Measure of the build material in a build material container
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsJuan Manuel ZAMORANO, David SORIANO FOSAS, Sergio DE SANTIAGO DOMINQUEZ
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An example method for measuring the amount of build material in a build material container of a 3D printer may comprise mounting a belt element tensioned between at least two shafts, and attaching a body to the belt element; driving the body towards a surface of the build material while measuring the advance and the speed of the belt element; detecting a reduction of the speed of the belt element, and determining that the body has then contacted the surface of the build material; and determining the position of the surface of the build material based at least on the measured advance of the belt element.
Claims15
A method for measuring the amount of build material in a build material container of a 3D printer, comprising:
- mounting a belt element tensioned between at least two shafts, and attaching a body to the belt element;
- driving the body attached to the belt element towards a surface of the build material while measuring the advance and the speed of the belt element,
- detecting a reduction of the speed of the belt element,
- determining that when the reduction of the speed is detected, the body has contacted the surface of the build material, and
- determining the position of the surface of the build material based at least on the measured advance of the belt element.
A system for measuring the amount of build material in a build material container of a 3D printer, comprising
- a belt element to be mounted tensioned between at least two shafts and extending at least partly inside the material container,
- a body, attached to the belt element, to be placed inside the material container,
- a motor to advance the belt element and the body towards a surface of the build material in the build material container,
- a sensor to detect the advance of the belt element, and
- a controller to receive data from the sensor and measure the speed of the belt element, and to determine that when the speed of the belt element decreases the body has contacted the surface of the build material.
A build material container for a 3D printer, comprising a build material space to contain build material, and a system for measuring the amount of build material,
- wherein the system for measuring the amount of build material comprises
- a belt element mounted tensioned between at least two shafts and extending through the build material space,
- a body, attached to the belt element,
- a motor to drive the belt element,
- a sensor to detect the advance of the belt element, and
- a controller to receive data of the advance of the belt element from the sensor and measure the advance and the speed of the belt element, to determine that when the speed of the belt element decreases the body has contacted a surface of the build material, and to determine the position of the surface of the build material based at least on the measured advance of the belt element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.