Filament drive mechanism for use in additive manufacturing system
First Claim
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1. A filament drive mechanism for use with an additive manufacturing system, the filament drive mechanism comprising:
- a first drive shaft having a first rotational axis, and comprising;
first gear teeth extending around the first rotational axis; and
a first engagement surface extending around the first rotational axis, wherein the first engagement surface comprises a first plurality of spaced apart filament engagement surfaces substantially parallel to the first rotational axis; and
a second drive shaft having a second rotational axis that is substantially parallel to and fixed relative to the first rotational axis, wherein the second drive shaft comprises;
second gear teeth extending around the second rotational axis, wherein the second gear teeth are engaged with the first gear teeth; and
a second engagement surface extending around the second rotational axis, wherein the second engagement surface comprises a second plurality of spaced apart filament engagement surfaces substantially parallel to the second rotational axis and is substantially aligned with the first engagement surface of the first drive shaft such that the first and second plurality of spaced apart filament engagement surfaces are configured for engaging a filament therebetween by at least partially compressing a filament surface at one or more locations concurrently.
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Abstract
A filament drive mechanism for use with an additive manufacturing system, the filament drive mechanism comprising first and second drive shafts engaged with each other and configured to rotate in opposing rotational directions around substantially parallel and fixed axes, where the first and second drive shafts include engagement surfaces substantially aligned with each other for engaging a filament therebetween.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A filament drive mechanism for use with an additive manufacturing system, the filament drive mechanism comprising:
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a first drive shaft having a first rotational axis, and comprising; first gear teeth extending around the first rotational axis; and a first engagement surface extending around the first rotational axis, wherein the first engagement surface comprises a first plurality of spaced apart filament engagement surfaces substantially parallel to the first rotational axis; and a second drive shaft having a second rotational axis that is substantially parallel to and fixed relative to the first rotational axis, wherein the second drive shaft comprises; second gear teeth extending around the second rotational axis, wherein the second gear teeth are engaged with the first gear teeth; and a second engagement surface extending around the second rotational axis, wherein the second engagement surface comprises a second plurality of spaced apart filament engagement surfaces substantially parallel to the second rotational axis and is substantially aligned with the first engagement surface of the first drive shaft such that the first and second plurality of spaced apart filament engagement surfaces are configured for engaging a filament therebetween by at least partially compressing a filament surface at one or more locations concurrently. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A print head for use with an additive manufacturing system, the print head comprising:
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a cartridge portion; a liquefier assembly extending from the cartridge portion; and a filament drive mechanism disposed in the cartridge portion, the filament drive mechanism comprising; a first drive shaft extending along a first rotational axis and having a first plurality of spaced apart filament engagement surfaces positioned substantially parallel to the first rotational axis; and a second drive shaft engaged with the first drive shaft and extending along a second rotational axis that is substantially parallel to and fixed relative to the first rotational axis, the second drive shaft having a second plurality of spaced apart filament engagement surfaces that are positioned substantially parallel to the second rotational axis and substantially aligned with the first plurality of spaced apart filament engagement surfaces of the first drive shaft wherein the first and second drive shafts are configured to engage a filament therebetween by compression of a filament surface at one or more opposing points along a length of the filament corresponding to one or more of the first and second pluralities of spaced apart filament engagement surfaces to feed the filament to the liquefier assembly. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for printing a three-dimensional part from a part material with an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:
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providing a first draft shaft and a second drive shaft engaged with each other, and each drive shaft comprising a plurality of spaced apart filament engagement surfaces, the spaced apart filament engagement surfaces positioned parallel to a drive axis of the respective drive shaft and the plurality of spaced apart filament engagement surface are configured to engage a filament by at least partially compressing at least one location on opposing sides of a filament of the part material; rotating the first drive shaft around a first axis in a first rotational direction; rotating the second drive shaft by the engagement between the first and second drive shafts, wherein the second drive shaft rotates around a second axis in a second rotational direction that is counter to the first rotational direction, the second axis being substantially parallel and fixed relative to the first axis, and wherein the rotations of the first and second drive shafts drive the engaged filament; directing the driven filament into a liquefier assembly of a print head retained by the additive manufacturing system; melting the filament in the liquefier assembly to provide a molten part material; and extruding the molten part material from the liquefier assembly to print the three-dimensional part in a layer-by-layer manner. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification