CONSUMABLE ASSEMBLY FOR USE IN EXTRUSION-BASED LAYERED DEPOSITION SYSTEMS

• US 20100283172A1
• Filed: 01/07/2009
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Swanson, William J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,403,658 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/80
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/00 Extrusion moulding, i.e. expressing the moulding material through a die or nozzle which imparts the desired form; Apparatus therefor extrusion blow-moulding B29C49/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/05 Filamentary, e.g. strands
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/18 the components being layers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/209 Heads; Nozzles
• 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

Abstract

A consumable assembly comprising a container portion configured to retain a supply of filament, a guide tube connected to the container portion, and a pump portion connected to the guide tube.

Claims

1. A consumable assembly comprising:

a container portion configured to retain a supply of filament;

a guide tube connected to the container portion; and

a pump portion connected to the guide tube, and configured to extrude a material of the filament in a flowable state.

2. The consumable assembly of claim 1, wherein the container portion comprises:

an outer casing; and

at least one liner disposed within the outer casing.

21. The consumable assembly of claim 2, wherein the container portion further comprises a spool assembly disposed within the at least one liner, the spool assembly being the component of the container portion that retains the supply of the filament.

22. The consumable assembly of claim 1, wherein the container portion comprises at least one data chip configured to communicate with an extrusion-based layered deposition system when the consumable assembly is loaded to the extrusion-based layered deposition system.

23. The consumable assembly of claim 1, wherein the pump portion comprises a drive mechanism configured to feed successive portions of the filament.

24. The consumable assembly of claim 23, wherein the pump portion further comprises:

a liquefier component configured to at least partially melt the successive portions of the filament fed by the drive mechanism to provide the material of the filament in the flowable state; and

an extrusion tip disposed downstream from the liquefier component, and configured to provide an exit location for extruding the material of the filament in the flowable state.

25. The consumable assembly of claim 23, wherein the pump portion further comprises a motor configured to operate the drive mechanism.

26. The consumable assembly of claim 1, wherein the pump portion is configured to be inserted in a mount of an extrusion-based layered deposition system, wherein the mount is disposed in a build chamber of the extrusion-based layered deposition system.

27. The consumable assembly of claim 1, and further comprising the supply of filament, wherein the filament comprises:

a first portion being the portion of the filament that is retained in the container portion;

a second portion extending through the guide tube; and

a third portion extending at least partially through the pump portion.

28. The consumable assembly of claim 27, wherein the pump portion comprises a drive mechanism that is engaged with the third portion of the filament.

3-20. -20. (canceled)

29. A consumable assembly for use in an extrusion-based layered deposition system, the consumable assembly comprising:

a container portion;

a guide tube connected to the container portion;

a pump portion connected to the guide tube; and

a supply of filament comprising;

a first portion retained in the container portion;

a second portion extending through the guide tube; and

a third portion extending at least partially through the pump portion.

30. The consumable assembly of claim 29, wherein the container portion comprises:

an outer casing; and

at least one liner disposed within the outer casing, wherein the first portion of the filament is retained within the at least one liner.

31. The consumable assembly of claim 30, wherein the container portion further comprises a spool assembly disposed within the at least one liner, the spool assembly being the component of the container portion that retains the first portion of the filament.

32. The consumable assembly of claim 29, wherein the pump portion comprises a drive mechanism that is engaged with the third portion of the supply of filament.

33. The consumable assembly of claim 32, wherein the pump portion further comprises:

a liquefier component configured to at least partially melt the successive portions of the filament fed by the drive mechanism to provide the material of the filament in a flowable state; and

an extrusion tip disposed downstream from the liquefier component, and configured to provide an exit location for extruding the material of the filament in the flowable state.

34. An additive method for building a three-dimensional object, the additive method comprising:

loading a container portion of a consumable assembly into a loading bay of an extrusion-based layered deposition system, the container portion retaining a first portion of a filament;

passing a guide tube of the consumable assembly to a build chamber of the extrusion-based layered deposition system, wherein the guide tube retains a second portion of the filament; and

inserting a pump portion of the consumable assembly into a mount located in the build chamber, wherein the pump portion at least partially retains a third portion of the filament.

35. The additive method of claim 34, and further comprising:

feeding successive portions of the filament from the container portion;

at least partially melting the successively fed portions of the filament in the pump portion to form an extrudable material; and

extruding the extrudable material into the build chamber to form the three-dimensional object.

36. The additive method of claim 35, wherein the pump portion comprises a drive mechanism that is engaged with the third portion of filament, and wherein feeding the successive portions of the filament comprises driving the filament through the pump portion with the drive mechanism.

37. The additive method of claim 34, and further comprising:

unloading the consumable assembly from the extrusion-based layered deposition system when the supply of the filament is at least partially consumed; and

loading a second consumable assembly to the extrusion-based layered deposition system.

38. The additive method of claim 34, wherein the container portion comprises:

an outer casing;

at least one liner disposed within the outer casing; and

a spool assembly disposed within the at least one liner, the spool assembly being the component of the container portion that retains the first portion of the filament.