Filament container and methods of use thereof
First Claim
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1. A method for supplying a filament of a material to a digital manufacturing system, the method comprising:
- loading a container to the digital manufacturing system, the container comprising an interior chamber and a channel extending from the interior chamber to an exterior surface of the container, wherein the filament is located in the interior chamber and extends at least partially through the channel;
detecting the presence of the filament at a first location in the channel with a sensor within the channel;
communicating between the sensor located within the channel and the digital manufacturing system while the container is loaded to the digital manufacturing system;
engaging a drive wheel of the digital manufacturing system with the filament in the channel at a second location that is downstream along the channel from the sensor; and
rotating the drive wheel of the digital manufacturing system in a first rotational direction to drive successive portions of the filament through the channel.
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Abstract
A container comprising a housing that is configured to rotatably mount a filament supply spool, and a filament guide mechanism mountable within a channel of the housing, where the filament guide mechanism comprises a filament pathway configured to guide the filament from the filament supply spool rotatably mounted in the interior chamber, and a sensor configured to detect the presence of the filament through at least a portion of the filament pathway.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for supplying a filament of a material to a digital manufacturing system, the method comprising:
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loading a container to the digital manufacturing system, the container comprising an interior chamber and a channel extending from the interior chamber to an exterior surface of the container, wherein the filament is located in the interior chamber and extends at least partially through the channel; detecting the presence of the filament at a first location in the channel with a sensor within the channel; communicating between the sensor located within the channel and the digital manufacturing system while the container is loaded to the digital manufacturing system; engaging a drive wheel of the digital manufacturing system with the filament in the channel at a second location that is downstream along the channel from the sensor; and rotating the drive wheel of the digital manufacturing system in a first rotational direction to drive successive portions of the filament through the channel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for supplying a filament of a material to a digital manufacturing system, the method comprising:
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loading a supply of the filament into a container, wherein a leading edge of the filament extends through a filament guide mechanism, the filament guide mechanism comprising a filament pathway and a sensor accessible to the filament pathway; inserting the filament guide mechanism into an exit channel of the container; loading the container containing the supply of the filament to the digital manufacturing system; detecting the presence of the filament in the filament pathway with the sensor; transmitting first electrical signals between the sensor and a first electrical contact located in the channel; transmitting second electrical signals between the first electrical contact and an electrical connection accessible from the exterior surface of the container; and transmitting third electrical signals between the electrical connection and the digital manufacturing system. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for supplying a filament of a material to a digital manufacturing system, the method comprising:
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providing a filament supply to the digital manufacturing system, wherein the provided filament supply comprises the filament, an electrical contact located at an exterior surface of the filament supply, and a filament guide mechanism, wherein the filament guide mechanism comprises a housing having an inlet end and an outlet end, a filament pathway extending between the inlet end and the outlet end, a sensor accessible to the filament pathway between the inlet end and the outlet end, and an engagement region accessible to the filament pathway between the sensor and the outlet end such that the engagement region is downstream from the sensor, and wherein a leading edge of the filament extends through the filament pathway past the sensor and at least to the engagement region; engaging the electrical contact of the provided filament supply with the digital manufacturing system; detecting the presence of the filament in the filament pathway with the sensor; communicating between the sensor and the digital manufacturing system through the engaged electrical contact; engaging a drive mechanism with the filament in the filament pathway at the engagement region; and operating the drive mechanism to drive successive portions of the filament through the filament pathway and into a filament feed pathway of the digital manufacturing system. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification