# US 9,873,221 B2 · 3-dimensional printer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,873,221 B2 - Document ID: US9873221B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/826,008 - Filed: 2015-08-13 - Published: 2016-02-18 - Granted: 2018-01-23 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-18 - Assignees: LG Electronics Inc. - Applicants: LG Electronics Inc. - Inventors: Hyoungseok Kim; Kyujin Choi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9873221B2 ## CPC - B29C 48/05: Filamentary, e.g. strands - B29C 48/92: Measuring, controlling or regulating - B29C 64/106: using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material - B29C 64/118: using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] - B29C 64/209: Heads; Nozzles - B29C 64/232: for motion along the axis orthogonal to the plane of a layer - B29C 64/236: for motion in a direction within the plane of a layer - B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - 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 ## Abstract A 3-dimensional (3D) printer is disclosed. The 3D printer includes an extruder to extrude a filament into a cavity, a carriage to support the extruder, a moving unit to move the carriage, and a processor to control the extruder and the moving unit. The extruder includes a filament feeder to downwardly feed the filament, a heating unit to heat the filament fed by the filament feeder, a nozzle to output the heated filament into the cavity, a cooling unit to cool the filament feeder, to decrease heat transferred from the heating unit to the filament feeder, a first temperature sensor to sense a temperature of the heating unit, and a second temperature sensor to sense a temperature of the cooling unit. The processor controls the heating unit and the cooling unit, based on the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor, to enhance output speed of the filament. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A 3-dimensional printer, comprising: an extruder to extrude a filament into a cavity; a carriage coupled to the extruder and to support the extruder; a moving unit to move the carriage; and a processor to control the extruder and the moving unit, wherein the extruder comprises: a filament feeder to feed the filament supplied to the filament feeder; a heating unit to heat the filament fed by the filament feeder; a nozzle to output the heated filament into the cavity; a cooling unit to cool the filament feeder to decrease heat transferred from the heating unit to the filament feeder; a first temperature sensor to sense a temperature of the heating unit; and a second temperature sensor to sense a temperature of the cooling unit, and wherein the processor controls the heating unit and the cooling unit based on the temperatures sensed by the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor, wherein the moving unit comprises: a frame extending in a first direction; an arm disposed above the frame and extending in a second direction that crosses the first direction, the carriage disposed at the arm; and a first drive motor and a second drive motor disposed at the frame such that the first drive motor and the second drive motor are spaced from each other, and wherein the moving unit: moves the carriage in the first direction when the first and second drive motors rotate in a same direction; moves the carriage on the arm in the second direction when the first and second drive motors rotate in opposite directions; and moves the carriage in a third direction between the first direction and the second direction when one of the first and second drive motors is operated and the other first and second drive motors is stopped. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The 3-dimensional printer according to claim 1, wherein the processor: controls the heating unit to increase the temperature of the heating unit to a target heating temperature; and controls the cooling unit to decrease the temperature of the cooling unit to a target cooling temperature. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The 3-dimensional printer according to claim 2, wherein the processor stops an operation of the filament feeder when the temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor exceeds a maximum allowable temperature or when the temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor is equal to or higher than the target cooling temperature for at least a predetermined period of time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The 3-dimensional printer according to claim 1, wherein the processor controls at least the heating unit or the cooling unit such that a difference between the temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor and the temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor is within a predetermined range. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The 3-dimensional printer according to claim 2, wherein the processor decreases the target heating temperature temporarily when the temperature of the cooling unit is higher than the target cooling temperature. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The 3-dimensional printer according to claim 2, wherein the processor stops an operation of the heating unit temporarily when the temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor is maintained at the target heating temperature for a first period of time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The 3-dimensional printer according to claim 6, wherein the processor stops an operation of the cooling unit temporarily when the temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor is maintained at the target cooling temperature for a second period of time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The 3-dimensional printer according to claim 1, wherein the processor executes a control operation to decrease a filament movement speed of the filament feeder when the temperature of the heating unit increases. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The 3-dimensional printer according to claim 1, wherein the processor executes a control operation to decrease the temperature of the cooling unit when the temperature of the heating unit increases. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The 3 -dimensional printer according to claim 1, wherein the cooling unit comprises: a heat dissipation member contacting the filament feeder; a cooling fan to cool the heat dissipation member; and a base contacting the heating unit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The 3-dimensional printer according to claim 10, wherein the second temperature sensor is disposed in the base. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The 3-dimensional printer according to claim 10, wherein the cooling unit further comprises a bridge disposed between the base and the cooling fan or between the base and the heat dissipation member. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The 3-dimensional printer according to claim 1, wherein the filament feeder comprises: a gear to feed the filament; and a motor to drive the gear. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The 3-dimensional printer according to claim 1, wherein the moving unit further comprises: a first timing pulley connected to the first drive motor and a second timing pulley connected to the second drive motor; a plurality of idlers disposed at the arm; and a timing belt extending around the first and second timing pulleys and the plurality of idlers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The 3-dimensional printer according to claim 14, wherein the moving unit: moves the carriage in the first direction by moving the arm in the first direction when the first and second drive motors rotate in the same direction; and moves the carriage in the second direction by moving the carriage on the arm in the second direction when the first and second drive motors rotate in the opposite directions. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The 3-dimensional printer according to claim 1, wherein: the moving unit moves the carriage at least in an x-y plane; and the moving unit further comprises an auxiliary moving unit to move the carriage at least in a z-axis direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The 3-dimensional printer according to claim 1, further comprising: an auxiliary moving unit to move, in a z-axis direction, a platform disposed in the cavity to support a model produced by the extruded filament.