FILAMENT SPOOL

• US 20100096489A1
• Filed: 10/22/2008
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Turley, Patrick W., Taatjes, Thomas L., Zalusky, Martin G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,938,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 242/520
• 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 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/255 Enclosures for the building material, e.g. powder containers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/52 Integration of elements inside the core or reel
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/28 Arrangements for positively securing ends of material

Abstract

A filament spool for use in a filament spool container, where the filament spool comprises a first rim and a second rim offset by an axial shaft, and a series of grooves extending along a first portion of the first rim and configured to receive a filament of a material while the filament is wound around the axial shaft in a first rotational direction.

Claims

1. A filament spool comprising:

a first rim and a second rim offset by an axial shaft; and

a series of grooves extending along a first portion of the first rim and configured to receive a filament of a material while the filament is wound around the axial shaft in a first rotational direction.

2. The filament spool of claim 1, wherein the first rim comprises a guide mechanism slot intersecting the first series of grooves.

3. The filament spool of claim 1, wherein the first series of grooves are located on an opposing side of the first rim from the axial shaft, and wherein a first groove of the first series of grooves provides a first pathway for guiding the filament across the first rim.

4. The filament spool of claim 1, wherein the series of grooves are a first series of grooves, and wherein the filament spool further comprises a second series of grooves extending along a second portion of the first rim and configured to receive the filament while the filament is wound around the axial shaft in a second rotational direction that is opposite of the first rotational direction.

5. The filament spool of claim 4, wherein the second series of grooves are located on the opposing side of the first rim from the axial shaft, and wherein a first groove of the second series of grooves provides a second pathway for guiding the filament across the first rim.

6. The filament spool of claim 4, wherein the first series of grooves and the second series of grooves define pathways that intersect at a location across the first rim.

7. The filament spool of claim 1, and further comprising a central chamber within the axial shaft and a chamber cap that is removably securable to the first rim.

8. A filament spool for use with a filament spool container, the filament spool comprising:

a first rim having a first rotational hub configured to be rotatably received by a first hub mount of the filament spool container;

a second rim having a second rotational hub configured to be rotatably received by a second hub mount of the filament spool container;

an axial shaft disposed between the first rim and the second rim, and configured to receive a filament of a material;

a first guide mechanism slot configured to receive a first filament guide mechanism; and

a first groove pathway extending along a first portion of the first rim, wherein the first groove pathway intersects the first guide mechanism slot.

9. The filament spool of claim 8, wherein the first groove pathway comprises a plurality of grooves located on an opposing side of the first rim from the axial shaft.

10. The filament spool of claim 8, and further comprising a second guide mechanism slot configured to receive a second filament guide mechanism.

11. The filament spool of claim 10, and further comprising a second groove pathway extending along a second portion of the first rim, wherein the second groove pathway intersects the second guide mechanism slot.

12. The filament spool of claim 11, wherein the second groove pathway crosses the first groove pathway.

13. The filament spool of claim 8, and further comprising a central chamber within the axial shaft and a chamber cap that is removably securable to the first rim.

14. The filament spool of claim 13, and further comprising a desiccant disposed in the central chamber.

15. A method of loading a filament onto a filament spool, the method comprising:

identifying a material of the filament;

determining a rotational direction for winding the filament onto the filament spool based at least in part of the identified material of the filament;

winding the filament around an axial shaft of the filament spool in the determined rotational direction, wherein the axial shaft is disposed between a first rim and a second rim;

inserting a leading end of the filament into a filament guide mechanism; and

mounting the filament guide mechanism into a guide mechanism slot located on an opposing side of the first rim from the axial shaft.

16. The method of claim 15, and further comprising extending the leading end of the filament across the first rim.

17. The method of claim 15, and further comprising inserting the leading end of the filament into at least one groove of a series of grooves extending along a portion of the first rim.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein identifying the material of the filament comprises identifying whether the material is a modeling material for a digital manufacturing system or a support material for the digital manufacturing system.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining the rotational direction for winding the filament comprises:

designating a first rotational direction where the identified material is the modeling material; and

designating a second rotational direction where the identified material is the support material, wherein he second rotational direction is opposite of the first rotational direction.

20. The method of claim of claim 15, and further comprising:

removing a chamber cap from the first rim to provide access to a central chamber within the axial shaft;

inserting a desiccant within the central chamber; and

securing the chamber cap to the first rim.