Tethered spool assembly and methods of use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12168322-B2
Application number	US-202217859446-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2022
Priority date	Jul 7, 2022
Publication date	Dec 17, 2024
Grant date	Dec 17, 2024

Abstract

A consumable assembly for a 3D printer includes a spool carrying wound filament. The spool is configured to be installed into a spool cabinet to maintain the filament in a controlled environment. A filament key fob that carries a spool chip programmed with identification data for the consumable assembly is tethered to the spool. The filament key fob is configured to be received in a dock of the 3D printer outside of a controlled environment of a chamber of the spool cabinet while remaining tethered to the spool installed in the chamber of the spool cabinet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A consumable assembly for a 3D printer, the assembly comprising:
a spool having spaced apart spool walls, a hub, a filament winding area defined by the spool walls and the hub, and filament wound on the spool in the filament winding area, the spool configured to be installed into a spool cabinet configured for maintaining the spool in a controlled environment and providing filament to a print head of the 3D printer through a filament path;
a filament key fob comprising a spool chip retained in a spool chip housing; and
a tether, separate from the filament path, coupling the filament key fob to the spool and configured to allow the filament key fob to reach a dock of the 3D printer located outside of the spool cabinet while the spool is installed in the spool cabinet and while the tether remains coupled to the spool and to the filament key fob.

2. The consumable assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spool chip housing is configured to be removably attached to the spool for transport and storage.

3. The consumable assembly of claim 2 , wherein the spool chip comprises an identification device for the consumable assembly.

4. The consumable assembly of claim 3 , wherein the spool chip is configured to be received in the dock of the 3D printer to position the identification device adjacent a corresponding spool chip interface of the 3D printer.

5. The consumable assembly of claim 1 , and further comprising a filament guide configured for attachment to the filament key fob during transport and storage.

6. The consumable assembly of claim 5 , wherein the tether couples the spool chip housing to an axle of the spool.

7. The consumable assembly of claim 5 , wherein the filament key fob further functions as a handle configured to be removably attached to the spool to allow the spool to be carried by the filament key fob for installation into the spool cabinet of the 3D printer.

8. The consumable assembly of claim 5 , wherein the spool chip housing is configured to be removably attached to edges of spaced apart walls of the spool.

9. The consumable assembly of claim 8 , wherein the spool chip housing includes first and second snap fit channels configured to snap-fit to the edges of the spaced apart spool walls.

10. The consumable assembly of claim 9 , wherein the spool chip housing further includes a latch release mechanism configured to be manipulated to cause the spool chip housing to release from the edges of the spaced apart spool walls.

11. The consumable assembly of claim 10 , wherein the latch release mechanism is also configured to function as a release mechanism for securing the spool chip housing in the dock and releasing the spool chip housing from the dock.

12. A method of handling a consumable assembly including a fused deposition modeling filament spool, the spool having spaced apart spool walls, a hub, a filament winding area defined by the spool walls and the hub, and filament wound on the spool in the filament winding area, the method comprising:
transporting the spool, with a filament key fob coupled to the spool by a tether, to a 3D printer;
positioning the spool in a chamber of a spool cabinet of the 3D printer, the chamber providing a controlled environment for the filament wound on the spool from which the filament is provided to a print head of the 3D printer through a filament path, the filament path separate from the tether; and
positioning the filament key fob in a dock of the 3D printer while the tether couples the filament key fob to the spool, the dock located outside of the chamber, to allow the 3D printer to utilize the filament wound on the spool.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the filament key fob is a spool identification component, and wherein when the filament key fob is received in the dock of the 3D printer a spool chip is positioned adjacent a corresponding spool chip interface of the 3D printer.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the chamber provides a heated environment for the filament wound on the spool, and wherein positioning the filament key fob in the dock located outside of the chamber maintains the spool chip at a temperature lower than the temperature of the heated environment.

15. The method of claim 14 , and further comprising closing a door of the spool cabinet and heating the spool and filament to a temperature above 50 degrees C., while maintaining the filament key fob at a temperature below 50 degrees C.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the filament key fob comprises a handle attached to the spaced apart spool walls and separately coupled to the spool by the tether, wherein positioning the spool in the chamber of the spool cabinet of the 3D printer includes positioning the spool using the handle, and wherein positioning the filament key fob in the dock of the 3D printer includes positioning the handle in the dock of the 3D printer.

17. The method of claim 16 , and further comprising removing the handle from the spaced apart spool walls while the spool is positioned in the chamber and while the handle remains separately coupled to the spool by the tether.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein transporting the spool includes carrying the spool by the handle.

19. The method of claim 16 , and further comprising:
removing the handle from the dock;
securing the handle to the spool while the handle remains separately coupled to the spool by the tether; and
using the handle to remove the spool from the chamber of the spool cabinet.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein securing the handle to the spool further comprises securing the handle to the spaced apart spool walls proximate one of a plurality of notches in the spool walls, the notches and handle configured to secure an end portion of the filament to a spool wall.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the handle includes first and second snap fit channels configured to snap-fit to the edges of the spaced apart spool walls, wherein the handle further includes a latch release mechanism configured to be manipulated to cause the handle to release from the edges of the spaced apart spool walls, wherein removing the handle from the dock further comprises using the latch release mechanism to release the handle from the dock.

22. The method of claim 12 , and further comprising removing a filament guide from the filament key fob and inserting the filament guide into a receptable of the 3D printer to provide a filament path from proximate the spool, through a guide tube, to proximate the print head.

Assignees

• Stratasys Inc

Inventors

• Anderson Patrick
• Yang Dang
• Michalkiewicz Ross

Classifications

• B33Y40/00

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

• B65H57/18

  mounted to facilitate unwinding of material from packages · CPC title

• B65H75/182

  Identification means · CPC title

• B29K2101/12

  Thermoplastic materials · CPC title

• B29C64/321

  Feeding · CPC title