System for controlling operation of a printer during three-dimensional object printing with reference to a distance from the surface of object
First Claim
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1. A printer comprising:
- a member having a surface configured to support formation of an object on the member;
one or more printheads, the one or more printheads configured with ejectors to eject two or more materials, wherein the two or more materials are of different properties; and
a controller connected to the one or more printheads, the controller configured to operate the one or more printheads to eject drops of a first material of the two or more materials onto the surface of the member or onto material previously ejected by the one or more printheads, to fill a plurality of voxels to a predetermined stop height for material ejected from the one or more printheads;
a sensor configured to generate a first measurement corresponding to a distance between a face of at least one of the one or more printheads and the top layer of the first material in at least one voxel of the plurality of voxels, and to generate a second measurement corresponding to a distance between the face of the at least one printhead in the one or more printheads and the surface of the member; and
the controller being further configured to, with reference to the first measurement and the second measurement, determine a difference between the height of the first material in the at least one voxel of the plurality of voxels and the predetermined stop height for the material in the at least one voxel;
wherein the controller is further configured to eject at least a second material into the at least one voxel when determined that a second material is to be ejected; and
wherein the controller is further configured to eject drops of additional material comprising either the first material or at least the second material into the at least one voxel with a volume different than the drops of the first material ejected into the voxel to reach the predetermined stop height for the material in the at least one voxel, when said difference is less than a predetermined threshold.
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Abstract
A controller in a printer operates one or more printheads in the printer with reference to a predetermined height of material above a surface of a member and a height of a top layer of material above the surface of the member. The height of the top layer is identified with reference to a first sensor that generates data corresponding to a height of a face of one of the printheads above the surface of the member and a second sensor that generates data corresponding to a distance between the face of one of the printheads and the top layer of material.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A printer comprising:
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a member having a surface configured to support formation of an object on the member; one or more printheads, the one or more printheads configured with ejectors to eject two or more materials, wherein the two or more materials are of different properties; and a controller connected to the one or more printheads, the controller configured to operate the one or more printheads to eject drops of a first material of the two or more materials onto the surface of the member or onto material previously ejected by the one or more printheads, to fill a plurality of voxels to a predetermined stop height for material ejected from the one or more printheads; a sensor configured to generate a first measurement corresponding to a distance between a face of at least one of the one or more printheads and the top layer of the first material in at least one voxel of the plurality of voxels, and to generate a second measurement corresponding to a distance between the face of the at least one printhead in the one or more printheads and the surface of the member; and the controller being further configured to, with reference to the first measurement and the second measurement, determine a difference between the height of the first material in the at least one voxel of the plurality of voxels and the predetermined stop height for the material in the at least one voxel; wherein the controller is further configured to eject at least a second material into the at least one voxel when determined that a second material is to be ejected; and wherein the controller is further configured to eject drops of additional material comprising either the first material or at least the second material into the at least one voxel with a volume different than the drops of the first material ejected into the voxel to reach the predetermined stop height for the material in the at least one voxel, when said difference is less than a predetermined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification