3D printing with kinematic coupling
AssigneeMarkforged, Inc.
InventorsKeith Durand, Rick Bryan Woodruff, Gregory Thomas Mark
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A three dimensional printer incorporates a kinematic coupling between the build platform and movable stage which holds the build platform, of three curved protrusions attached to one of the build platform or the movable stage and six locating features formed in receivers of the other. At least two flexures differentially change a Z position of each of two of the curved protrusions. 3D printing is paused at a preset level of completion, and the build platform may be removed for external operations. A print resume circuit resumes printing of additional printed layers at the previous position in response to a return detection circuit that responds to an input (e.g., a touch screen confirmation).
Claims14
A three dimensional printer, comprising:
- a non-square rectangular build platform for receiving a part deposited by a three dimensional printing process;
- a movable stage supporting the build platform;
- a kinematic coupling between the build platform and movable stage which holds said build platform, comprising:
- three curved protrusions attached to one of the build platform or the movable stage;
- six locating features formed in receivers of the remaining one of the build platform and the movable stage, providing for six points of contact between the curved protrusions and the locating features;
- and
- at least two flexures, one flexure operative with respect to each of two of the three curved protrusions attached to differentially change a Z position of at least one of the points of contact;
- a print pause circuit that pauses three dimensional printing;
- a completion level detection circuit that responds to a preset level of completion of a part to activate the print pause circuit;
- removal circuit that responds to the print pause circuit to present the build platform to be removed;
- a print resume circuit that resumes printing of additional printed layers;
- and
- a return detection circuit that responds to an input associated with the return of the build platform to activate the print resume circuit,
- wherein the three curved protrusions are arranged in a non-equilateral triangle in a plane about the perimeter of the non-square rectangular build platform such that one side of the triangle is longer than the remaining two.
A method of performing multi-step operations on an article with a 3D printer, comprising:
- receiving a non-square rectangular build platform on a movable stage;
- locating the build platform to the movable stage with a six point contact alignment between three curved protrusions and six locating features, wherein the three curved protrusions are arranged in a non-equilateral triangle in a plane about the perimeter of the non-square rectangular build platform such that one side of the triangle is longer than the remaining two;
- constraining movement of at least two of the three curved protrusions using at least two individual flexures each constructed to flex two leaves in parallel to constrain movement of a corresponding one of the three curved protrusions to move substantially only in the Z height direction;
- holding the build platform on the movable stage to the kinematic coupling;
- receiving printed layers of the article on the build platform;
- checking, with a completion level detection circuit, whether the 3D printed layers of the article have reached a preset level of completion
- pausing, with a print pause circuit, the receiving of 3D printed layers when the preset level of completion is reached;
- presenting, with a removal circuit, the build platform to be removed;
- removing the build platform from the six point contact alignment for operations outside the movable stage;
- returning the build platform to the six point contact alignment following the operations outside the movable stage;
- detecting, with a return detection circuit, the return of the build platform to the six point and contact alignment;
- and
- resuming, with a print resume circuit, 3D printing of additional layers without further adjusting the Z height of any of the three curved protrusions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.