SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR 3D PRINTING
First Claim
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1. A three-dimensional printer comprising:
- a print head, said print head configured over an operational area;
a plurality of nozzles attached to and underside of said print head, a material extruded from said nozzles employed to form an object; and
a processor, said processor configured to control the position of said print head over said operational area during the formation of said object, and configured to control the respective nozzles and the flow of said material therethrough,wherein at least two of said nozzles, each independently controlled by and at the command of said processor, extrude material together in the formation of said object,wherein said at least two of said nozzles together extrude material over separate areas of said operational area,wherein the number of said plurality of nozzles on said print head is within the range of about 10-0,000.
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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.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A three-dimensional printer comprising:
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a print head, said print head configured over an operational area; a plurality of nozzles attached to and underside of said print head, a material extruded from said nozzles employed to form an object; and a processor, said processor configured to control the position of said print head over said operational area during the formation of said object, and configured to control the respective nozzles and the flow of said material therethrough, wherein at least two of said nozzles, each independently controlled by and at the command of said processor, extrude material together in the formation of said object, wherein said at least two of said nozzles together extrude material over separate areas of said operational area, wherein the number of said plurality of nozzles on said print head is within the range of about 10-0,000. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A print head for a three-dimensional printer comprising:
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a body; and 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 position over an operational area and to extrude material from at least two of said nozzles together to form said object, wherein said processor is configured to control the respective nozzles and the flow of said material therethrough, wherein said at least two of said nozzles extrude material together over separate areas of said operational area, and wherein the number of said plurality of nozzles on said body is within the range of about 10-10,000. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A methodology for creating an object from a three-dimensional printer comprising:
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moving a print head over an operational area during the construction of an object, said print head having a plurality of nozzles attached thereto; controlling, by a processor, said plurality of nozzles, said processor configured to control the position of said print head over said operational area during the formation of said object, and configured to control the respective nozzles and the respective flow of material extruded therethrough; and extruding said material from at least two of said plurality of nozzles together during a pass of said print head over said operational area, said material extruded therefrom employed to form said object, wherein at least two of said plurality of nozzles extrude material together over separate areas of said operational area, wherein the number of said plurality of nozzles on said print head is within the range of about 10-10,000.
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24. A methodology for creating an object from a three-dimensional printer comprising:
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depositing a curable material for an object onto an operational area by at least one nozzle; moving at least two energy beams, during a pass, over said operational area; controlling, by a processor, said at least two energy beams, said processor configured to control the depositing of said curable material onto said operational area, and configured to control the position and intensity of said beams of energy over and onto said curable material on said operational area during the formation of said object; and curing said curable material within said operational area, said curable material being cured, after said movement in said pass, in at least two separate positions within said operational area, wherein said at least two energy beams are directed over separate areas of said operational area, and wherein the number of said energy beams under processor control is within the range of about 10-10,000.
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Specification