Additive manufacturing system having in-head fiber teasing
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A head for an additive manufacturing system having a support, the head comprising:
- a body connectable to and moveable by the support;
a wetting location inside the body at which a continuous reinforcement is wetted with a matrix to form a composite material;
a nozzle connected to a discharge end of the body and configured to discharge the composite material; and
a fiber-teasing mechanism located inside the body and positioned upstream of the nozzle and the wetting location, wherein the body, the fiber-teasing mechanism, and the nozzle being configured to move together during movement of the support.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A head is disclosed for an additive manufacturing system. The head may include a body, and a nozzle connected to a discharge end of the body. The nozzle may be configured to discharge a composite material including a matrix and a continuous reinforcement that is at least partially coated in the matrix. The head may also include a fiber-teasing mechanism located inside the body and upstream of the nozzle.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A head for an additive manufacturing system having a support, the head comprising:
-
a body connectable to and moveable by the support; a wetting location inside the body at which a continuous reinforcement is wetted with a matrix to form a composite material; a nozzle connected to a discharge end of the body and configured to discharge the composite material; and a fiber-teasing mechanism located inside the body and positioned upstream of the nozzle and the wetting location, wherein the body, the fiber-teasing mechanism, and the nozzle being configured to move together during movement of the support. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A head for an additive manufacturing system, comprising:
-
a body; a wetting location inside the body at which a continuous reinforcement is wetted with a matrix to form a composite material; a nozzle connected to a discharge end of the body and configured to discharge the composite material; a plurality of protrusions located inside the body positioned and upstream of the nozzle and the wetting location, the plurality of protrusions being positioned at different radial distances from an axis of the body and configured to separate fibers of the continuous reinforcement prior to the matrix coating the continuous reinforcement; a feed mechanism configured to pull the continuous reinforcement through the plurality of protrusions; and a cure enhancer connected to an end of the body adjacent the nozzle and configured to cure the matrix, the cure enhancer configured to expose the composite material exiting the nozzle to light energy to harden the matrix.
-
-
16. An additive manufacturing system, comprising:
-
a support; a head connected to an end of the support, and including; a body; a wetting location inside the body at which a continuous reinforcement is wetted with a matrix to form a composite material; a nozzle connected to a discharge end of the body and configured to discharge the composite material; and a fiber-teasing mechanism located inside the body and positioned upstream of the nozzle and the wetting location; a feed mechanism configured to pull the continuous reinforcement through the fiber-teasing mechanism before the continuous reinforcement is coated with the matrix; a cure enhancer connected to the body and configured to enhance curing of the matrix; and a controller in communication with the support and the head, and configured to selectively cause the support to move the head in multiple dimensions during material discharge. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
-
Specification