Inc.
- Applicants: Continuous Composites Inc.
- Inventors: Trevor David Budge; Brock Adam Jahner; Jeremiah R. Smith; Nathan Andrew Stranberg; Andrew Michael Stulc; Samuel VanDenBerg; Stephen Tyler Wilson; Andrew John Overby
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12759231B2

## CPC

- B29C 64/209: Heads; Nozzles
- B29C 64/106: using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
- B29C 64/165: using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
- B29C 64/171: specially adapted for manufacturing multiple 3D objects
- B29C 64/241: for rotary motion
- B29C 64/255: Enclosures for the building material, e.g. powder containers
- B29C 64/295: Heating elements
- B29C 64/314: Preparation
- B29C 64/343: Metering
- B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
- B33Y 40/10: Pre-treatment
- B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B29C 2948/92904: Die; Nozzle zone
- B29K 2105/08: of continuous length, e.g. cords, rovings, mats, fabrics, strands or yarns
- 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)
- 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
- B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS

## Abstract

A system is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite structure. The system may include a support, and a print head operatively connected to and moveable by the support. The print head may include an outlet configured to discharge a material in a trajectory along a central axis of the outlet, and a compactor disposed downstream of the outlet relative to the trajectory and configured to press the material transversely against an adjacent surface. The outlet may be configured to translate relative to the compacting module.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An additive manufacturing system, comprising:
a support; and
a print head moveable by the support in a normal travel direction parallel to a print surface during discharge of material from the print head onto the print surface, the print head including:
a mount connected to the support;
an outlet through which the material is discharged, the outlet having an axis that is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the normal travel direction; and
an outlet actuator operatively connected between the mount and the outlet and configured to selectively translate the outlet along the axis.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, further including a compactor disposed downstream of the outlet relative to the normal travel direction and configured to press the material in a compaction direction against the print surface.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 2, wherein the compaction direction is orthogonal to the normal travel direction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 3, wherein:
the print head has an axis of rotation at an end of the support; and
the compaction direction is parallel with the axis of rotation.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 3, further including a compaction actuator configured to selectively move the compactor independent of translation of the outlet.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 5, further including a cutter moveable together with the compactor by the compaction actuator.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 6, further including a cutting actuator configured to selectively translate the cutter relative to the compactor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 7, further including a controller programmed to selectively cause the outlet actuator to translate the outlet away from the compactor and to cause the cutting actuator to translate the cutter toward the print surface at a location between the outlet and the compactor during a severing event.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further programmed to cause the cutting actuator to translate the cutter away from the print surface and to cause the outlet actuator to translate the outlet toward the compactor during an anchoring event.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, further including a cutter disposed downstream of the outlet relative to the normal travel direction and configured to selectively move in a cutting direction normal to the print surface to cut the material.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 10, further including a cutting actuator configured to selectively move the cutter independent of translation of the outlet.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein
the print head has an axis of rotation at an end of the support; and
the axis of rotation is oriented orthogonal to the normal travel direction.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein
the print head has an axis of rotation at an end of the support; and
the axis is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the axis of rotation.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, further including a clamp located upstream of the outlet and configured to selectively clamp the material and inhibit movement of the material through the outlet, wherein the actuator is configured to translate the clamp together with the outlet.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the oblique angle is 30-60°.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 15, wherein the oblique angle is 45°.

### Claim 17

An additive manufacturing system, comprising:
a support; and
a print head moveable by the support in a normal travel direction parallel to a print surface during discharge of material from the print head onto the print surface, the print head including:
a mount connected to the support;
an outlet through which the material is discharged, the outlet having an axis that is oriented at an angle of about 30-60° relative to the normal travel direction;
an outlet actuator operatively connected between the mount and the outlet and configured to selectively translate the outlet along the axis; and
a compactor disposed downstream of the outlet relative to the normal travel direction and configured to press the material in a compaction direction against the print surface, wherein:
the compaction direction is orthogonal to the normal travel direction;
the print head has an axis of rotation at an end of the support; and
the compaction direction is parallel with the axis of rotation.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The additive manufacturing system of claim 17, further including:
a cutter moveable together with the compactor by the compaction actuator; and
a cutting actuator configured to selectively translate the cutter relative to the compactor.

### Claim 19

A method of additively manufacturing a composite structure, comprising:
moving a print head in a normal travel direction parallel to a print surface;
discharging material through an outlet of the print head during movement in the normal travel direction, the outlet having a discharge axis that is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the normal travel direction; and
selectively translating the outlet along the discharge axis relative to a support mount of the print head.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further including translating a compactor independent of translation of the outlet in a compaction direction toward the material that is orthogonal to the normal travel direction.