Additive manufacturing system and method with interchangeable cartridges for printing customized chocolate confections
First Claim
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1. A method for printing a chocolate confection, the method comprising:
- installing a cartridge to a print head of an additive manufacturing system, wherein the cartridge comprises a compressible reservoir containing a supply of a chocolate material;
heating the supply of the chocolate material in the installed cartridge to an extrudable state;
compressing the compressible reservoir in a direction along a vertical axis to extrude the heated chocolate material from the installed cartridge onto a platen of the additive manufacturing system to build at least a portion of the chocolate confection using a layer-based, additive manufacturing technique, wherein all supplied amounts of the chocolate material in the cartridge are extruded from the cartridge prior to the chocolate material thickening past a viscosity threshold of the chocolate material.
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Abstract
An additive manufacturing system for printing a chocolate confection, the system comprising a platen, a print head, and a cartridge configured to be removably secured to the print head, wherein the cartridge contains a supply of the chocolate material.
55 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for printing a chocolate confection, the method comprising:
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installing a cartridge to a print head of an additive manufacturing system, wherein the cartridge comprises a compressible reservoir containing a supply of a chocolate material; heating the supply of the chocolate material in the installed cartridge to an extrudable state; compressing the compressible reservoir in a direction along a vertical axis to extrude the heated chocolate material from the installed cartridge onto a platen of the additive manufacturing system to build at least a portion of the chocolate confection using a layer-based, additive manufacturing technique, wherein all supplied amounts of the chocolate material in the cartridge are extruded from the cartridge prior to the chocolate material thickening past a viscosity threshold of the chocolate material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for printing a chocolate confection, the method comprising:
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installing a cartridge to a print head of an additive manufacturing system, wherein the cartridge comprises a compressible reservoir containing a wrapped portion of a chocolate material, the wrapped portion having an aperture in one end; heating the wrapped portion of the chocolate material in the installed cartridge to an extrudable state; and compressing the compressible reservoir in a direction along a vertical axis to extrude the tempered chocolate material from the wrapped portion onto a platen of the additive manufacturing system to build at least a portion of the chocolate confection using a layer-based, additive manufacturing technique, wherein all supplied amounts of the chocolate material in the cartridge is extruded from the wrapper and cartridge prior to the chocolate material thickening past a viscosity threshold of the chocolate material. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for printing a chocolate confection, the method comprising:
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installing a removable cartridge to a print head of an additive manufacturing system, wherein the cartridge comprises a compressible tube and an extrusion tip secured to the compressible tube and the compressible tube containing a supply of a chocolate material; heating the supply of the chocolate material in the compressible tube to an extrudable state; extruding the tempered chocolate material from the compressible tube onto a platen of the additive manufacturing system to build at least a portion of the chocolate confection using a layer-based, additive manufacturing technique, wherein all supplied amounts of the chocolate material in the compressible tube is extruded from the tube prior to the chocolate material thickening past a viscosity threshold of the chocolate material. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification