SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ON-DEMAND COLORIZATION FOR EXTRUSION-BASED ADDITIVE CONSTRUCTION
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An extrusion-based 3D printer, for constructing objects out of a completely colored filament, the 3D printer comprising:
- a tank system having a plurality of puncture mechanisms, a corresponding number of subchambers and a corresponding number of pumps, each pump being in fluid communication with one subchamber,wherein each subchamber has an interior chamber equipped with a single opening, the opening being sealed by a penetrable membrane;
a mixing chamber having an interior volume, a filament input, a filament output, and a waste outlet,wherein the mixing chamber is in fluid communication with the plurality of pumps,wherein the plurality of pumps are configured to independently pump fluid from the corresponding subchamber;
a material dispenser configured to dispense uncolored filament to the filament input;
a waste management system in fluid communication with the waste outlet; and
a print head having an extruder configured to receive filament through the filament output.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A color 3D printer and its method of use are disclosed. The color 3D printer uses a number of chambers to dye a filament to a given color. This colored filament is then extruded, pursuant to an associated 3D model of an object, to produce varying colored physical objects, on demand, with the use of a single filament and a single print head. Further, the color 3D printer features a waste management apparatus which provides a number of ways to dispose of waste fluid.
39 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An extrusion-based 3D printer, for constructing objects out of a completely colored filament, the 3D printer comprising:
-
a tank system having a plurality of puncture mechanisms, a corresponding number of subchambers and a corresponding number of pumps, each pump being in fluid communication with one subchamber, wherein each subchamber has an interior chamber equipped with a single opening, the opening being sealed by a penetrable membrane; a mixing chamber having an interior volume, a filament input, a filament output, and a waste outlet, wherein the mixing chamber is in fluid communication with the plurality of pumps, wherein the plurality of pumps are configured to independently pump fluid from the corresponding subchamber; a material dispenser configured to dispense uncolored filament to the filament input; a waste management system in fluid communication with the waste outlet; and a print head having an extruder configured to receive filament through the filament output. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method of constructing objects out of a completely colored filament, by an extrusion-based 3D printer having a tank system having a plurality of puncture mechanisms, a corresponding number of subchambers and a corresponding number of pumps, each pump being in fluid communication with one subchamber, wherein each subchamber has an interior chamber equipped with a single opening, the opening being sealed by a penetrable membrane, a mixing chamber having an interior volume, a filament input, a filament output, and a waste outlet, wherein the mixing chamber is in fluid communication with the plurality of pumps, wherein the plurality of pumps are configured to independently pump fluid from the corresponding subchamber, a material dispenser configured to dispense uncolored filament to the filament input, a waste management system in fluid communication with the waste outlet, a print head having an extruder configured to receive filament through the filament output, the method comprising the steps of:
-
accessing, by a user, a software application; selecting, by the user within the software application, a file representing an object to be printed by the 3D printer; obtaining, by the software application, at least one color related to the object; referencing, the at least one color with a color chart; determining, a predetermined amount of each of the plurality of dyes needed to create the color from the previous step; sending, by the software application, instructions of how to create the object to the 3d printer; feeding, by the material dispenser, a portion of filament into the mixing chamber; pumping, by the plurality of pumps, an amount of each of the plurality of dyes needed to create the desired color into the mixing chamber; allowing, the portion of filament to be completely dyed by the dyes contained in the mixing chamber, for a predetermined amount of time; extruding, by the print head, the colored portion of filament to create the object; repeating the previous three steps until the object is completed. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
-
Specification