Printing head module and three dimensional printing apparatus using the same

• US 9,662,835 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2014
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cal-Comp Electronics & Communications Company Limited (Cal-Comp Electronics Public Company Limited), Kinpo Electronics Incorporated (Cal-Comp Electronics Public Company Limited), XYZprinting, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cal-Comp Electronics & Communications Company Limited (Cal-Comp Electronics Public Company Limited), Kinpo Electronics Incorporated (Cal-Comp Electronics Public Company Limited), XYZprinting, Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Kwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenlang, Alison L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luk, Emmanuel S
• Application Number:
  US14/156,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20150056318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,230 Days
• Field of Search: 425375, 425192 S, 4253782, 4253822
• 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 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/209 Heads; Nozzles

Abstract

A printing head module and a three dimensional (3-D) printing apparatus using the same are provided. The 3-D printing apparatus includes a base and the printing head module. The printing head module is disposed above the base and includes a printing head and at least one material spool. The printing head includes a plurality of assembling pieces assembled with each other to form the printing head and define a nozzle of the printing head. Each of the assembling pieces includes at least one material-supply groove. The material-supply grooves of any two adjacent assembling pieces are located corresponding to each other to form at least one material-supply channel together. Each material spool is connected to the material-supply channel for providing at least one fluid material to the material-supply channel. The fluid material is transmitted via the material-supply channel to be dispensed on the base.

Claims

1. A three dimensional printing apparatus, comprising:

a base; and

a printing head module disposed above the base and comprising;

a printing head comprising a plurality of assembling pieces that are assembled with each other to form the printing head and a nozzle of the printing head assembled by the plurality of assembling pieces, wherein each of the plurality of assembling pieces comprises at least one material-supply groove and a plurality of contact surfaces configured to be assembled with the contact surfaces of the adjacent assembling piece, the contact surfaces of each of the assembling pieces are not coplanar with one another, and the material-supply grooves of any two adjacent assembling pieces are located corresponding to each other and assembled to form at least one material-supply channel; and

at least one material spool connected to the material-supply channel to provide at least one fluid material to the at least one material-supply channel respectively and the fluid material is transmitted via the material-supply channel to be dispensed on the base by the nozzle.

2. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the material-supply grooves are located on the contact surfaces of the assembling pieces.

3. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of the at least one material-supply groove on each contact surface is plural.

4. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of the at least one material-supply groove on the each contact surface is one, the number of the at least one material-supply channels of the printing head is N, and an angle between the contact surfaces of each of the assembling pieces is 360/N degrees.

5. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each contact surface comprises at least one engaging part, and any two adjacent assembling pieces are engaged with each other by the engaging parts that are disposed correspondingly.

6. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 1, the number of the at least one material-supply channel and the number of the at least one material spool are both plural, wherein the material spools provide a plurality of fluid materials respectively, and the fluid materials respectively have a plurality of characteristics that are different from each other.

7. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each of the material-supply channels comprises an extension portion and a bent portion, wherein the extension portions respectively extend along a normal direction of a bearing surface of the base, and the bent portions are connected with the corresponding extension portions respectively and converge at the nozzle.

8. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the material-supply channels converge at the nozzle and define a material-mixing chamber that communicates with the nozzle at a junction of the material-supply channels, and the fluid materials in the material-supply channels are respectively transmitted to the material-mixing chamber to be mixed via the corresponding material-supply channels.

9. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the material-mixing chamber comprises a plurality of material-mixing members through which the fluid materials pass to be mixed.

10. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an included angle between the contact surfaces of each of the assembling pieces is larger than 0 degree and less than 180 degrees.

11. The three dimensional printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the included angles of the assembling pieces are the same.

12. A printing head module capable of supplying at least one fluid material to be dispensed on a base, the printing head module comprising:

a printing head comprising a plurality of assembling pieces that are assembled with each other to form the printing head and a nozzle of the printing head assembled by the plurality of assembling pieces, wherein each of the plurality of assembling pieces comprises at least one material-supply groove and a plurality of contact surfaces configured to be assembled with the contact surfaces of the adjacent assembling piece, the contact surfaces of each of the assembling pieces are not coplanar with one another, and the material-supply grooves of any two adjacent assembling pieces are located corresponding to each other and assembled to form at least one material-supply channel; and

at least one material spool connected to the material-supply channel to provide the fluid material to the at least one material-supply channel respectively and the fluid material is transmitted via the material-supply channel to be dispensed on the base by the nozzle.

13. The printing head module according to claim 12, wherein the material-supply grooves are located on the contact surfaces of the assembling pieces.

14. The printing head module according to claim 12, wherein the number, of the at least one material-supply groove on each contact surface is plural.

15. The printing head module according to claim 12, wherein the number of the at least one material-supply groove on each contact surface is one, the number of the at least one material-supply channels of the printing head is N, and an angle between the contact surfaces of each of the assembling pieces is 360/N degrees.

16. The printing head module according to claim 12, wherein each contact surface comprises at least one engaging part, and any two adjacent assembling pieces are engaged with each other by the engaging parts that are disposed correspondingly.

17. The printing head module according to claim 12, the number of the at least one material-supply channel and the number of the at least one material spool are both plural, wherein the material spools provide a plurality of fluid materials respectively, and the fluid materials respectively have a plurality of characteristics that are different from each other.

18. The printing head module according to claim 17, wherein each of the material-supply channels comprises an extension portion and a bent portion, wherein the extension portions respectively extend along a normal direction of a bearing surface of the base, and the bent portions are connected with the corresponding extension portions respectively and converge at the nozzle.

19. The printing head module according to claim 17, wherein the material-supply channels converge at the nozzle and define a material-mixing chamber that communicates with the nozzle at a junction of the material-supply channels, and the fluid materials in the material-supply channels are respectively transmitted to the material-mixing chamber to be mixed via the corresponding material-supply channels.

20. The printing head module according to claim 19, wherein the material-mixing chamber comprises a plurality of material-mixing members through which the fluid materials pass to be mixed.

21. The printing head module according to claim 12, wherein an included angle between the contact surfaces of each of the assembling pieces is larger than 0 degree and less than 180 degrees.

22. The printing head module according to claim 21, wherein the included angles of the assembling pieces are the same.