Retracting extruder barrel with cooling features

• US 10,391,695 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2015
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian L. Douglass, Carl R. Douglass III
• Original Assignee: Brian L. Douglass, Carl R. Douglass III
• Inventors: Douglass, Brian L., Douglass, III, Carl R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Minskey, Jacob T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsui, Melody
• Application Number:
  US14/684,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20150290861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92571 Position, e.g. linear or angular
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/02 Small extruding apparatus, e.g. handheld, toy or laboratory extruders
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/05 Filamentary, e.g. strands
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/2528 Drive or actuation means for non-plasticising purposes, e.g. dosing unit
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/266 Means for allowing relative movements between the apparatus parts, e.g. for twisting the extruded article or for moving the die along a surface to be coated
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/68 Barrels or cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/832 Heating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/834 Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/92 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor

Abstract

A barrel for use in an additive manufacturing machine is disclosed. The barrel includes a sleeve extending along a longitudinal axis. A conduit extends along the longitudinal axis through the sleeve. The conduit is movable relative to the sleeve along the longitudinal axis between a first position and a second position. A nozzle is associated with the conduit. The nozzle is movable with the conduit relative to the sleeve between the first position and the second position.

Claims

1. A barrel for use in an additive manufacturing machine comprising:

a sleeve extending along a longitudinal axis;

a conduit extending along the longitudinal axis through the sleeve, the conduit being movable relative to the sleeve along the longitudinal axis between a first position and a second position;

a nozzle fluidly connected to the conduit, wherein the conduit provides a path for a material to flow through, the nozzle being movable with the conduit relative to the sleeve between the first position and the second position, wherein said first position comprises a closed position and the second position comprises an open position;

a spring located in the sleeve opposite the nozzle, the spring biasing the conduit toward the first position in a direction toward the spring; and

a nozzle tip of the nozzle having a first diameter that is less than a second diameter of the nozzle, wherein a first force generated from the material flow from the conduit interacts with the diameter differential between the first and second diameters is greater than a biasing force generated by the spring.

2. The barrel of claim 1 wherein said spring is located in the sleeve between the nozzle and a collar.

3. The barrel of claim 1 further comprising a liquefier block associated with the nozzle.

4. The barrel of claim 3 further comprising a cooling sleeve surrounding the conduit, the cooling sleeve being spaced apart from the liquefier block along the longitudinal axis and including at least one cooling fin.

5. The barrel of claim 3 wherein the liquefier block includes a thermocouple and a heater.

6. The barrel of claim 3 wherein the liquefier block includes a void that extends radially outward about the conduit.

7. The barrel of claim 4 further comprising a bearing disposed between the conduit and the cooling sleeve.

8. A barrel for use in an additive manufacturing machine comprising:

a sleeve extending along a longitudinal axis;

a conduit coupled to a collar opposite a nozzle, the conduit extending along the longitudinal axis through the sleeve, the conduit, collar, and nozzle being movable relative to the sleeve along the longitudinal axis between a first position and a second position;

the nozzle fluidly connected to the conduit to allow a material to flow through the conduit, the nozzle being movable with the conduit and the collar relative to the sleeve between the first position and the second position wherein said first position comprises a closed position and the second position comprises an open position;

a spring located in the sleeve between the collar and the nozzle, the spring biasing the conduit and the collar toward the first position; and

a liquefier block coupled to and movable with the nozzle.

9. The barrel of claim 8 wherein said first position biases the collar in a direction away from the nozzle and maintains the nozzle in lifted position and the second position biases the collar in a direction toward the nozzle, compresses the spring, and moves the nozzle into a dispensing position.

10. The actuator of claim 8 further comprising a nozzle tip having a first diameter that is at least 1.15 times less than a second diameter of the nozzle, wherein a first force generated from a material flow interacting with the diameter differential between the first and second diameters is greater than a biasing force generated by the spring.

11. The barrel of claim 10 further comprising a cooling sleeve surrounding the conduit, the cooling sleeve being spaced apart from the liquefier block along the longitudinal axis and including at least one cooling fin.

12. The barrel of claim 10 wherein the liquefier block includes a thermocouple and a heater.

13. The barrel of claim 10 wherein the liquefier block includes a void that extends radially outward about the conduit.

14. The barrel of claim 11 further comprising a bearing disposed between the conduit and the cooling sleeve.

15. The barrel of claim 10 wherein the collar is movably coupled to both the cooling sleeve and the liquefier assembly, such that responsive to the collar moving the cooling sleeve and liquefier assembly also move.

16. A barrel for use in an additive manufacturing machine comprising:

a sleeve extending along a longitudinal axis;

a conduit coupled to a collar opposite a nozzle, the conduit extending along the longitudinal axis through the sleeve, the conduit, collar, and nozzle being movable relative to the sleeve along the longitudinal axis between a first position and a second position;

a spring located in the sleeve, the spring biasing the conduit, collar, and nozzle toward the first position;

the nozzle is fluidly connected to the conduit, the conduit providing a path for a material to flow through, the nozzle being movable with the conduit and collar relative to the sleeve between the first position and the second position, said first position biases the collar in a direction away from the nozzle and maintains the nozzle in lifted position and the second position biases the collar in a direction toward the nozzle, compresses the spring, and moves the nozzle into a dispensing position;

a nozzle tip having a first diameter that is at least 1.15 times less than a second diameter of the nozzle, wherein a first force generated from a material flow of the material interacting with the diameter differential between the first and second diameters is greater than a biasing force generated by the spring; and

a liquefier block coupled to and movable with the nozzle.

17. The barrel of claim 16 wherein a liquefier block is associated with the nozzle.

18. The barrel of claim 17 further comprising a cooling sleeve surrounding the conduit, the cooling sleeve being spaced apart from the liquefier block along the longitudinal axis and including at least one cooling fin.

19. The barrel of claim 17 wherein the liquefier block includes a thermocouple and a heater.

20. The barrel of claim 17 wherein the liquefier block includes a void that extends radially outward about the conduit.