System and method for moving a rod of build material using a pusher in a 3D printing system

• US 10,464,260 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2018
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Desktop Metal, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Desktop Metal, Inc.
• Inventors: Burnham, Richard, LaPlante, John, Preston, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Khare, Atul P.
• Application Number:
  US15/961,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20180304532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/141 using only solid materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/205 Means for applying layers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/209 Heads; Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/227 Driving means
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/232 for motion along the axis orthogonal to the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/321 Feeding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes

Abstract

A system and corresponding method to move a rod of build material in a three-dimensional (3D) printing system uses a pusher. The rod of build material has distal and proximal ends relative to an extrusion head. The distal and proximal ends having distal and proximal end surfaces, respectively. The pusher engages with the rod and applies an axial force to at least a portion of the distal end surface of the rod for at least a portion of a path the rod travels toward the extrusion head. The axial force actuates the rod of build material without alteration, such as by shaving, fracturing, or otherwise deforming the rod of build material.

Claims

1. An extrusion assembly for use in a three-dimensional (3D) printing system, the extrusion assembly including:

an extrusion head configured to receive a rod of build material having distal and proximal ends relative to the extrusion head, the distal and proximal ends having distal and proximal end surfaces, respectively; and

an actuation assembly including a pusher, wherein the pusher includes a traveling component and a pushing component, wherein the pushing component includes a cantilevered protrusion that extends radially outward from the traveling component, wherein the cantilevered protrusion includes a pusher interface surface facing the extrusion head and configured to directly contact the distal end surface of the rod to apply an axial force to at least a portion of the distal end surface of the rod along an extrusion axis of the extrusion head, wherein a proximal surface of the traveling component relative to the extrusion head is arranged further proximal relative to the extrusion head than the pusher interface surface, and wherein movement of the traveling component relative to the extrusion head is configured to cause movement of the pusher interface surface in conjunction with the traveling component and toward the extrusion head so as to apply the axial force.

2. The extrusion assembly of claim 1, wherein the pusher interface surface is arranged normal relative to a longitudinal axis of the rod of build material.

3. The extrusion assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuation assembly further includes:

an actuating component operably coupled to the pusher; and

a driving component operably coupled to the actuating component, the driving component configured to drive the actuating component in a manner that causes bi-directional linear motion of the pusher relative to the extrusion head.

4. The extrusion assembly of claim 3, wherein the actuating component is a lead screw and the driving component is a motor.

5. The extrusion assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuation assembly further includes an actuating component, and wherein the traveling component is arranged to travel along a linear actuation path defined by the actuating component so as to cause linear motion of the pushing component.

6. The extrusion assembly of claim 1, wherein the traveling component includes a nut.

7. The extrusion assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuation assembly further includes:

an actuating component arranged to move the traveling component; and

a linear guide coupled to the traveling component via a linear bearing.

8. The extrusion assembly of claim 7, wherein the linear guide is a linear rail.

9. The extrusion assembly of claim 1, further comprising a guide channel configured to receive the rod, wherein the guide channel defines at least one slot configured to receive the pusher interface surface of the pushing component.

10. The extrusion assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuation assembly further includes a cam arranged to cause the pushing component to transition between a media load position and a media extrude position as a function of surface contact between the cam and the pushing component.

11. The extrusion assembly of claim 10, wherein in the media load position, the pushing component is arranged to be out of a path along which the rod travels toward the extrusion head, and wherein in the media extrude position, at least a portion of the pushing component is arranged to be in the path the rod travels toward the extrusion head.

12. The extrusion assembly of claim 11, wherein the pushing component and the cam define complementary features, and wherein the complementary features are gear teeth.

13. The extrusion assembly of claim 1, wherein the extrusion assembly includes a media entrance arranged to load the rod into the extrusion assembly, and wherein a path the rod travels toward the extrusion head extends from the media entrance to the extrusion head.

14. An extrusion assembly for use in a three-dimensional (3D) printing system, the extrusion assembly including:

an extrusion head having a first longitudinal axis along which build material is extruded by the extrusion head; and

an actuator including;

a body that is movable relative to the extrusion head along a second longitudinal axis that is parallel to but not coaxial with the first longitudinal axis; and

a cantilevered protrusion extending radially outward from the body so that the protrusion intersects the first longitudinal axis,

wherein the protrusion includes an interface surface configured to directly contact the build material to apply an axial force to the build material along the first longitudinal axis, wherein the interface surface is oriented normal to the first longitudinal axis, faces the extrusion head, and is located radially outward from the body, wherein a proximal surface of the body relative to the extrusion head is arranged further proximal relative to the extrusion head than the interface surface, and wherein movement of the body along the second longitudinal axis is configured to cause movement of the interface surface in conjunction with the body and along the first longitudinal axis toward the extrusion head so as to apply the axial force to the build material.

15. The extrusion assembly of claim 14, wherein the cantilevered protrusion is a rigid body of the movable body.

16. The extrusion assembly of claim 14, wherein the actuator further comprises a linear component operably coupled to the body and extending along the second longitudinal axis.

17. The extrusion assembly of claim 16, wherein the linear component is a lead screw.

18. The extrusion assembly of claim 17, wherein the body includes a nut, and wherein the nut is positioned around the lead screw.

19. The extrusion assembly of claim 14, further comprising a linear guide for the movable body, the linear guide extending parallel to the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis.

20. The extrusion assembly of claim 19, wherein the linear guide is a linear rail.

21. An extrusion assembly for use in a three-dimensional (3D) printing system, the extrusion assembly including:

an extrusion head configured to receive a rod of build material; and

an actuator including;

a body that is movable relative to the extrusion head along a linear actuation path; and

a protrusion cantilevered radially outward from the body and having an interface surface configured to directly contact the rod of build material, wherein the interface surface faces the extrusion head, wherein a proximal surface of the body relative to the extrusion head is arranged further proximal relative to the extrusion head than the interface surface, and wherein movement of the body along the linear actuation path is configured to cause linear movement of the interface surface in conjunction with the body and toward the extrusion head so as to apply axial force to the rod of build material.

22. The extrusion assembly of claim 21, wherein the protrusion is a rigid body of the movable body.

23. The extrusion assembly of claim 21, wherein the actuator further comprises a linear component coupled to the body and extending along the linear actuation path.

24. The extrusion assembly of claim 23, wherein the linear component is a lead screw.

25. The extrusion assembly of claim 24, wherein the body includes a nut, and wherein the nut is positioned around the lead screw.

26. The extrusion assembly of claim 23 further comprising a linear guide for the movable body, the linear guide extending parallel to the linear component.

27. The extrusion assembly of claim 26, wherein the linear guide is a linear rail.

28. The extrusion assembly of claim 21, wherein the body is configured to move relative to the extrusion head along the linear actuation path.