Extruder feed system

• US 9,912,001 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Perez, Alfonso Alexander, Haid, Christopher Michael, Pena Doll, Mateo, Pieper, Forrest W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gupta, Yogendra N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luk, Emmanuel S
• Application Number:
  US14/448,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20150086668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92571 Position, e.g. linear or angular
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/9258 Velocity
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/926 Flow or feed rate
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92904 Die; Nozzle zone
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/02 Small extruding apparatus, e.g. handheld, toy or laboratory extruders
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/05 Filamentary, e.g. strands
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/2528 Drive or actuation means for non-plasticising purposes, e.g. dosing unit
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/266 Means for allowing relative movements between the apparatus parts, e.g. for twisting the extruded article or for moving the die along a surface to be coated
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/2886 of fibrous, filamentary or filling materials, e.g. thin fibrous reinforcements or fillers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/865 Heating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/92 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• 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 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 51/00 Forwarding filamentary material stretch-spinning methods D01D5/12; drawing or drafting rovings or the like D01H5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/10 Fuel cells in stationary systems, e.g. emergency power source in plant
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/188 by recharging of redox couples containing fluids; Redox flow type batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/10 Applications of fuel cells in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 : Fuel cells

Abstract

Extruder feed system. The system includes a pair of spaced-apart, internally and oppositely threaded rotatable elements for receiving and engaging a plastic filament material. An electric motor rotates the rotatable elements in opposite directions thereby to drive the filament into a liquefier chamber for subsequent discharge through a nozzle. The system provides very accurate layer-by-layer build up.

Claims

1. Extruder feed system comprising:

a pair of spaced-apart, internally and oppositely threaded rotatable elements for receiving and engaging a filament material;

an electrical motor for rotating the rotatable elements in opposite directions thereby to drive the filament into a liquefier chamber for subsequent discharge through a nozzle; and

further including a control loop for controlling the product of motor current and motor voltage thereby to control the filament material extrusion rate that is linearly proportional to the product of motor current and motor voltage.

2. The system of claim 1 further including a gear train driven by the motor to rotate the rotatable elements in opposite directions.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the motor is a stepper motor.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the motor is a DC motor.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the gear train includes a beveled gear driven by the motor.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the rotatable elements are internally threaded hex nuts.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the motor is an AC motor.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein the gear train includes a belt or cable driven with pulleys.