COEXTRUDED, MULTILAYER AND MULTICOMPONENT 3D PRINTING INPUTS

• US 20160136887A1
• Filed: 01/25/2016
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guill Tool & Engineering Co., Inc
• Original Assignee: Guill Tool & Engineering Co., Inc
• Inventors: Guillemette, Richard, Peters, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 10,730,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 69/001 a shaping technique combined with cutting, e.g. in parts or slices combined with rearranging and joining the cut parts for reinforced material B29C70/545; B29C49/4278, B29C51/268 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/12 Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/121 by heating

Abstract

The present invention relates to 3D printer inputs including filaments comprising separated layers or sections. These inputs particularly including filaments may be prepared by coextrusion, microlayer coextrusion or multicomponent/fractal coextrusion. These inputs and specifically filaments enable layering or combining different materials simultaneously through one or more nozzles during the so-called 3D printing process. These techniques facilitate smaller layer sizes (milli, micro, and nano) different layer configurations as well as the potential to incorporate materials that would otherwise not be usable in standard 3D printer methods.

Claims

1. A product filament comprising a first filament that is chopped, stacked and welded into second filament

2. A method of manufacturing a filament comprising repeatedly chopping and rejoining pieces of one or more first filaments to form a second filament.

3. A method according to claim 2 in which the second filament is integrated into a 3D printer hot end or nozzle.

4. A device which takes multiple first filaments as inputs and repeatedly chops and welds pieces of filament to form a second filament.

5. A device according to claim 4 which can accept input filaments inline to the direction of extrusion and chop said input filaments at different lengths.

6. A device according to claim 4 which can accept and chop input filaments perpendicular to the direction of extrusion.