SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR 3D PRINTING

• US 20150273769A1
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stanley Korn
• Original Assignee: Stanley Korn
• Inventors: Korn, Stanley
• Granted Patent: US 10,343,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/12 Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes

Abstract

The present invention is directed to three-dimensional printing techniques, methodologies, systems and apparatus to facilitate increased print speed. Through the use of multiple nozzles on a print head printing line by line, more material is deposited. By including nozzles sufficient for a line dimensional (or portion) of a page or planar element of an object design, the material deposition for an entire plane or layer is done line by line in one pass of the print head. Likewise, through the inclusion of multiple lasers, beams or energy sources more material can be cured, such as all along a contour line, instead of point by point.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional printer comprising:

a print head, said print head positioned over an operational area;

a plurality of nozzles attached to said print head, a material extruded therefrom employed to form an object; and

a processor, said processor controlling the position of said print head over said operational area during the formation of said object, and controlling the respective nozzles and the flow of said material therethrough,

wherein at least two of said nozzles, at the command of said processor, extrude material together in the formation of said object.

2. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 1, wherein said nozzles have a diameter within the range selected from the group consisting of about 5-10 μ

m, about 15-25 μ

m, about 20-40 μ

m, about 40-60 μ

m, about 50-100 μ

m, and combinations thereof.

3. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 1, wherein the number of said plurality of nozzles on said print head is within the range selected from the group consisting of about 100-10,000, about 50-5,000, about 30-3,000, about 20-2,000 and about 10-1,000.

4. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of nozzles on said print head are arranged in row.

5. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 4, wherein said plurality of nozzles on said print head are arranged linearly in at least two rows.

6. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of nozzles on said print head are arranged offset.

7. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 1, wherein said material extruded from said nozzles is selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), polylactic acid (PLA), high density polyethylene (HDPE), PC/ABS, polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), high impact polystyrene (HIPS) and combinations thereof.

8. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 1, wherein said operational area has substantially rectilinear dimensions, said print head having a length substantially equivalent to one of said dimensions, said plurality of nozzles configured on said print head across said one dimension, said print head moving across said operational area in one pass for one layer.

9. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 8, wherein said print head length is less than said one dimension, said print head moving across said operational area in multiple passes.

10. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 9, wherein said print head length is an integer fraction of said one dimension.

11. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 8, wherein said print head has a length and width substantially equal to the dimensions for said operational area, said plurality of nozzles arranged in an array across said print head and, at the command of said processor, a plurality of said nozzles extruding material together in the formation of one layer of said object.

12. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 1, wherein said print head is interchangeable with a second print head, said second print head having a different configuration of said plurality of nozzles.

18. The print head according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of nozzles on said print head are arranged offset.

19. The print head according to claim 1, wherein said print head, in operation, is positioned over an operational area, said operational area having substantially rectilinear dimensions, said print head having a length substantially equivalent to one of said dimensions, said plurality of nozzles configured across said print head across said one dimension, said print head moving across said operational area in one pass for one layer.

20. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 19, wherein said print head length is less than said one dimension.

21. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 20, wherein said print head length is an integer fraction of said one dimension.

22. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 19, wherein said print head has a length and width substantially equal to the dimensions for said operational area, said plurality of nozzles arranged in an array across said print head, and, at the command of said processor, a plurality of said nozzles extruding material together in the formation of one layer of said object.

13. A print head for a three-dimensional printer comprising:

a body;

a plurality of nozzles attached to said body, a material extruded therefrom employed to form an object;

said print head configured, at the command of a processor, to extrude material from at least two of said nozzles together to form said object.

14. The print head according to claim 13, wherein said nozzles have a diameter within the range selected from the group consisting of about 5-10 μ

m, about 15-25 μ

m, about 20-40 μ

m, about 40-60 μ

m, about 50-100 μ

m, and combinations thereof.

15. The print head according to claim 13, wherein the number of said plurality of nozzles on said print head is within the range selected from the group consisting of about 100-10,000, about 50-5,000, about 30-3,000, about 20-2,000 and about 10-1,000.

16. The print head according to claim 13, wherein said plurality of nozzles on said print head are arranged in a row.

17. The print head according to claim 16, wherein said plurality of nozzles on said print head are arranged linearly in at least two rows.

23. A methodology for creating an object from a three-dimensional printer comprising:

moving a print head over an operational area during the construction of an object, said print head having a plurality of nozzles attached thereto;

extruding material from at least two of said plurality of nozzles together during one pass of said print head over said operational area, said material extruded therefrom employed to form said object.

24. A three-dimensional printer comprising:

an energy dispersion head;

a plurality of energy dispersion components within said energy dispersion head, respective beams of energy emitted therefrom onto an operational area employed to form an object;

a processor, said processor controlling the position of said respective beams of energy over said operational area during the formation of said object, wherein at least two of said beams of energy, at the command of said processor, operate together in the formation of said object.

25. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 24, wherein said respective beams of energy are from respective lasers.

26. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 24, wherein said respective beams of energy are split from a laser beam.

27. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 24, wherein said respective beams of energy have different wavelengths.

28. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 24, wherein at least one beam of energy is ultraviolet.

29. The three-dimensional printer according to claim 24, wherein said processor controls said printer pursuant to a model selected from the group consisting of fused deposition modeling, material jetting, powder bed fusion, direct metal laser sintering, electron beam melting, selective heat sintering, selective laser melting, selective laser sintering, sheet lamination, laminated object manufacturing, ultrasonic additive manufacturing and combinations thereof.

30. An energy dispersion head for a three-dimensional printer comprising:

a body;

a plurality of energy dispersion components attached to said body, respective beams of energy emitted therefrom across an operational area and employed to form an object;

said energy dispersion head configured, at the command of a processor, to emit at least two of said beams of energy together to form said object during a pass over said operational area.

31. A methodology for creating an object from a three-dimensional printer comprising:

moving at least two energy beams, during a pass, over an operational area during the construction of an object;

curing material within said operational area, said material being cured, after said movement in said pass, in at least two separate positions within said operational area.