Three-dimensional object printer with multi-nozzle extruders and dispensers for multi-nozzle extruders and printheads

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017157828-A1
Application number	US-201514962126-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 8, 2015
Priority date	Dec 8, 2015
Publication date	Jun 8, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A three-dimensional object printer includes a multi-nozzle extruder, at least one extrusion material supply, and a dispenser that provides extrusion material from the extrusion material supply to each of a plurality of channels, each channel supplying extrusion material to at least one nozzle in the multi nozzle extruder. The dispenser includes an inlet to receive extrusion material from at least one extrusion material supply, an outlet configured to direct the extrusion material to a channel in the plurality of channels, and an actuator configured to move the outlet into alignment with each channel in the plurality of channels.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A three-dimensional object printer comprising:
a multi-nozzle extruder comprising:
a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle in the plurality of nozzles being configured to emit an extrusion material; and
a plurality of channels, each channel in the plurality of channels being connected to one nozzle in the plurality of nozzles and configured to provide the extrusion material to the one nozzle;
a first extrusion material supply configured to store an extrusion material; and a first dispenser comprising:
an inlet configured to receive the extrusion material from the first extrusion material supply;
an outlet configured to direct the extrusion material received from the first extrusion material supply to one channel in the plurality of channels in the multi-nozzle extruder when positioned in alignment with the one channel; and
an actuator configured to move the outlet into alignment with at least two channels in the plurality of channels at different times to supply the extrusion material from the first extrusion material supply to at least two channels in the plurality of channels.

2 . The three-dimensional object printer of claim 1 , the first extrusion material supply further comprising:
a spool configured to hold a filament of the extrusion material.

3 . The three-dimensional object printer of claim 2 , the first dispenser further comprising:
a cutter configured to separate a first portion of the filament that enters one channel in the plurality of channels from a second portion of the filament in the first extrusion material supply.

4 . The three-dimensional object printer of claim 3 , the cutter being positioned proximate to the inlet of the first dispenser.

5 . The three-dimensional object printer of claim 4 further comprising:
a second extrusion material supply configured to store an extrusion material that is different than the extrusion material in the first extrusion material supply; and
the actuator being further configured to move the inlet into alignment with the second extrusion material supply to receive extrusion material from the second extrusion material supply.

6 . The three-dimensional object printer of claim 3 , the cutter being positioned proximate to the outlet of the first dispenser.

7 . The three-dimensional object printer of claim 3 further comprising:
another actuator operatively connected to the cutter, the other actuator being configured to move the cutter to separate the first portion of the filament from the second portion of the filament.

8 . The three-dimensional object printer of claim 3 , the cutter being located in a fixed position within the first dispenser and the actuator in the first dispenser being further configured to move the filament into contact with the cutter to separate the first portion of the filament from the second portion of the filament.

9 . The three-dimensional object printer of claim 3 , the actuator being configured to rotate the first dispenser to align the outlet with at least two channels in the plurality of channels in the multi-nozzle extruder.

10 . The three-dimensional object printer of claim 3 , the actuator being configured to translate the first dispenser along a predetermined path to align the outlet with each channel in the plurality of channels in the multi-nozzle extruder.

11 . The three-dimensional object printer of claim 1 , wherein the first dispenser is positioned within a housing of the multi-nozzle extruder.

12 . The three-dimensional object printer of claim 1 , the first dispenser being further configured to:
operate the actuator to move the outlet into alignment with a first portion of the plurality of channels to supply the extrusion material from the first extrusion material supply to at least one channel in the first portion of the plurality of channels;
and the three-dimensional object printer further comprising:
a second extrusion material supply configured to store extrusion material; and
a second dispenser comprising:
an inlet configured to receive the extrusion material from the second extrusion material supply;
an outlet configured to direct the extrusion material received from the second extrusion material supply to one channel in the plurality of channels in the multi-nozzle extruder when positioned in alignment with the one channel; and
an actuator configured to move the outlet into alignment with a second portion of the plurality of channels to supply the extrusion material from the second extrusion material supply to at least two channels in the second portion of the plurality of channels, the second portion of the plurality of channels being different than the first portion of the plurality of channels.

13 . The three-dimensional object printer of claim 12 , wherein the first extrusion material supply stores an extrusion material having a first color and the second extrusion material supply stores an extrusion material having a second color.

14 . The three-dimensional object printer of claim 12 , wherein the first extrusion material supply stores an extrusion material having a first material property and the second extrusion material supply stores an extrusion material having a different material property.

15 . The three-dimensional object printer of claim 1 wherein at least one channel in the plurality of channels supplies the extrusion material to a melter and material extruder.

16 . The three-dimensional object printer of claim 15 , where the melter and material extruder extrudes material out of a single nozzle.

17 . The three-dimensional object printer of claim 15 , where the melter and material extruder extrudes material out of multiple nozzles.

18 . A three-dimensional object printer comprising:
a first printhead comprising:
a first channel configured to receive an extrusion material;
a second printhead comprising:
a second channel configured to receive the extrusion material; and
a dispenser comprising:
an inlet configured to receive the extrusion material from the first extrusion material supply;
an outlet configured to direct the extrusion material received from the first extrusion material supply to the first channel in the first printhead or the second channel in the second printhead; and
an actuator configured to move the outlet into alignment with each of the first channel and the second channel to supply the extrusion material from the first extrusion material supply to each of the first printhead and the second printhead.

19 . The three-dimensional object printer of claim 18 wherein the first printhead further comprises a plurality of nozzles that each receive the extrusion material from the dispenser.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Mandel Barry P
• Mantell David A
• Nystrom Peter J

Classifications

• B29C48/02

  Small extruding apparatus, e.g. handheld, toy or laboratory extruders · CPC title

• B29C48/21 Primary

  the layers being joined at their surfaces · CPC title

• B29C64/343

  Metering · CPC title

• B29C48/2888

  in thread form or in strip form, e.g. rubber strips · CPC title

• B29C48/17

  the components having different colours · CPC title