Multi-nozzle extruder and method for operating a multi-nozzle extruder during additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12017409-B2
Application number	US-202016898004-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2020
Priority date	Jun 10, 2020
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

An additive manufacturing system has a controller configured to operate a spool valve to open and close nozzles in a multi-nozzle extruder while the extruder moves in an X-Y plane and rotates about an axis perpendicular to the XY plane to form swaths in the X-Y plane. The controller operates one actuator to rotate the multi-nozzle extruder so a longitudinal axis of a nozzle array in the extruder remains perpendicular to a movement path for the extruder and to operate another actuator to move a cylindrical member of the spool valve.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a platform configured to support an object during manufacturing;
an extruder having a housing with a cylindrical bore that has a longitudinal axis that extends further in a direction that is parallel to an X-Y plane formed by the platform than the bore does along an axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical bore and a plurality of nozzles that are formed in a planar member that is affixed to the housing, the cylindrical bore having a single inlet and a single outlet, the single outlet being configured to fluidly communicate with each nozzle in the plurality of nozzles;
a spool valve being positioned within the cylindrical bore to align with the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical bore;
at least one actuator operatively connected to the platform or the extruder to move the extruder relative to the platform in an X-Y plane that is parallel with the X-Y plane formed by the platform and to rotate the extruder about the axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical bore;
a spool actuator operatively connected to the spool valve, the spool actuator being configured to move the spool valve along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical bore bidirectionally; and
a controller operatively connected to the extruder, the at least one actuator, and the spool actuator, the controller being configured to:
operate the at least one actuator to move the extruder in the X-Y plane parallel to the X-Y plane formed by the platform and rotate the extruder about the axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical bore; and
operate the spool actuator to move the spool valve along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical bore in the housing to open and close nozzles in the planar member selectively while the extruder is being moved in the X-Y plane that is parallel to the X-Y plane formed by the platform.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , the spool valve further comprising:
a cylindrical member positioned within the cylindrical bore of the housing, the cylindrical member having two end portions with a first diameter that approximates a diameter of the cylindrical bore and a central portion having a second diameter that is less than the first diameter.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , the spool valve further comprising:
a biasing member positioned between and contacting an end wall of the housing and one end portion of the cylindrical member.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the biasing member is a spring.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the cylindrical member has a bore therethrough that is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical bore and a portion of a member passes through the bore of the cylindrical member; and
the apparatus further comprising:
a retaining ring configured to secure the member to the cylindrical member.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 , the apparatus further comprising:
a member fixedly attached to the cylindrical member, wherein the member includes a rack of gear teeth along a portion of the member outside of the extruder housing;
a pinion gear having gear teeth arranged about a circumference of the pinion gear, the gear teeth of the pinion gear intermeshing with the rack of gear teeth on the member and the spool actuator being operatively connected to the pinion gear; and
the controller being further configured to operate the spool actuator to rotate the pinion gear to translate the member and move the cylindrical member within the cylindrical bore of the extruder housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:
a member fixedly attached to the cylindrical member;
an extension member extending from the extruder housing;
a pivot pin perpendicularly extending from the extension member;
a rotating member having a first end and a second end, the rotating member being configured to receive the pivot pin and rotate bidirectionally about the pivot pin, the first end of the rotating member being operatively connected to the member and the second end of the rotating member being operatively connected to the spool actuator; and
the controller being further configured to operate the spool actuator to rotate the rotating member about the pivot pin in a first direction to move the cylindrical member along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical bore in a direction opposite to the first direction and to rotate the rotating member in a second direction to move the cylindrical member along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical bore in a direction opposite to the second direction.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:
at least one seal encircling an outer circumference of the cylindrical member.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the diameters of the two end portions of the cylindrical bore are less than 10 microns of a diameter of the bore in the housing.

10. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:
a member extending from the one end portion of the cylindrical member opposite the one end portion contacting the biasing member; and
the spool actuator is operatively connected to the member to move the cylindrical member.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the member is a screw and the spool actuator is configured to rotate the screw to move the cylindrical member.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein a distal end of the screw is fixedly attached to the cylindrical member and operation of the spool actuator both translates and rotates the cylindrical member.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the nozzles are arranged in at least two rows in the planar member, the two rows being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical bore.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the nozzles in one of the rows is offset from the nozzles in the other row in a cross-process direction so the nozzles of the one row are interspersed with the nozzles in the other row.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , the controller being further configured to:
rotate the extruder about the axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical bore so a longitudinal axis of the at least two rows of nozzles is perpendicular to a direction of movement of the extruder.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Moore Steven R
• Lynn Christopher G

Classifications

• B29C48/2556

  provided in or in the proximity of dies (B29C48/302, B29C48/31, B29C48/325 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title