Method and apparatus for solid prototyping
US5764521A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 13, 1995 |
| Grant date | Jun 9, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 13, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB29C2948/9298
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An improved extrusion-based manufacturing system includes one or more extruders, with each extruder containing at least two stages of increasing pressurization. In a preferred embodiment, a first stage of pressurization is created by the motion of a solid wafer of thermoplastic through an orifice into a heater chamber. In another preferred embodiment, the wafers are stored in removable, electronically tagged, cassettes and are removed therefrom by a stapler mechanism which feeds the wafers from the cassette to a tractor feed mechanism on demand. In each embodiment, a second stage of pressurization is provided by a pump, with the first stage pressurization maintaining a flow of thermoplastic to the pump under all expected pump rates.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.