Additive manufacturing with nozzles at different die widths

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11685115-B2
Application number	US-201816493050-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2018
Priority date	Mar 12, 2018
Publication date	Jun 27, 2023
Grant date	Jun 27, 2023

Abstract

In one example in accordance with the present disclosure, an additive manufacturing module is described. The additive manufacturing module includes an agent distributor to selectively distribute a fabrication agent onto layers of build material. The agent distributor includes at least one fluidic ejection die. Each fluidic ejection die includes a plurality of nozzles arranged along a die length and a die width, the plurality of nozzles arranged such that, for each set of neighboring nozzles, a respective subset of each set of neighboring nozzles are positioned at different die width positions along the width of the fluidic ejection die. The fluidic ejection die also includes, for each respective nozzle of the plurality of nozzles, a respective ejection chamber fluidically coupled to the respective nozzle and for each respective ejection chamber, at least one respective fluid feed hole fluidically coupled to the respective ejection chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An additive manufacturing nodule comprising:
an agent distributor to selectively distribute a fabrication agent onto layers of build material, wherein the agent distributor comprises:
at least one rectangular fluidic ejection die comprising:
a plurality of nozzles arranged into sets of nozzles on the at least one rectangular fluidic die ejection, wherein:
the nozzles in a set are arranged into angled columns along a die length and a die width,
the angled columns are arranged such that, for each set of neighboring nozzles, a respective subset of each set of neighboring nozzles are positioned at different die width positions,
each angled column is non-orthogonal to the die width and the die length,
the die width and the die length are orthogonal to one another, and
the nozzles in different sets are shifted mirrors of one another about an axis of symmetry along the die length:

for each respective nozzle of the plurality of nozzles, a respective ejection chamber fluidically coupled to a respective nozzle; and

for each respective ejection chamber, at least one respective fluid feed hole fluidically coupled to a respective ejection chamber;
wherein adjacent nozzles within an angled column have a pitch such that a resulting output of the adjacent nozzles overlap.

2. The additive manufacturing module of claim 1 , wherein each set of neighboring nozzles are non-orthogonal respective to the die width.

3. The additive manufacturing module of claim 1 wherein the adjacent nozzles within a set of neighboring nozzles:
have a. first offset along the die length; and
have a second offset along the die width; and
the second offset is different than the first offset.

4. The additive manufacturing module of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first offset and the second offset are between 84 and 350 micrometers.

5. The additive manufacturing module of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first offset and the second offset is 1/1200 of an inch.

6. The additive manufacturing module of claim 1 , wherein adjacent nozzles within a set of neighboring nozzles have an offset along the die length that matches an offset along a die width.

7. The additive manufacturing module of claim 1 , wherein adjacent sets of neighboring nozzles have a pitch spacing of 8/1200 of an inch.

8. The additive manufacturing module of claim 1 , wherein each set of neighboring nozzles includes at least three respective nozzles, and the respective subset of each set of neighboring nozzles comprises one nozzle.

9. An additive manufacturing device comprising:
a build material distributor to successively deposit layers of build material into a build area; and
an agent distributor to selectively distribute a fabrication agent onto the layers of build material, the agent distributor comprising:
at least one rectangular fluidic ejection die comprising:
a plurality of nozzles arranged into sets of nozzles on the at least one rectangular fluidic die, wherein:
the nozzles in a set are arranged into angled columns along a die length,
the angled columns are distributed across a die width,
the angled columns are arranged such that each angled column is non-orthogonal to the die width and the die length,
the die width and the die length are orthogonal to one another, and

the nozzles in different sets are shifted mirrors of one another about an axis of symmetry along the die length;

for each respective nozzle of the plurality of nozzles, a respective ejection chamber fluidically coupled to a respective nozzle; and
for each respective ejection chamber, at least one respective fluid feed hole fluidically coupled to a respective ejection chamber;
wherein adjacent nozzles within an angled column have a pitch such that a resulting output of the adjacent nozzles overlap.

10. An additive manufacturing system comprising:
a bed to contain a volume of build material;
a build material distributor to successively deposit layers of the build material into a build area; and
an agent distributor to selectively distribute a fabrication agent onto the layers of build material, the agent distributor comprising:
at least one rectangular fluidic ejection die which is to reduce vortices between the at least one rectangular fluidic ejection die and the bed, the at least one fluidic ejection die comprising:
a plurality of nozzles arranged into sets of nozzles on the at least one rectangular fluidic die, wherein:
the nozzles in a set are arranged into angled columns along a die length,
the angled columns are distributed across a die width,
the angled columns are arranged such that, each angled column is non-orthogonal to the die width and the die length, ∝the die width and the die length are orthogonal to one another, and
the nozzles in different sets are shifted mirrors of one another about an axis of symmetry along the die length;

for each respective nozzle of the plurality of nozzles, a respective ejection chamber fluidically coupled to a respective nozzle; and
for each respective ejection chamber, at least one respective fluid feed hole fluidically coupled to a respective ejection chamber;
wherein adjacent nozzles within an angled column have a pitch such that a resulting output of the adjacent nozzles overlap.

11. The additive manufacturing system of claim 10 , wherein the bed moves in a vertical direction as successive layers of build material are deposited into the build area.

12. The additive manufacturing system of claim 10 , wherein the agent distributor translates in a horizontal direction to allow placement of the fabrication agent in a predetermined pattern.

13. The additive manufacturing device of claim 9 , wherein a difference in length position between the plurality of nozzles arranged into an angled column is less than a diameter of the nozzles.

14. The additive manufacturing system of claim 10 , wherein the angled columns are non-orthogonal to a direction of fluidic ejection die movement across the bed.

15. The additive manufacturing system of claim 10 , wherein:
in a first set of neighboring nozzles in a first array, an adjacent nozzle that is lower along the die length has a die width position that is greater than an immediately upstream nozzle; and
in a second set of neighboring nozzles in a second array, an adjacent nozzle that is lower along the die length has a die width position that is less than an immediately upstream nozzle.

16. The additive manufacturing device of claim 9 , wherein a first offset between the nozzles in a first direction is less than a diameter of a nozzle while a second offset between the nozzles in a second direction is greater than the diameter of the nozzle.

17. The additive manufacturing device of claim 13 , wherein a first direction is the die width and a second direction is the die length.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Przybyla James R
• Hower Jason
• Monroe Michael G
• Cook Galen P

Classifications

• B29C64/165

  using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber · CPC title

• B29C64/209 Primary

  Heads; Nozzles · CPC title

• B33Y30/00 Primary

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

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B41J2/145

  Arrangement thereof · CPC title