HAND-HELD THREE-DIMENSIONAL DRAWING DEVICE

• US 20140154347A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WobbleWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Wobble Works LLC
• Inventors: Dilworth, Peter, Bogue, Maxwell
• Granted Patent: US 9,102,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 425/87
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 17/00 Hand tools or apparatus using hand held tools, for applying liquids or other fluent materials to, for spreading applied liquids or other fluent materials on, or for partially removing applied liquids or other fluent materials from, surfaces casings or accessories for storing or handling solid or pasty toilet or cosmetic substances A45D40/00; brushes A46B; shoe polish applicators A47L23/05; surgical glue applicators A61B17/00491; absorbent pads, e.g. swabs, for applying media to the human body A61F13/15; hand-held applicators for applying or spreading media, e.g. remedies, on the human body A61M35/003; implements for writing or drawing B43K; hand-held desk devices for applying liquid, e.g. adhesive, by contact to surfaces B43M11/06; implements or apparatus for removing dry paint from surfaces B44D3/16 ; container closures with pads or like contents-applying means B65D47/42
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 17/005 for discharging material from a reservoir or container located in or on the hand tool through an outlet orifice by pressure without using surface contacting members like pads or brushes
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 17/00523 provided with means to heat the material
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 17/00526 the material being supplied to the apparatus in a solid state, e.g. rod, and melted before application B05C17/0054 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 17/0053 the driving means for the material being manual, mechanical or electrical
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/9258 Velocity
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92704 Temperature
• 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 48/2526 Direct drives or gear boxes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/2528 Drive or actuation means for non-plasticising purposes, e.g. dosing unit
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/37 Gear pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/802 Heating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/865 Heating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/87 Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/92 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/00 Additive manufacturing, i.e. manufacturing of three-dimensional [3D] objects by additive deposition, additive agglomeration or additive layering, e.g. by 3D printing, stereolithography or selective laser sintering
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/10 Processes of additive manufacturing
• 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 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/20 : Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 : Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 : Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 21/165 : for finishing joints, e.g. implements for raking or filling joints, jointers bricklayers' tools E04G21/16; repairing, e.g. filling cracks, E04G23/02 ; wallpaper scrapers or the like B44C7/02; implements for cleaning joints A47L13/10
• CPC Class Codes: E04G 21/16 : Tools or apparatus devices for erecting fences E04H17/26
• CPC Class Codes: E04G 23/02 : Repairing, e.g. filling cracks; Restoring; Altering; Enlarging compositions of filling material C04B; strengthening, widening, repairing of bridges E01D22/00; drying damp layers by temporary mechanical ventilation E04B1/7092

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) drawing device having a housing configured for manipulation by a user'"'"'s hand and to accept a feed stock that is, in certain embodiments, a strand of thermoplastic. The drawing device has a nozzle assembly with an exit nozzle and a motor connected to a gear train that engages the strand of thermoplastic feed stock such that rotation of the motor causes the feed stock to be extruded out of the exit nozzle to form a three-dimensional object.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional (3D) drawing device comprising:

a housing configured to accept a feed stock;

a nozzle assembly at least partially disposed within the housing and having an exit nozzle;

a motor disposed within the housing; and

a gear train disposed within the housing and coupled between the motor and the feed stock and configured such that rotation of the motor causes the feed stock to be extruded out of the exit nozzle to form a three-dimensional object.

2. The 3D drawing device of claim 1, further comprising a heating element positioned adjacent to the exit nozzle and configured to melt the feed stock prior to extrusion through the exit nozzle.

3. The 3D drawing device of claim 1, further comprising a fan configured to provide a flow cooling air at exit nozzle.

4. The 3D drawing device of claim 3, wherein:

the housing comprises an internal volume and at least one cooling port proximate to the exit nozzle, the cooling port in fluid communication with the internal volume; and

the fan is disposed within the housing and configured to draw air into the internal volume.

5. The 3D drawing device of claim 4, wherein the at least one cooling port is configured to direct a flow of cooling air from the internal volume onto the extruded feed stock at the exit nozzle.

6. The 3D drawing device of claim 1, further comprising an actuator configured to selectably cause the motor to rotate in at least a first direction that causes the feed stock to be extruded out of the exit nozzle.

7. The 3D drawing device of claim 6, wherein the actuator is configured to selectably cause the motor to rotate in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.

8. The 3D drawing device of claim 7, wherein the actuator comprises at least one button.

9. The 3D drawing device of claim 8, wherein the actuator comprises:

a first button that causes the motor to rotate in the first direction at a first speed such that the feed stock is extruded out of the exit nozzle at a first rate; and

a second button that that causes the motor to rotate in the first direction at a second speed such that the feed stock is extruded out of the exit nozzle at a second rate that is greater than the first rate,

wherein simultaneous actuation of the first and second buttons causes the motor to rotate in the second direction.

10. The 3D drawing device of claim 1, wherein:

the feed stock is provided in the in the form of a strand; and

the gear train comprises a final gear having teeth that engage the strand of feed stock such that rotation of the final gear causes the strand of feed stock to linearly move.

19. The 3D drawing device of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to be held in a user'"'"'s hand.

11. A three-dimensional (3D) drawing device comprising:

a housing configured to accept a feed stock, the housing having an internal volume and at least one cooling port in fluid communication with the internal volume;

a nozzle assembly at least partially disposed within the housing proximate to the at least one cooling port and having an exit nozzle;

a fan disposed within the housing and configured to draw air into the internal volume and then force the air out of the at least one cooling port;

a motor disposed within the housing; and

an actuator coupled to the housing, wherein actuation of the actuator causes the feed stock to be extruded out of the exit nozzle to form a three-dimensional object.

12. The 3D drawing device of claim 11, further comprising a heating element positioned adjacent to the exit nozzle and configured to melt the feed stock prior to extrusion through the exit nozzle.

13. The 3D drawing device of claim 11, wherein the at least one cooling port is configured to direct a flow of cooling air from the internal volume onto the extruded feed stock at the exit nozzle.

14. The 3D drawing device of claim 11, further comprising:

a motor disposed within the housing and coupled to the actuator such that actuation of the actuator causes the motor to rotate in at least a first direction; and

a gear train disposed within the housing and coupled between the motor and the feed stock and configured such that rotation of the motor in the first direction causes the feed stock to be extruded out of the exit nozzle.

15. The 3D drawing device of claim 14, wherein the actuator is configured to selectably cause the motor to rotate in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.

16. The 3D drawing device of claim 15, wherein the actuator comprises at least one button.

17. The 3D drawing device of claim 16, wherein the actuator comprises:

a first button that causes the motor to rotate in the first direction at a first speed such that the feed stock is extruded out of the exit nozzle at a first rate; and

a second button that that causes the motor to rotate in the first direction at a second speed such that the feed stock is extruded out of the exit nozzle at a second rate that is greater than the first rate,

wherein simultaneous actuation of the first and second buttons causes the motor to rotate in the second direction.

18. The 3D drawing device of claim 14, wherein:

the feed stock is provided in the form of a strand; and

the gear train comprises a final gear having teeth that engage the strand of feed stock such that rotation of the final gear causes the strand of feed stock to linearly move.

20. The 3D drawing device of claim 11, wherein the housing is configured to be held in a user'"'"'s hand.