3D printer with coupling for attaching print head to head carriage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10513104-B2
Application number	US-201615237128-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 15, 2016
Priority date	Aug 15, 2016
Publication date	Dec 24, 2019
Grant date	Dec 24, 2019

Abstract

An 3D printer has a gantry configured to move in a plane substantially parallel to a build plane. The system includes a platen configured to support a part being built in a layer by layer process, wherein the platen is configured to move in a direction substantially normal to the build plane. The system includes a head carriage carried by the gantry wherein the head carriage includes a first support member supporting a retaining mechanism. The retaining mechanism includes at least one member extending from the support member and a camming member rotatably attached to the support member and movable about an axis of rotation. The camming member has arcuate camming surface with an increasing radial distance from the axis of rotation. The system includes at least one print head having a housing with a first side surface configured to engage the at least one member and a second side surface configured to engage the arcuate camming surface. The camming member is positionable between a first, non-engaging position where the at least one print head is removable from the support member and a second, engaging position wherein the camming member engages the second side of the print head and the first side of the print head engages the at least one member and causes a frictional engagement therebetween.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A 3D printer comprising:
a gantry configured to move in a plane substantially parallel to a build plane;
a platen configured to support a part being built in a layer by layer process, wherein the platen is configured to move in a direction substantially normal to the build plane;
a head carriage carried by the gantry configured for receiving a removable print head on a first side surface thereof, wherein the head carriage comprises a first support member supporting a retaining mechanism, the retaining mechanism comprising:
a plurality of members extending from the support member; and
a camming member rotatably attached to the support member and movable about an axis of rotation, the camming member comprising an arcuate camming surface having an increasing radial distance from the axis of rotation; and

wherein the camming member is positionable between a first, non-engaging position where a received print head is removable from the support member and a second, engaging position wherein the camming member engages a second side surface of the received print head and a first side surface of the received print head engages the at least one member and causes a frictional engagement therebetween;
wherein the print head is engaged to the head carriage via a horizontal force to the first and the second side surfaces of the print head using at least three non-linearly spaced points.

2. The 3D printer of claim 1 wherein the print head comprises a housing, the housing comprising:
the first side surface configured to engage the plurality of members; and the second
side surface configured to engage the arcuate camming surface.

3. The 3D printer of claim 1 and wherein the plurality of members comprises:
a back pin; and
a front pin spaced apart from the back pin.

4. The 3D printer of claim 3 and wherein the back pin and the front pin each comprises:
a bottom portion extending from the support member; and
a beveled portion having a sloped outer surface extending from the bottom portion.

5. The 3D printer of claim 1 and wherein the camming surface comprises a sloped surface from a top edge to a bottom edge wherein a first radial distance from the axis of rotation to the top edge is larger than a second radial distance from the axis of rotation to the bottom edge.

6. The 3D printer of claim 1 and wherein the camming mechanism further comprises a substantially flat outer surface.

7. The 3D printer of claim 1 and further comprising a first spring engaging the camming member wherein the first spring biases the camming member toward the second, engaging position.

8. The 3D printer of claim 1 and further comprising a plunger positionable between an extended position where the plunger extends from the support member and a depressed position where the plunger is positioned within the support member, wherein when in the extended position the plunger engages the camming member and retains the camming member in the first, non-engaging position and when the plunger is in the depressed position, the camming member is positionable into the second, engaging position.

9. The 3D printer of claim 8 and further comprising a second spring biasing the plunger into the extended position.

10. The 3D printer of claim 1 wherein the first side surface and the second side surface of the housing each comprises:
a cavity within a bottom surface configured to engage the back pin; and
a channel spaced from the cavity, the channel configured to engage the front pin and the arcuate camming surface wherein the cavity and the channel on the first side surface are substantially mirror images of the cavity and the channel on the second side surface.

11. The 3D printer of claim 10 and wherein the cavity comprises a dovetail shape within a bottom surface of the housing.

12. The 3D printer of claim 1 and further comprising:
an end piece having an arcuate filament path wherein the end piece is configured to removably engage the removable print head, and wherein the print head comprises a retaining member configured to removably engage the end piece.

13. A 3D printer comprising:
a gantry configured to move in a plane substantially parallel to a build plane;
a platen configured to support a part being built in a layer by layer process, wherein the platen is configured to move in a direction substantially normal to the build plane;
a head carriage carried by the gantry wherein the head carriage comprises a support member supporting a first retaining mechanism, the first retaining mechanism comprising:
a first pin extending from the support member;
a second pin extending from the support member and spaced from the first pin; and
a camming member rotatably attached to the support member between the first pin and the second pin at a location offset from both the first and second pins, the camming member movable about an axis of rotation, wherein the camming member comprising an arcuate camming surface having an increasing radial distance from the axis of rotation; and

at least one print head having a housing, the housing comprising:
a first side surface configured to engage the first pin and the second pin; and
a second side surface configured to engage the arcuate camming surface;

wherein the camming member is positionable between a first, non-engaging position where the at least one print head is removable from the support member and a second, engaging position wherein the camming member engages the second side of the print head and the first side of the print head engages the first and second pins and causes a frictional engagement therebetween;
wherein the print head is engaged to the head carriage via a horizontal force to the first and the second side surfaces of the print head using at least three non-linearly spaced points.

14. The 3D printer of claim 13 wherein heights of each of the first pin, the second pin and the camming surface from the support member are substantially the same.

15. The 3D printer of claim 13 and wherein the first pin and the second pin each comprises:
a bottom portion extending from the support member; and
a beveled portion having a sloped outer surface extending from the bottom portion.

16. The 3D printer of claim 13 and wherein the camming surface comprises a sloped surface from a top edge to a bottom edge wherein a first radial distance from the axis of rotation to the top edge is larger than a second radial distance from the axis of rotation to the bottom edge.

17. The 3D printer of claim 13 and wherein the camming mechanism further comprises a substantially flat outer surface.

18. The 3D printer of claim 13 and further comprising a spring engaging the camming member wherein the spring biases the camming member toward the second, engaging position.

19. The 3D printer of claim 13 and further comprising a plunger positionable between an extended position where the plunger extends from the support member and a depressed position where the plunger is positioned within the support member, wherein when in the extended position the plunger engages the camming member and retains the camming member in the first, non-engaging position and when the plunger is in the depressed position, the camming member is positionable into the second, engaging position.

20. The 3D printer of claim 13 wherein the first side surface and the second side surface of the housing each comprises:
a cavity within a bottom surface configured to engage the first pin; and
a channel spaced from the c

Assignees

• Stratasys Inc

Inventors

• Barclay Aaron
• Schuller Peter D
• Nadeau Jordan Paul
• Koop Shawn Michael

Classifications

• B29C64/209 Primary

  Heads; Nozzles · CPC title

• B33Y30/00 Primary

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B29C64/118

  using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] · CPC title

• B33Y40/00

  Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling · CPC title

• B33Y40/10

  Pre-treatment · CPC title