Filament fusing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9481545-B2
Application number	US-201514604752-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2014
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

A filament-fusing apparatus includes a first body, a first-heating element, a second body and a second-heating element. The first body includes a first surface and a first-filament groove disposed thereon. The first-heating element disposed on the first surface has a first-connecting groove and a first-overflow groove. Two opposite sides of the first-connecting groove connect the first-filament groove. An axial side of the first-connecting groove connects the first-overflow groove. The second body includes a second surface and a second-filament groove disposed thereon. The second-heating element disposed on the second surface has a second-connecting groove and a second-overflow groove. Two opposite sides of the second-connecting groove connect the second-filament groove. An axial side of the second-connecting groove connects the second-overflow groove. The second body is pivotally connected to the first body to rotate till contacting the first body, such that the second-heating element contacts the first-heating element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A filament fusing apparatus, for bonding two independent filaments, the filament fusing apparatus comprising:
a first body having a first surface and a plurality of first filament grooves disposed at the first surface;
a first heat conducting element disposed on the first surface, the first heat conducting element having a first connecting groove and at least one first overflow groove, two opposite sides of the first connecting groove connected to the first filament grooves respectively, the first overflow groove connected to a side of the first connecting groove, and the two filaments adapted to be disposed in the first connecting groove in an overlap manner;
a second body having a second surface and a plurality of second filament grooves disposed on the second surface, the second body pivotally connected to the first body to rotate relative to the first body;
a second heat conducting element disposed on the second surface, the second heat conducting element having a second connecting groove and at least one second overflow groove, two opposite sides of the second connecting groove connected to the second filament grooves, the second overflow groove connected to a side of the second connecting groove, and the second overflow groove disposed correspondingly to the first overflow groove, the second body adapted to rotate till contacting the first body, such that the second heat conducting element contacting the first heat conducting element; and
a heating unit disposed on the first body or the second body, and contacting the corresponding first heat conducting element or the second heat conducting element to fusing the two filaments into one bonded filament.

2. The filament fusing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the numbers of the at least one first overflow groove and the at least one second overflow groove are both plural, the first overflow grooves are connected to two opposite sides of the first connecting groove, and the second overflow grooves are connected to two opposite sides of the second connecting groove.

3. The filament fusing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first overflow groove comprises a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the first end is connected to the first overflow groove, the second overflow groove comprises a third end and a fourth end opposite to the third end, the third end is connected to the second overflow groove.

4. The filament fusing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a groove depth of the first end is substantially smaller than a groove depth of the second end, and a groove depth of the third end is substantially smaller than a groove depth of the fourth end.

5. The filament fusing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a groove depth of the first end is substantially equal to a groove depth of the second end, and a groove depth of the third end is substantially equal to a groove depth of the fourth end.

6. The filament fusing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a groove depth of the first end is substantially greater than a groove depth of the second end, and a groove depth of the third end is substantially greater than a groove depth of the fourth end.

7. The filament fusing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the two filaments are parallel to each other and disposed in the first connecting groove in a partially contacting manner.

8. The filament fusing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein when the second body rotates till contacting the first body, the first connecting groove and the first overflow groove are connected to the second connecting groove and the second overflow groove respectively to jointly define a filament containing channel and a melt overflow channel.

9. The filament fusing apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the bonded filament comprises a filament body corresponding to the filament containing channel and an overflow portion corresponding to the melt overflow channel.

10. The filament fusing apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising a trimming mechanism, wherein the first body further comprises a carrying portion protruded from the second body, the trimming mechanism is disposed on the carrying portion to trim the overflow portion, such that the overflow portion is separated from the filament body.

11. The filament fusing apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the trimming mechanism comprises a carrying platform, a trimming platform and a trimming element, the carrying platform is disposed at the first body, the bonded filament is adapted to be disposed on the carrying platform, the trimming platform is connected to the carrying platform and configured for moving relatively to the carrying platform to move toward or away from the carrying platform, the trimming element is disposed on the trimming platform so as to trim the overflow portion when the trimming platform move toward the carrying platform.

12. The filament fusing apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the trimming mechanism further comprises an elastic connecting element connected between the carrying platform and the trimming platform, such that the trimming platform is adapted to move along an axial direction of the elastic connecting element to move toward or away from the carrying platform.

13. The filament fusing apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the elastic connecting element further comprises an elastic restoring element leaning between the carrying platform and the trimming platform.

14. The filament fusing apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first heat conducting element further comprises a first cutting surface disposed on the first surface and connected between the first connecting groove and the first overflow groove, the second heat conducting element further comprises a second cutting surface disposed on the second surface and connected between the second connecting groove and the second overflow groove, the first cutting surface contacts the second cutting surface when the second body rotates till contacting the first body.

15. The filament fusing apparatus as claimed in claim 14 , wherein when the second body rotates toward the first body, an overlap region of the two filaments leans between the first body and the second body to maintain a gap between the first cutting surface and the second cutting surface, such that the filament containing channel and the melt overflow channel communicate with each other through the gap.

16. The filament fusing apparatus as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the overlap region is fused, such that the second cutting surface contacts the first cutting surface to stop the filament containing channel and the melt overflow channel from communicating with each other.

17. The filament fusing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a heating control interface coupled to the heating unit for controlling the heating unit to perform heating switch and temperature adjustment.

Assignees

• Xyzprinting Inc
• Kinpo Elect Inc
• Cal-Comp Electronics & Communications Company Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Yang-Teh
• Lee Chuan-Yuan

Classifications

• B65H69/08 Primary

  by welding · CPC title