Extrusion method for three dimensional modeling
First Claim
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1. A layered deposition method for building a three-dimensional object comprising the steps of:
- providing a first thermally solidifiable modeling material to a first dispenser, the first dispenser having a first dispensing tip which has a downward planar face;
providing a second thermally solidifiable modeling material to a second dispenser, the second dispenser having a second dispensing tip maintained in a fixed vertical position relative to the first dispensing tip, the second dispensing tip having a downward face approximately co-planar with the face of the first dispensing tip;
dispensing roads of the first material in molten form from the tip of the first dispenser onto a base contained in a build environment having a temperature lower than an extrudate temperature of the first and second material, while moving said first dispensing tip in a predetermined pattern within a layer above the base;
dispensing roads of the second material in molten form from the tip of the second dispenser while moving said second dispensing tip in a predetermined pattern within the same layer; and
controlling the dispensers such that a trailing one of the first and second dispensers lags behind a leading one of the first and second dispensers by no less than a minimum transit time Δ
t, defined as the time for a road deposited by the leading dispenser to sufficiently shrink due exclusively to cooling so that the tip of the trailing dispenser does not drag across and smear the road.
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Abstract
A multi-tip extrusion method and apparatus for building a three-dimensional object deposits modeling materials from distinct supply sources, each in a layerwise predetermined pattern, from dispensers having co-planar dispensing tips. The tip spacing is controlled so that a road of material extruded by a leading one of the tips will cool and shrink from the plane of the tips before a trailing one of the tips passes over the road. In this manner, smearing of the road by a trailing one of the tips is avoided.
145 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A layered deposition method for building a three-dimensional object comprising the steps of:
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providing a first thermally solidifiable modeling material to a first dispenser, the first dispenser having a first dispensing tip which has a downward planar face; providing a second thermally solidifiable modeling material to a second dispenser, the second dispenser having a second dispensing tip maintained in a fixed vertical position relative to the first dispensing tip, the second dispensing tip having a downward face approximately co-planar with the face of the first dispensing tip; dispensing roads of the first material in molten form from the tip of the first dispenser onto a base contained in a build environment having a temperature lower than an extrudate temperature of the first and second material, while moving said first dispensing tip in a predetermined pattern within a layer above the base; dispensing roads of the second material in molten form from the tip of the second dispenser while moving said second dispensing tip in a predetermined pattern within the same layer; and controlling the dispensers such that a trailing one of the first and second dispensers lags behind a leading one of the first and second dispensers by no less than a minimum transit time Δ
t, defined as the time for a road deposited by the leading dispenser to sufficiently shrink due exclusively to cooling so that the tip of the trailing dispenser does not drag across and smear the road. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A layered deposition method for building a three-dimensional object comprising the steps of:
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providing a first thermally solidifiable modeling material to a first dispenser carried by an extrusion head, the first dispenser having a first dispensing tip which has a downward planar face positioned in approximately a z-plane; providing a second thermally solidifiable modeling material to a second dispenser carried by the extrusion head, the second dispenser having a second dispensing tip maintained in a fixed vertical position relative to the first dispensing tip, the second dispensing tip having a downward face spaced apart a distance s from the face of the first dispensing tip and approximately co-planar with the face of the first dispensing tip; moving the extrusion head at a controlled velocity in a layerwise predetermined pattern above a base contained in a build environment having a temperature lower than an extrudate temperature of the first and second material alternately dispensing roads of the first material in molten form from the tip of the first dispenser and dispensing roads of the second material in molten form from the tip of the second dispenser while the extrusion head is moved in the predetermined pattern within a layer; and controlling the velocity of the extrusion head such that a road deposited in the layer by a leading one of the first and second dispensing tips shrinks from the plane of the tips due exclusively to cooling before a trailing one of the first and second dispensing tips passes over the road, so that the trailing dispensing tip does not smear the road. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A method for building a three-dimensional object in a modeling machine of the type which builds three-dimensional objects in layers by depositing thermally solidifiable modeling material as roads of molten material into a build environment having a temperature lower than an extrudate temperature of the material, and from an extrusion head that moves at a known speed in a predetermined cross-sectional pattern, the method comprising:
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providing a first thermally solidifiable modeling material to a first dispenser carried by the extrusion head, the first dispenser having a dispensing tip which has a downward planar face; providing a second thermally solidifiable modeling material to a second dispenser carried by the extrusion head, the second dispenser having a dispensing tip maintained in a fixed vertical position relative to the tip of the first dispenser, the dispensing tip of the second dispenser having a downward face spaced apart a distance s from the tip face of the first dispenser and approximately co-planar with the tip face of the first dispenser; dispensing roads of the first material in molten form from the tip of the first dispenser, without using a planarizer to shape the roads; dispensing roads of the second material in molten form from the tip of the second dispenser, without using a planarizer to shape the roads; moving the extrusion head in a layer according to a predetermined pattern, wherein each of the first and second dispensers at different times act as a leading and a trailing dispenser; and controlling the velocity of the extrusion head such that the trailing one of the first and second dispensers lags behind the leading one of the first and second dispensers by no less than a minimum transit time Δ
t, wherein Δ
t is the time for a road deposited by the leading dispenser to sufficiently shrink due to cooling so that the tip of the trailing dispenser does not drag across and smear the road. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A layered deposition method for forming a three-dimensional object, comprising the steps of:
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moving an extrusion head at a controlled velocity in a layer, said extrusion head carrying first and second adjacent dispensers; depositing a thermally solidifiable material in molten form in a road from a downward facing tip of the first dispenser into a build envelope having a temperature lower than an extrudate temperature of the material, while the extrusion head is moved; and controlling the velocity of the extrusion head such that when the second dispenser trails the first dispenser, a downward facing tip of the second dispenser approximately co-planar with the tip of the first dispenser lags behind the tip of the first dispenser by no less than a minimum transit time Δ
t, defined as the time for the deposited road to sufficiently shrink from the plane of the tips due to cooling so that the tip of the second dispenser does not smear the road. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A layered deposition method for forming a three-dimensional object, comprising the steps of:
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moving first and second adjacent dispensers at a controlled velocity in a a layer, said dispensers having downward facing co-planar dispensing tips; depositing a thermally solidifiable material having a thermal diffusivity Ke in molten form in a road having a height h from the tip of the first dispenser while the first dispenser moves in a predetermined pattern, into a build envelope having a temperature lower than an extrudate temperature of the material; and controlling the dispensers such that the tip of the second dispenser does not pass over the road deposited by the first dispenser until the road shrinks due to cooling from the plane of the tips, such that the tip of the second dispenser does not smear the road. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification