PRINTING HEAD MODULE AND THREE DIMENSIONAL PRINTING APPARATUS USING THE SAME

• US 20150056318A1
• Filed: 01/16/2014
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cal-Comp Electronics & Communications Company Limited (Cal-Comp Electronics Public Company Limited), Kinpo Electronics Incorporated (Cal-Comp Electronics Public Company Limited), XYZprinting, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cal-Comp Electronics & Communications Company Limited (Cal-Comp Electronics Public Company Limited), Kinpo Electronics Incorporated (Cal-Comp Electronics Public Company Limited), XYZprinting, Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Kwan
• Granted Patent: US 9,662,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 425/132
• 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 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• 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

Abstract

A printing head module and a three dimensional (3-D) printing apparatus using the same are provided. The 3-D printing apparatus includes a base and the printing head module. The printing head module is disposed above the base and includes a printing head and at least one material spool. The printing head includes a plurality of assembling pieces assembled with each other to form the printing head and define a nozzle of the printing head. Each of the assembling pieces includes at least one material-supply groove. The material-supply grooves of any two adjacent assembling pieces are located corresponding to each other to form at least one material-supply channel together. Each material spool is connected to the material-supply channel for providing at least one fluid material to the material-supply channel. The fluid material is transmitted via the material-supply channel to be dispensed on the base.

Claims

1. A three dimensional printing apparatus, comprising:

a base; and

a printing head module disposed above the base and comprising;

a printing head comprising a plurality of assembling pieces that are assembled with each other to form the printing head and together define a nozzle of the printing head, wherein each of the assembling pieces comprises at least one material-supply groove, and the material-supply grooves of any two adjacent assembling pieces are located corresponding to each other and combined to form at least one material-supply channel; and

at least one material spool connected to the material-supply channel to provide at least one fluid material to the at least one material-supply channel respectively and the fluid material is transmitted via the material-supply channel to be dispensed on the base.

2. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the assembling pieces comprises at least one contact surface configured to be assembled with the contact surface of the adjacent assembling piece, and each material-supply groove is located on the contact surface of the corresponding assembling piece.

3. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of the at least one material-supply groove on each contact surface is plural.

4. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of the at least one material-supply groove on the each contact surface is one, the number of the at least one material-supply channels of the printing head is N, and an angle between the contact surfaces of each of the assembling pieces is 360/N degrees.

5. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each contact surface comprises at least one engaging part, and any two adjacent assembling pieces are engaged with each other by the engaging parts that are disposed correspondingly.

6. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 1, the number of the at least one material-supply channel and the number of the at least one material spool are both plural, wherein the material spools provide a plurality of fluid materials respectively, and the fluid materials respectively have a plurality of characteristics that are different from each other.

7. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the characteristics comprise color.

8. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each of the material-supply channels comprises an extension portion and a bent portion, wherein the extension portions respectively extend along a normal direction of a bearing surface of the base, and the bent portions are connected with the corresponding extension portions respectively and converge at the nozzle.

9. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the material-supply channels converge at the nozzle and define a material-mixing chamber that communicates with the nozzle at a junction of the material-supply channels, and the fluid materials in the material-supply channels are respectively transmitted to the material-mixing chamber to be mixed via the corresponding material-supply channels.

10. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the material-mixing chamber comprises a plurality of material-mixing members through which the fluid materials pass to be mixed.

11. A printing head module capable of supplying at least one fluid material to be dispensed on a base, the printing head module comprising:

a plurality of assembling pieces that are assembled with each other to form the printing head and together define a nozzle of the printing head, wherein each of the assembling pieces comprises at least one material-supply groove, and the material-supply grooves of any two adjacent assembling pieces are located corresponding to each other and combined to form at least one material-supply channel; and

at least one material spool connected to the material-supply channel to provide the fluid material to the at least one material-supply channel respectively and the fluid material is transmitted via the material-supply channel to be dispensed on the base.

12. The printing head module according to claim 11, wherein each of the assembling pieces comprises at least one contact surface configured to be assembled with the contact surface of the adjacent assembling piece, and each material-supply groove is located on the contact surface of the corresponding assembling piece.

13. The printing head module according to claim 11, wherein the number of the at least one material-supply groove on each contact surface is plural.

14. The printing head module according to claim 11, wherein the number of the at least one material-supply groove on each contact surface is one, the number of the at least one material-supply channels of the printing head is N, and an angle between the contact surfaces of each of the assembling pieces is 360/N degrees.

15. The printing head module according to claim 11, wherein each contact surface comprises at least one engaging part, and any two adjacent assembling pieces are engaged with each other by the engaging parts that are disposed correspondingly.

16. The printing head module according to claim 11, the number of the at least one material-supply channel and the number of the at least one material spool are both plural, wherein the material spools provide a plurality of fluid materials respectively, and the fluid materials respectively have a plurality of characteristics that are different from each other.

17. The printing head module according to claim 16, wherein the characteristics comprise color.

18. The printing head module according to claim 16, wherein each of the material-supply channels comprises an extension portion and a bent portion, wherein the extension portions respectively extend along a normal direction of a bearing surface of the base, and the bent portions are connected with the corresponding extension portions respectively and converge at the nozzle.

19. The printing head module according to claim 16, wherein the material-supply channels converge at the nozzle and define a material-mixing chamber that communicates with the nozzle at a junction of the material-supply channels, and the fluid materials in the material-supply channels are respectively transmitted to the material-mixing chamber to be mixed via the corresponding material-supply channels.

20. The printing head module according to claim 19, wherein the material-mixing chamber comprises a plurality of material-mixing members through which the fluid materials pass to be mixed.