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US 9,156,205 B2Granted
Three dimensional printer with composite filament fabrication
AssigneeMarkforged, Inc.
InventorsGregory Thomas Mark, Antoni S. Gozdz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various embodiments related to three dimensional printers, and reinforced filaments, and their methods of use are described. In one embodiment, a void free reinforced filament is fed into an conduit nozzle. The reinforced filament includes a core, which may be continuous or semi-continuous, and a matrix material surrounding the core. The reinforced filament is heated to a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the matrix material and less than a melting temperature of the core prior to drag the filament from the conduit nozzle.
Claims29
A three dimensional printer comprising:
- a supply of a core reinforced filament having a solidified matrix material impregnating reinforcing strands aligned along the core reinforced filament;
- a filament drive configured to feed forward the core reinforced filament at a feed velocity;
- a print head including a nozzle configured to receive the core reinforced filament from the filament drive and heat the core reinforced filament in the nozzle as the core reinforced filament is translated through the nozzle, the nozzle comprising a nozzle tip positioned to continuously iron the core reinforced filament as the core reinforced filament is translated through the nozzle and fused into a part;
- a print bed configured to receive the heated core reinforced filament translated through the nozzle;
- a print drive configured to relatively move the print head and print bed;
- and
- a controller configured to control the print drive and filament drive to relatively move the print head and the print bed at a deposition velocity matching the feed velocity of the core reinforced filament, and to apply pressure with the nozzle to continuously compact the core reinforced filament as the core reinforced filament is translated through the nozzle and deposited upon the print bed.
4 more elements
A three dimensional printer comprising:
- a supply of a core reinforced filament having a solidified matrix material impregnating reinforcing strands aligned along the core reinforced filament;
- a filament drive configured to feed forward the core reinforced filament;
- a cutter assembly configured to receive the core reinforced filament and cut the core reinforced filament at a temperature at which the matrix material is unmelted;
- a print head including a nozzle configured to receive the core reinforced filament from the cutter and heat the core reinforced filament in the nozzle as the core reinforced filament is translated out of the nozzle, the nozzle comprising a nozzle lip forming a smooth transition between a vertical feeding path and a horizontal printing path;
- a print bed configured to receive the heated core reinforced filament translated through the nozzle;
- a print drive configured to relatively move the print head and the print bed;
- and
- a controller configured to control the print drive and filament drive to control a position of the nozzle lip to apply a compaction force while the nozzle heats the core reinforced filament and as the core reinforced filament is deposited upon the print bed.
5 more elements
A three dimensional printer comprising:
- a supply of a core reinforced filament having a solidified matrix material impregnating reinforcing strands aligned along the core reinforced filament;
- a filament drive configured to feed forward the core reinforced filament;
- a cutter assembly configured to receive the core reinforced filament and cut the core reinforced filament at a temperature in which the matrix material is unmelted;
- a print head including a nozzle configured to receive the core reinforced filament from the cutter and heat the core reinforced filament in the nozzle as the core reinforced filament is displaced out of the nozzle;
- a print bed configured to receive the heated core reinforced filament translated out of the nozzle to form a part;
- and
- a print drive configured to relatively move the print head and the print bed, the print drive and the filament drive being arranged and constructed to relatively apply a dragging force at least via the reinforcing strands to drag forward the core reinforced filament through the nozzle without breaking the core reinforced filament.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.