SYRINGE TIP ASSEMBLY AND LAYERED DEPOSITION SYSTEMS UTILIZING THE SAME

• US 20100166969A1
• Filed: 04/04/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Batchelder, J. Samuel
• Granted Patent: US 8,287,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/402
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor

Abstract

A syringe tip assembly comprising a seal component configured to engage a syringe tip, a nozzle configured to slidably engage with the seal component, and a biasing member configured to apply a biasing pressure between the seal component and the nozzle.

Claims

1. A syringe tip assembly for use with an extrusion syringe of a layered deposition system, the syringe tip assembly comprising:

a seal component configured to engage a syringe tip of the extrusion syringe;

a nozzle configured to slidably engage with the seal component; and

a biasing member configured to apply a biasing pressure between the seal component and the nozzle.

2. The syringe tip assembly of claim 1, wherein the seal component comprises a ring portion and a shaft portion, wherein the ring portion functions as a bearing surface for the biasing member, and wherein the shaft portion has an inner opening configured to provide a seal with the syringe tip.

3. The syringe tip assembly of claim 1, wherein the biasing member comprises a spring that engages with the seal component and the nozzle.

4. The syringe tip assembly of claim 1, wherein the nozzle comprises a ring portion, a shaft portion, and a tip portion, the ring portion functioning as a bearing surface for the biasing member.

5. The syringe tip assembly of claim 4, wherein the seal component comprises a ring portion and a shaft portion, and wherein the shaft portion of the seal component has a slidable seal fit with the shaft portion of the nozzle.

6. The syringe tip assembly of claim 5, wherein the ring portion of the seal member and the ring portion of the nozzle provide opposing bearing surfaces for the biasing member.

7. The syringe tip assembly of claim 1, wherein the seal component is secured to the syringe tip.

8. A syringe deposition tool comprising:

a frame having a base wall;

a motor;

a syringe having a syringe body, a syringe tip, and a piston, wherein the piston is operably secured to the motor; and

a syringe tip assembly disposed around at least a portion of the syringe tip and engagable with the base wall of the frame, the syringe tip assembly being configured to compress when the motor applies a pressure on the piston.

9. The syringe deposition tool of claim 8, wherein the syringe tip assembly comprises:

a seal component configured to engage the syringe tip;

a nozzle configured to slidably engage with the seal component; and

a biasing member configured to apply a biasing pressure between the seal component and the nozzle.

10. The syringe deposition tool of claim 9, wherein the seal component comprises a ring portion and a shaft portion, wherein the ring portion functions as a bearing surface for the biasing member, and wherein the shaft portion has an inner opening configured to provide a seal with the syringe tip.

11. The syringe deposition tool of claim 9, wherein the biasing member comprises a spring that engages with the seal component and the nozzle.

12. The syringe deposition tool of claim 9, wherein the nozzle comprises a ring portion, a shaft portion, and a tip portion, the ring portion functioning as a bearing surface for the biasing member.

13. The syringe deposition tool of claim 9, wherein the nozzle engages with the base wall of the frame.

14. The syringe deposition tool of claim 9, wherein the seal component is secured to the syringe tip.

15. A method of building a three-dimensional object with a syringe deposition tool of a layered deposition system, wherein the syringe deposition tool includes an extrusion syringe and a syringe tip assembly, the method comprising:

applying pressure to a piston of the extrusion syringe;

compressing a biasing member of the syringe tip assembly due to the pressure applied to the piston,

moving the piston through a syringe body of the extrusion syringe after at least partially compressing the biasing member, wherein moving the piston through the syringe body extrudes a material through the syringe tip assembly; and

removing at least a portion of the pressure applied to the piston to at least partially decompress the biasing member.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least partially decompressing the biasing member comprises forming a volume within the syringe tip assembly to retain at least a portion of the material.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

positioning a seal component of the syringe tip assembly around at least a portion of a syringe tip of the extrusion syringe;

positioning the biasing member against the seal component; and

positioning a nozzle of the syringe tip assembly against the biasing member, thereby retaining the biasing member between the seal component and the nozzle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein positioning the seal component around at least the portion of the syringe tip comprises forming a seal between the seal component and the syringe tip.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising forming a sliding engagement between the seal component and the nozzle.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein applying pressure to the piston of the extrusion syringe comprises operating a motor operably secured to the piston.