Filament spool

• US 7,938,356 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2008
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Turley, Patrick W., Taatjes, Thomas L., Zalusky, Martin G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dondero; William E
• Application Number:
  US12/255,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20100096489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 242/172, 242/470, 242/476.1, 242/566, 242/579, 242/580, 242/587, 242/587.2, 242/587.3, 242/588, 242/588.3, 242/588.6, 242/614, 242/125, 242/125.1, 242/125.2, 242/125.3, 242/614.1
• US Class Current: 242/580
• 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 64/255 Enclosures for the building material, e.g. powder containers
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/52 Integration of elements inside the core or reel
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/28 Arrangements for positively securing ends of material

Abstract

A filament spool for use in a filament spool container, where the filament spool comprises a first rim and a second rim offset by an axial shaft, and a series of grooves extending along a first portion of the first rim and configured to receive a filament of a material while the filament is wound around the axial shaft in a first rotational direction.

Claims

1. A filament spool comprising:

an axial shaft;

a first rim extending perpendicular to the axial shaft, the first rim comprising an inner side adjacent to the axial shaft, an outer side opposite of inner side, and a lateral edge offsetting the inner side and the outer side;

a second rim extending from the axial shaft;

a lateral groove in the lateral edge of the first rim, the lateral groove extending from the inner side of the first rim to the outer side of the first rim; and

a series of grooves extending along a first portion of the outer side of the first rim to define a pathway that is at least partially arcuate, wherein the lateral groove and the series of grooves are configured to receive a first segment of a filament while a second segment of the filament is wound around the axial shaft in a first rotational direction.

2. The filament spool of claim 1, wherein the first rim comprises a guide mechanism slot intersecting the series of grooves.

3. The filament spool of claim 1, wherein the lateral groove extends between the inner side of the first rim to the outer side of the first rim in a direction that is non-parallel to the axial shaft and non-parallel to the outer surface of the first rim.

4. The filament spool of claim 1, wherein the lateral groove is a first lateral groove, the series of grooves are a first series of grooves, and the pathway is a first pathway, and wherein the filament spool further comprises:

a second lateral groove in the lateral edge of the first rim, the second lateral groove extending from the inner side of the first rim to the outer side of the first rim; and

a second series of grooves extending along a second portion of the outer side of the first rim to define a second pathway that is at least partially arcuate, wherein the second lateral groove and the second series of grooves are configured to receive the first segment of the filament while the second segment of the filament is wound around the axial shaft in a second rotational direction that is opposite of the first rotational direction.

5. The filament spool of claim 4, wherein the first rim comprises:

a first guide mechanism slot intersection the first pathway; and

a second guide mechanism slot intersection the second pathway.

6. The filament spool of claim 4, wherein the first pathway and the second pathway intersect at a location adjacent to the first groove and the second lateral groove.

7. The filament spool of claim 1, and further comprising a central chamber within the axial shaft and a chamber cap that is removably securable to the first rim.

8. A filament spool for use with a filament spool container, the filament spool comprising:

an axial shaft;

a first rim extending perpendicular to the axial shaft, the first rim comprising an inner side adjacent to the axial shaft, and outer side opposite of inner side, a lateral edge offsetting the inner side and the outer side, and a first rotational hub the outer side that is configured to be rotatably received by a first hub mount of the filament spool container;

a second rim extending from the axial shaft, the second rim having a second rotational hub configured to be rotatably received by a second hub mount of the filament spool container;

a lateral groove in the lateral edge of the first rim, the lateral groove extending from the inner side of the first rim to the outer side of the first rim;

a first guide mechanism slot in the outer surface of the first rim, the first guide mechanism slot being configured to receive a first filament guide mechanism; and

a first groove pathway extending along a first portion of the outer surface of the first rim, wherein the first groove pathway intersects the first guide mechanism slot, wherein at least a portion of the first groove pathway is arcuate, and wherein the lateral groove and the first groove pathway are configured to receive a first segment of a filament while a second segment of the filament is wound around the axial shaft in a first rotational direction.

9. The filament spool of claim 8, wherein the first groove pathway comprises a plurality of grooves.

10. The filament spool of claim 8, and further comprising a second guide mechanism slot in the outer surface of the first rim.

11. The filament spool of claim 10, and further comprising a second groove pathway extending along a second portion of the outer surface of the first rim, wherein the second groove pathway intersects the second guide mechanism slot, and wherein at least a portion of the second groove pathway is arcuate.

12. The filament spool of claim 11, wherein the second groove pathway crosses the first groove pathway.

13. The filament spool of claim 8, and further comprising a central chamber within the axial shaft and a chamber cap that is removably securable to the first rim.

14. The filament spool of claim 13, and further comprising a desiccant disposed in the central chamber.

15. A filament spool assembly comprising:

an axial shaft;

a first rim extending perpendicular to the axial shaft, the first rim having an inner side adjacent to the axial shaft, an outer side opposite of inner side, and a lateral edge offsetting the inner side and the outer side;

a second rim extending from the axial shaft;

a lateral groove in the lateral edge of the first rim, the lateral groove extending from the inner side of the first rim to the outer side of the first rim;

a series of grooves extending along a first portion of the outer side of the first rim to define a pathway that is at least partially arcuate, wherein the lateral groove and the series of grooves are configured to receive a first segment of a filament while a second segment of the filament is wound around the axial shaft in a first rotational direction; and

a filament guide mechanism configured to be removably mounted to the outer side of the first rim.

16. The filament spool assembly of claim 15, wherein the first rim comprises a guide mechanism slot intersecting the pathway, the guide mechanism slot being configured to receive the filament guide mechanism.

17. The filament spool assembly of claim 15, wherein the filament guide mechanism comprises a filament pathway that is configured to intersect the pathway when the filament guide mechanism is mounted in the guide mechanism slot.

18. The filament spool assembly of claim 15, wherein the lateral groove extends between the inner side of the first rim to the outer side of the first rim in a direction that is non-parallel to the axial shaft and non-parallel to the outer surface of the first rim.

19. The filament spool assembly of claim 15, wherein the lateral groove is a first lateral groove, the series of grooves are a first series of grooves, and the pathway is a first pathway, and wherein the filament spool assembly further comprises:

a second lateral groove in the lateral edge of the first rim, the second lateral groove extending from the inner side of the first rim to the outer side of the first rim; and

a second series of grooves extending along a second portion of the outer side of the first rim to define a second pathway that is at least partially arcuate, wherein the second lateral groove and the second series of grooves are configured to receive the first segment of the filament while the second segment of the filament is wound around the axial shaft in a second rotational direction that is opposite of the first rotational direction.

20. The filament spool assembly of claim 19, wherein the first pathway and the second pathway intersect at a location adjacent to the first lateral groove and the second lateral groove.