Patent Application
20240217154
The present invention relates to thermoplastic filament adapted for use in a fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer which has a plurality of segments wherein each pair of adjacent segments having at least one different feature and is arranged in a specific order. The present invention also relates to a method for creating a three-dimensional (3D) article by printing such a thermoplastic filament in a fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer, wherein the fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer carries out a pattern of printing synchronized with the order of the segments in such a filament. The present invention further relates to a method and device for fabricating such thermoplastic filaments.
Additive manufacturing (also commonly referred to as three-dimensional (3D) printing) may create physical objects, structures, etc., based upon a computer-controlled program which instructs the 3D printer how to deposit successive layers of extruded material which may then fuse together to form the printed article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc. Fused deposition modeling (FDM), also referred to herein as fused filament fabrication (FFF), is one such additive manufacturing process. In fused filament fabrication (FFF), a thermoplastic filament may be supplied from a coil of such filament to an extrusion nozzle. In many FFF machines, a worm-drive gear system engages and pushes the filament into and through the nozzle at a controlled rate. The nozzle may be heated to melt the filament with the melted filament then being deposited by an extrusion head as beads of material which may then rapidly harden after extrusion from the nozzle.
While depositing the melted filament, the nozzle may be moved in both horizontal and vertical directions by a numerically (e.g., computer) controlled mechanism. For example, the positioning of the nozzle may follow a build path controlled by a computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software program. The build path defines the pattern for how the melted filament is deposited from the extrusion head as “road(s)” of material to form a given layer. Accordingly, in FFF additive manufacturing, the article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc., to be produced is thus built from the bottom up, layer by layer.
This background information is provided to reveal information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.
With the above in mind, method aspects of the embodiments of the present invention may be related to a method for preparing a continuous thermoplastic filament that has a plurality of segments. The method may comprise supplying a first thermoplastic filament and a second thermoplastic filament, and comprise guiding the first and second thermoplastic filaments alternatingly and sequentially into position to be cut by a filament cutting component. Guiding the first and second thermoplastic filaments alternatingly and sequentially may be with a respective first filament guide component and a respective second filament guide component. The method may further comprise cutting each of the first and second thermoplastic filaments into segments by vertically reciprocating the filament cutting component. Each of the plurality of segments may have a forward end and a trailing end that may be spaced apart from the forward end. The method may yet further comprise guiding and aligning the forward end of one segment of the plurality of segments into contact with the trailing end of another segment of the plurality of segments. The method may also comprise heating and joining the forward end of the one segment of the plurality of segments to the trailing end of the other segment of the plurality of segments to form the continuous thermoplastic filament.
The method may further comprise using a filament segment joining section to heat and join the forward end of the one segment of the plurality of segments to the trailing end of the other segment of the plurality of segments. The method may yet further comprise advancing the first and second thermoplastic filaments alternatingly and sequentially in a first direction that is towards the filament segment joining section. Supplying the first and second thermoplastic filaments may comprise supplying the first and second thermoplastic filaments with a respective first filament supply component and a respective second filament supply component. The first filament supply component may include a first rotatable filament supply spool, and the second filament supply component may include a second rotatable filament supply spool.
The method may further comprise embedding at least one of the first thermoplastic filament and the second thermoplastic filament with at least one of a conductive trace, high Z material, colorant, filler, plasticizer, solvent, electrically conductive material, semiconductive material, insulating material, magnetic material, viscoelastic material, quantum dots, graphene nanoplatelets, carbon nanotubes, inorganic nanotubes, molybdenum flakes, tungsten disulfide flakes, boron nitride flakes, carbon black, carbon fiber, fullerenes, thermally conductive material, chemically soluble material, chemically insoluble material, and a material permeable by gas, ions, or liquid.
Guiding the first and second thermoplastic filaments alternatingly and sequentially into position to be cut by the filament cutting component may include moving the first and second thermoplastic filaments reciprocally from side to side on substantially the same horizontal plane to alternatingly and sequentially position the first and second thermoplastic filaments underneath a roller and the filament cutting component. Guiding and aligning the forward end of the one segment of the plurality of segments into contact with the trailing end of the other segment of the plurality of segments may include advancing the plurality of segments alternatingly and sequentially in a direction from the roller towards a filament segment joining section.
Moving the first and second thermoplastic filaments reciprocally from side to side may include moving a respective first reciprocally movable plate and a respective second reciprocally movable plate reciprocally from side to side on substantially the same horizontal plane. The first and second thermoplastic filament guide components may be respectively mounted on the respective first and second reciprocally movable plates.
Another method aspect of the present invention may be direct to a method for preparing a continuous thermoplastic filament that has a plurality of segments. The method may comprise supplying a plurality of thermoplastic filaments, and may include guiding each of the plurality of thermoplastic filaments alternatingly and sequentially into position to be cut by a filament cutting component. Guiding each of the plurality of thermoplastic filaments alternatingly and sequentially into position to be cut may be by a respective plurality of filament guide components that may each mounted on one of a respective plurality of reciprocally movable plates. The method may also include moving the respective plurality of reciprocally movable plates reciprocally from side to side on substantially the same horizontal plane. The method may yet further include cutting each of the plurality of thermoplastic filaments alternatingly and sequentially into segments with the filament cutting component in cooperation with one of the respective plurality of reciprocally movable plates. Each of the plurality of segments may have a forward end and a trailing end that may be spaced apart from the forward end. The method may further include guiding and aligning the forward end of one segment of the plurality of segments into contact with the trailing end of another segment of the plurality of segments. The method may also include heating and joining the forward end of the one segment of the plurality of segments to the trailing end of the other segment of the plurality of segments to form the continuous thermoplastic filament.
The method may also include using a filament segment joining section to heat and join the forward end of the one segment of the plurality of segments to the trailing end of the other segment of the plurality of segments. The method may yet also include advancing each of the plurality of segments alternatingly and sequentially in a first direction that may be towards the filament segment joining section. Guiding and aligning the forward end of the one segment of the plurality of segments into contact with the trailing end of the other segment of the plurality of segments may include advancing the plurality of segments alternatingly and sequentially in a direction that may be from the roller towards a filament segment joining section.
The method may further include embedding at least one of the first thermoplastic filament and the second thermoplastic filament with at least one of a conductive trace, high Z material, colorant, filler, plasticizer, solvent, electrically conductive material, semiconductive material, insulating material, magnetic material, viscoelastic material, quantum dots, graphene nanoplatelets, carbon nanotubes, inorganic nanotubes, molybdenum flakes, tungsten disulfide flakes, boron nitride flakes, carbon black, carbon fiber, fullerenes, thermally conductive material, chemically soluble material, chemically insoluble material, and a material permeable by gas, ions, or liquid.
Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated as an example and are not limited by the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references may indicate similar elements.
It is advantageous to define several terms before describing the invention. It should be appreciated that the following definitions are used throughout this application.
Where the definition of terms departs from the commonly used meaning of the term, applicant intends to utilize the definitions provided below, unless specifically indicated.
For the purposes of the present invention, directional terms such as “outer,” “inner,” “upper,” “lower,” “top,” “bottom,” “side,” “front,” “frontal,” “forward,” “rear,” “rearward,” “back,” “trailing,” “above,” “below,” “left,” “right,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “upward,” “downward,” etc. are merely used for convenience in describing the various embodiments of the present invention. For example, the embodiments of the present invention illustrated in
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “thermoplastic” refers to the conventional meaning of thermoplastic, i.e., a composition, compound, material, etc., that exhibits the property of a material, such as a high polymer, that softens or melts so as to become pliable, malleable, etc., when exposed to sufficient heat and generally returns to its original condition when cooled to room temperature.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “filament” refers to a continuous length of material which has a thread-like structure, i.e., having a length which greatly exceeds its diameter, and which may be used with fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer. A filament may be solid or may be fluid, i.e., when liquefied, molten, melted, softened, etc.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “segment” refers to a section, portion, region, etc., of a filament which has at least one feature which is different from an adjacent section, portion, region, etc., of the filament.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “adjacent segment” refers to a pair of segments in a filament which are next to each other, and which, when joined, connected, fused, spliced, adhered, etc., together, share a common end, boundary, edge, etc.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “different feature” with respect to adjacent segments of a filament refers to differences in one or more of: the composition of the adjacent segments; the appearance of the adjacent segments; the functional properties of the adjacent segments, etc. Differences in composition may include one or more of: different materials, compounds, substances, etc., present in the adjacent segments; different amounts of the same materials, compounds, substances, etc., present in the adjacent segments, etc. Differences in appearance may include one or more of: differences in color, shape, opacity, transparency, translucency, fluorescence, etc., of the adjacent segments. Differences in functional properties may include one or more of: differences in physical, structural, mechanical, chemical, electrical, etc., properties of the adjacent segments, such as, for example, differences in electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, viscoelasticity, solubility, magnetic susceptibility, etc.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “polymer” refers to those polymers which are thermoplastic. Suitable thermoplastic polymers for use herein may include, for example, one or more of: acrylate or methylmethacrylate polymers or copolymers, such as polyacrylates, polymethylmethacrylates, etc.; polylactic acid (PLA) polymers; polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymers, such as polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB); polycaprolactone (PCL) polymers; polyglycolic acid polymers; acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers (ABS); polyvinylidene fluoride polymers, polyurethane polymers, polyolefin polymers (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, etc.), polyester polymers, polyalkylene oxide polymers, such as polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymers, polyamide polymers, polycarbonate polymers, high impact polystyrene (HIPS) polymers, polyurethane polymers, etc. These polymers may be used in pure form or as a blend with each other or other additives such as plasticizers, fillers, solvents, colorants, etc., may be water-soluble (e.g., water-soluble polyethylene oxide (PEO) polymers), etc.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “polymer matrix” refers to a matrix which provides the external or continuous (bulk) phase in which may be dispersed one or more other compounds, materials, substances, etc., and which, besides the dispersed one or more other compounds materials, substances, etc., may comprise one or more polymers, as well as one or more other optional additives, such as fillers, plasticizers, solvents, colorants, etc.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “carbon material” material refers to materials made of carbon. Carbon materials may include one or more of: graphite; graphite flakes; carbon black; graphene; graphene-like materials; (e.g., reduced graphene oxide, functionalized graphene, graphene oxide, partially reduced graphene oxide, etc.); carbon-based nanofibers; carbon-based nanotubes; etc.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “graphene-like material” refers to a material, substance, etc., which may have a layered structure the same or similar to graphene. Graphene-like materials may include one or more of: graphene; functionalized graphene; graphene oxide; partially reduced graphene oxide; graphite flakes; molybdenum disulfide (MoS.sub.2); molybdenum diselenide (MoSe.sub.2); molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe.sub.2); tungsten disulfide (WS.sub.2); tungsten diselenide (WSe.sub.2); hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN); gallium sulfide (GaS); gallium selenide (GaSe); lanthanum cuprate (La.sub.2CuO.sub.4); bismuth tritelluride (Bi.sub.2Te.sub.3); bismuth triselenide (Bi.sub.2Se.sub.3); antimony triselenide (Sb.sub.2Se.sub.3); zinc oxide (ZnO); niobium disulfide (NbS.sub.2); niobium diselenide (NbSe.sub.2); tantalum disulfide (TaS.sub.2); vanadium disulfide (VS.sub.2); rhenium disulfide (ReS.sub.2); rhenium diselenide (ReSe.sub.2); titanium disulfide (TS.sub.2); titanium diselenide (TSe.sub.2); indium trisulfide (InS.sub.3); zirconium disulfide (ZrS.sub.2); zirconium diselenide (ZrS.sub.2); cadmium selenide (CdSe); etc.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “graphene” refers to pure or relatively pure carbon in the form of a relatively thin, nearly transparent sheet, which is one atom in thickness (i.e., a monolayer sheet of carbon), or comprising multiple layers (multilayer carbon sheets), having a plurality of interconnected hexagonal cells of carbon atoms which form a honeycomb like crystalline lattice structure. In addition to hexagonal cells, pentagonal and heptagonal cells (defects), versus hexagonal cells, may also be present in this crystal lattice.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “functionalized graphene” refers to graphene which has incorporated into the graphene lattice a variety chemical functional groups such as —OH, —COOH, NH.sub.2, etc., in order to modify the properties of graphene.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “graphene oxide” (also known as “graphitic acid” and “graphite oxide”) refers interchangeably to a compound of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen which may exist in variable ratios of these three atoms, and which may be obtained by treating graphite with strong oxidizers.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “partially reduced graphene oxide” refers to graphene oxide that, upon reduction, contains from about 5 about 30% oxygen by weight of the graphene oxide.
For the purposes of the present invention, the terms “graphene platelets” and “graphene sheets” refer interchangeably to platelets of graphene comprising one or more layers of a two-dimensional (2D) graphene plane, and may also refer to platelets and sheets comprised of graphene oxide, partially reduced graphene oxide, functionalized graphene, etc.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “graphene nanoplatelets (NGPs)” and “nanosheets” refer interchangeably to platelets of graphene, and may also refer to platelets and sheets comprised of graphene oxide, partially reduced graphene oxide, functionalized graphene, etc., having a thickness in the range of from about 0.34 to about 100 nm.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “graphene-like nanoplatelets” refers to graphene-like materials having platelet characteristics the same or similar to graphene nanoplatelets (NGPs).
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “flakes” refers to particles in which two of the dimensions (i.e., width and length) are significantly greater compared to the third dimension (i.e., thickness).
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “nanoscopic” refers to materials, substances, structures, etc., having a size in at least one dimension (e.g., thickness) of from about 1 to about 1000 nanometers, such as from about 1 to about 100 nanometers. Nanoscopic materials, substances, structures, etc., may include, for example, nanoplatelets, nanotubes, nanowhiskers, etc.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “quantum dot” refers to a nanocrystal made from graphene or graphene-like materials which are small enough to exhibit quantum mechanical properties.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “liquid” refers to a non-gaseous fluid composition, compound, substance, material, etc., which may be readily flowable at the temperature of use (e.g., room temperature) with little or no tendency to disperse and with a relatively high compressibility.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “room temperature” refers to refers to the commonly accepted meaning of room temperature, i.e., an ambient temperature of from about 20.degree. to about 25.degree. C.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “extrudable” refers to composition, compound, substance, material, etc., which is sufficiently malleable, pliable, thermoplastic, etc., such that it may be forced through an extrusion orifice or die.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “fusible” refers to a thermoplastic composition, substance, material, etc., which may be fused, sintered, joined together, combined, etc., by the application of heat.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “three-dimensional (3D) printable material” refers to a thermoplastic composition, substance, material, etc., which may be formed into a three-dimensional (3D) article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc., by a three-dimensional (3D) printing technique
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “three-dimensional (3D) printing” (also known as “additive printing” and “additive manufacturing”) refers to any of various processes, techniques, etc. (e.g., coating, spraying, depositing, applying, extruding, fusing, sintering, etc., or any combination thereof) for making a three-dimensional (3D) article, device, object, component structure, part, etc., from a three-dimensional (3D) model, other electronic data source (e.g., computer assisted drawing (CAD) program file, stereolithographic (STL) file, etc.), etc., through additive processes in which successive layers of material (e.g., filaments, films, powders, particles, pellets, etc.) may be laid down, for example, under computer control. Three-dimensional (3D) printing processes, techniques, etc., may include, for example, fused filament fabrication (FFF), selective laser sintering (SLS) (also referred to herein interchangeably as selective laser melting (SLM)), inkjet head 3D printing (also referred to herein interchangeably as inkjet 3D printing), etc.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “fused filament fabrication (FFF) (also referred to herein interchangeably as fused deposition modeling (FDM), fused extrusion deposition (FED), or Plastic Jet Printing (PJP))” refers to a three-dimensional (3D) printing technique wherein a thermoplastic filament (preformed or formed in situ) is extruded from an extrusion (printing) nozzle (also referred to interchangeably as a “printing head”) in layers which, due to being liquefied, molten, softened, melted, etc., adhere (fuse) together to form the three-dimensional (3D) article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer” refers to any three-dimensional (3D) printer which operates by using a fused filament fabrication (FFF) technique.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “road” refers to a continuous length of liquefied, molten, melted or softened material which is laid down after extrusion of the thermoplastic filament from a fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “colorants” refers to additive compositions, compounds, substances, materials, etc., such as pigments, tints, etc., which impart color to a filament or a segment of a filament.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “fillers” refers to additives which may alter a composition's mechanical properties, physical properties, chemical properties, appearance, etc, and which may include, for example, one or more of: magnesium oxide, hydrous magnesium silicate, aluminum oxides, silicon oxides, titanium oxides, calcium carbonate, clay, chalk, boron nitride, limestone, diatomaceous earth, mica, glass quartz, ceramic and/or glass microbeads, metal or metal oxide fibers and particles, Magnetite®, magnetic iron(III) oxide, carbon nanotubes and/or fibers, wood, cements, adhesives, gems, decorative elements, etc.
For the purposes of the present invention, “plasticizer” refers to the conventional meaning of this term as an additive which, for example, softens, makes more flexible, malleable, pliable, plastic, etc., a polymer, thus providing flexibility, pliability, durability, etc., which may also decrease the melting and the glass transition temperature of the polymer, and which may include, for example, one or more of: tributyl citrate, acetyl tributyl citrate, diethyl phthalate, glycerol triacetate, glycerol tripropionate, triethyl citrate, acetyl triethyl citrate, phosphate esters (e.g., triphenyl phosphate, resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate), olicomeric phosphate, etc.), long chain fatty acid esters, aromatic sulfonamides, hydrocarbon processing oil, propylene glycol, epoxy-functionalized propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, partial fatty acid ester (Loxiol GMS 95), glucose monoester (Dehydrat VPA 1726), epoxidized soybean oil, acetylated coconut oil, linseed oil, epoxidized linseed oil, etc.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “solvent” refers to a liquid which may dissolve or suspend another material which may be a solid, gas, or liquid. Suitable for use as additives may include one or more of: water, acetone, chloroform, dichloromethane, etc.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “blend,” “blending,” and similar words and/or phrases refers to combining, mixing together, unifying, etc., a plurality of components, compounds, compositions, substances, materials, etc.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “substantially uniform” refers to a dispersion, material, substance, etc., which is substantially uniform in terms of composition, texture, characteristics, properties, etc.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “heat sink refers to a passive heat exchanger which cools a device by dissipating heat into the surrounding medium and which may be capable of efficient transfer and dissipation of heat produced by other components (e.g., electronic, etc.).
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “3D current conductors” refers to three-dimensional (3D) structures designed to conduct electrical current.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “solar cell grid collectors” refers to the part of the solar cell, such as is made of metal or other conductive material, and which collects charges generated in/by semiconductor part of a solar cell.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “smart labels” refers to radiofrequency identification (RFID) labels which, for example, may be embedded as inlays inside label material, and then, for example, printing bar code and/or other visible information on the surface of the label.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags” refers to tags attached to objects that contain electronically stored information, and which, through use of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, permit automatic identifying and tracking of such tags. For the purposes of the present invention, the term “electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding” refers to shielding against electromagnetic disturbances, such as radiofrequency interference.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “comprising” means various compounds, components, ingredients, substances, materials, layers, steps, etc., may be conjointly employed in embodiments of the present invention. Accordingly, the term “comprising” encompasses the more restrictive terms “consisting essentially of” and “consisting of.”
For the purposes of the present invention, the terms “a” and “an” and similar phrases are to be interpreted as “at least one” and “one or more.” References to “an” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term “and/or” means that one or more of the various compositions, compounds, ingredients, components, elements, capabilities, steps, etc., may be employed in embodiments of the present invention.
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Those of ordinary skill in the art realize that the following descriptions of the embodiments of the present invention are illustrative and are not intended to be limiting in any way. Other embodiments of the present invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons having the benefit of this disclosure. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
Although the following detailed description contains many specifics for the purposes of illustration, anyone of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and alterations to the following details are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following embodiments of the invention are set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the claimed invention.
In this detailed description of the present invention, a person skilled in the art should note that directional terms, such as “above,” “below,” “upper,” “lower,” and other like terms are used for the convenience of the reader in reference to the drawings. Also, a person skilled in the art should notice this description may contain other terminology to convey position, orientation, and direction without departing from the principles of the present invention.
Furthermore, in this detailed description, a person skilled in the art should note that quantitative qualifying terms such as “generally,” “substantially,” “mostly,” and other terms are used, in general, to mean that the referred to object, characteristic, or quality constitutes a majority of the subject of the reference. The meaning of any of these terms is dependent upon the context within which it is used, and the meaning may be expressly modified.
One of the potential limitations of fused filament fabrication (FFF) printing is having the fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer incorporate different materials into the article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc., being printed. For example, the body of the article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc., being created may have a body comprising a thermoplastic polymer matrix in which is embedded functional components such electronic circuitry. But many fused filament fabrication (FFF) printers have only one printing nozzle and thus may be limited to laying down a “road” of material comprising single, uniform composition. One alternative technique integrating such conductive or other functioning regions, portions, sections, etc., into three-dimensional (3D) printed articles, devices, components, objects, structures, parts, etc., is to combine three-dimensional (3D) printing, such as fused filament fabrication (FFF) printing, with direct two-dimensional (2D) printing. One such example is to use a heated syringe which disperses conductive traces of a conductive material over the three-dimensionally (3D) printed component. Alternatively, conductive spray-on coatings may be applied to the three-dimensionally (3D) printed component. But these combined methods are still confined to printing three-dimensional (2D) electronics within the three-dimensional (3D) component, and may not be applicable to embedding such electronics into the three-dimensional (3D) article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc.
To permit printing with more than one material, fused filament fabrication (FFF) printers may be provided with more than one printing nozzle, with each nozzle being able to print filaments which comprise different materials. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,827,684 (Schumacher et al.), issued Sep. 9, 2014 discloses a fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer provided with a print head unit which may have four print heads (printer nozzles) which share a common heating block and heating block temperature sensor(s). Each print head is provided with a separate thermoplastic filament which is controlled and driven to the print tip. Accordingly, the print heads may print different materials, e.g., materials having different colors, to provide the printed article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc. For example, when multiple colors are used, all colors may be printed to fill the interior of the printed article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc, while particular colors may be printed to color the exterior surface of the article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc. But such specialized multi-nozzle fused filament fabrication (FFF) printers may be quite costly, as well as being so large and bulky as to not be sufficiently portable.
In embodiments of the present invention, the thermoplastic filaments are provided with adjacent portions, regions, sections, etc. (i.e., hereafter referred to as “segments”) of the filament which include differing features (e.g., differing material compositions) so that that the filament may be engineered and adapted for use in a fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer, even and especially if that FFF printer has only one printing nozzle, as well as to allow and allow printing of an article comprising several materials which are different from each other. These thermoplastic filaments comprise a plurality of segments, each segment comprising at least thermoplastic polymer, but which may also comprise other materials which may be substantially uniformly dispersed in the thermoplastic polymer matrix. In other words, each pair of adjacent segments of the filament have at least one different feature in terms of composition, appearance, functional properties, etc. For example, these differences in features may include one or more of following: (1) different structural materials, sacrificial (removable) materials, etc.; (2) materials of different color (e.g., different colorants), including materials which are different in terms of opaqueness, transparency, translucency, fluorescence, etc.; (3) different additives, e.g., fillers, plasticizers, solvents, etc., including different types and amounts of such additives; (4) materials having different functional properties, e.g., electrically conductive materials, semiconductive materials, insulating materials, etc., such as electroactive polymers, piezoelectric materials, etc.; (5) materials having different mechanical and physical properties, such as in terms of modulus, viscoelasticity, plasticity; magneticity, etc.; (6) materials, such as quantum dots, with impart different optical or spectroscopic properties, including different refractive indices, fluorescence properties, etc.; (7) materials which are different in being infused with, having incorporated therein, etc., other two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene nanoplatelets, carbon or/and inorganic nanotubes, flakes of graphene-like materials such as molybdenum and tungsten disulfides flakes, boron nitride flakes, carbon black, carbon fibers, fullerenes, etc.; (8) materials having different thermal stability, chemical stability or solubility; (9) materials having different thermal conductivity; (10) materials having higher and lower atomic numbers (i.e., different Z numbers), higher or lower molecular weights, etc.; (11) materials with different permeability for gases, ions, liquids, etc.; etc. Segments of embodiments of the thermoplastic filaments according to the present invention may have similar or differing lengths, may have physical properties which change gradually or abruptly along or throughout the entire length of the filament, etc.
In addition, these segments are arranged in a specified order in the thermoplastic filament to provide a synchronized pattern of printing when the filament is printed with a fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer. In other words, embodiments of the thermoplastic filaments of the present invention are created with segments in a predetermined order such that, when printed with a fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer, the fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer lays down a “road(s)” of the material in a synchronized pattern that, upon completion of the printing, provides the printed three-dimensional (3D) article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc., which may have different colors throughout, may have embedded functionality, such as electrical circuitry, heat sinks, sensors, other electronics, etc. Embodiments of the thermoplastic filaments according the present invention thus provide significant processing flexibility, even with fused filament fabrication (FFF) printers having a single printing nozzle.
Besides processing flexibility, these thermoplastic filaments may also provide a significantly enhanced ability to create reproducible numbers of the same printed article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc., due to consistent fabrication of the thermoplastic filament, or to vary the features of the printed article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc., by simply altering the composition of one or more segments and the order those segments are arranged in, while still using the same fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer by simply altering the programming (e.g., a computer program file, such as computer assisted drawing (CAD) program file, stereolithographic (STL) file, etc.) controlling that printer to be synchronized with the varied segments, order of segments, etc., of thermoplastic filament. Some of the embodiments of these thermoplastic filaments may allow for the production of three-dimensional (3D) printed fully or partially-integrated circuitry. The flexibility and variability of the embodiments of the thermoplastic filaments of the present invention may create a compact fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer system which may print out a complete working devices, such as power sources, electronics, actuators, sensors, and mechanical components, biological materials, etc., in any geometry, shape, size, configuration, interconnection, etc., desired.
An example of an embodiment of thermoplastic filament according to the present invention (hereafter referred to for convenience only as “thermoplastic multi-segment filament”) which may be used with a fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer having a single printing nozzle is illustrated in
In some embodiments of the thermoplastic multi-segment filaments of the present invention, one of the adjacent segments comprises a polymer matrix without functional materials being present (e.g., to form the body, case, container, etc., of the printed three-dimensional (3D) article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc.), while the other of the adjacent segments comprises a polymer matrix with functional materials being present. For example, filament segments 101-1 and 101-3 may comprise a polymer matrix without functional materials being present, while filament segments 101-2 and 101-4 comprise a polymer matrix but with functional materials being present (e.g., two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene nanoplatelets, carbon or/and inorganic nanotubes, flakes of graphene-like materials such as molybdenum and tungsten disulfides flakes, boron nitride flakes, carbon black, carbon fibers, fullerenes, etc.). In other embodiments of the thermoplastic multi-segment filaments of the present invention, one of the adjacent segments may comprise a polymer matrix with structural materials being present (e.g., carbon fibers, etc.), while the other of the adjacent segments comprises a polymer matrix with functional materials being present which may form electronics, such as electronic circuitry (e.g., graphene nanoplatelets, carbon or/and inorganic nanotubes flakes of graphene-like materials such as molybdenum and tungsten disulfides flakes, boron nitride flakes, carbon black, carbon fibers, fullerenes, etc.)
FFF Printing with FFF Printer Having Single Printer Head
Embodiments of the thermoplastic multi-segment filaments of the present invention permit fused filament fabrication (FFF) printing of adjacent filament segments comprising different materials, even with fused filament fabrication (FFF) printers having a single printing head (i.e., printing nozzle), as illustrated in
As shown in
As illustrated in
In some embodiments of the method of the present invention, the fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer, such as printer 200 illustrated in
One such pattern for printing filament 224 is illustrated in
In some embodiments of the method of the present invention, the fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer, such as printer 200 illustrated in
For example, the article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc., may require a filament 224 which comprises alternating segments comprising two different compositions, such as two compositions comprising different colorants. From reading special marks on filament 224, sensor 248 then determines the relevant characteristic of filament 224, including the composition of the alternating segments, and then transmits that information, data, etc., to the computer controlling the operation of printing nozzle 204. Based on the information data, etc., convey by those marks on filament 224, printer 200 determines the positioning of the printing nozzle 204, including the pattern and the path that the printing nozzle 204 moves in both horizontal and vertical directions, the operating conditions of printing nozzle 204 in terms of temperature, filament throughput rate, etc. Similar to the “passive printing” mode, when operating in the “active printing with feedback control” mode, printing nozzle 204 moves along the predetermined path and pattern (e.g., as instructed by printer 200 based upon instructions from the relevant computer program file such as a computer assisted drawing (CAD) program file, stereolithographic (STL) file, etc.) to lay down a “road” of material to print the article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc.
Printing with Multiple Printing Nozzles
In some embodiments, the thermoplastic multi-segment filaments according to the present invention may be used in combination with other conventional thermoplastic filaments. In such instances, a fused fabrication filament (FFF) printer having two or more printing nozzles may be used. For example, in a fused fabrication filament (FFF) printer having two printing nozzles, one printing nozzle may be supplied with a conventional thermoplastic filament uniformly comprising one composition, while other printing nozzle may be supplied with an embodiment of a thermoplastic multi-segment filament according to the present invention. In one such embodiment, printing of a box with an RFID tag that identifies the contents of the box may require a thermoplastic multi-segment filament according to the present invention for FFF printing of the RFID tag, while the main body portion of the box may be FFF printed with a conventional thermoplastic filament comprising only a polymer matrix, such as a acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) polymer.
Embodiments of the thermoplastic multi-segment filament according to the present invention may be fabricated, manufactured, etc., by a variety of different methods, such as the following:
Assembly from Segments Obtained from Other Filaments.
In one embodiment, the design of the article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc., to be printed may be analyzed to determine the composition, length, order, etc., of the segments required. A plurality of segments having the appropriate composition, length, etc., may then be formed, each having a pair of spaced apart ends, by, for example, cutting, slicing severing, etc., such segments from two or more continuous filaments having the appropriate compositions in the corrects lengths, assembling the formed segments in the correct (specified) order, and then joining, connecting, fusing, splicing, etc., together by means of light, heating, ultrasonic energy, laser energy, microwave energy, etc., to form the thermoplastic multi-segment filament having a plurality of segments in the correct (specified) order for printing of the article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc. with a fused fabrication filament (FFF) printer. Alternatively, these segments arranged in the correct (specified) order may also be joined, connected, spliced, etc., together to form a continuous filament by using adhesive (glue), solvent, etc., to soften the segments at the ends thereof so that the ends of adjacent segments adhere to form a continuous length of filament
In one embodiment of the method for fabricating thermoplastic multi-segment filament according to the present invention, a supply of a first thermoplastic filament and a supply of a second thermoplastic filament are provided, wherein the first thermoplastic filament has at least one feature which is different from the second thermoplastic filament (e.g., the first thermoplastic filament has a color different from the second thermoplastic filament). A first set of segments, each having a forward end and a trailing end spaced apart from the forward end, is formed form the first thermoplastic filament, while a second set of segments, each also having a forward end and a trailing end spaced apart from the forward end, is formed from the second thermoplastic filament by, for example, cutting, slicing severing, etc., such segments. Each segment of the first set of segments and each segment of the second set of segments is formed alternatively and sequentially such that each segment of the first set of segments is adjacent to a segment of the second set of segments. For each of the adjacent segments, the trailing end of one of the adjacent segments is the forward end of the other of the adjacent segments is aligned and while the ends are in contact, joined, connected, fused, spliced, etc., to by light, heating, ultrasonic energy, laser energy, microwave energy, etc., to form the thermoplastic multi-segment filament having a plurality of segments in the correct (specified) order. Alternatively, trailing and forward ends of the adjacent segments may also be joined, connected, spliced, etc., together to form a continuous filament by using adhesive (glue), solvent, etc., to soften the trailing and forward ends so that these trailing and forward ends of adjacent segments adhere to form the thermoplastic multi-segment filament.
In some embodiments, the segments of the thermoplastic multi-segment filament may be assembled prior to being supplied for fused fabrication filament (FFF) printing (i.e., the filaments are preformed), or the segments of the filament may be supplied and assembled during fused fabrication filament (FFF) printing (i.e., the filament is assembled in situ). In one embodiment of filaments which are assembled in situ, a device assembling the segments of the filament (hereafter referred to as “filament assembly device”) may be used in conjunction with the fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer. For example, a computer program may analyze the structure of a previously printed article that may be comprised of several different materials. This analyzed structure may then be expressed as a computer assisted drawing (CAD) file, such as a stereolithography (STL) file. This STL file may then be converted into a series of commands (e.g., by using a programming language for numerical control, such as G-code) for the operation of the FFF printer to print the article, as well as a series of commands to the filament assembly device for how to assembly the segments of the filament in the correct (specified) order so that the FFF printer prints the article correctly.
An embodiment of a filament assembly device for fabricating thermoplastic multi-segment filaments according to the present invention which may be used to provide preformed filaments (such as such as filament 100 shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In another embodiment, thermoplastic multi-segment filaments according to the present invention may be fabricated, manufactured, etc., by extrusion. The process of extruding the thermoplastic multi-segment filaments may be continuous, wherein different materials may be loaded into, supplied to, etc., an extruder at different times during the extrusion process to form adjacent segments of the filament having at least one feature which is different, for example different materials compositions. Instead of loading or supplying different materials, various polymer additives may be loaded into/supplied to the extruder to modify the properties of the polymer. For example, these additives may be different colorants (e.g., pigments of various colors), graphene nanoplatelets, nanoplatelets of other two-dimensional (2D) materials such as molybdenum disulfide, boron nitride, carbon nanotubes, nanoparticles, etc. The materials may be supplied to the extruder in the appropriate order determined by the characteristics of the article, device, component, object, structure, part, etc., to be printed.
For precise and reliable fused filament fabrication (FFF) printing, embodiments of the thermoplastic multi-segment filaments may be fabricated, manufactured, etc., with indicia (e.g., one or more marks, bar codes, etc.) indicating the relevant characteristics, etc., such as segment composition, segment length (which may include the position of the ends of the segment), segment order, etc., wherein the fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer has a device (e.g., sensor 248) for reading and recognizing what information, data, etc., is conveyed by the indicia for controlling the operation of the fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer for that thermoplastic multi-segment filament, including the composition, order and length of the segments comprising the thermoplastic multi-segment filament being marked, optimal processing parameters, such as the deposition temperature and the filament throughput rate for advancing the filament, the pattern and path of movement of the printing nozzle, etc. Such indicia may be in the form of a marker which informs the printer of when each segment of the filament starts, such as segments having slightly different shapes, diameters, etc. Such markings may also be applied to the filament during the extrusion process. Alternatively, such marks may be applied, coated, painted, etc., onto the surface of the filament by using special coding, e.g., combinations of letters and numbers, bar codes, etc. In some embodiments, infusion of materials in the segments that provide an optical response to visible light, polarized light, UV, IR, other types of radiation, etc., may be used, including fluorescence detection.
In many cases, the same device, structure, component part, etc., may be used multiple times. For example, a circuit board may use a plurality of identical resistors and capacitors. Similarly, a power supply, battery etc., may be used in many different devices. Embodiments of the thermoplastic multi-segment filaments according to the present invention provide the ability to repeatedly print such devices, structures, components, parts, etc., with a fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer by preparing a plurality of such filaments having the required specified segments in the appropriate order.
Printing of Devices with Functional Elements Incorporated into a Polymer Matrix Body.
Fused filament fabrication (FFF) printing of thermoplastic multi-segment filaments according to the present invention may be combined with FFF printing of conventional filaments. For example, a device may be comprised of a body made of polymer matrix, with one or more functional elements, such as sensors, incorporated into that body. Each of the sensors may be comprised of two electrical leads and a strip of an environmentally sensitive material between the two leads, that environmentally sensitive material sensitive being able to change its electrical conductivity properties in response to changes in the sensor's environment, for example, changes in temperature, pressure, concentration of trace gases, etc. Such environmentally sensitive materials may include one or more of: metal oxides such as copper, manganese oxides, etc., which change electrical conductivity properties in response to temperature; graphene, such functionalized graphene, etc., which change electrical conductivity properties in response to being exposed to various gases, vapors, etc., etc. Manufacturing of these devices may be accomplished with a fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer having two printing nozzles, one supplied with the filament comprising a polymer matrix used to build the body of the device, the other printing nozzle being supplied with thermoplastic multi-segment filaments according to the present invention to print the sensors. Examples of sensors which may benefit from this method may include damage control sensors for wind turbine blades, capacitance “touch-sensitive” sensors, moisture and icing sensors, protein or other biosensors, etc.
Embodiments of thermoplastic multi-segment filaments according to the present invention may be used to manufacture article having repeating periodic patterns, e.g., a checkerboard pattern, articles printed by fused filament fabrication (FFF) printing. One advantage such thermoplastic multi-segment filaments may provide in printing such repeating periodic patterns is increased speeds and throughput rates for part manufacturing when compared to manufacturing the same pattern with three-dimensional (3D) printers equipped with multiple printing heads, each loaded with a certain material. These repeating periodic patterns may be, for example, a variety of meta-materials including nano-scaffolds, photonic crystals, optical gratings, materials with negative index of refraction, etc. In this method, the pieces of different materials may interchange with each other in a periodic manner.
Heat sinks may be used to protect important elements from overheating, and often have complex shapes for seamless integration. In some cases, anisotropic heat transfer may be beneficial. In one embodiment, these thermoplastic multi-segment filaments may be used to form heat guides by combining materials with both higher and lower thermal conductivities, such as by creating a continuous extended structure comprising of a material having a higher thermal conductivity surrounded by another material having lower thermal conductivity such that excessive heat may pass along this structure. Such heat guides may be incorporated into the three-dimensional (3D) article directly by interchanging the materials of higher and lower thermal conductivity during the printing of the article. This application may target industries including, but not limited to, semiconductor equipment, housing for light sources, devices packaging, and equipment boxes.
A battery may be comprised of the set of parts that include current collectors made of electrically conductive material, a cathode, an electrolyte (to provide ionic conductivity), and an anode. Each of these parts may require different materials. The materials for each of these parts may be formulated as thermoplastic composites. These thermoplastic composites may be formed into separate filaments which are cut into segments and spliced together (for example, by device 400 of
Conductive traces may be used as antennas and RFID tags. Such tags may be embedded in the interior of the device and are not visible to the user.
Protection of sensitive equipment may be implemented if a conductive envelope is embedded in a 3D printed object.
Elements with Embedded Heaters.
Thermoplastic multi-segment filaments may be used provide embedded heaters. Examples of such applications may include heated car seats, deicers, heated tiles, walls or floor units with heaters, etc. Displays that change color with heating (e.g., thermocromes) may also benefit from using such thermoplastic multi-segment filaments in their fabrication.
Thermoplastic multi-segment filaments may have regions which may look identical, but which have special indicia (e.g., authenticity marks, signatures, etc.) which may be revealed, recognized, etc., if examined with specialized equipment (e.g., fluorescent scanners). For example, some regions or segments of thermoplastic multi-segment filaments may have fluorescent marks, isotope marks, etc.
Shock Absorbers, Materials with Anisotropic Mechanical Properties
Thermoplastic multi-segment filaments may suitable for fused fabrication filament (FFF) printing of wearable electronics, armor, (including personalized armor), helmets (including with embedded electronics), structures (e.g., cellular structures) used for protection from explosion, falling construction parts, earthquakes, etc.
With thermoplastic multi-segment filaments, one may fused fabrication filament (FFF) print scaffolds for the growth of different types of tissue, artificial bones and limbs, etc. With thermoplastic multi-segment filaments, anti-bacterial layers may be added by fused fabrication filament (FFF) printing to casts or implants.
Embodiments of thermoplastic multi-segment filaments according to the present invention may be useful for a broad range of applications to embed internal wiring, sensors, light guides, etc., in a bulk part or a case, including, for example, in robotic devices, unmanned submarines, spacecraft, aircraft (e.g., unmanned aircraft such as drones, etc.), etc.
Layers of material with high Z may be added around sensitive parts for radiation protection. Applications include vehicle protection, gas masks, vests, shielding of radiation-sensitive robotic parts.
Filaments with Gradually Changing Features
The features of the thermoplastic multi-segment filaments according to the present invention may gradually change along the length of the filament.
The segments of the thermoplastic multi-segment filaments according to the present invention may be made of an optically transparent material, with the refraction index gradually increasing along the length of the filament. Such filaments may be used for manufacturing optical lenses. For example, the fused filament fabrication (printer) may be originally positioned over the center of the lens and may then be moved along an outwardly the spiraling path to distribute the “road” of material.
This application may incorporate material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of this application or any portion of this disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent/patent application file or records, for the limited purposes required by law, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example, and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope. In fact, after reading the above description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement alternative embodiments. Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above described exemplary embodiments.
In addition, it should also be understood that any figures in the drawings that highlight any functionality and/or advantages, are presented herein for illustrative purposes only. The disclosed architecture is sufficiently flexible and configurable, such that it may be utilized in ways other than those that may be shown. For example, the steps listed in any flowchart may be re-ordered or only optionally used in some embodiments.
Further, the purpose of the Abstract of the Disclosure in this application is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as well as the public generally, including any scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or other legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. Accordingly, while the Abstract of the Disclosure may be used to provide enablement for the following claims, it is not intended to be limiting as to the scope of those claims in any way.
Finally, it is the applicants' intent that only claims that include the express language “means for” or “step for” be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6. Claims that do not expressly include the phrase “means for” or “step for” are not to be interpreted as being within the purview of 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph 6.
Some of the illustrative aspects of the present invention may be advantageous in solving the problems herein described and other problems not discussed which are discoverable by a skilled artisan.
While the above description contains much specificity, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any embodiment, but as exemplifications of the presented embodiments thereof. Many other ramifications and variations are possible within the teachings of the various embodiments. While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best or only mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. Also, in the drawings and the description, there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms may have been employed, they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.
Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, and not by the examples given.
The claims in the instant application are different than those of the parent application or other related applications. Applicant therefore rescinds any disclaimer of claim scope made in the parent application or any predecessor application in relation to the instant application. Any such previous disclaimer and the cited references that it was made to avoid, may need to be revisited. Further, any disclaimer made in the instant application should not be read into or against the parent application.
This application is a divisional application of and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/841,143, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,883,994, issued Jan. 30, 2024 (Attorney Docket No. 4460.00016) filed on Apr. 6, 2020 and titled Fused Filament Fabrication Using Multi-Segment Filament, which in turn is a divisional application of and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/112,098, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,611,098, issued Apr. 7, 2020 (Attorney Docket No. 4460.00006) filed on Jul. 15, 2016 and titled Fused Filament Fabrication Using Multi-Segment Filament, which in turn is a national phase application of and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCT U.S. Patent Application Serial No. PCT/US15/11878 filed on Jan. 17, 2015 and titled FUSED FILAMENT FABRICATION USING MULTI-SEGMENT FILAMENT, which in turn claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/928,573 filed on Jan. 17, 2014 and titled Fused Filament Fabrication with Multi-material Filament. The contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference except for where they conflict with the content herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61928573 | Jan 2014 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16841143 | Apr 2020 | US |
| Child | 18427392 | US | |
| Parent | 15112098 | Jul 2016 | US |
| Child | 16841143 | US |
