Three-dimensional printer tool systems
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a three-dimensional printer;
a number of tools including an extruder;
a tool crib including a number of bins to receive the number of tools;
a sensor system to detect a presence of the tools in the bins;
an active element to manipulate one of the tools in one of the bins, the active element including a heating element;
a robotic system to pick and place the number of tools in the number of bins, the robotic system including an x-y-z positioning system having an operating envelope that provides a shared workspace for the tool crib and the three-dimensional printer; and
a controller configured to control operation of the sensor system, the active element, and the robotic system, wherein the controller is configured to preheat the extruder with the heating element prior to use in a three-dimensional printing process, and wherein the controller is configured to clean the extruder within the tool crib.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An extruder or other similar tool head of a three-dimensional printer is slidably mounted along a feedpath of build material so that the extruder can move into and out of contact with a build surface according to whether build material is being extruded. The extruder may be spring-biased against the forward feedpath so that the extruder remains above the build surface in the absence of applied forces, and then moves downward into a position for extrusion when build material is fed into the extruder. In another aspect, modular tool heads are disclosed that can be automatically coupled to and removed from the three-dimensional printer by a suitable robotics system. A tool crib may be provided to store multiple tool heads while not in use.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a three-dimensional printer; a number of tools including an extruder; a tool crib including a number of bins to receive the number of tools; a sensor system to detect a presence of the tools in the bins; an active element to manipulate one of the tools in one of the bins, the active element including a heating element; a robotic system to pick and place the number of tools in the number of bins, the robotic system including an x-y-z positioning system having an operating envelope that provides a shared workspace for the tool crib and the three-dimensional printer; and a controller configured to control operation of the sensor system, the active element, and the robotic system, wherein the controller is configured to preheat the extruder with the heating element prior to use in a three-dimensional printing process, and wherein the controller is configured to clean the extruder within the tool crib. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system comprising:
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a three-dimensional printer; a number of tools including an extruder; a tool crib including a number of bins to receive the number of tools; a sensor system to detect a presence of the tools in the bins; an active element to manipulate one of the tools in one of the bins, the active element including a heating element; a robotic system to pick and place the number of tools in the number of bins, the robotic system including an x-y-z positioning system of the three-dimensional printer, wherein the tool crib and the three-dimensional printer are positioned within a shared workspace accessible by the x-y-z positioning system; and a controller configured to control operation of the sensor system, the active element, and the robotic system, wherein the controller is configured to preheat the extruder with the heating element prior to use in a three-dimensional printing process, and wherein the controller is configured to clean the extruder within the tool crib.
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Specification