US 2019/0240904 A1 · ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM WITH SLIDING THERMAL ISOLATOR

Abstract

An additive manufacturing system includes a build chamber with at least first and second side walls and top and bottom walls. A central deformable, thermal insulator has a first edge and a second edge, where a print head carriage is movably retained within the central deformable thermal insulator and is configured to move print heads within a build plane of the build chamber under control of a gantry. The system includes first and second dynamic thermal barriers each having a length between a proximal edge and a distal edge wherein the proximal edge is configured to be secured to the central deformable insulator and a distal edge is configured to be movably retained to the build chamber such that as the print head carriage moves laterally across the build plane, each dynamic thermal barrier moves with the central deformable insulator and print head carriage, and retains its length.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An additive manufacturing system comprising:

a chamber comprising at least first and second side walls connected with a bottom wall and a top wall;
a central deformable insulator having a first edge and a second edge;
a print head carriage movably retained within the central deformable insulator and configured to move one or more print heads within a build plane of the build chamber;
and
a first thermal barrier and a second dynamic thermal barrier each thermal barrier having a length between a proximal edge and a distal edge, wherein the proximal edge is configured to be secured to the first edge of the central deformable insulator and the second edge is configured to be slidably retained to the build chamber such that as the print head carriage moves laterally the first and second dynamic thermal barriers each move with the print head carriage and retain their length and are configured to flex and move in a non-planar path.

2 more elements

An additive manufacturing system comprising:

a build chamber comprising at least first and second side walls connected with a bottom, a top wall and a back wall;
a central deformable insulator having a first edge and a second edge;
a print head carriage movably retained within the central deformable insulator and configured to move print heads within a build plane of the build chamber;
and
a first dynamic thermal barrier having a first length between a proximal edge and a distal edge, wherein the proximal edge is configured to be removably secured to the first edge of the a central deformable insulator with a first securing mechanism and a second edge is configured to be slidably retained to the build environment chamber such that as the print head carriage moves laterally the first dynamic thermal barrier moves with the print head carriage and retains the first length and is configured to flex and move in a non-planar path;
and
a second dynamic thermal barrier having a second length between a proximal edge and a distal edge, wherein the proximal edge is configured to be removably secured to the second edge of the a central deformable insulator with a second securing mechanism and a second edge is configured to be slidably retained to the build chamber such that as the print head carriage moves laterally the second dynamic thermal barrier moves with the print head carriage and retains the second length and is configured to flex and move in a non-planar path.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Additive manufacturing system with sliding thermal isolator

Life of this patent

Additive manufacturing system with sliding thermal isolator

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20