Rapid prototyping device and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10207447-B2
Application number	US-201414537648-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2014
Priority date	Jul 25, 2014
Publication date	Feb 19, 2019
Grant date	Feb 19, 2019

Abstract

The invention provides a rapid prototyping device and method thereof. The rapid prototyping device comprises an environmental temperature sensor, a control module, a nozzle, and a heating device. The rapid prototyping method comprises following steps of: sensing an environmental temperature, acquiring a nozzle heating temperature according to the environmental temperature; and heating a nozzle till reaching the nozzle heating temperature. After the preparation of the rapid prototyping device, the environmental temperature sensor senses an environmental temperature, then the control module acquires a nozzle heating temperature based on the environmental temperature, and then the control module controls the heating device for heating the nozzle to the nozzle heating temperature. By the temperature compensating function of the present invention, the quality of the heating material ejected by the nozzle can be maintained.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rapid prototyping device comprising:
a nozzle;
an environmental temperature sensor, adapted for sensing an environmental temperature and outputting an environmental temperature signal, wherein the environmental temperature sensor is separated from the nozzle with a predetermined distance, and the predetermined distance is between 10 and 50 cm; and
a control module, electrically coupled to the environmental temperature sensor;
wherein the control module receives the environmental temperature signal and acquires a nozzle heating temperature according to the environmental temperature signal for controlling a temperature of the nozzle reaching the nozzle heating temperature.

2. The rapid prototyping device of claim 1 , wherein the environmental temperature sensor comprises a thermocouple, a platinum resistance, or a Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) thermistor.

3. The rapid prototyping device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a heating device, electrically coupled to the control module for the control module controlling the heating device, and connected the nozzle for heating the nozzle;
wherein the variation of the environmental temperature sensed by the environmental temperature sensor which is caused by the heating device is smaller than a threshold.

4. The rapid prototyping device of claim 3 , wherein the threshold is 1° C.

5. The rapid prototyping device of claim 3 , further comprising:
a nozzle temperature sensor, disposed on the surface of the nozzle and electrically coupled to the control module;
wherein the nozzle temperature sensor senses the temperature of the nozzle, and outputs a nozzle temperature signal to the control module for controlling the heating device.

6. The rapid prototyping device of claim 5 , wherein the nozzle temperature sensor comprises a thermal couple, a platinum resistance, or a Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) thermistor.

7. The rapid prototyping device of claim 3 , further comprising:
a carrier, for carrying a forming material outputted from the nozzle.

8. The rapid prototyping device of claim 7 , further comprising:
a frame, for containing the nozzle, the heating device, and the carrier.

Assignees

• Inventec Appliances Pudong
• Inventec Appliances Corp

Inventors

• Zhang ze-feng

Classifications

• B29C64/106

  using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material · CPC title

• B29C2948/92704

  Temperature · CPC title

• B29C2948/92409

  Die; Nozzle zone · CPC title

• B29C2948/92076

  Position, e.g. linear or angular · CPC title

• B29C48/92

  Measuring, controlling or regulating · CPC title