RETRACTING EXTRUDER BARREL WITH COOLING FEATURES

• US 20150290861A1
• Filed: 04/13/2015
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian L. Douglass, Carl R. Douglass
• Original Assignee: Brian L. Douglass
• Inventors: Douglass, Brian L., Douglass, Carl R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,391,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92571 Position, e.g. linear or angular
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/02 Small extruding apparatus, e.g. handheld, toy or laboratory extruders
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/05 Filamentary, e.g. strands
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/2528 Drive or actuation means for non-plasticising purposes, e.g. dosing unit
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/266 Means for allowing relative movements between the apparatus parts, e.g. for twisting the extruded article or for moving the die along a surface to be coated
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/68 Barrels or cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/832 Heating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/834 Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/92 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• 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: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor

Abstract

A barrel for use in an additive manufacturing machine is disclosed. The barrel includes a sleeve extending along a longitudinal axis. A conduit extends along the longitudinal axis through the sleeve. The conduit is movable relative to the sleeve along the longitudinal axis between a first position and a second position. A nozzle is associated with the conduit. The nozzle is movable with the conduit relative to the sleeve between the first position and the second position.

Claims

1. A barrel for use in an additive manufacturing machine comprising:

a sleeve extending along a longitudinal axis;

a conduit extending along the longitudinal axis through the sleeve, the conduit being movable relative to the sleeve along the longitudinal axis between a first position and a second position; and

a nozzle associated with the conduit, the nozzle being movable with the conduit relative to the sleeve between the first position and the second position.

2. The barrel claim 1 further comprising a spring located in the sleeve, spring biasing the conduit toward the first position.

3. The barrel of claim 1 further comprising a liquefier block associated with the nozzle.

4. The barrel of claim 3 further comprising a cooling sleeve surrounding the conduit, the cooling sleeve being spaced apart from the liquefier block along the longitudinal axis and including at least one cooling fin.

5. The barrel of claim 3 wherein the liquefier block includes a thermocouple and a heater.

6. The barrel of claim 3 wherein the liquefier block includes a void that extends radially outward about the conduit.

7. The barrel of claim 4 further comprising a bearing disposed between the conduit and the cooling sleeve.

8. A barrel for use in an additive manufacturing machine comprising:

a sleeve extending along a longitudinal axis;

a conduit extending along the longitudinal axis through the sleeve;

an actuating system associated with the sleeve, the actuating system being configured to move the conduit along the longitudinal axis relative to the sleeve between a first position and a second position; and

a nozzle associated with the conduit, the nozzle being movable with the conduit relative to the sleeve between the first position and the second position.

9. The barrel of claim 8 wherein said actuating system further comprises one of a solenoid actuator and a servo actuator.

10. The actuator of claim 8 further comprising a liquefier block associated with the nozzle.

11. The barrel of claim 10 further comprising a cooling sleeve surrounding the conduit, the cooling sleeve being spaced apart from the liquefier block along the longitudinal axis and including at least one cooling fin.

12. The barrel of claim 8 wherein the liquefier block includes a thermocouple and a heater.

13. The barrel of claim 8 wherein the liquefier block includes a void that extends radially outward about the conduit.

14. The barrel of claim further comprising a hearing disposed between the conduit and the cooling sleeve.

15. A method of manufacturing a three dimensional model comprising the steps of:

providing an additive manufacturing machine having at least two barrels, each of the at least two barrels being movable between a first position and a second position;

providing the first barrel of the at least two barrels with a first material;

providing the second barrel of the at least two barrels with a second material;

moving the first barrel of the at least two barrels from the first position to the second position and advancing the first material;

moving the first barrel of the at least two barrels from the second position to the first position and retracting the first material;

moving the second barrel of the at least two barrels from the first position to the second position and advancing the second material; and

moving the second barrel of the at least two barrels from the second position to the first position and retracting the second material.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first barrel of the at least two barrels is moved from the first position to the second position by advancing the first material and is moved from the second position to the first position by retracting the first material, and the second barrel of the at least two barrels is moved from the first position to the second position by advancing the second material and is moved from the second position to the first position by retracting the second material.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first barrel of the at least two barrels has a first actuating system and the second barrel of the at least two barrels has a second actuating system, the first actuating system selectively moving the first barrel of the at least to barrels between the first position and the second position, and the second actuating system selectively moving the second barrel of the at least two barrels between the first position and the second position.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the at least two barrels includes a sleeve extending along a longitudinal axis and a conduit extending along the longitudinal axis through the sleeve, and wherein moving each of the at least two barrels between the first position and the second position involves moving the conduit relative to the sleeve along the longitudinal axis.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the at least two barrels further includes a nozzle associated with the conduit, the nozzle of the first barrel of the at least two barrels being the same as the nozzle of the second barrel of the at least two barrels.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the at least two barrels further includes a nozzle associated with the conduit, the nozzle of the first barrel of the at least two barrels being different from the nozzle of the second barrel of the at least two barrels.